New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-02-13
MAKE YOUR CAR
LOOK like new
How One Motorist Tackled Job
of Being His Own Painter
With Pleasant Results.
REFIN|SHING COSTS LITTLE
Success or Failure Of Painting Auto
mobile Depends Largely on Kind
of varnish Used-Coat the
Chassis With Enamel.

There is no reason why the owner
of an automobile who has driven his
car for one or W seasons, until the
body finish has become dull, should
envy his neighbors who spin about In
newer ears, for almost any man can
keep his car looking very nearly as
good as new If he cares to take the
trouble. Indeed. 1t is not an unpleas-
ant undertaking to refinish your car
every year, and If this %precautlon Is
taken In time 1t costs very little.
A suburbanite who had grown TO he
somewhat ashamed of the appearance
of his ear. after using II for two years,
tells how he was induced To renew the
body finish, and the means he used
may suggest to other motorists how
they can the new appearance
of their automobiles.
"a ncighbor across the street he
said, had n big. eight-cylinder car,
which | noticed was always left stand
ing in front Of his house in all kinds
of weather. I often wondered why he
was so Indifferent to the possible CON
sequences on its body finish, and after
two years the machine looked as If 1t
were ready for the junk pile.
Decided to Repaint.
Last summer the appearance OF
his car began to get on the owners
nerves and he decided TO have II re-
painted. He took 1t to a local auto
mobile paint shop, where it was found
that the original finish was so badly
cracked that the surface had TO he
removed. Then eight coats of paint.
with n final coat Of varnlsh, were put
on. The cost was something like $50,
and prices have gone up appreciably
since then. However, the job was
well done, and when my neighbor APP
reared in his repainted car ! began
TO feel how badly my a suffered by
comparison.
az had always made it n custom TO
put my car In the garage when 1t was
standing idle for any length of time,
and not leave it in front of my house.
Notwithstanding this care, the luster
of the body gradually began to disap-
near as the first season wen by and
at the end of the second year II had
almost a slate color.
Several garage n told me that
the finish could he renewed by the APP
.plication of n little varnish. and !
found upon inquiry that the automo-
bile painters were asking SD for the
lob. The work Of vanishing n car
did not seem to he particularly diff
cult. so I invested S1.J0 in "A brush and
65 cents In a can of varnish and made
preparations to give my car a new
dressing. I first washed both body
and chassis with lukewarm water, and
then I drove II under a tree at the side
NJ the house.
81 took pains. of course. to pick a
clear. dry day. and the varnish was
applied without any trouble. A slight
breeze accelerated the drying process.
md the following day | put on a sec
pnd coat. each time putting a coat of
black enamel on the chassis.
zone of the amusing incidents in
connection with my first undertaking
rs an automobile painter occurred
my neighbor. who was working
in his garden. stopped now and then
To watch my progress. 1t took a
couple of hours to put on each coat
varnish. and friend neighbor had
he opportunity of seeing the job com
Dleted while he was hoeing his pota-
-oes. Finally. he dropped his hoe and
anne over under the tree. He took
good look at the car and NUT
Just to think what a fool |
vas to drop that $50. Why. you've
lone a better job than they did on
ny car
Success or Failure.
1.-THE success or failure of painting