Potentially increase resale value on your car by taking care of that rust!
Now one enjoys the sight of rust on their car, especially if they ever have plans to re-sell it as a used car. The better your car looks, the more value it has, and doing away with rust can actually help you earn more money on re-sale. But how do you get rid of this rust, and if it was easy, wouldn't everyone be doing it? Fortunately, fixing car rust simply takes a little education and initiative. We'll supply the education; the initiative is up to you.
First, you'll need the right tools. An effective way to prep a rust area for re-painting is to sand it down. This is difficult to do by hand, so a sanding wheel will be most effective - use 150 grit. Don't necessarily aim to get rid of all of the rust at this stage of the game; instead, simply work to make the surface consistent with the rest of the car. You'll want to notice the change in level as little as possible. While you're using the sanding wheel, don't try to do too much work at once. Instead, work in small increments so that you avoid large mistakes that will be difficult to go back and fix.
After using a power sanding wheel, it's time to use sandpaper by hand - again, using 150 grit. You'll use this sandpaper to wear down any of the stubborn rust spots that still seem to be hanging on. Make sure that the area is now fully smoothened out and ready for a new paint application.
Using painter's tape (that doesn't leave behind much adhesive) to corner off the section of rust, you're going to be applying some primer next. Apply a few coats of primer but make sure to focus on thoroughness rather than thickness. You want the primer to get in as many little areas as possible so that the layer of paint you apply afterwords will be complete.
After applying a few coats of primer, let it dry overnight. When you're ready to paint, use your color-matched paint and apply in thin coats similar to the way you applied primer. When you apply one coat, wait a few hours for it to dry before applying another one, and once you're finished, let the area dry overnight.
If you already had a power sander handy, this repair probably didn't cost you much money at all - it's a great way to keep your car looking fresh and new, and possibly increase the re-sale value.
Photo Credits: OpenSkyMedia
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Posted by Fix Handyman on September 18, 2009 in
Car, How to Fix, Mechanic
How to Fix a Flat Tire
Whump. Hiss. Those familiar movie-like sound effects can only mean one thing: you've punctured a tire, and unless you know how to change your tire from flat to spare, you probably won't be getting to your destination on time. Even if you don't hear those familiar sounds, a wobbly car will let you know that something is wrong. These moments can come at the worst times possible, so unless you're ready for them, they can ruin your day. That's why you'll want to learn these essential steps for fixing a flat tire.
- First, pull over and find a safe place to change the tire.
Without a safe place to change the tire, you won't even be able to accomplish the change, let alone feel secure about it. Pull well over to the shoulder of the road or if it's busy, try to find some space to pull over into a side street. If this isn't possible, don't try to force it; simply get out of harm's way so that you can make the change.
- Set the car in park and apply the emergency break when applicable.
You don't want to let the car roll away from you or into traffic, so make sure that the car is safely in park when you leave it. If you're on an incline, set the emergency break so that you'll have added protection against the possibility of the car rolling. There's not much you can do with a rolling car once you're outside it, so make sure this is on your mental checklist while you're still inside.
- Get your equipment.
Every car should have a jack, a spare tire, and a wrench (a cross wrench works) for these kinds of emergencies. Make sure that you have this equipment out.
- Jack the car up.
Put the jack under the car so that it is moving straight up and down, and then put enough lift under the car to support it but not necessarily bring it up from the ground.
- Remove the hub cap and loosen the nuts.
The reason the wheel will still be on the ground is so that it doesn't move as you loosen the nuts and remove the hub cap. Once you have the hub cap free and the nuts loosened, you can then jack the car up higher for removing the flat tire.
- Remove the nuts and then remove the tire.
After jacking up the car, you're ready to remove the nuts, followed by the tire.
- Put on the new tire.
Now you can put the new tire over the hub, replacing the flat one. Make sure everything is aligned, and then tighten the nuts with your hand followed by the wrench. Lower the car to the ground a little, and continue tightening the nuts.
- Lower the car back to the ground.
Remove the jack and replace the hubcap; your new spare tire should be firmly and tightly attached now. Put everything in your trunk, including the flat tire, and you should be ready to drive off.
Photo Credits: Mr.Thomas
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Posted by Fix Handyman on July 21, 2009 in
Car, How to Fix
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