Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1920-02-21
MAKE YOUR CAR
LOOK like new
How One Motorist Tackled Job
Of Being His Own Painter
With Pleasant Results.
REFlNlSHlNG 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 nm automobile who has driven his
car for one or two seasons, until the
body finish has become dun, should
envy his ncighbors who spin about IN
newer cars. for almost any man can
keen his car looking very nearly as
good as new If he cares to take the
trouble. Indeed, II Is not an unpleas-
ant undertaking to retinish your cur
every wear, and If this precnution Is
taken In time 1t costs very little.
A suburbanite who had grown TO be
somewhat ashamed of the appearance
of his car. after using II for two years
! tells how he was induced 10 renew the
, body finish. and the means he used
may suggest to other motorists now
they can preserve the new appearance
| of their automobiles.
"a neighbor across the street" he
snld "hud big. cight.cylinder car
| which 7 noticed was always left stand
ing In front or his house In all kinds
of weather. often wondered why he
| was so Indifferent 20 the possible con
sequences on its body finish. and after
two wears the machine looked rs IT II
were ready for the junk pile.
Decided to Repaint.
last summer the appearance OF
his ear began to get on the owners
nerves, and he decided to have II re-
PAINTED. lie took II Ia local auto
mobile paint shop. where II was fonnd
that the original finish was so badly
cracked that the surface had to he
removed. Then eight coats OF paint
with final coat Of varnish. were put
on. The cost was something like $50,
and prices have gone up apprecinb'y
since then. However, the job was
wei, done. and when my ncighbor APP
peared In his reprinted car began
To feel how badly my car suffered by
comparison.
81 had always made II custom 10
nut my car In the garage when II was
standing idle for any length of time,
and not leave II In front of my house,
Notwithstanding this care, the luster
of the body gradually began To disap-
pear as the first season went by ana
at the end of the second year 1t had
almost slate color.
Several garage owners told me that
the finish could he renewed by the ap'
plicatiOn Of II little varnish, and
found upon inquiry that the automo
bile painters were asking S25 for the
Job. The work of vanishing n cal
" did not seem 10 he particularly difh
. cult, so | invested Sl.5O In n brush and
|, Go cents in can of yNrnish and made
| preparations tn give my car new
dressing. I first washed both body
and chassis with lukcwarm water, ant
then I drove il under II tree ut the sld'
Iof the house.
81 took pains, of course, To pick
clear, dry day, and the varnish wal
applied without any trouble. A Sigh
breeze accelerated the drying process
and the following day ! put on sec
ond coat each time putting coat o
black enamel on the chassis.
"Onc of the amusing incidents II
connection with my first undertaken,
as an automobile painter occurred
when my ncghbor, who was working
III MS eUIu'I' S'opI''h Nv" anu 'he'
to watch my progress. IL took
couple of hours To put ON each Goa
: Of varniSlr, aud friend neighb0r hat
! the opportunity Of seeing Vie job com
pleted while he was hOeing his pota
toes. Finally he dropped his hoe ant
/. came over under the tree. He tool
, one good look nj the car and nut
tered: JusC 10 think what a fool
was to drop that SS5. Why, you'v
done better job than they did o.
my car.
Success or Failure.
''rhe success or failure of paintin