C THE HERALD Malta itM Tidy Car replies to car care questions Tidy Car was coo of the first automotive to recognize the peed for more effec tive method of prolonging the useable life of the family car through appearance and protection treatments Instead of marketing and manufacturing products through traditional retail enamels we realised that car protection was a service oat a product business that would best be performed by a train ed network of Independent btmliwaspeople people who would take pride In their work and an in terest In tbefr communities Indeed they would live with Ihdr per formance promises and stand behind their professional workman ship and warranties Today a net work of franchlsed dealers throughout the world have treated more than one million vehicles with Important appearance and protec tion services Tidy Car main tains its own chemists research and development and manufacturing facilities one of the few such com panies to do so Our processes are marketed only through qualified dealers and the Informa tion contained In this pamphlet is a result of the experience of Tidy Car dealers around the world and from technical personnel in our and Center How can appearance services enhance Improve the of my A According to the US Depart ment of Commerce the average age of the can on the road in 19B2 was years It la projected that by the end of this decade per cent of the cars on the road will be over years old The fact Is that with the high replacement cost of todays new car more and more people will be driv ing their vehicles longer A consumer who elects to own a mediumpriced car for years will save approxi 17000 com pared to the coat of replacing a car every years However this means that It is extremely Important to take a few extra steps to ensure that the cars appearance is maintained in addition to the mechanical maintenance required to keep a car In proper care and condition A car which is subjected to rust- elements not only loses most of Us value at resale or tradein time It actually unsafe unless the vehicle Is protected against rust before Its too late In to its cosmetic value auto paint seels and protects the metal from rust or oxidation However paint Itself subject to oxidation and deterioration and if Wt unprotected will degrade and fade over a period of tune A profes- applied paint sealant maintenance program can protons the life end shine of the paint thereby retaining the newcar look and value afore and more fine fabrics an bring utflbxd in newcar Interiors A fabric interior can be easily soiled stained lift la left andor carpeting wlO reduce the resale or value tremendously repladni those e fabrics can be more costly In addition to the added pleasure or driving in a spotlessly dean ants interior it pays to keep that way and to ensure against per stain damage with a proles slantl fabric system Vinyl roofs sod learner Interior care as if the leather is to stay looking damn and new Professional vinyl and leather treatments are available to keep those materials dean bright and newlooking Evidence of the importance maintaining the appea of ones by car dealers and financial institu tions In determining the value of us ed cars The difference between a vehicle In Average condition and one In Excellent Clean condition can be as much as several thousand dollars in resale or tradein value on the Identical year make sod model of carl Dont most new cars came with rustperforation warranties today A Many automobile manufac turers offer limited rustperforation warranties extending for up to fire years for new car buyers However due to assemblyline techniques protected sections of the vehicle are often limited to only the most vulnerable areas of the car and often overlook critical areas in and around the engine compartment trunk and Inside fender wells and less accessible areas such as dog legs door posts and Inside the doors themselves I have a used car tost never been rustproof Isnt It too late do snytlilsg about protecting It against nut now At Probably not A rustnrotectlon system Is available which utilizes a penetrating chemical to seek out and material Depending on the extent of existing rust damage It may even be possible to obtain an Insured war ranty on rust protection for your us ed However or not buying a good rust protection system con slow down future rust degradation alleviating further deterioration depreciation and the chance of a very unsafe vehide How can the car un safe A Todays cars are constructed with unitized bodies whereby com ponents are welded to each other not to a central body frame as they were previously Corrosion of a unitized body can seriously Jeopar dize the structured of the body meaning Its overall strength la diminished as rust and corrosion deteriorate the metal As k result in the event of even a minor the cars ability to protect its pa Is greatly reduced What I be aware of la the warrantys fine print As Some warranties offer only to refund the purchase price of the original in the event of a claim However if the claim several hundred dollars In rust damage It Is unlikely that a rebate on the original cost of the rustprooflng will cover the cost of repair Look for a warranty that often to repair of replace the damaged sections of the automobile that are covered under the warran- rustprooflng companies ask you to return for periodic Inspec tions In order to validate the warran ty This la not unreasonable since tbey are interested In detecting any potential rusting before It becomes too serious to correct Furthermore If they are legitimately offering to repair or replace rustdamaged parts in accordance their war ranty It stands to reason deserve the right to limit their liabilities ax much as possible However you should check to see if there is an Inspection fee and if so what the fee Is If you ore a used cor certain areas of the may be from the warranty due to the extent of existing rust in those areas Your warranty should dearly spell out In advance what those ex cluded areas are Whats difference between and A Some parts of the continent are not considered critical rust zones In states or provinces void of snow and Ice In the winter damaging road salt does not create a problem provided you do not drive during the winter In parts of the country which employ road salt Coastal areas of the coun try can be critical rust zones due to the corrosive salt air and In these regions of the country It is important to rust protect vehicle However someone living in west Texas for ex ample will not have to worry about rust corrosion like someone in Houston Texas Just a few hundred miles a way 1 Unlike which Is designed to protect the metal ports of the car from the down Is a protec tive spray that la applied strictly to the vehicles undercarriage In those regions of the country where rust is not a serious pro blem It is a good Idea to apply a type of undercoating which win retard undercarriage rust damage caused by simple exposure to mud puddles or rainwater Some double sound deadeners to reduce ambient road noise an Important consideration In compact automobiles which have a tendency to give a much noisier ride than a luxury automobile Some sounddeadening or noisereducing systems claim to reduce ambient road noise by over per cent For this reason many people choose tc buy the soundreducing under- coating process In conjunction with the rustprooflng application nor mally for only a few dollars more than the cost of the rustprooflng alone Most rustprooflng companies re quire that the warranty be registered with the parent company in order for the terms of the warran ty to be validated and backed by the parent or franchisor This Is par ticularly Important If toe warranty Is protected by so Independe In surance company In this event you will likely receive an official war ranty the null within few weeks after the car has been treated Be sure that the piece of paper you receive at the time of the too being performed Is not passed off as your official warranty if It is simply an application for a warranty The Warranty Application will usually call your attention to the fad that the parent or franchisor will issue the official warranty within a few weeks once the registration is received by the parent company or the franchisors headquarters What can I do ta protect and preserve my vehicles exterior flnbhT A In addition to regular car washings the paint and chrome sur faces should be periodically deox idized to remove oxidation and glutton which are constantly your cars exterior finish Regular polishing or waxing every couple of months will help lay a pro tective barrier over the paint and chrome surfaces In other words you should be prepared to invest several hours of your time every two KIYOS Japanese Car Service THE JAPANESE CAR SPECIALISTS Call 21 Mill Street YEARS EXPERIENCE 8730550 Georgetown condition for a period of years finish as described above you do owe It to yourself to have your or maintained by a professiona ap pearance maintenance service In the long run the small additional in vestment you make In periodic ex terior maintenance of your automobile will pay longterm What abort these pever-wax- paint sealant and processes A Claims that sound too good to be true usually are In particular beware of wonder products Unlike conventional eat ing and polishing a good paint sealant application la best left to a professional The most reliable paint sealant treatment generally requires mare time and effort to prepare the paint for the application of the than to actually apply and buff out the sealant product Itself