Over time, even a new car loses its bright and shining look, the paintwork fades. This is a common situation when a car owner comes to an auto body shop to get an advice about what they can do to regain the brilliantly looking paintwork again. They are afraid they will need to have their car coated with a fresh paint. Fortunately, they will not. The truth is that regular car body care procedures (rather simple and common by the way) can help you keep your car looking bright and shiny like new. With proper care, neither cold winters with salt on the road, nor hot summers can make any harm to the original paintwork of your vehicle. The good news is that simple and easy procedures can keep your car in a really good shape for a long time. It’s up to you to choose whether you will perform them yourself or involve a professional in Los Angeles.
Wash your car
The first and basic advice you will get from any expert is to simply wash your car regularly. If not washed off in time, limestone dripping from the ceiling of your basement parking, dead bugs, bird droppings etc. will damage the paintwork and corrode its upper layer.
The major danger in winter time is salt on the road. It can damage not only the alloy wheels finish, but also the body panels and components leaving rust spots on them. So the salt and road dirt should be washed off your car as soon as possible. After the wash, consider also applying a protectant like wax or something of the same action to protect the paint finish against rust.
Clean petty debris
Keep your windshield wiper blades clean. Sand and dirt caught under the blades can cause scratches on the glass over time.
Do not forget to clean leaves and other petty debris from the so called ‘cowl panel’, which is the place below the windshield. Those pieces can block water drains and promote the moisture collecting and causing damp smell inside the car.
Car wax
Another simple advice that you can take advantage of is to wax your car once or twice a year minimum. The waxing procedure properly made by professionals at an auto body shop is able to effectively protect the body of your vehicle. Additionally, the wax can cover minor scratches or stone chips thus slowing down the corrosion process. This is a very easy procedure that you can perform even yourself. Remember however, that the better you do it and the better waxing material you use, the longer the protective layer will remain on the car body. So don’t try to save money on the car wax and professional waxing services. Usually, this kind of protection can hold up to several months.
Rust proof your car
Another highly effective way to keep your car looking like new is rust proofing. This is especially important in areas where salt is usually used on roads in winter months or in coastal regions. Rust not only deteriorates the exterior look of your car, but also promotes the corrosion of elements which are important for the movement safety; it can eventually result in a failure and accident.
Rust proofing is a kind of procedure that should be performed professionally. If done properly, it can effectively protect important components of your car against corrosion. Notice that rust proofing makes sense only before the rust starts to appear. Pay special attention to the trunk lid and bottom parts of the car doors. Make sure that auto body shop staff will not drill any additional holes to perform the procedure.
To prevent rust, repair scratches and stone chips in time. Petty paint surface damages are common. Oftentimes, people do not pay them attention they really deserve. However, those small problems can become big if not treated immediately. It is much easier to prevent rust than to get rid of it. This is why touching-up stone chips and scratches is a good preventive measure.
We hope you understand now that several simple and easy procedures professionally performed at our auto body shop in Los Angeles can help you keep a good condition of your car for years.
