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    COVID-19 Quarantining for Car People

    Need to get out of the house? Head to your garage!

    It’s no secret that COVID-19 (aka Coronavirus) has shut down most of America through Spring of 2020; maybe even Summer. And even though we spend the majority of our time outside, car lovers are not exempt. It’s proven that the best way to combat this virus is to stay home and have as little interaction with others as possible. (i.e. “flatten the curve.“)

    We’ve had to cancel April’s Cars & Coffee of Siouxland and in all likelihood will have to cancel May’s as will.

    So what’s a car person (#carpeople) to do? Well we’ve come up with a list of things that can stimulate your love of cars AND keep you occupied with your newfound alone time!

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    Sorry, had to squeak this in quick. The more support we receive, the more cool stuff we can make! 🙂


    Clean Out Your Garage

    Save for the most meticulous, everyone’s garage has that dark corner that collects junk year after year. Now’s the prefect time to organize! Find a use for everything in your work space. If it doesn’t have a use in there, then re-purpose, donate, or recycle the item!

    Pro Tip: If you already have shelves AND you have kids, have them make labels for the shelve’s category. (Rags, Cleaners, Gardening, etc…)


    Detail Your Car

    Alright, your garage is clean and you found a lot of half-empty products from years ago. Instead of tossing them out, put them to work by giving your car the deep clean it deserves! Grab towels, cotton swabs (I’ll be damned if I give “Blank-Tips” a free shoutout), and those blue shop rags and dig into every nook and cranny. Classic cars will thank you the most!

    Pro Tip: On older cars, the air vents are typically simple to remove. If they are, dip them in water instead of wasting a thousand Q-Tips. (Dang, they got me!)

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    Clean Out *Gulp!* The Engine Bay

    For me, this is by far the most daunting. I have a 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit and the engine bay is a literal rats nest of tubes and wires. However, there are a bunch of exposed areas that show decades of dust and grime buildup that are easily accessed and make all the difference.

    Pro Tip: Here’s easy beginners set that you can grab quickly at your local hardware store: An assortment of wire brushes, Purple Power spray cleaner, and plenty of rags you can wash later. There are tons of other products, but these will take care of the bulk of the mess.


    Restore Black Plastic Pieces

    This is a duh to Veterans, but some might not know that you can recover the deep black of those faded plastic pieces. I like Meguiar’s Ultimate Black Plastic Restorer, but any brand should do. The side mirrors on my 1981 Rabbit literally turned from grey to black.

    Pro Tip: Put a drop of the solution on the rag first, then rub on the plastic.


    Join A Forum

    Forums are a great way to learn more about your specific car as well as satisfy your social needs. Google your specific car + the word Forum, sign up, and you’re in! If you’ve had a head-scratcher of a problem on your ride, I guarantee someone else on that same forum found a solution!

    Pro Tip: Most forums also have a marketplace where you can buy and sell hard-to-find and specific parts with other like-minded owners.


    Engage On Instagram Or A Facebook Group

    I recently joined the MK1 Golf/Rabbit group on Facebook and it’s been invaluable to me. Other owners post pictures of their cars every day with questions, custom setups, where to find specific parts, and even just for the love of the car. My go-to question is always “How and the heck did you do that?” and I always get a polite, informative answer in return as well.

    New to Instagram? Go to the search panel and tap in “mk1golf” or “c2corvette” and you’ll be met with tons of photos and owners.

    Pro Tip: Sometimes it helps to start with a broad search like “corvette”, see what other hashtags people have used, then narrow down to “c2corvette” or “corvettestingray”.


    Catch Up With Friends And Family

    And lastly, reach out to your parents, friends, and relatives! Life isn’t only about cars, ya know! This is a unique time in our lives where EVERYONE is doing absolutely nothing so call your mom & dad, video chat with your siblings, download a new game and play online with some buddies. The list goes on!

    Pro Tip: It’s no mistake that you’re hearing the word “Zoom” all the time lately. The team at Zoom gave all K-12 teachers free access so they can continue to educate tomorrow’s leaders during this Pandemic. Support them as well by connecting with your people!

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    Chris Berke
    Chris Berkehttp://shortshift.co
    I am the founder and editor of Short Shift. My obsession with wanting to drive every car ever made me build a website so I could share my experiences with the world. I love cars, traveling, and my cats, Henry and Winston.

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