Upgrade all filters
Improvement rating 3/5 Cost from £1 Difficulty 1/5
Cut it whichever way you want but filters save lives: lives of engines. They promote reliability by preventing bits of grot from finding their way into carburettor jets and ensure longevity by being the bouncers to unwanted interlopers in lubricating oil and induction air. Fitting a fuel filter is cheap and easy to do but tackling the oil filter could become more of an engineering project and is more contentious: a bypass oil filter quaintly filters only a tincture of lubricant and may not have been changed since Churchill was a lad. Any jagged bits of filth can circulate many times before being arrested, doing untold damage on every lap of the engine. A full-flow filter set-up may not be a looker but if you want to drive and preserve your car, it’s a must. Likewise, some paper or felt elements can be as sought-after as Lalique, so converting to a spin-on filter will encourage regular replacement. It’s not pretty or exciting but your engine will be forever grateful.