Learn Car Paintwork and Bodywork Repair and Restoration

By Mario Goldstein

There are new ideas and research being done within the realm of fasteners when it comes to repairs.

One welcome change that has been observed is in the bumper mounting area now coated fasteners are being used. This means an added replacement expense during repairs but it also means less corroded bolds.

A new trend is headed toward fascia plastic fasteners being used. They are perfect because they are corrosion free and will release then they are suppose to. Continued research and changes like this are going to create a need for new types of fasteners. A good example of this is aluminum panels demanding aluminum fasteners. Again another significant way of reducing corrosion meaning a cost reduction because assembly times are faster.

Routine Uses for Fastener Applications. -any of the sheet metal parts such as body panels, trunk, lid and hood. Usually attached with a Grade 2 screw or rivet. Screws may all look the same but there can be differences in and long and strong, they are as well as the pitch.

-treaded fasteners are most common for assembling bumpers. They have to be high strength as the bumper provides safety to the occupants of the vehicle.

- Steel, plastic threads or plastic clips can be used for the headlight, grille and fascia.

-For interiors fasteners or screws that are threaded are used for the dash board, while the pads may be plastic fasteners of varying types. Door trim panels are normally clips but some are bolts. Be very careful with the plastic clips as many are designed for one time use.

- Steel bolts and screws are for the fiberglass items as well as plastic lips.

-Steering and suspension are crucial to safety therefore demand high strength bolts.

Proper Fastener Management Means Less Profit Loss

You can actually stop your losses and increase your profit by about $50 on every repair done if you itemize the supplemental materials needed in your repairs. Items such as your chemicals, fasteners and even masking tape. That may seem like gouging the customer but actually these costs can mount up to thousands of dollars per year because they are not factored in when doing the estimates. If your shop does about 200 car repairs, a month then you are going to exceed $100,000 in revenue alone just in this one small change. You can actually create a snowball affect just by implementing a small change like this. You can re invest that extra money into other cost saving equipment, which allows you to increase the workload yet cut down the labor expense. The same goes for being astute at keeping control of inventory. You can dramatically cut down on your losses.

Once you have cut these costs down then naturally, your profit level rises. It?s the little things that can really make a big difference in the profit margin in this particular industry. The same with not wasting product is another issue to keep track off. By the same token, though don?t start cutting corners to save money. In the end, it could end up costing you more by having customers returning for repairs and this is damaging to your businesses reputation. - 21392

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Learn the easiest way to learn spray painting cars with free videos and lessons. SprayPaintSecrets will give you the step by step guide you need to learn spray painting techniques.

3 Ways to Protect Your Cars Leather

By Luke Lister

Leather seats in your vehicle are a wonderful asset. They are not only luxurious but are also very comfortable. To keep them looking beautiful and looking like new it is necessary to give your attentions to car leather protection procedures. It is a very easy process and there are just three basic tips you need to know to protect your leather from daily wear and tear.

Products designed to clean and to protect your car's leather seats are plentiful. The product that you use will of course be your decision. There are a couple important things to take into consideration before you make your decision which products you will be using. Quite simply, the cleaner is just that, to remove the daily dirt and grime. The conditioner is used after the leather is cleaned well and it should be a rich product that provides the all important moisture that keeps the leather pliable and comfortable.

Products with natural ingredients listed are usually the best choice because they are safer. For instance, ingredients such as mink oil, UV protectants and lanolin are excellent. Spending a little time protecting your car's leather by keeping it cleaned and conditioned will be far more cost and time effective than leaving it until you need to do a restorative procedure. A combination product might be a good option for you as it combines the steps.

The skin of your body has pores and will get dried out and damaged so you need to keep it clean and moisturized. The leather of your car seats also has pores and will suffer unless cleaned and moisturized just like your skin. In places where the climate is very hot, the leather will begin to dry out and get cracked and old looking even faster unless properly protected.

Tip No. 1 to consider: Your car's leather needs to be cleaned often and the product you use needs to be free of any silicone oils, solvents or gloss agents. Never scrub the leather but using a small brush to gently agitate the pores of the fabric is a key factor. It is like exfoliating the pores of your skin, it opens the pores of the leather allowing it to absorb the cleaner and protectant that you apply to moisturize the leather. Keeping the leather supple will prevent it from ever becoming so brittle it forms cracks in its surface. Never use paper towels to whip your leather.

Tip No. Two is to find a product that lists a balanced pH factor designed for leather. This will not only keep your leather seats looking like new but will protect the leather against stains and water damage. Leather has natural oils and over time the oils will evaporate. If the leather does start to have an odor it is due to the depletion of the oils. The conditioner will correct this problem.

The third tip is to protect your vehicle's leather from direct sunlight. Try to park in shaded areas and use a sunshield on the front window. Direct sunlight will do serious damage so you can use a sun-block to protect them. Convertibles are hugely susceptible to sun damage so if you alternate using a 303 sun-block with the conditioner this should keep your seats looking new. Never use paper products to apply or whip the seats because they will scratch the delicate leather.

Keep these simple tips in mind and spend some time on a regular basis protecting the leather of your vehicle and you will have leather that remains supple and comfortable for the life of your vehicle. Car leather protection does not take long and is well worth the effort. - 21392

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Guard your vehicle with leather car seat protection on the sunshine coast.

How To Spray Paint Your Car Like Professional Workshops

By Mario Goldstein

When you are spray painting, don't be timid. You can bet you are going to get some runs if you don't wet the panel adequately. This will result to a dry look with a lot of pitting pattern. If the run happens to be during the clear coat application, you can usually repair that once it cures. You will be able to sand out the run and re-coat the panel. Don't fall into the trap of cover-up. Cover-up means that you are loading on more material to try to cover up the mistake. Don't do it. It just does not work.

If you follow the instructions, your application problems won't be as a result of not enough flash time. As the application is curing the solvents in the material evaporate. If you add another coat before this has fully taken place, the material is going to flow. Do yourself a favor and always add for a little extra curing time. You can save yourself a lot of work and headaches by doing this.

Finally, you get the perfect application and then a fly comes along and lands in your material. Don't panic. Use a pair of tweezers carefully to remove it. Hopefully there will just be a slight imperfection that you will able to sand then polish. Worst comes to worst you will end up respraying the panel.

Some common questions when it comes to spray painting techniques are as follows.

Is the wide pattern technique the best? If you are using the clear materials, you can use the wide patter, but pay attention to what you are doing. You could end up with some really obvious bad patterns. The perfect spray pattern has to be perfectly even from top to bottom. The other thing you need to consider and will have to contend with is the over spray that occurs when the gun is wide open.

I have a HVLP spray gun Can I use any technique I want? You cannot use a regular technique with this spray gun because its give out 10 psi at the cap as opposed to the 50psi in the conventional guns. This means the distance will not be as great with the HVLP gun that means you must be closer to the paint surface. For the convention guns, the standard distance is 8inches whereas with the HVLP it should be between two to four inches.

Will I be able to get as much speed with the HVLP? Standard guns efficiency for transfer is about 25-30% whereas with the HVLP it's about 65%. So needless to say, the gun excels in this department. You have to remember though that the closer you are spraying to the target surface the faster your stroke. As you extend your distance, you can reduce your stroke. With the HVLP, your target distance is 2-4 inches. - 21392

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Announcing: The first do-it-yourself spray painting and bodywork course that guarantees you results or your money back. Learn how to spray paint cars with SprayPaintSecrets 2 DVD Course.

Choosing Xenon or Halogen: The Differences of Headlamp Bulbs

By Ethan Melandri

Technology presents us with a number of different options, even when it comes to vehicles and their headlight bulbs. Most vehicles are fitted with halogen light bulbs, which may seem quite bright on a dark evening. However, there is something better out there, and your vehicle with halogen bulbs does not need to be modified to fit these other bulbs. Xenon light bulbs emit about 90 percent more light than a halogen bulb. What is more is that they are road legal.

A Short History on Headlight Bulbs

In order to understand the technology of xenon headlight bulbs it may be necessary to learn a little history about light bulbs. The first headlight bulb was developed as an incandescent light. Car manufacturers creating light bulbs made them a halogen bulb called the H1 in the 1960s.

The creation of the bulb requires an airtight glass which is filled with a halogen mixture. Halogen burned brighter than their predecessors. To improve the lights further, the car manufacturers modified the filament. The filament is the metal wire coil in the centre of the light bulb. The filament allowed a higher beam intensity, which made more light. This light could extend further from the car than incandescent light bulbs.

Car manufacturers creating these lights were still not satisfied with their creations, as soon as technology was found to offer something more. These factories began working with xenon gas. Xenon burns at a higher degree than regular halogen. So the creators placed xenon gas into the airtight bulb giving it pressure. The result was a cleaner and clearer light, which is a direct contrast to the dull yellow of halogen.

A redesign of the metal filament coil, combined with precision, different construction, and materials have made the xenon bulbs better. This is due to the light projected from the headlight onto the road in front of the driver. The beam is up to 35 metres further than halogen.

Halogen to Be Replaced by Xenon

Xenon light bulbs look a lot like the halogen bulbs, due to the glass and construction of the xenon. Therefore, anyone who wants to upgrade their headlights can just replace the halogen with a xenon bulb without modification. It is an instant change from yellow light to bright white.

Xenon light bulbs will fit in the bulb holders and use the same connectors as halogen. They do not require a higher voltage or wattage modification. You can replace the halogen safely because you do not have to cut wires or change the car. The best part is that xenon is legal in the UK and Europe.

By using xenon light bulbs you are able to increase the distance and what you can view while driving at night. It makes travelling on the roads secure and less apprehensive because you can spot potential dangers quicker and react with more fluidity. As you can tell, when it comes to a comparison of the two bulbs there really is no question that xenon is better. - 21392

About the Author:

Fitting a new pair of brighter upgrade xenon bulbs is a quick and easy way to enhance your car lights and modernise your vehicle. To ensure your sidelights match your new xenon lights you can now also fit LED car lights that produce a crisply bright light and last for well over 50,000 hours.

Important Automobile Storage Tips

By Susan Crawford

Protecting your vehicle from serious damage while storing it at a vehicle storage facility is very important. There are certain things that you need to do to prevent your vehicle's battery from corroding and leaking. There are also ways you can prevent moisture from building and your gas getting sticky.

Things to be sure to do and the kinds of storage available:

1. Fill the gas tank of your vehicle to the top - The reasoning behind this is simple. It is to eliminate the empty space in your tank to prevent it from building moisture that could build up and cause rusting. You could also include a fuel-stabilizing additive which helps with stopping oxidation, which basically means it keeps the gas from becoming sticky after sitting still for a while.

2. Remove parking brake! Never use your parking brake when storing your vehicle. Not only is it unnecessary, but it can cause your brake pads from becoming melded to the rotors. This can cause real problems when trying to remove the parking brake.

3. Wash, wax, & clean your car - It's important to make sure all traces of food & dirty/damp floor mats are removed. These items can cause moisture inside the car and damage sensitive equipment. Also, keeping your car clean will help prevent corrosion.

4. Decide on a storage location which has a lot of great features and security. Locating a facility that offers entirely paved surfaces as well as 24/7 security is your best bet.

5. Covered storage - is a great choice to shelter your vehicle from the sun and reduce exposure to rain and debris. These are usually side-by-side spaces designed and built for max protection.

6. Enclosed storage - Garage style storage keeps your vehicle safe and is usually the premium accommodation at vehicle storage facilities

7. Outside Storage - This kind of storage is best for items that will not get damaged with prolonged exposure to the sun; like utility trailers, flat bed carriers & boat trailers.

One of the main things to remember is to try and minimize moisture as best you can. This helps to prevent rust from building and corrosion from occurring. Follow these tips listed above and it will help keep your vehicle in great condition for when you are ready to use it again. - 21392

About the Author:

The facility, Park 720, offers vehicle storage solutions including rv storage, in Cape Coral, FL. Main benefits include long term vehicle storage, secured entrances, entire facility is paved, free dump area, and an on-site manager ready to help.