Whether you use your car daily or just on the weekends, it's a good idea to prepare it for the upcoming season in the coming weeks. Relentless frosts, salt and road grit take their toll on the vehicle's chassis, bodywork and interior. The time has come to clean and improve all parts, whether you're preparing for a long trip, heading to the track for fun or just cruising with the windows down, a properly maintained car is key.

1. Basic maintenance

After winter, it is ideal to start with basic maintenance, which includes replacing wipers, changing operating fluids and filters. Vehicles are more stressed in winter due to constant temperature changes, which wear out all parts more than in other seasons. 

Wipers are one of the car parts that we cannot go without during the winter season. Due to frost, exposure to dirt flying from the road or snow and water, they can harden and make strange sounds or wipe the windscreen insufficiently. A simple and quick replacement will ensure ideal visibility during summer rains and minimal noise. Replacing wipers goes hand in hand with replacing or topping up the washer fluid with summer fluid, free of antifreeze substances with special properties that guarantee clean windows without streaks, dried insects, or a pleasant aroma after each application.

Engine oil is like blood in the veins for people. It is the most important fluid in the vehicle, so its service should not be neglected. In the summer, it is possible to use a thicker oil, since high temperatures thin the fluid and therefore reduce its density. To maintain the proper lubricating properties of the oil, it is ideal to use additives and an oil filter with improved filtering properties and a baffle to maintain oil pressure even after the engine is turned off. Temperatures can be reduced by installing an oil cooler via an oil filter adapter. This upgrade can be done very quickly using Teflon hoses and universal radiator holders. A car modified in this way will then have no problem operating during hot summer days on the street or track.

When changing the oil, it is recommended to also replace the standard intake air filter. After autumn and winter, the filter box can be clogged with dirt and leaves, which results in a restriction of air flow. To restore airflow and improve acceleration, it is advisable to replace the original filter with a sports insert or a full cold air intake with an open filter and aluminium duct. By replacing it, you save money, as the sports filter can be cleaned and there is no need to constantly buy a new one, and at the same time, the intake system is improved, which results in an increase in vehicle performance.

2. Tire and wheel replacement

Contact between the road and the car is a fundamental element for proper functioning and handling. Without proper contact, even an improved suspension or harder bushings are meaningless. New rims go hand in hand with new tires. The saying still applies that the wheels make the car, and that is why it is good to step into the new season with new rims.

In our offer, you will find various designs from different brands with the option of choosing the size, ET or colour. The wide range allows you to choose a rim that exactly fits your requirements without the need to use wheel spacers, which are, however, a suitable addition for customers who already have their own tires but would like to achieve a wider, more aggressive stance of the car. 

You can enrich new or old rims with new installation hardware such as new screws, nuts or the installation of a conversion set of studs.

Maintenance of winter rims before storing them should be an annual habit after winter. There is nothing better than changing your car to clean and prepared tires in a year. For this occasion, we offer a complete set of cosmetics for both rims and tires.

When changing, it is advisable to check the brake system to see the condition the brake hoses, pads and discs are in. All these components are exposed to salt and adverse winter weather, which can damage them. The solution is to improve by installing more durable brake discs, which shorten the braking distance in combination with more aggressive brake pads. You can replace rubber hoses with Teflon hoses with stainless steel braid, which you definitely don't have to worry about anymore, as their solid construction withstands pressure and even external weather influences or mechanical damage.

3. Cooling system

The cooling system plays a key role in maintaining the correct engine temperature. The thermostat keeps only a small circuit open to warm up the car as quickly and efficiently as possible. The thermostat then opens and allows the engine to cool in combination with the fan located on the radiator. These components are particularly stressed in the summer months due to higher ambient temperatures. If the car overheats, it is ideal to change the coolant and apply additives. Improving the system can consist of replacing the stock radiator with an aluminium radiator, replacing the thermostat with a more sensitive thermostat that opens at lower temperatures, or replacing the hoses with silicone ones. 

An aluminium radiator provides not only improved radiator body materials but also a larger volume. In some cases, the radiator also has a 2-pass core, when the liquid has to pass through the radiator a longer path, and thus the liquid is cooled more thoroughly. These radiators work best in combination with an electric fan mounted directly on the radiator. This fan can be controlled by the engine or the driver via a button on the dashboard. 

Silicone hoses replace the stock rubber ones, which can be more susceptible to weather and mechanical damage. By replacing them, you will not only improve the cooling system, but you can also improve the overall appearance of the engine compartment. 

These upgrades create a bulletproof engine cooling system that will keep you going even in the highest daily temperatures on the track or street. Keep your engine happy with ideal cooling system temperatures and don't worry about it overheating.

4. Paint and body protection

The winter season is demanding on the vehicle body due to mechanical damage when removing snow from the car's surface. Rubber seals in the door or trunk area are also stressed and therefore deserve attention when preparing for summer.

Shampoos are ideal for starting to restore the paintwork after winter. It is also important to pay attention to the wheel arches and the lower part of the vehicle, as these are the places where the most dirt is collected, which can damage the paintwork. The next step is to treat the paintwork with a Clay bar to remove embedded dirt that a touchless wash cannot remove. In this process, it is necessary to use dedicated lubricants or detailer sprays that will create sufficient lubrication for the Clay Bar to move over the paintwork surface.

After mechanical cleaning, it is ideal to check the condition of the paintwork and, in the case of visible scratches or imperfections, subsequently polish it. This can be done by applying polishing waxes or professionally using electronic polishers and abrasive paste with a mildly abrasive composition. This process adds depth to the paint and removes "sunspots" and visible scratches from the paint without the need for spraying or other treatment. 

It is recommended to preserve and protect such clean and polished paint to maintain its saturation and cleanliness. To achieve the longest possible protection, it is ideal to use preparations containing ceramics. The paint of the vehicle treated in this way can resist dirt for 6-24 months.

Do not forget to clean and treat plastic parts by applying revivers or impregnations, as well as cleaning the lights or windows of the vehicle. The lights, as well as the vehicle body, can be polished in case the protective glass turns yellow. Subsequently, ceramic protection or installation of PPF films can be performed. Lights equipped with glass covers require the same maintenance as windows, so you should think about regular cleaning and possibly applying a water-repellent ceramic component that prevents water and dirt from settling on the surface, which improves visibility and reduces the intervals required for cleaning.