More often than not, when someone maintains a vehicle that is quite old and considered a classic, the chances are that the vehicle runs smoothly and certainly does look the part, as the owner would do anything to make the vehicle look like it has just been rolled out of the factory. In other words, having a spotless and shiny car almost certainly guarantees that the vehicle is taken care of by the owner, which in turn results in a longer lifespan. Here are just some of the underlying reasons as to why having a clean car results in a long life:

Psychological Effect
One of the first things that are stimulated when having a spotless car is the human mind. This is because it is natural that the human mind likes to maintain consistency throughout any activity. As a result, possessing a vehicle that is covered in dust and has not been serviced after a while would render the owner’s mind to be negligent of the vehicle, since it believes that there is just too much work to be done to vehicle to bring it back to brand new condition. Due to such thought patterns, possessing a spotless car throughout the usage of the vehicle leads to the owner to proactively make efforts to keep it that way until the vehicle gives trouble too big to handle.
Main Components Monitored
Normally, when the car undergoes a thorough clean up, the vehicle’s parts are checked too, which makes it possible to monitor if any component his slowly giving way to wear and tear. Moreover, this also allows the owner to check every nook and cranny of the vehicle, especially the cables and wiring of the vehicle, to see if there are any sort of damages caused.
A Mini Service
In relation to monitoring the main components, when constantly cleaning the car, the car undergoes a mini service, as the owner generally would look into the engine too, such as engine oil and would perform other routine check-ups too. In other words, the car is always kept in check of its major elements, which in turn result in a more versatile vehicle and much happier owner due to the prolonged lifespan.
Unnecessary Gunk Taken Away
Of course, the main thing that is clearly visible when cleaning the car, especially with a modern pressure washer, is the sparkly nature of the vehicle. Not only does the car look good, but also performs well too. This is because dirt and mud that can clog certain airways that bring in the necessary air for combustion of the engine is removed, which make the engine breath better. Moreover, this also allows the wheels to perform efficiently as well, since the tyre treads can cling onto the road more efficiently than how it would if it was covered in mud.

So if you do buy and are looking to keep it for a while, then make sure that you keep it spotless. If it is kept spotless, all other actions needed for maintenance comes naturally.