If you are considering selling your car, or just want to protect the exterior, then you want to bring back that new car look. To that end, consider some of these innovative products available today. Maintaining your car’s exterior is one way to maximize its value, and protecting and maintaining its new appearance will go a long way when it does come time to sell. Wouldn’t it be nice if your car could retain that brand new, showroom finish for as long as you owned the car? Unfortunately, things happen that are out of your control. These include wayward shopping carts, misguided bicycles and closely parked cars that result in scuffs and scratches. Over time these little mishaps add up and become more noticeable as your car ages. A number of innovative products are available to protect and restore your car’s showroom shine.
Maintain that showroom finish
The first step in bringing back that new car look is to protect your paint from road debris. Equally important is the need to remove scratches and scuffs that develop over time. It is no wonder that consumers spend about $45 million annually on scratch removers and rubbing compounds. Maintaining or improving your vehicle’s appearance not only helps to protect the paint but can increase its resale value. 3M offers a variety of Scratch Removal Kits with versions to suit various skill levels. The 3M Scratch Removal Kits contain all the materials needed to remove light to medium scratches, scuffs and paint transfers. It works on clearcoat or single-stage paint. Using a Scratch Removal Kit is a simple 3-step process that can take less than 30 minutes. For the do-it-yourselfer, kits range in price from $17.99-$29.99. This represents significant savings when compared to professional service that costs from $50-$500.
Restore the light
Taking steps to protect and preserve your car’s paint is important to maintain its value and near-showroom appearance. But, often the car’s headlights are overlooked. This isn’t an issue with older cars with glass headlights. Rather, today’s polycarbonate plastic is vulnerable to scratches and discoloring. Though they can withstand impact, they are susceptible to the effects of sunlight. Over time, the rays discolor and dull the lens surface.
3M offers several headlight restoration solutions to improve and restore lenses in as little as 20-30 minutes. 3M’s Headlight Restoration Kit stands out from other systems due to the company’s decades of scientific research and development in abrasive technology. These headlight restoration systems utilize up to four different types of abrasives and include a 500 grit sanding disc and a unique 3000 grit Trizact abrasive. When used on plastic headlights, the Trizact abrasive restores the surface to a clean and clear finish in a matter of minutes.
Clean, clear headlights are part and parcel of the new car look. It also boosts the driver’s ability to safely navigate a road and avoid potential hazards. It is also considerably less expensive to restore a set of headlights than to replace them. Potential savings run from $150 to $1,500 per headlight. 3M Headlight Restoration Kits cost from $18.99-$32.99 and come in Drill and No Tools Required versions to accommodate different skill levels.
A new car look extends to the trim
Don’t overlook the plastic trim parts on your vehicle. Over time these parts turn gray instead of black due to oxidation. Among them are bumpers, mirror housings, windshield cowling, trim molding, headlight housings, and door handles. There are a variety of affordable plastic restorer products that address the fading affecting these particular parts. Two well-known brands are Meguiar’s and Mother’s, but of course, there are others to choose from. If you’re unable to use a restorer to bring back the like-new finish, then Rust-Oleum’s Trim & Bumper Paint restores black trim pieces back to a like-new finish.
With many products available for protecting or restoring your car to a like-new finish, the ability to enhance its value is within any do-it-yourselfers reach.
More: KBB’s Top 10 Car Care Tips
