Mustang Ready?

Ohtobbad

Ohtobbad

Administrator
Staff member
I know what routine I have with my car each spring, in fact several times a year.
I was curious what other folks do to prepare their Mustangs for driving season?

I will do a major check of my car, brakes, tire inspection, filters, fluids, wheel torque check.
and a serious once over of all mechanical parts. Of course serious cleaning.
I believe you can do this even if your not mechanical by nature.

I read somewhere most car accidents involving ( toys) cars driven very little
is people expect because everything was fine when I stopped driving it, all should be good.
Only to find out this don't work or that and end results is not fun.

So what do you do?
 
That's about the basics I do as well. I also try and take off the callipers to make sure the pistons are in good shape , lubed and free to slide ..had too many seize over the years on trips ,so this is one I try and do on all my rides.. Finally got my new tires after ordering them in September, so need to get caster camber plates and get it aligned before it get to enjoy it .
 
Pull off the cover, unhook the battery tender and go. Car was already waxed and detailed before the cover went on, so that's not a concern, any other checks were done before storage as well. Biggest routine when getting out for the first time is being easy on the gas, between colder roads and some left over dirt, best to be gentle to avoid any loss of traction. lol
 
First trip out of storage is intentionally slow - and direct to the jack stands - my car has a few miles and years on it. Time and sitting still plays some dirty tricks . I start with a check of brakes/ caliper slides , a good look at the tires when they are off, and a once over of the suspension and bushings to confirm that I won’t have issues the rest of the year. My first run likely me the May 4th run and I don’t want to come home via CAA!
 
First stop is to trusted shop for MVI, fluid changes, tire rotation and any mods that need a hoist or more than basic mechanical.They reserve a hoist and top technician, who's a hard core car guy (Chevy dude, tho). The shop owner is a classic car & Harley guy who pulls on work clothes when I'm in for service. Detailed before going into storage and under cover. More of a dusting off than deep cleaning. Not much time to spend on it before the spring run. Comes out on May 1st, in shop May 2nd and 3rd, if needed as longtubes going on before the Run May 4th.
 
Another thing I do is change fluids.
I have done transmission fluid and filters once.
rear-end diff fluid. I also change oil quite frequent.
2-3000 km is normal for me.
I have changed my brake fluid 3 times so far.
My Car takes DOT 4 fluid. Track sessions tend to make it
hot and lessens its ability with time.

If you have never changed yours, take a look at it at least.
It should look clean, if not well worth changing.
will make a difference in braking.
 
I do NB MVI, alignment check(whether needed or not) and oil change in the first week out.
NB MVI is quite complete, including suspension, tires and wheels, all steering components and brakes, wipers, all lights, horn, exhaust system, and even body condition such as rust through of panels.
Don by a good tech/car guy and it's a good check.
I also take it easy on first drives for reasons mentioned above, but also to avoid pushing RPMs until all old fuel is burnt out of tank.
Get into it after full fuel fill with fresh supreme.
Good advice above on brake fluid. I change mine also as required or every two years.
The more it heats the shorter its life gets.
Dark or black means several heat cycles to the limit or above and/or moisture in it.
The dark color is moisture and contamination.
Moisture in brake fluid renders it spungy and it can't push the pistons with same force.
Hence the term spungy or soft pedal feel.
All detailed and waxed before it went under the cover, so good to go on that front.
 
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