Guest article by www.cararticles.co.uk - 03/11/08

Modern Car Restoration Techniques

Whether you've found a car at a bargain price that needs some loving attention to bring it up to scratch or you just want to sort out your own car and transform it from a rust bucket to a chick magnet then you'll probably be interested in some of the modern car restoration techniques that are available to you on the market today. It's a relatively cheap and definitely satisfying thing to get involved with and the results will put a smile on your face and hopefully a bit of cash in your pocket if you're looking to salvage the resale price of a motor that's on its last legs. Here's a few of the most basic things you can do to get into car restoration, and most of them can apply to cars of any condition in order to help maintain your car and prolong the life of the exterior and interior.

Scuff Repair
Car bumpers will take more damage than most parts of your car, and an untidy bumper can stick out like a sore thumb. However, new smart scuff repair techniques only treat the damaged area and remove the need for replacing the entire panel or bumper. Wing mirror scrapes and scuffs can also be addressed.

Dent Removal
This can be a relatively difficult process, so it's advisable to seek professional advice and assistance, especially as different kinds of dents require different techniques to remove them. Paintless dent removal techniques, which are new to the UK market, require a skilled and steady hand to repair dents by inserting rods behind the bodywork and gently massaging them out, without the need for filling or repainting.

Wheel Refurbishment
Damage to alloy wheels from curbing is unsightly, and replacement wheels will run into the hundreds of pounds, but there is a simpler way to make repairs without having to replace the wheel. Modern restoration techniques will not only remove any visible damage to your wheels but also coat them in a protective layer to ensure that further damage is lessened.

Leather Conditioning
Connolising is a technique that reconditions and re-colours worn out leather seats and interiors.

Paintwork Correction
One of the biggest problems that can occur to a car is damage to the paintwork, through stone chips, scrapes, accidents or just through the aging process, but it can be relatively simple to repair thanks to a market that is full of products designed just for the paintwork on a car. Selecting a touch up paint that matches your car's colour is essential, and you needn't worry if you've not got a steady painting hand as filling in a stone chip badly is better than leaving it to the potential hazard of rust, which is far harder to remove, and a badly corrected stone chip can be corrected later by a more skilled professional at any rate.
*Note: New Again uses the phrase 'Paintwork Correction' in reference to more than just the repair of stone chips. Please see the links at the bottom of this page.

Paint Sealant
Car paint care is essential to the maintenance and refurbishment enthusiast, and another way to help preserve and protect your car's paintwork is through paint sealant, which provides protection against UV, road salts, acid rain and many other harmful materials which damage paintwork.

Paintwork Correction

Valeting Articles: Index Page A list of articles on various car care and car valeting subjects

Article: Our Massive article on Stone Chips
Everything you ever wanted to know about stone chip repair but were too afraid to ask.
Now you have, you might wish you hadn't!