The Citizen, 1986-03-26, Page 18PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 1986.
Don't let salt damage
ruin your car's finish
By winter's end our nation's
highways (and its cars) will have
been covered with some ten
million tons of salt. While road salt
may save countless lives from icy
accidents, it does take its toll on
autobodies, reminds the Car Care
Council. Without proper mainten-
ance on a car's protective finish,
road salt and its southern partner,
salty sea air, can rust fenders and
corrode body sheet metal in no
time.
The only protection a car has
against corrosive environmental
conditions is its primer and paint
job. Just two gallons, representing
approximately one percent of the
total cost of the car, serve as a
barrier against rust and corrosion.
Since only exposed metal can
rust and corrode, trouble begins
when a car's nicks and scratches
are left untouched. The National
Paint and Coating Association
recommends a regular mainten-
ance routine to keep a car's finish
smooth and its body rust -free.
Start by getting a touch-up paint
kid when you get a new car. Repair
small nicks and scratches promptly
to prevent corrosion. Then follow a
regular maintenance routine.
Wash your car once a week with
warm water. And promptly remove
elements such as salt, bird dropp-
ings and sap that accelerate
corrosion.
Follow with a good coating of
wax or other protective finish two
or three times a year to provide an
additional buffer between the
harsh elements and the car body.
If you are involved in a "fender
bender" on one of the icy days this
winter, be sure that accident
repairs include replacement of the
rust -proofing undercoat.
Take care of your bumper and trim
to keep your car looking new
If you've recently purchased a
new automobile, chances are
you've done a good job of washing
and waxing the finish to maintain
its showroom -like appearance.
Now it may be time to give the same
sort of caring attention to the car's
other exterior surfaces.
Parts such as bumpers, body
side moldings, wheel well guards
and decorative side panelings are
subject to the same dirt, grime and
other contaminants that collect on
the rest of the car during normal
driving conditions.
Many of these components,
however, are made of lightweight
metals, rubber, vinyl and other
plastic materials, which don't
respond to conventional wash and
wax products. Left unattended,
they can deteriorate into an
unsightly condition.
New cars need
Tess gas,
more knowhow
Lower gasoline prices in recent
months come as a happy surprise to
many pundits who expect the
worst. Supply and demand are
credited with the accomplishment,
gas consumption having been
somewhat lower than anticipated
while the fuel stockpile remains
healthy.
More efficient vehicles have
been a big f actor in reducing the
drain on our resources. Thanks to
state-of-the-arttechnology,to-
day's car typically gets about twice
the mileage per gallon compared to
its predecessor of a decade ago.
While high-tech systems have
helped ease the demand at the gas
pumps, they have, on the other
hand, created a real challenge for
the technicians in the service
shops, says Car Care Council.
To meet technical requirements
of the repair industry,•mechanics
by the tens of thousands are
attendingeducationalclinics to
remain up-to-date on these state-
of-the-art vehicles.
4*fr
rte
8 eats
SERVING THE
HANDICAPPED
In the past, many of these different one
exterior parts were fashioned out
of heavy metals or chrome. To
clean them, utilize polishes and
cleansers that are dependent upon
abrasives.
These same products applied to
the lighter metals and dissimilar
materials used in today's exterior
parts can be detrimental' to their
appearance and actually harmful
in some cases.
Abrasive -containing metal pol-
ishes can leave a whitish/gray
residue on vinyl, rubber and other
synthetic surfaces, and they will
tend to scratch lightweight metal
parts.
Cleaning products have been
developed to restore rubber, vinyl
and plastic parts, but just about all
of them are unsatisfactory for use
on the new lightweight metal
parts. When they are used, you
generally need to purchase a -
to care for metal
surfaces.
CONVENIENT ALTERNATIVE
The purchase of two different
products presents extra expenses
and confusion for the car owner,
especially when caring for the new
parts that incorporate both metal
and rubber, such as the new
aluminum bumpers equipped with
rubber bumper guards. This can
make maintenance of the car's
appearance a long and unnecessar-
ily tedious process.
Although using special methods
of maintenance for these compo-
nents may not be part of your
traditional cleaning regimen, they
will save you time in the long run
and help keep your car looking new
far longer.
The key is to begin this process of
maintenance early on during own-
ership, before signs of deteriora-
tion become obvious.
1)
D
Y
D
�1,ITIFUCal
BPCK IN THE IgzO'S THE MODEL T FORD
WAS AVAILABLE IN ANY COLOR AS LONG AS IT WAS BLACK.
NOW PAINT
MANUFACTURERS
OFFER
HUNDREDS
OF COLOR
FINISHES FOR
CARS THAT NOT
ONLY BRIGHTEN OUR
ROADS BUT ALSO PROTECT
CARS FROM CORROSION. WITH
PROLAST PTHRE IFE RE OF E THENCART .I� eeenci
o
COART
s
Got a car to sell?
Use the Citizen's
classified
Interest Rates as low as 8.7% - Over 100 new vehicles ;n stock
- SELECTED MODELS
10.9% - 36 Months
"NO CHARGE" Air Conditioning on
Caprice -Expires April 30th , 1986
9% - 48 Months
One Year Power Train Warranty
on selected used cars -Expires April 30th, 1986