How to Preserve Your Car's Paint Job

Whether its a beater or a showpony, you should love what you drive. So why not try to maintain your paint job with these tips from Go Auto Outlet? Washing, polishing, repairing and covering your vehicle will maintain its paint and greatly extend its new car shine. Take proper care of your exterior so you'll always look good driving, and earn thousands more when you resell!

Car Washing

We all love a freshly washed car, but did you know that regular washes protect your paint too? Like a sci-fi movie scene, rain and snow carry chemicals that can eat through your clear coat and corrode paint. Not to mention, bird droppings, tree sap, and road grime can all turn your paint job from sparkling new to 70's dull. Give your car a wash, ideally once a week, to clean away any harmful materials and extend the life of your exterior.

Buff & Wax

Don't worry, you don't need to wax as often as you wash, only about twice a year. Turn on the radio, dust off your orbital buffer, and do a top-to-bottom buff and wax. Use a buffer to remove a very thin layer of paint, thereby evening scratches and other imperfections out to match the rest of the exterior. Then, like sunscreen on your skin, apply wax to perform a protective layer between your vehicle's paint and the exterior. Wax won't stick to an oxidized coating, so it's essential to buff off the previous finish before waxing.

Spot Check & Repair

Now that your paint is gleaming, completely spot-check the exterior for scratches, chips, and any other deficiencies. When metal is exposed to the air, it rusts. Since paint's primary purpose is to protect the metal on your vehicle, scratches are extra-susceptible to rusting. Rust can travel anywhere, even through metal below the exterior paint coat, causing even more damage. Needless to say, by addressing paint issues promptly, you can save thousands in repair costs.

Keep Your Vehicle Covered

Whether it's summer or winter, Albertans like to stay protected from the elements. So why make any exceptions with your car? Unless your car is used daily, car-covers can be extremely effective at protecting your auto body paint from damaging elements like sun, rain, and snow. If you're able to store it in a nice dry garage, even better!

We hope these tips help with your exterior maintenance, and allow you to drive in style. If you'd prefer to have a professional wash, wax, repair, or store your vehicle, contact Go Auto Outlet's service department here.