Winter is without a doubt the hardest season of the year on your classic car. If you are like me, you try to take care of all the routine maintenance before the cold weather hits and hope it all holds together until Spring arrives. Well, spring is almost here and there are a number of things the shade tree mechanic will want to be doing the very instant the snows clear away, maintenance on the prized car. It needs it very badly by now. For the last three to four months your car hasn't had an oil change, or chassis lubrication or a number of other things that badly need doing.

• Tires: tend to your tires. By rotating them seasonally, you extend the life of the set. As the weather gets warmer and temperatures increase, tire pressure changes. Under-inflated tires reduce a vehicle's fuel efficiency by an average of 3.3 percent, according to www.fueleconomy.gov. Tires should be checked monthly to make sure that they are inflated to manufacturers' recommendations, which can typically be found on the vehicle door placard or in the glove box. Be sure to avoid over-inflating the tires, as this can lead to premature or irregular tire wear.

• Blades: wiper blades take a severe beating. Early spring is a good time to check and replace them.

• Undercarriage: clean your vehicle's undercarriage. There's no magic cleaning solution that will get rid of the corrosive salt build-up for those who live in heavy winter urban areas. Make sure you bring the car to the car wash shop and get the entire body, along with undercarriage, systematically washed and the sand and salt fully removed.

• Fluids: check all automotive fluids and top off as necessary. Winter driving conditions require your engine to work harder and deplete fluid levels faster. Cold temperatures can wreak havoc on an engine if it is not cared for properly, as cold startups are among the most severe conditions that engines undergo. Drivers need to protect their vehicles with a quality motor oil to endure the varying temperatures as most of the country changes from cooler to warmer temperatures. The changing of seasons serves as an excellent reminder of the importance of using high quality motor oils in your engine.

• Brakes: examine your brakes. Like wipers, brakes take on a bigger role during wintertime and should be checked to ensure they've survived.

• Air Filters: these tend to become heavy due to pollen affecting the overall output of the vehicle. You should immediately replace the air filters if you found them to be inappropriate in order to enhance the performance of your car. You should remove dirt, debris and leaves from the cowl screen and other crevices. Leaves that are present in the cowl screen can break producing residue that can block the evaporator drain. Dry wiping your car with the paper towel or similar paper item will scrape the clear coat. Make sure to utilize mild lather and water to clean the affected region. Spring time can be a good time to take proper care of your vehicle. If you reside in the snow region of our nation the primary thing to do is to make sure that sand and salt is away from your car.

• Wax: The next thing you must do is to have a good coat of wax to be applied to assist in protecting your car from the strong UV sunrays. Your car must be vacuumed to eliminate sand and salt that might have entered. You should also check the hood.

• A/C Fluids: Check all the fluids involving the coolant mechanism and the AC before those humid and hot days arrive. Running the AC system once in a while will certainly keep it operational when you require it.

• Pot Holes: If pot holes are a problem in your region, you must have the suspension examined to make sure there are no damaged components from getting jumped. Worn suspension components can easily lead to tire and other parts hastily wearing and alignment hassles. A vehicle having bad alignment can ultimately lead to poor driving, handling and hamper your cars fuel mileage.