Evening star., 1920-02-01
NOT AHARD TASK
TO REF|N|SHA AUTO
Suburbanite Tells How He
Was Induced to Renew
"LookS" of His.

There is no reason why the owner
! of an automobile who has driven his
car for one or two seasons. until the
body finish has become dull. should
| envy his neighbors who spin about in
| newer cars for almost any man can
keep his car looking very nearly as
good as new If he cares to take the
| trouble. Indeed, It In not an un-
pleasant undertaking to ref1nish your
car every year. and II this precau-
tion Ia taken In time II costs very
little
A suburbanite who had grown to
be somew hat ashamed of the appear
ance OF his car after using 1t for two
years. tells how he was induced to
renew the body finish. and the means
ington motorists how they can pre-
serve the new appearance OF their
automobiles.
How He Got Incentive.
"A neighbor across the street." he
said. had a big, eight cylinder car.
standing in front Of his house in all
kinds Of weather. ! often wondered
why he was so Indifferent to the pos
sible consequences on its BODY nnlsh'
and after two years the machine
looked as if it were ready for the
junk pile.
Last year the appearance of the
car began TO get on the owners
nerves. and he decided TO have it re-
| painted. He took it to local auto,
| mobile paint shop, where II was tounu 1.,
| that the original finish was so badly
cracked that the surface had TO De
removed Then eight coats of paint,
with a final coat of varnish was put
on. The cost was something like $S5,
and prices have gone up since theh.
However the job was well done,
and when my neighbor appeared in
his repainted car I began to feel how
badly my car suffered by comparison.
Il had always made it custom 10
put my car in the garage "heh ~
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 disappear as the first season went
by. and at the end of the second
year it had almost a slate coIor'
Investment of $2.15.
Several garage owners told me
that the finish could be renewed by
the application of a little varnish,
and | found upon inquiry that the
automobile painters were asking S29
for the job. The work OF Varnlshins
a car did not seem to be particularly
difficult. so I invested S1:5o IN a orush
and 65 cents in can of varn.sh and
made preparations to give my car a
new dressing. I first washed both
body and chassis with lukewarm
water. and then drove it under
tree at the side of the house; .
II took pains, of course. TO PICK
clear dry day, and the varnish was
applied without any trouble. A
slight breeze accelerated the drying
process and the following day ] put
on a second coat, each time putting
a coat of black enamel on the chassis
"One of the amusing incidents IN
connection with my first undertaking
as an automobile painter occurred
when my neighbor. who was working
in his garden. stopped now and then
to watch my progress. 1t took
couple of hours to put on each coat
of varnish and friend neighbor had
the opportunity of seeing the Job
completed while he was hoeing his
potatoes.
Proper Varnish Essential.
The success or failure of painting
ones automobile will depend largely
on the kind of varnish used, but any
one contemplating this will probably
have recommended. to him the same
varnish that found. il he Will IN
quire at several paint stores and au-
tomobile finish shops. Before trying
to paint the whole body and chassis
it is wise to take off door and try
your hand on that before going any
further It may be that the varnish
does not dry quickly enough. in which
event it is advisable to add a little
turpentlHe. dS uiu roi "heH q
car is painted out in the open it is
likely to collect dust stirred up by
passing vehicles. to say nothing of
the swarms of insects buZzing through
the air in the summer time.
when the first coat has dried for
twenty-four hours it is a good plan
to rub the body down gently with
pumice and water, taking care to
have a soft wool rag. When the sec
ond coat of varnish is applied 1t
.l,4 y al To CO q
a week. at the end of which any lit
tie roughness in the surface may be
rubbed out by using rotten stone, with
Spanish felt rubbing pad