Posts Tagged ‘car care’

Painting Your Car Restoration Project

Thursday, February 17th, 2011

Restoring a classic car takes a lot of time, effort and money. A complete restoration will focus a lot of energy on the engine, chassis and interior, but the paint is what is going to make the first impression, so it’s important to get it right. Sending your car off to a professional to have it painted can run you thousands of dollars. For most, it’s worth the money to have it done right. Some may want to tackle it themselves. If you are a do-it-yourselfer, here are some tips to keep you on the right track.

Prepping your car for paint is an extremely important process and should be done very carefully. Start by removing all of the emblems and trim pieces. Don’t be tempted to mask them off with tape as it is usually very obvious in the finish and could also leave ridges that will be susceptible to peeling later on. All metal surfaces should be roughed and then cleaned about an hour before you begin applying the epoxy coats.

Once all your prep work is done, you can start with a few coats of epoxy. Spray two coats, allowing half an hour in between for drying. Let them set overnight, and then come back and apply any body filler and/or glazing putty. After you’ve done that and sanded it down to perfection, apply one more coat of epoxy to cover any filler spots or bare metal that may have appeared as a result of sanding. Let it set overnight.

Now, you can spray the primer. It is not necessary to sand the epoxy before priming. For the best results, spray one wet coat of primer and let it set for half an hour before applying another coat. Once the car is primed it is best to seal it with another coat of epoxy with urethane reducer added. The final coat of epoxy should set for at least 2 hours before applying the first basecoat.

For the best results, use the slowest urethane reducer you can get away with - you will be able to see the difference in the gloss when you’re done. Just remember to take extra drying time into consideration between coats. Thirty to 45 minutes should be enough time. After you are done applying your basecoats, let it set overnight again.

Now you’re ready to finish it off with clear coat. Four coats should do nicely, and remember to allow about 30 minutes for drying time between coats. Once you have applied and dried your desired number of coats, all that’s left is the wet sanding and buffing before you can step back and admire your new deep, rich, perfect paint job.

Don’t insure your priceless restoration project with an ordinary insurance company. Go with a classic car insurance specialist like Leland West and enjoy the piece of mind of superior protection.

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Hints For Proper DIY Car Paint Protection

Saturday, January 15th, 2011

For automobile repair shops and product retail establishments, the protection of car paint is a profitable endeavor. But learning how to do your own car paint protection at home can save you hundreds to thousands of dollars in the long haul. Most of us are untrained in terms of auto repair. Thus, minor nicks and dings on your car are not things we are prepared to repair. We need to learn how to be much handier in terms of repairing these.

So, should you decide to try a DIY car kit, you need to make certain that you take the time to fully understand the directions which are printed on the package. In addition, you could search the Internet to gain knowledge about DIY car paint protection prior to actually using any of the various products which are available. You may search for Q&A’s, articles, as well as forums that provide information on the subject matter.

For a serious DIY guy, here are some useful advice to help you out:

If you are using any particular car paint protection products, it is suggested to wash your car less often since most products also remove dirt, grime and dust off the paint. If you wipe the surface of your car down with a dampened rag, you will remove items from the layers of wax on your car. You can nearly replace washing your car with wet rag wiping. Think about the boost to the environment and all that time saved!

Your car only needs car paint protection where it is actually painted. The products would have little or no effect on chrome and other surface areas of your car which have no paint at all.

This being said, you should avoid getting the product on your windows and windshield. Be extra careful and pay attention as you are working around these areas. Cover them with plastic adhesive tape for protection before applying the products. Vinyl and fabric upholstery can benefit from car paint protection products. These are areas that see a lot of traffic and wear and tear. You can purchase double-duty products that will help you shine up and protect your entire car both on the inside and outside. Always read the label all the time to ensure that you’re applying the product on the correct surfaces.

Chas writes numerous articles on shorter term car insurance and about finding holiday car insurance on the web.

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What Is The Average Price Of Auto Insurance?

Saturday, September 25th, 2010

How much does the average person fork out for auto insurance? Because there are so many variables, this is by no means to an easy question to answer. For instance, how much you pay depends on where about you live even more than it depends on the type of car you own.

People living in rural areas almost always pay less for insurance than those who live in cities, simply because there is more traffic in cities, and that means there’s more likely to be accidents.

Insurers determine the cost of premiums by considering a variety of pertinent factors that include the driver’s age; however, the major concern is assessment of the risk that they will have to pay a claim.

Interestingly enough, the NAIC (National Association of Insurance Commissioners) have stated that the overall cost of auto insurance has dropped by 1%. This figure was reached by looking at the ten most expensive and least expensive states to live in as far as car insurance costs are concerned.

There is a significant difference between the highest and the lowest. The average expenditure per capita in Washington DC is about a thousand dollars a year. The average in North Dakota is $530, which is less than 50%.

If you’re considering moving in order to benefit from lower insurance rates, then you’d do well to consider moving to Nebraska, Wisconsin, Kansas, North Carolina, or South Dakota. In these states, one can usually acquire fully comprehensive car insurance for under $600 per year.

However, interestingly enough, the median price for homeowners in North Carolina is more elevated since their coastal region suffers a lot of hurricane damage. There are many factors to think about when you are picking a new place to live.

Delaware, New York, Florida, and New Jersey, tend to have the most expensive car insurance rates in America. Generally speaking, the average cost of car insurance in these states is about $1,000 per year.

Different cities also have different rates. The state average rate is driven up by cities with higher rates. Just two years ago, people residing in Detroit could expect to pay over five thousand dollars a year for auto insurance.

However, the median amount statewide was under $1000. Michigan is big in size, possessing a lot of rural regions. If you live out in the countryside your premiums will be lower than in a populated area such as Detroit.

Find the best tuning cars news and a lot of performance autoparts reviews to help yout to unleash your car potential and make it look great.

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Repossessed Vehicles And Buying Them At Inexpensive Prices

Monday, August 16th, 2010

Many people know that buying repo cars is one of the best ways to save money. It is possible also the purchase repossessed cars at lots more affordable rates, but not everyone knows this. There’s a lot you could learn from this article in tips and bits, anything from actually being a distributor yourself to buying a repossessed car at the most incredible price imaginable.

One of the major mistakes most people buying seized vehicles make is purchasing the first cars they see or patronizing the first car dealer that approaches them. You don’t need to be carried away by impressive online sales tactics like the dealer informing you that you have made the most wonderful buy and the car you got is simply the best. They need to sell, and the faster the better; could you expect anything less or different? You would spend all you have on you and more before you learn that you had overpaid, if you let them.

It takes some ingenuity for a buyer to purchase a bank repossessed car at an affordable price from a buyer. Anything short of this would compel the buyer to pay higher cost for a bank repo of lesser quality, in most cases. The painful sad truth is they are… well, smarter, because they know the business better than you could, considering you are only here for this one purchase, and they are still going to be there for the next newcomer even tomorrow. Do repo car dealers ever get ‘taken’ too? Online, you are sure to come across several services that offer you every range of information you may require to purchase a bank repo car - where, how, how much, etc. Surf the web sometime, and you should be saturated with countless such websites that do just this.

If you decide to go online to either compare repossessed car prices or learn one or two things about a repo car before approaching a dealer then one of the major things you want to know is the real amount you can purchase the car of your choice. If you are yet to do just this, you may at least avoid getting in your with the repossessed car seller for the time being. You would be able to stay right on top of things if you had enough information collected from a very comprehensive online search.

Way too many dealers expect their purchasers to not be smart about these things, even though they know that there are a few who are. You’d never be able to buy a bank repo car at anything but the highest rates if you fail to do this research, because then you would never be able to beat them at their game. Again, if you are buying a repossessed car online or offline do not rush into anything if you are doubt. If you found that you had been less than wise at the time of negotiations, you’d much hate yourself. You want to bring in your friends and family who own vehicles and hear what they have to offer too about repo cars because it may be more than handy.

Learn about repo cars, and repossed cars. Visit http://www.repossessedcarstore.com

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Mobile Car Valeting In London, Cleaning Automobiles With Specialist Equipment

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

When you are looking for a valeting service that you can rely upon mobile car valeting service in London, the art of cleaning cars is the company for you. When purchasing a car it is important to you and you want to make sure that it has a long life span. There are certain things that you can do to make your auto-mobile have a longer life.

Currently the marketplace has hardly any professional, organised companies providing reputable, high quality mobile valeting. Obviously if you have a vehicle you want to look after it and part of that includes having it valeted on a regular basis. Some people do not have their vehicle serviced on a regular basis and this can cause damage to a vehicle.

One of the most common services that is provided to a car is auto-mobile valeting. By mixing a waterless system into hand auto-mobile wash and motor vehicle park operations in London, motor vehicle valeting could really make a difference to the appearance of your motor vehicle. A car owner might have their vehicle valeted to remove any traces of its previous owner.

Using professional equipment an auto-mobile service that carries out professional cleaning work will work on the interior and exterior of a vehicle. You might consider mobile cleaning if you have just purchased a car second hand and want to ensure it is spotless and does not have any stains. A professional valeting service will be able to professionally clean the inside and outside of the auto-mobile making sure that there are no marks or stains left in it.

It can also be more hygienic to get the motor vehicle professionally cleaned since you never know what the last user might have been like. If it is valeted then it gives the car the next to new look. When you purchase a second hand car it can help to make the motor vehicle more attractive for you.

You will be amazed when you see your vehicle it will look like it is new. Not only will it look good, but it will smell better also. A person might also get a loved ones auto-mobile valeted as a gift for that person.

Get the best mobile car valet service London has to offer. Go online today and you can find more than that. Even look for that window cleaning company so you have to do less work!

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