According to AAA, the average American drives over 11,000 miles every single year. With that much time logged in your car, it’s important to keep up with proper maintenance so it continues to be a reliable form of transportation.
Just as regular oil changes are important, you never want to overlook the outside of your car either. Over time, the paint will fade or chip, lowering its value if you decide to sell it.
Fortunately, restoring car paint is easy if you know the right steps to take. Keep reading for five car paint restoration tips to try the next time your car looks a little dingy.
1. Repair Small Paint Chips
Give your car a close inspection. Do you notice any small places where the paint has chipped?
If so, check with your car dealer or look online for a small bottle of touch-up paint that matches your car’s color number. From there, follow the instructions on the paint bottle to fill in the chips.
2. Give Your Car a Good Wash
When is the last time you washed your car? While going through a local car wash isn’t the key to restoring car paintwork, it will help remove the dirt and grime that naturally accumulate over time.
This will help give you a clean slate to prepare for the automobile paint restoration process. As an added bonus, regularly washing your car helps maintain its value.
If you’d rather not go to a car wash, you can wash it by hand instead.
3. Use a Clay Bar
When your car’s paint becomes faded and cloudy, that’s a result of oxidation. This happens over time, due to the sun’s powerful UV rays. Using a clay bar combined with some elbow grease can help!
A clay bar will remove some of the harmful contaminants on your car’s surface that washing alone will not eliminate. It will also help prevent future damage to your paint. However, it’s important to note that using a clay bar alone will not remove existing scratches.
Visit www.showcar.us/ to shop for clay bars and other car detailing products.
4. Spend Time Polishing
Polishing your car every year or so will help keep the paint looking almost like new. The process helps remove the damage done to the topcoat of paint.
To polish, you can use a spinning polishing wheel covered with a soft pad to warm up the topcoat and smooth out the surface. You’ll work your way around the car, using the polishing wheel on the entire surface.
5. Wax Your Car to Make It Shine
After polishing, your car is ready to be waxed, which will leave it looking nice and shiny by leaving behind a clear coat.
And, it helps protect the paint from future damage by acting as a protective barrier. As a bonus, it will also fill in small scratches, helping to reduce their appearance.
Car Paint Restoration Is Easy With the Right Tools
Now that you know the best tips for car paint restoration, you need the tools to get the job done! Browse our website to learn more about products that can help you keep your car looking great for years to come.