Older cars should also be “exercised” regularly by opening up the throttle on the highway and letting the car breathe. After warming up the engine, take the car up to 50 or 60 miles per hour, and keep it there for several miles. The workout will prevent staleness in the car’s mechanics and alert you to any problems that could have developed while the car sat dormant.

“You have a lot of gaskets in the motor and the transmission in the rear end, so if it’s not warmed up, driven to proper temperatures … what happens is those gaskets contract,” Begley says. “When they contract, then you’re getting transmission leaks, engine oil pan leaks, intake manifold leaks, exhaust leaks, everything.”

On the exterior, replacing headlights and even side panels will give the car a new look without requiring too much outlay. Headlights cost several hundred dollars plus labor (checking your owner’s manual could save some money here; some models have lights that are relatively easy to replace yourself). And while it can cost $1,500 to replace a dented or scratched side panel, it’s cheaper than buying a new car and looks much better than trying to “fix” it with spray paint and Bondo.

The cost of general maintenance and fixing small dents or cracks may feel like unnecessary expenditures. But if you do each thing right the first time, the car will run for years to come, saving thousands over the long haul.