The Goodwood Festival of Speed is rounding the corner quickly and classic car enthusiasts from around the globe are gearing up to celebrate the history and beauty of the automotive industry.
Whether you’re signing up to be part of The Breakfast Club, or simply driving down in your classic car to spectate and enjoy the show, preparing your classic racing car requires the kind of meticulous attention to detail that draws enthusiasts to classic cars in the first place.
So, as you’re revving up and planning ahead, we’ll walk you through what we feel are the most important things to consider so that your day runs as smoothly and easily as possible.
What is the Goodwood Festival of Speed?
The Goodwood Festival of Speed is an event that takes place every year at Goodwood House in West Sussex. It has been running for over 30 years, first established in 1993 by Lord March, owner of Goodwood House and estates. Wanting to bring back racing to the Goodwood Circuit, but lacking the permit, Lord March decided to hold the event in the grounds of his estate.
Featuring a hill climb event, a rally stage and various exhibitions of classic and modern vehicles, the Goodwood Festival of Speed attracts over 100,000 people every year on each day of the three-day event.
It is a wonderful opportunity for classic car owners to bond with fellow enthusiasts and share their love of meticulously detailed vehicles and the joy and beauty they inspire.
- Deep Cleaning and Detailed Polishing: Always begin with a clean. Use a high-quality shampoo that is designed for classic cars so that it is gentle enough to prevent the paint from stripping or causing harm to delicate finishes. Once the car has been lovingly lathered and cleaned from top to bottom, we begin the process of polishing. Use a clay bar to lift any embedded contaminants from the paint, these are generally invisible to the eye but if they come loose during polishing can create scratches and pits in the paintwork. The whole process is around 30 minutes long and is worth the time to ensure the longevity of your paintwork and to allow the wax to do its job properly. Once finished you can take a high-grade carnauba wax and spend your time gently polishing every surface until your classic car positively shines with how lustrous and beautiful it has become.
- Restorative Touches: Once the car is cleaned to perfection, we can inspect the paint and bodywork for any chips, scratches, or surface rust. Address these issues as you find them with precision touch-ups or a professional restoration service. Remember the mark of a classic car is how close to its original self it looks, so ensuring that every part of the bodywork is in factory condition is paramount. Pay particularly close attention to chrome trim, badges, engine bay and other detailed areas that may show signs of wear.
- Immaculate Interiors: Once the outside of the car is looking perfect, shiny, and brand new it is time to tackle the interior with the same level of precision and care. On the inside ensure every surface is spotless, free from dust, debris, and wear. Clean and condition leather seats and old fabrics. Ensure the carpets are properly refurbished, or replaced if needed and check all your interior switches and gauges to ensure they are functioning correctly. Check every nook and cranny you can find, from between the seats to under the seats, pockets to ashtrays, glove boxes and all. A well-preserved interior is just as important and evokes just as much nostalgia as the perfectly prepared exterior, so pay as much attention to detail inside as you do outside.
- Classic Car Oil: Engine maintenance is vital and ensuring you use the proper classic car oil is crucial. Classic car oils are specially formulated for older engines, ensuring that the chemical lubricants do not damage or attack the internals like a modern car oil might. They offer the necessary lubrication for older engines and protect against any wear and tear that might develop over time. An oil change before the Goodwood Festival of Speed will allow you to rest easily knowing your engine is running smoothly and prevent any issues of performance that could arise during the festival.
Preparing Your Stock of Spare Parts
Now, even with all the planning and prep and meticulous detailing some days your classic car just wants to chuck a thousand problems at you. In the event that this might happen, it is best to always be prepared with the most common spare parts. Here is our list of essential spares to ensure you can have the smoothest festival possible.
- Identify Common Issues: Whilst you will already be familiar with your classic car by now, it is always good to check what common issues others have with their car too. Every classic car is unique in its own way, with its own quirks and personality, your timing belt may have not gone yet, but if everyone else complains they’re always replacing theirs, it may only be a matter of time before yours decides to go. Knowing what to expect and prepare for can help you plan accordingly.
- Essential Spares: Regardless of make, model or year, there are always a few essentials that you can never go amiss with having on hand. These are our wear-and-tear items that every classic car enthusiast should have. Spark plugs, belts, hoses, and filters are among the most common. As well as spare wheels, ensuring the tyres are fresh as old rubber cracks and becomes brittle over time. And remember to pack the tools needed to replace them so that even with a weekend of heavy usage, your classic car will continue to wow you and your spectators.
- Cooling System Components: We know how essential the appropriate coolants are for classic cars. They are prone to overheating, in fact, we know it is part of the journey, waiting by the roadside as your classic car blows off some steam before feeling up for running again. To avoid this check your coolant levels before leaving and make sure you are topping up with the appropriate lubricant for your vehicle. Bring along spare radiator parts, thermostats, and coolant hoses so you can address problems on the fly, and run the car the weekend before to make sure your cooling system is still fully functional and working as intended.
- Tools and Equipment: And of course, a well-stocked tool kit is irreplaceable, for how can we maintain our cars without the right tools for the job? Keep a toolbox stocked with wrenches, socket sets, screwdrivers, pliers, extendable mirrors and flashlights, or more modern endoscopes to see into all the nooks and crannies. Also, bring any speciality tools specific to your vehicle. Remember to bring a jack and wheel chocks for easy and safe repairs and high visibility warning signs in case of the need to do a roadside repair.
Conclusion
It is funny how big of a job classic car maintenance seems, yet at the same time no group shares more enthusiasm, love and commitment to their passions as classic car enthusiasts do. We know this list won’t be a chore of jobs to sort through but an opportunity to spend more time with the car you love and prepare it to be seen by the rest of the world.
With careful preparation and immaculate attention to detail, you can get your classic car looking perfect for a weekend of fun, laughter, sharing and making memories of the cars that you and everyone else at Goodwood love so much.
By detail cleaning the exterior, deep cleaning the interior, performing those vital pre-flight checks as well as carrying the appropriate spares and tools, we know you’ll be ready to race off for the weekend of a lifetime.
