Tips & Tricks
to a
Good Looking Car
Only a few years ago you brought home your new four-wheeled baby, promising to protect it from the harsh elements and those horrifying shopping carts. Now look at your car. Have you given it some love over the years or is it such a lost cause you don't even know where to start? Either way, go through the check list and see what you can do for your carriage of steel.
- PLEASE wash your car! Research polls suggest that about 52% of the public don't wash their car once a month. About 16% of the public have never washed their car. Don't be one of these people.
- Take the time to wash your car 1-2 times a month, this will make a huge difference. Try to wash the car when it is a little cooler. This will help avoid water spots, dry streaks and paint damage.
- Don't use dish soap either, dish soap is to harsh for your cars paint, ruining it over time.
- While washing, focus on working from the top of the car to bottom.
- Don't air-dry! Grab a microfiber/chamois cloth and hand dry the left over wet spots.
- Wax On, Wax Off.
- Now you don't have to wax your car every time you wash, but every 3-5 months is recommended.
- Make sure the car is completely dry before you start waxing.
- Follow car wax's directions exactly. Some will say to wait for a few minutes till there's a haze, then buff.
- Headlights.
- Clear up your cars vision with a head light restoration kit. They're usually around $30 and instantly make a huge difference for the appearance of your car.
- Update the Rubber.
- Checking the tire pressure in your tires is a great start. However, if you want considerable difference in handling, look for some new tires.
- Tires are EVERYTHING. Without tires on a car, well, it's not a car anymore. It's a beautiful piece of metal sitting in your garage. Spend some money on tires to give your used vehicle a quick jog down memory lanes. This may not be the cheapest option, but it sure is less expensive than buying a 2014 vehicle off the lot.
- Vacuum like a Man. Most of us are guilty of eating a few times in our cars, for some of us the cockpit might as well be the kitchen. If that's so, its time to do some serious vacuuming.
- "Scrub" at the carpet freeing up dirt. Vacuum around, in, above and under the seats the best you can.
- Floor Mats.
- Getting some new floor mats (if the ones you have are past restoration) are a inexpensive way to bring back the new car look.
- Control the Cockpit
- Dust off the dash and apply the correct Amour-All on there to bring back some soft shine to the interior.
- A steering wheel cover may be the difference between "OK" and "Great" looking interior.
- Is your car still taking cassettes in the digital age? Perhaps now is the time to upgrade to a new sound system for your car. They're more affordable now than ever. AUX plugins and Ipod integration is common for decks these days.
- Fun time. "Exercise" that car.
- It's good to get that engine going from time to time. Pushing the pedal to the metal flushes out the cars system and hoses. In a way, you're just exercising an old friend.
These are just a few of the things you can do to turn back some miles on that used car. Take care of your car and your car will take car of you.
