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Items You’ll need:

• Several clean clothes

• wax application pad

• Quart of denatured alcohol

• Meguiars #2 Fine-Cut Cleaner (or equivalent)

• Meguiars #7 Show Car Glaze (or equivalent)

• Meguiars #26 High Tech Carnauba Wax (or equivalent)

• About 3 hours of a warm Spring afternoon

As spring sets upon our side of the earth, we find the birds are chirping, the butterflies are fluttering, the flowers are blooming, and the pollen and sap from the trees are falling… directly on our cars!

If you’ve ever run your hand over the top of your car, chances are it will have a slight sandpaper texture. This is all the pollen and sap particles from various trees that have found a nice little home on the paint of your vehicle.

You can wash, scrub, and wax all you want, but it is going to be next to impossible to get that showroom shine back without a miracle.

While there are sap removing products on the shelves today, there is really only one way to clean a car that has some serious sap damage according to a lot of car detailers… denatured alcohol.

Denatured alcohol can be found at just about any hardware store and while its use will also strip your car of all its waxes, it is just about the only way to clean off heavily baked on sap without wearing out your elbow in the process.

Even if you have quarter inch sized pine tree sap droplets that have been baking on your hood for 3 years, denatured alcohol will do the job. Just about anything that has found its way onto your paint can be removed with this powerful solvent.

The nice thing about it, is why it is a relatively strong solvent, it is actually not as harsh on your paint as you might think since alcohol evaporates quickly into the air.

Once this portion of the job is done, you are going to need to renew the shine on your finish and protect it so that the next batch of sap will not be able to get such a hold on your painted surface. This process begins by cleaning off the light film of contaminants leftover from the solvent cleaning with the Meguiars #2 Fine-Cut Cleaner.

This simple needs to be rubbed in until the fine grit breaks down into the paint and then wiped off. There is no need to let this dry before wiping off. You will only need to use this on the portions of the paint you had to use the denatured alcohol.

The next step will be to renew the oils in the paint that the solvent may have dried out. This is accomplished by Meguiars #7 Show Glaze. You may want to use this on the entire vehicle if the paint appears dull and hazy in anyway.

The best part of the Meguiars #7 is there really is no need for a buffer to get a nice shine. The rich oils work themselves into the paint with just a little elbow grease and really bring out a deep shine. Of course if you have a buffer handy, this could give you an even better shine, but it is not a necessary tool for this project.

Once all the paint is smooth and shiny you are going to want to but a fresh coat of wax on the surface to hold in the oils you just renewed the paint with as well as protect the surface. While a lot of high tech waxes and sealants have become quite popular over the past 15 years, there is nothing like the shine and protection of good old fashioned carnauba paste.

A tip to keep in mind when it comes to carnauba wax, is much of the time the paste will hold up longer than the liquid versions. It can be a bit more difficult to rub on and off, but when you count in its longevity and ultimate protection it will be worth it.

Most carnauba pastes will come with an applicator pad that will need to be dampened thoroughly before it can be used. Make sure that the vehicle is in a shaded spot for this part of the process and the paint is cool to the touch.

If you try to apply paste wax on a hot surface it will dry too quickly and you will not be able to get the wax into the pores of the paint. Rub the wax in thoroughly and allow to dry completely before using a clean and dry cloth to wipe it off.

This may sound like a lot of steps, but the key is to let the products do most of the work. You really don’t need to spend all that much time on each step. Three hours of hard work should have your cars paint ready for those summer Saturday nights at the drive-in.

All ye auto enthusiasts and gamers…

There is a new Need for Speed on the block and it has some goodies to offer any armchair racer. The EA games Need for Speed game series is one of the longest series in history and for good reason. It actually offers a taste of the black top, with enough realism to keep any performance car enthusiast entertained on a quiet Sunday afternoon.

Coming from its “tuner” variety video games, which heavily featured import tuner and exotic cars, the new Carbon edition sets the stage to be a real treat for the muscle head. We are talking about Camaro’s, Challenger’s, and Charger’s, of both the new and the old variety.

That’s right, there is a 1967 Camaro SS, a sleek Plymouth Challenger, a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro, a retro 2008 Challenger, and a Doge Charger R/T included in this game, which is a pleasant welcome from the usual import tuners that these games offer.

What could be even better than getting the chance to play on the blacktop with a piece of American history? Hearing it as well…

When you turnover the engine on one of these beasts, it sounds just like the real thing. There is no carbon copied computer variation of what a V-8 should sound like, these are the obvious sounds from the real thing.

If you add a supercharger in the mix, your car actually sounds like it for a change. It has the very distinct high pitched whine of a Wieland supercharger and it increases its tone the more boost you earn throughout the game play.

The game also features very realistic handling characteristics of each car from the obvious fish tailing of the 67 Camaro to the extreme curve hugging characteristics of the 2007 Porsche Carrera GT.

The muscle cars of the new Need For Speed Carbon, is however just one third of the excitement. There are actually three pathways of this game… muscle, import, and exotic. Depending on your favorite manufacturer or type of performance you are after, the game caters to your interests and will offer you new upgraded vehicles along the lines of the pathway you have chosen.

If you are a fan of te Need for Speed series, the Carbon edition lives up to its name and is available for most popular gaming devices, such as the PC, Playstation, Wii, Nintendo, and Xbox varieties.

What gift or present do you give to that special car enthusiast for the 2007 holiday season? Here are a few ideas that will be a real hit this season:

1. Satellite Navigation System - such as the Navman 530 - This navigation system is lighter and more convenient after shedding some weight and has added a few cool features for the auto enthusiast. One touch of the button allows you to find the nearest gas station, delivers free real-time traffic reports, and even has a European map to go along with your local pre-loaded map.

2. Hands Free Mobile Phone Kit- If you loved one doesn’t already have one of these unique gifts, then this Christmas would make the perfect time to treat them.

3. Heated Massage Seat- If you don’t already own one of the top of the line luxury model vehicles that come with one of these units already installed, they have several models available, such as one of these. Some even have cooling capabilities to use in the summertime.

4. Apple iPhone - Some are calling it the hottest gadget of the year. It has the ability to plug straight into your car’s cigarette lighter and enjoy its touch screen capabilities to play music, watch videos, surf the Internet and yeah, it even makes phone calls… go figure!

5. Roadside emergency kit- There is no better time of the year to receive one of these life saving gifts.

6. Aluminum gearshift knob- If you know an enthusiast with a manual sports car, they are sure to love a fine crafted aluminum gearshift knob, such as one designed by Momo.

7. Richard Petty Driving Experience- If your loved one has ever wanted to be in NASCAR, there are 20 locations around the U.S. that can make this lifelong dream a reality.

8. Car Detailing Kit- This is something that any auto enthusiast would obviously use, but they seldom actually buy for themselves.

9. Racing Cockpit- Some enthusiasts would rather be racing in the safety of their own Sparco seat planted in their living room and for these we recommend the Sparco Cockpit Pro.

10. Detail Gift Certificate- Car guru’s love a nice vehicle, but the winter months is certainly not the time to be outside with a hose, buffer, and bottle of Armor All. Why not let them relax in the warmth while somebody else does all the work.

11. Sirius Satellite Radio- The radio waves are becoming filled more and more with jibber jabber today than actual music and Sirius still provides some of the best commercial free music at a minimal cost.

12. Driving Gloves- For under $50, almost anyone can become James Bond for a day!