It is a proven fact that the better your car looks the higher the value you will get at resale or trade-in. Proper car care to include washing, waxing, and polishing will not only make your car look its best, but will help retain its value and make it last longer. For the purpose of this article we questioned numerous detailing experts and other similar professionals as to what works best. Here are their best car care recommendations:
Start by using a garage or shaded area. The hot sun will make proper car care and cleaning hard, if not impossible and could be detrimental to your car’s finish. Next thoroughly wet down the car. This will remove dirt and road debris which will cause scratches if you skip this step and start using a sponge and soap on the car. If it is a hot day, be sure to routinely wet the car so it does not dry suds or cleaning chemicals on it.
As gas prices have gotten higher, so has the demand for Hybrid cars. Used Hybrids are in as great a demand as the new ones. Because of this demand, the dealers are having a difficult time filling all of the requests for them. Large vehicles such as SUVs used to be very popular, but they consume a large amount of fuel and with the high cost of gasoline, the cost to fuel them has made them less desirable. Now, they are being traded in with the hopes that they can be replaced by the fuel friendly Hybrid.
Toyota, the maker of Prius has been working non stop to increase production of the vehicles. They estimate that approximately 22000 are on backorder. During the 2004 calendar year alone, they estimate that there were 36000 Prius cars available and that’s just in the United States. After the car made its way onto the market, that figure has increased to more than $47000.
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Your $30,000 car has come equipped with all of the latest bells and whistles: traction control; Sirius satellite radio; side curtain air bags; Onstar; and power everything. Well, there is one thing that is curiously left out of many new car purchases and that is floor mats. You would think that matching floor mats would be standard equipment on all vehicles, instead it is an aftermarket purchase for most motorists. Selecting the right type of floor mat is essential to preserving your car’s interior. The wrong type of floor mats can look terrible and cost you plenty of money in the end. Please read on to find out why this is so.
Floor mats are the Rodney Dangerfield of automotive accessories. They just don’t get any respect. If they did, your car would come outfitted with a set of high quality, matching mats. Almost a universal oversight, owners routinely pick up their showroom new cars with just a solitary paper mat in place for the driver. Sure, you could run into the dealer’s parts department and pay $200 for a nice set, but you already paid through the nose for your car. Besides, you want a better selection than what your dealer sells, right? I think so!
If you haven’t taken the leap into the hybrid automobile market you aren’t alone but the owners of hybrid cars are jumping into the green market and leading the way for those of us still driving the regular gas-only engine cars.
Besides getting the tax breaks and other perks for buying hybrids these drivers still are seeking to improve fuel economy. A lot of hybrid owners have stated that even though their hybrids give them better mileage than their previous gas vehicles they are not really satisfied with the fuel economy because they thought the difference would be even more.
Costly gasoline prices are forcing today’s consumers to preserve automobile fuel as much as possible. Unbeknownst to many, even an idling car is guilty of using up valuable fuel, not only unnecessarily wasting this expensive resource, but also causing danger to the environment and a risk to the health of many others. Idling may actually harm your vehicle, but that’s only the start. It can also be responsible for increasing pollution levels caused by gasoline burning in the atmosphere.
Many people believe that there are times its okay to for their car to be idle. This common misconception is what makes parents rushing to drop their children off at school or those in a hurry at the cleaners to leave their car in this dangerous mode. It’s also another reason that many think leaving a car idling early in the morning, to supposedly warm it up before hitting the road, is an acceptable practice but ironically its one which really isn’t needed at all. Vehicles don’t require any warming up unless temperatures are less than 25 degrees (and even then, an engine needs less than a minute). The best way to get your car, including its wheel bearings, the steering mechanism, tires and transmission, warm and willing, is to begin driving. Turning your car off entirely can also help save on fuel economy.
We all love that brilliant shine of a new car in the dealer’s showroom or at an auto show. There are hundreds of car care products and treatments available. The question is what works best and how do you do it?
First, you must properly clean and wash your car. Polishing and waxing a unclean car is sure to leave hairline scratches from dirt and debris on the car. Proper car washing and cleaning should be a main staple of any car care regimen or treatment. It is a proven fact that cars that receive routine car washes will last longer (as evidenced in a recent Popular Mechanics magazine). To properly wash your car, first rinse it off. Get the whole car wet and try to spray off any loose dirt and debris. Then use specific car wash soap (regular household items and chemicals are usually too harsh and can strip the wax or sealant right off) and a soft sponge or towel. Wash one panel or area at a time and rinse when done so the suds and soap won’t dry on the paint. When done dry off the car with clean terry towels or microfiber towels (a chamois works great also).
What do you think of when you hare the term exotic sports car? Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, or maybe a McLaren. In the truest sense of the term it refers to limited production sports cars made outside of the United States, but built by some of the biggest names in the industry.
The McLaren F1 is one such car. Once the fastest car made at 0-60 in 3.1 seconds, it is also one of the most expensive selling for well over a million dollars. There were only 107 produced from 1994 -1998 and it is very rare that one ever finds its way to market.
Washing Your Car Regularly.. Why?
Aside from the obvious of having a car that looks great, car washing can protect the cars finish. Bird droppings and bug splatter can get to be real relentless at different times. Also air bourne contaminant( some we can’t even see), all wage a consistent and prolonged attack on your cars finish.
If you are like most SUV owners you take a lot of pride in your vehicle and go to great lengths to keep it looking good, but sometimes no matter how safe and careful you are accidents occur. It is especially crucial to choose a quality body shop as an SUV owner just because of the value of the vehicle. If the repairs are not done right it can cost you thousands when you are ready to trade. It is necessary to find a body shop that can bring your vehicle back as close as possible to the condition it was in before the accident.
There are a few factors that can help you to avoid the rip-offs who aren’t much better than a drunk with a spray can, hey come to think of it some of them are drunks with a spray can. Anyway, here are some hints to help you find a good body shop.
Proper car care can save you thousands of dollars a year. If you stick to the right maintenance routine and quick do-it-yourself check ups, you can prevent breakdowns and make your car last longer – or even resell it at a good amount when the time comes.
The key to prolonging the useful life of your car is prevention – plug the leaks and replace parts that need to be replaced even before they break down. Identifying and quickly fixing a problem while it is small keeps it from being overwhelming and saves you a lot of money in the long run.
Most of us think of John DeLorean as the guy behind the gull-wing stainless car from the Back to the Future movies nut the fact of the matter is that his contributions to the automotive world go much farther back than that. DeLorean was actually the creator of the muscle car revolution in the United States. Think of how different the sports car industry would be today if we hadn’t had that era of performance cars.
In 1964 DeLorean was with Pontiac and he made the decision to totally recreate the Tempest using a huge V8 high performance engine. The car became known as the GTO, also nicknamed the Goat by adoring fans and remains to this day one of the all-time favorite muscle cars. The GTO was a big hit for Pontiac sparking off huge sales volume and led other manufacturers to follow suit.
It’s true what they say – if you treat your car well, it will never give you problems. Car breakdowns happen only to people who are neglectful. If you know how to keep you car in top shape, you can expect it to never let you down.
Aside from a regular oil change, battery maintenance, and regular fluid check up, there are also other important car-care routines to keep in mind:
I am going to make a statement that is probably going to shock the car care world. You should never wax your car. Pay attention, wax is for candles and candles only! Wax is designed to melt and melted wax just traps dirt and other contaminates and holds them next to your car’s finish. If someone or something brushes against it you now have tiny scratches all over. This is by far not my only reason for not using wax on cars, read on.
Since January of 2005 when the United States and other governments announced a mandatory reduction in the use of volatile organic compounds or VOCs in manufacturing processes and consumable products there has been a move to look for other products and methods for protecting a car’s finish. Car care products may not be comprised of more than 15% VOC. This is seriously bad news for manufacturers that have built there businesses around Carnauba wax which by its very nature must use large amounts of solvents to make the naturally hard Carnauba soft and pliable so that it can be applied on a vehicle.
Looking for ways to save money at the pump in light of the climbing costs of gasoline? It’s surprisingly easy to do so. Check out these simple things you can do to make your car’s gas last longer.
Stop driving your sport utility vehicle. These vehicles, and others similar in size (including trucks), require quite a bit more fuel than smaller cars do to operate. Unless a larger car is a necessity for your lifestyle,(you have big family or you tend to carry large items), driving a smaller one can help you save big at the pump.
Next to your house, your car is probably your most expensive property, and it only makes sense to give it the best possible care you can. This means that you need to do more than just the usual check ups and maintenance routines – you also need to regularly take your car to a professional car-care center. How do you choose the best center for your car? Here are some aspects to consider.
Scope and variety of services are important. Choose a car-care center that covers everything your car needs, from transmission maintenance to wheel balancing, to electrical repairs and air-conditioning. You want a one-stop shop for all your car concerns – such a set up can help you save time and money in the long run.