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Rock Chips, Scratches, And Paw Prints, Originally uploaded by beetle67
We have all had them at one time or another… rock chips and the inevitable rust that comes with them. Although technically, with cars becoming made less and less of metal these days it is not as big of a problem as it used to be, but it still does happen. It is always best to take care of these little blemishes before the harshest part of winter sets in because the chemicals spread on the roads during harsh weather will only accelerate any possibility of rust forming and leave a bigger mess to deal with come next spring.

It is actually quite easy to fix rock chips and scratches. It takes only a few minutes of your time and will involve little cost and product to get the job done right. Here is a list of a few of the basic tools of the trade:

• Zinc Oxide or equivalent rust transformer
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Book of paper matches
• Matching lacquer or enamel paint (found at dealer or auto part store)
• Clear top coat (optional)
• 1000-2000 grit wet/dry sandpaper
• Polishing compound

Step 1- The first thing to do is to inspect the chip and determine if any rust has set in. If the answer is “no” you can move onto step 2. If “yes”, we are going to need to remove it, otherwise any paint you apply will not last and eventually will bubble and fall out leaving most likely even more rust to deal with. You could sand it all down, but the absolute easiest method for the laymen is to purchase a bottle of zinc oxide or rust transforming spray, such as Dupli Color Rust Fix. This will transform the rust into a primer coating that will not only resist further rusting, but will present a good base coat for the color coat (paint) to stick. Be sure to concentrate the solution on only the rusted are, in case the solution might have a reaction with the rest of the paint. It is always best to be safe, even if the product claims that it will not hurt your existing paint. Allow this to fully dry and then move on to step 2.

Step 2- The next thing is going to be to fully clean the area to ensure the paint has the best conditions to stick and last. There are a number of commercial concoctions, but one of the favorites among professionals has always been a soft toothbrush and toothpaste. This will act as a gentle sandpaper to remove any traces of wax and dirt around the nooks and crannies of the chip or scratch. When finished lightly scrubbing the area, wash it with clean water and let dry.

Step 3- Now is the fun part. Take the color coat you had purchased at either your dealer or auto part store, and begin to apply it into the damaged area using the base end of a paper matchstick. The key to this is to allow the paint to flow into the area and then let dry before applying a second coat. The reason we are using the matchstick is to discourage the possibility of brush strokes. We are trying to match the original look as closely as possible. It make take several cycles of paint and dry, but your goal is to fill the chip up to the level of the original paint of the vehicle, if not a bit over. If you are in a hurry and are happy with the basic fix we have just described, you can let it dry for 3-5 days and then rub rubbing compound over the area to help blend the fix and call it done. If you are a bit more of a perfectionist, move onto step 4.

Tip: Lacquer touch-up paint is generally the safest to apply unless the vehicle has been re-painted with a lacquer finish. The reason lacquer is easier for a non-professional, is it drys quicker and it easy to remove from enamel with a damp towel should you make a mistake. Enamel takes longer to dry, is harder to wipe off, and it may have a reaction with your current enamel finish and leave a mark if you should spill on the original paint. Most auto stores carry lacquer touch-up, but your dealer may have supplied you with the original enamel finish. It will be good to know what you are working with so you know how careful you are going to need to be.

Step 4- Once the paint is reasonably dry (3-5 days), take a square of 1000 to 2000 wet/dry sandpaper and lightly sand the area until it blends with the surrounding paint. You are looking to achieve a uniform dull appearance. As you begin to sand you will notice that the high areas with dull first and the lower spots will stay glossy until it is well blended. If necessary you may need to add another coat of paint in order to get a good overall finish and “height” to the touch-up area. DO NOT over sand. The last thing you want to do is remove too much of the original paint and end up with an even larger spot on your car. If you gage how much paint you are removing and concentrate the brunt of the sanding on the damaged area you should have no problem with this step. This would be a good time to add clear coat to your damaged area if you would like.

Tip: Oftentimes you will find that clear coat is quite unnecessary and sometimes even makes it harder to properly blend the painted area once finished.

Step 5- Once the section is smooth and flat, you are going to want to further blend the are a and return a high gloss to the paint via a quality rubbing compound, such as 3M’s. The compound is set-up to start out with a light abrasive and then will gradually break down to a fine polish that will create a high gloss shine. Be patient with this step… the more you rub the higher the gloss on the paint will get. Continue with this until you are satisfied with the fix and the gloss blends in with the rest of the finish.

In a month or so you may want to apply a good wax to help protect your finish (3M wax in always a good choice). This may also help to further blend the area if you have a wax coating on the rest of the vehicle.

Happy “rust-free” winter motoring!

…Learn the Common Pitfalls.

Before you even step foot onto the lot, set a price limit on the car you can afford… and stick to it! A good rule of thumb is to never go over 20% of your monthly income for any monthly payment.

It is even a good idea to give your number to the dealer once negotiations begin, so he knows your budget. It is just far too easy to find yourself buying that cool car you have always wanted, especially when the dealer tells you with an honest *smerk* that you can afford it.

He’ll tell you all you need to do is scrimp a little here and there to find that extra $400.00 every month. You don’t need things like food, heat, water, and electricity, especially since he doesn’t have to live in your home.

Now that you have your numbers ready, you will need to get a report on your credit rating. Depending on the strength of your rating, you should get a pretty good idea of the kinds of interest rates you are headed for.

It may even be beneficial for you to get a no-obligation pre-approved loan for your designated price limit before you start car shopping. This step can often help gain bargaining power once negotiations begins.

Another pitfall to consider is the debate on whether it is better to have 0% interest rate or cash back with a higher interest. Most consumers will automatically just assume the 0% is always better; which is exactly what many car dealers are counting on.

Do the math yourself when the dealer is giving you your payment options. If they were any better at math configuration, they would be designing atomic bombs, rather than selling cars.

The thing you have to keep in mind is money down on a car with a competitive interest rate can sometimes beat the price of a deal with 0% financing. It cannot be stressed enough to do your own calculations before making any decisions.

Finally, Take a day to think over everything that has transpired before making any decisions. They will beat you into the ground with options, decisions, and hours of waiting, so that by the time you have something figured out, you just want to sign the dotted line and get out of there out of there.

Resist that temptation; though, you’ll want to have a fresh, clean mind when you are reviewing the contract for signing. Otherwise, you could be in for a host of useless add-ons, such as rustproofing, ever-lasting wax , and outdated pin striping. But, why should you care when you’ll be worried about food, heat, and water for the next seven years?

Don’t let this happen… Happy car hunting!

Pound per square inch of metal, wires, cup holders, multi-media, and 1.2 bratty kids… which high priced luxury vehicle is the best for your hard earned dollar? Decide for yourself:

2008 Lexus LX570 - The Lexus tops the list of luxury sport utility in Price. Somewhere around $70,000 for the base priced sport utility V-8. It has a healthy 4.7 liter motor and a 381 horsepowers to bring it into the top of the class in this portion of the tests. Lexus has gone one step further this year and given their “pretty boy” a bit of a rugged edge (inherited from the Toyota Landcruiser). So in town kid driving is not the only thing you can do with the Lexus these days. It is still a very technologically advanced SUV with highly adaptive computer suspension tuning, so rock crawling would probably best not be on the menu of everyday affairs. But it does have a variable height clearance switch which could come in very handy on out of the way family excursions.

2008 Cadillac Escalade - The Escalade is a good $10,000 less than the Lexus at around $60,000 in base price and packs a whopping 403 horsepower and 417 lbs torque. The 6.2 liter engine is nothing to be

trifled with. The interior has been upgraded a bit and now resembles what a Cadillac should—elegant and classy. Power and class is what the Escalade do best and they top the charts from its competition here. The Lexus still has the upper hand on quality however and most every expert would agree with that statement. The Escalade also wins out on passenger space. It is not only luxurious, but there is practically enough room to throw a small party in the cabin!

BMW X5 - In the territory of the Escalade with a base V-8 price of $55,000, the X5 does feature a much smaller and refined 4.8 liter 350 horsepower

engine than the Escalade, giving it the appearance of perhaps more overall, usable balance. Unfortunately, the overall body is a bit chunky in comparison to the new Audi A7, so it lacks some of the “punch”! The $55,000 base V-8 gives you some nice features, such as back-up camera and xenon headlights/fog lights that turn with the car, but its body style still remains a bit lackluster for the price tag.. BMW has addressed one problem though… space. The X5 now has around 8 more inches of room, allowing for a third row of seating, but it is still not as big of hauler as the Escalade or Mercedes GL by a long shot.

Volvo XC90 - Volvo has put together a fairly impressive package for around $47,000. It has 311 horsepower and 325 lbs torque, and a rather

smooth 4.4 small block V-8. The Volvo is also considered a bit chunky and won’t be as sporty as those who have an eye on the Porsche Cayenne or Acura MDX. But not everybody is looking for pure performance per square inch of vehicle. In fact some just want to feel safe, and if this is what you are after, the new Volvo is arguably one of the safest and kid friendly SUV’s around. Features such as roll stability, blind spot information system, side airbags, and anti whiplash seats, are just a part of its quality engineering that Volvo has set the standard for.

Audi Q7 (photo bt Huey2006 @ Flickr)- The Audi Q7 boasts and impressive 350 horsepower and 325 lbs torque and all with a very small 4.2 liter. Lots of technology went into this 5 vales per cylinder engine and it is very refined and smooth in the payoff. And the $50,000 price tag keeps it right in the ballpark of the rest of its competition. The biggest drawback

with the Audi, is that it’s heavy—very heavy! But it is not bad for a first SUV for Audi. It still can pull out from a dead stop and hit 60 mph in just a little over 7 seconds, which should be enough for any soccer mom and dad to get their kids from A to B. And this was just Audi’s plan, to create a light duty “Mommy kid hauler” with plenty of refinement and safety and then throw in plenty of horsepower and torque, so the husbands would think it was pretty cool too. Seriously, that was the base design plan of the Q7. But we can expect even more in the years to come from Audi, they are honestly just getting started in this new line of vehicle.

Mercedes-Benz GL550 (photo by Bohemian88 @ Flickr)- You would expect power and refinement here and Mercedes delivers with their 4.7 liter standard 382 horsepower and 339 lb torque rating. They are trying to win some of the SUV consumers who have been sold on some of these other models for the past years. Mercedes and SUV just are not used in the same sentence very often, but they intend to change that if they can. They are off to a good start, if space is at all a concern, as you will find plenty of it here. 76 inches wide, 73 inches tall, and almost 17 feet long, the new Mercedes should be able to handle most any suburban hauling needs. But all this space comes with its negative, such as its 5300 curb weight, but its power capabilities will keep the driving at least somewhat spirited. The handling is also surprisingly well balanced for such a large vehicle.

Acura MDX (photo by Robotography @ Flickr)- Okay, so not really in the “high-priced” section necessarily at $40,000 and it doesn’t come with a V-8, but we thought it would make a good gage to see if the other big boys are worth the extra green.

The MDX packs a strong 300 horsepower, 275 lb torque 3.7 liter V-6, which is light, quick and so far, fairly durable. The big boys got nothing on the Acura in this department. It also handles superbly and is easily categorized with the BMW X5 and Porsche Cayenne in refinement. Speaking of Porsche, the MDX is hard to beat with its 0-60 in just over 6 seconds. This is certainly no roving brick if you are looking for a little sport to go with your utility. The MDX is a good compromise between usability, style, power, functionality, and compact affordability. This “mid priced” alternative is looking pretty good!