The key to understanding proper car care is education. I have put together this short Step by Step guide to get you started.
Step One
Clean ...
The one step that gives the greatest benefit over an automobile's entire life, it's simply keeping your vehicle clean. There are many products available to you and the choices can get confusing. So the best advice I can give you is to try to stay with one brand instead of many different manufacturers' products, some of which don't work well with others. Start with a safe, thorough cleaning with products that work and won't harm your health or the environment either.
Tips: use sprayers instead of aerosol cans; use self-venting gallon tap spouts for smooth flowing of product to dispense easily into smaller bottles; gallon pump head dispensers for thicker liquids work great; enjoy the convenience of disposable paper funnels and wall-mounted dispensers; use only a safe solution when removing adhesive goo [oily based products like peanut oil or WD40].
If you've been using brands of polish and wax that may contain silicone and synthietic oils you will need to remove the old wax and polysilicones for a squeaky clean start to waxing. Most car care systems may not bond with these siicone-laden products. It's important to use a good paint prep to remove all of the old waxes, polysilicones, and oils so the new products can properly bond to the surface. Proper preparation is 90% of a good finished job.
Tips: polishes help restore the paint finish by removing lightly oxidized paint and dirt that has gotten ground in; waxes seal the painted finish and protect it from the environment.
Crystal Clear Windows
A simple thing that makes driving safe and fun, but not always easy to achieve. Perfectly clean windows also allow your windows to "defrost" much quicker. You want to use a window cleaner which does not contain dyes, perfumes, or any other chemicals to contaminate your window surface. This is very important, as contaminants contribute to hazing!
Tips: use a clean terry towel to apply product and remove dirt; immediately use another clean towel to buff the window; then do a final buff with a lint free towel instead of paper.
Cleaning Tools
Having the right tools for the job, any job, makes the whole experience pleasurable. This is your time to relax and unwind. So, make sure you have a collection of superior quality cleaning tools that not only last a long time, but are a joy to use and make your car care therapy sessions much more fun.
Tips: use micro fiber wash mitts and pads; genuine sheepskin wash/dust mitt; boar's hair brush and handle [for cleaning big vehicles]; wheel well brush for hard-to-reach areas; protect your knee or butt from the hard floor or driveway with gel-filled knee pads; keep hose from catching under a tire with anti-hose catchers.
Stop by next week for Step Two -- Wheels & Tires. If you haven't already done so, register at our Mobile Onsite Detailing site to receive updated information and discounts.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Customize It!
When we talk about sports cars, we imagine models from Jaguar, Porsche, Chevrolet, Lexus, Cadillac and Pontiac. But sports cars can be custom-made too! Quality replicas, as most people call them, can pass for those really nifty sports cars parading along a ritzy street.
What are the other things one needs to know about custom-built cars? Here they are:
1. Roadster or Coupe?
Whether the driver wants his car to be roadster or coupe, companies that custom-build cars can adjust to the choice.
2. The Big Kit
Okay, before customizing, one must have this important tool: the kit. Companies like ‘Quality Roadsters’ provide kits and packages to turn a bland car into a ‘wow-worthy’ one. From the car's frame to other materials and features, these are all provided to ensure maximum performance.
As for the frame, the driver must take into consideration if he is going for the round tube or the square one. He must remember that round tube frame is lighter and tougher. On the other hand, a square tube frame is very easy to design. It can be stylish but not rigid or it can be rigid but not stylish.
Body-wise, the driver must choose a dimensionally-able car, with longer foot boxes and impressive fiberglass. The driver must custom-build it to the point that when he drives the car, it seems as if he is not driving the body, but the chassis.
The driver must also take note of the suspension. He must stay away from the independent rear suspension from Jaguar as it is harder to maintain. He must stick to a custom-built car with suspension materials similar to that of Mustang GT's. While replica industries usually make their own suspension, others just stick to the excellent-performing ones available on the market.
As for the engine, it is best that the driver goes for the one from Ford. Operating at 400-hp 302 V8 with transmitting power coming from a T-5 five speed, this engine qualifies as one of the better ones that can fully support a custom-built sports car.
Other car accessories like air-conditioning, overflow tank, cooling fan, shroud kit, fuel injection systems, wiper system and oil filter relocator must also be carefully and systematically selected.
A custom-built sports car will really spruce up the driver's lifestyle as it reflects his personality. He just has to be sure that the replica industry he has chosen will take care of him.
What are the other things one needs to know about custom-built cars? Here they are:
1. Roadster or Coupe?
Whether the driver wants his car to be roadster or coupe, companies that custom-build cars can adjust to the choice.
2. The Big Kit
Okay, before customizing, one must have this important tool: the kit. Companies like ‘Quality Roadsters’ provide kits and packages to turn a bland car into a ‘wow-worthy’ one. From the car's frame to other materials and features, these are all provided to ensure maximum performance.
As for the frame, the driver must take into consideration if he is going for the round tube or the square one. He must remember that round tube frame is lighter and tougher. On the other hand, a square tube frame is very easy to design. It can be stylish but not rigid or it can be rigid but not stylish.
Body-wise, the driver must choose a dimensionally-able car, with longer foot boxes and impressive fiberglass. The driver must custom-build it to the point that when he drives the car, it seems as if he is not driving the body, but the chassis.
The driver must also take note of the suspension. He must stay away from the independent rear suspension from Jaguar as it is harder to maintain. He must stick to a custom-built car with suspension materials similar to that of Mustang GT's. While replica industries usually make their own suspension, others just stick to the excellent-performing ones available on the market.
As for the engine, it is best that the driver goes for the one from Ford. Operating at 400-hp 302 V8 with transmitting power coming from a T-5 five speed, this engine qualifies as one of the better ones that can fully support a custom-built sports car.
Other car accessories like air-conditioning, overflow tank, cooling fan, shroud kit, fuel injection systems, wiper system and oil filter relocator must also be carefully and systematically selected.
A custom-built sports car will really spruce up the driver's lifestyle as it reflects his personality. He just has to be sure that the replica industry he has chosen will take care of him.
A Classic (Sports Car) Tale
Classic sports cars
Those three words come up together to form an image of grandeur, speed and extravagance. For who can afford classic sports cars? Only the affluent of course! But for the average “Joe” who dreams of having his own classic sports car and hopes to know more about it, this article is meant to provide information on this amazing “king of the road”.
First know the foremost brands of classic sports cars.
1. Lotus
Lotus is famous for coming up with the Lotus Elise 11S, Lotus Elise Motorsport, Lotus Elan, Lotus Europa Twin Cam, Lotus Super Seven S4, Lotus Elan SE Turbo and Lotus Super Seven Replica by Birkin.
2. Austin Healey Sprite
Only Austin Healey Sprite can come up with the Bugeye Sprite Race Car with an outstanding 250 horsepower! The 1960 Speedwell Sprite Vintage Race Car is another force to reckon with, as well as the 1962 Austin Healey Sprite MK.
3. Austin Mini
Austin Mini boasts of the Mini Cooper that comes in excellent colors and for $13,000, it is quite a steal!
4. TVR
The TVR has this elite collection of classic sports cars like the TVR Tuscan Challenge Race Car, TVR S2 Roadster, TVR Taimar Coupe and TVR 2500M.
5. Birkin
Classic sports car is almost synonymous to the brand Birkin, as it is made famous with Louts Super Seven replicas and offers Birkin S3, Birkin C-S3 Street, among other roadsters that come with the Ford ZETEC engine, four-wheeled disc brakes and a heavy-duty aluminum body.
6. Jaguar
Jaguar is the ‘mighty’ classic sports car that men cannot get enough of. With the Jaguar E-type Coupe, Jaguar X-Type Track Car and Jaguar C-Type replica, this is the brand that really pushes classic sports cars several ‘to the limit’.
7. Triumph
Jaguar-engined Triumph roars just as a classic sports car is expected to do. Classic models like the 1969 Triumph Spitfire MK III and 1960 Triumph TR3A stand for what Triumph is all about - sophistication and power.
Here are some books that inform the reader on how to keep the classic sports cars in tiptop shape: "Classic Car Restorer's Handbook," "Fun and Profit Buying, Showing and Selling Vintage and Classic Cars," "Restoration of Antique and Classic Cars," "Budget Auto Restoration: Low Cost, Step-By-Step Tricks" and "How to Rebuild and Modify Your Muscle Car."
The classic sports car exudes action and nobility. No wonder, it never goes out of style.
Those three words come up together to form an image of grandeur, speed and extravagance. For who can afford classic sports cars? Only the affluent of course! But for the average “Joe” who dreams of having his own classic sports car and hopes to know more about it, this article is meant to provide information on this amazing “king of the road”.
First know the foremost brands of classic sports cars.
1. Lotus
Lotus is famous for coming up with the Lotus Elise 11S, Lotus Elise Motorsport, Lotus Elan, Lotus Europa Twin Cam, Lotus Super Seven S4, Lotus Elan SE Turbo and Lotus Super Seven Replica by Birkin.
2. Austin Healey Sprite
Only Austin Healey Sprite can come up with the Bugeye Sprite Race Car with an outstanding 250 horsepower! The 1960 Speedwell Sprite Vintage Race Car is another force to reckon with, as well as the 1962 Austin Healey Sprite MK.
3. Austin Mini
Austin Mini boasts of the Mini Cooper that comes in excellent colors and for $13,000, it is quite a steal!
4. TVR
The TVR has this elite collection of classic sports cars like the TVR Tuscan Challenge Race Car, TVR S2 Roadster, TVR Taimar Coupe and TVR 2500M.
5. Birkin
Classic sports car is almost synonymous to the brand Birkin, as it is made famous with Louts Super Seven replicas and offers Birkin S3, Birkin C-S3 Street, among other roadsters that come with the Ford ZETEC engine, four-wheeled disc brakes and a heavy-duty aluminum body.
6. Jaguar
Jaguar is the ‘mighty’ classic sports car that men cannot get enough of. With the Jaguar E-type Coupe, Jaguar X-Type Track Car and Jaguar C-Type replica, this is the brand that really pushes classic sports cars several ‘to the limit’.
7. Triumph
Jaguar-engined Triumph roars just as a classic sports car is expected to do. Classic models like the 1969 Triumph Spitfire MK III and 1960 Triumph TR3A stand for what Triumph is all about - sophistication and power.
Here are some books that inform the reader on how to keep the classic sports cars in tiptop shape: "Classic Car Restorer's Handbook," "Fun and Profit Buying, Showing and Selling Vintage and Classic Cars," "Restoration of Antique and Classic Cars," "Budget Auto Restoration: Low Cost, Step-By-Step Tricks" and "How to Rebuild and Modify Your Muscle Car."
The classic sports car exudes action and nobility. No wonder, it never goes out of style.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
