Classic car cleaning: how to wash and protect older paint

Classic cars reward a lighter touch. Older paint is often thinner and softer, chrome and rubber need different care, and a wrong product can undo years of looking after it. This guide covers how to tell what paint you have, a gentle wash routine, careful polishing and how to keep it right through show season.

Know your paint: single stage or clear coat

Most modern cars have a coloured base coat under a clear coat. Many older cars have single stage paint, where the colour and gloss are in one layer. The easy test is to clean a hidden spot, such as a door shut, and rub it with a microfibre cloth and a little light polish. If colour comes off onto the cloth, the paint is single stage.

Colour on the cloth is normal for single stage paint. It means you are removing a little paint every time you polish, so polish rarely and gently.

The gentle wash

1. Wash in the shade on cool panels.
2. Pre rinse or snow foam to lift dirt before you touch the car. Everyday formulas are enough for a car that is washed regularly.
3. Two buckets and a soft mitt. Choose a shampoo that will not strip wax. Our Summer and Delicate shampoos are made not to strip wax or sealant. The two bucket method keeps grit out of the wash water.
4. Rinse with low pressure. Older seals and rubbers can let water in under a strong jet.
5. Dry straight away with a plush towel, then open the doors and boot to let the shuts dry. See how to dry without swirls or water spots.

Chrome, rubber and glass

• Chrome. Clean it with shampoo and dry it well. Water left in pits is what starts rust spots.
• Rubber seals. Keep strong cleaners off them, and dry them after washing.
• Glass. Our ammonia free glass cleaner is safe on window tints. Dry the seals around the glass afterwards.
• Interior. Test any cleaner on a hidden area of old vinyl, leather or fabric first.

Polishing older paint

Always start with the least aggressive polish and only go stronger if you need to. Our Delicate polish is a light finishing polish made for soft paint. Work a small test area first and check your cloth or pad for colour as you go. On a valuable or original car, ask a professional to measure paint depth before any machine polishing. Our guide to polishing and sealing covers the basics.

Protect it

A coat of wax or sealant makes every wash gentler, because dirt releases more easily. Reapply every few months, and before the car goes away for winter. If you have used a traditional wax, keep using a shampoo that will not strip it.

Show season and storage

• Wash a day or two before a show so any water trapped in seams has time to dry out.
• Pack a clean microfibre cloth for dust from the drive.
• Before winter storage, wash, dry fully and protect the paint, then store it dry and ventilated.
• Our bird droppings guide is worth a read before outdoor shows.

Tax and MOT exemptions

GOV.UK says vehicles built more than 40 years before 1 January of a given year can stop paying vehicle tax from 1 April that year. You must apply, and the car moves into the historic tax class. You still tax it every year at £0. Vehicles built or first registered more than 40 years ago can also be exempt from the MOT if they have not been substantially changed, but they must still be kept roadworthy. Check the GOV.UK criteria before you claim either.

Quick answers

Kit for this job

• No.05 Contact Shampoo
• No.07 Polish and Paint Prep
• No.08 Wax and Sealant
• Ultra Plush Microfibre Wash Mitt
• Laser Edgeless Buffing Cloths
• No.09 Glass and Visor Cleaner

Where the figures come from

• Single stage paint test: Detailed Image, how to polish single stage paint.
• Historic vehicle tax: GOV.UK, historic (classic) vehicles.
• MOT exemption: GOV.UK, vehicles exempt from MOT.

More from the Journal

• How to polish and protect car paint with an SiO2 spray sealant
• The two bucket method: how to wash your car without swirl marks
• How to wash a black car without swirl marks
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