By Craig Hopkins (photos by Craig Hopkins and Aaron Hopkins) / Originally Published July 15, 2014 / Hagerty In restoration circles it’s a well-known fact that certain details set some cars apart from the rest, and new glass is one of those details; it’s impossible to have a clean car without clean glass. Reproduction glass has ...

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I only take my Bel Air out of the garage a few times a year: on the first sunny day of summer, for our anniversary, for a few car shows, and usually on the last sunny day of fall before it goes back under the car cover for its winter hibernation. Because I don’t drive my Chevy that often, ...

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By Jeff Peek / Originally Published July 9, 2014 / Hagerty VEHICLES COVERED: 1968 AMC Javelin and 1970 AMC AMX WHAT WENT WRONG: For most classic car owners, a locked garage in a safe neighborhood is all that’s needed to keep their precious automobiles safe. But as crooks prove time and again, if there’s a will there’s a way. ...

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Getting ready to rewire your classic car? Here are five tips from Capp’s Hot Rods and American Autowire to get you on your way: 1. Identify your project. This is not an easy task because it really does depend on the car you are starting with. If your project is a typical street rod, then you ...

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Let’s be honest… window tint almost always makes a car look better. And that’s why tinted glass is such a popular upgrade for custom cars and restomods. Of course, window tint won’t just improve the look of your ride, it also protects the interior from the sun’s rays, and it helps keep the inside temperature comfortable. But, ...

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By Griot’s Garage / Originally Published May 6, 2014 / Hagerty The pollen count is spiking like the stock market during a buying frenzy. While cars don’t have sneezing fits like we do, pitch and pollen wreak havoc on paint. They can be acidic and quite damaging if allowed to build up. According to the ...

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A relay is nothing more than a remote switch that uses an electromagnet to close a set of contact points. When the relay magnet is supplied with voltage, the points close and battery voltage is routed through the main circuit. Relays are often used in circuits to reduce the current that flows through the primary ...

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By Rob Sass / Originally Published April 11, 2014 / Hagerty Contrary to general perception, most classic cars aren’t fragile flowers.  In fact, many are anvil-tough, particularly American cars of the 1950s and 1960s, built with real Pennsylvania steel and very little plastic. But even these rolling bank vaults can be seriously screwed up by ...

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If your classic car has been in storage longer than your teenager has been around, chances are it isn’t ready to hit the road. If your wife isn’t even aware you own a classic car because it’s buried in the garage under all the dusty stuff marriage seems to collect, it definitely isn’t road ready. It doesn’t necessarily ...

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By Griot’s Garage / Originally Published April 1, 2014 / Hagerty The biggest mistake you can make when drying a vehicle is applying too much pressure to the towel. This drives any remaining dirt into your paint, causing micro scratches (and maybe some not-so-micro scratches). For stubborn grime, follow up your wash cycle with a ...

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What’s more frustrating than hopping in your car, turning the key, and nothing?  You try again, but still nothing.  Nada, zero, zilch! You’ve fallen victim to a dead battery.  There are only a few things that can cause this to happen.  First, the condition of the battery. Maybe the battery is old.  Maybe you don’t ...

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So you’ve bought your dream car and you’re ready to spend ALL of your free time restoring it. The first thing you’ll have to decide is what type of restoration you want. If you’re interested in a car that you can enter into shows, you’ll want to go for a concours correct, bone stock (authentic) restoration. ...

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