Omaha daily bee., 1920-02-29
MAKING old CAR
LOOK like new
At SMALL COST
: II i
Suburban Autolst Who Had
Become Ashamed Of
Weather Beaten Body
"Fixed It Up."

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 is
not an unpleasant undertaking to
: rc6nish your car every year, and II
this precaution is taken in time It
costs very little.
A suburbanite who had grown to
be somewhat ashamed of the ap-
pcarance of his car after using it
for two years, tells how he was in
duced to renew the body finish, and
the means he used may suggest to
other motorists how they can pre-
serve the new appearance OF their
automobiles.
"A neighbor across the street." he
said, "had big eight-cylinder car,
which / noticed was always left
standing in front of his house in all
l kinds OF weather. / often wondered
why he was SO Indifferent to the
possible consequences on its body
finish, and after two years the ma
chine looked as if it were ready for
the junk pile.
Refnishing Cost Heavy.
"Last summer the appearance of
His car began to get on the owners
nerves and he decided to have it re-
painted. He took into a local auto
mobile paint shop. where it was
found that the original finish was
SO badly cracked that the surface
had to be removed. Then eight
coats of paint, with final coat of
varnish. were put on. The cost was
something like $85, and prices have
gone up appreciably since. then.
However, the job was we'll done,
and when my neighbor appeared in
his repainted car / began to feel
how badly my car suffered by COM
parison.
II had always made it custom
to put my car in the garage when it
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 gradual
" began to disappear. as the first
season went by, and at the end of
~-the second year II had almost a
slate color.
Tries; Own Vanishing.
Several garage owners told me
that the finish could be renewed BY
the application, of a little vafhish,
and i found upon inquiry that the
automobile painters were asking SIS
for the job. The work of varnish-
ing . car did not Seem to be par
ticularly difficult, 50 I invested $3.50
in brush and IS cents in a can of
vafnish and made preparations to
| give my car 1 new dressing. Ifrst
washed both body and chassis with
lukc-warm water and then drove it
nnierr-a tree at the side of the
house. -.
Smoothing II Down."
Zone Of the amusing incidents in
connection with my first undertak-
ing rs an automobile painter oc-
Cured 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
neighhor Ahad the opportunity of
seeing the job completed while he
was hoeing his potatoes. Finally
he dropped his hoe and same over
Under the tree. He took one good
look ut the car and muttered: lust
to think what 4 fool l was to drop
hat $85. Why, you've done q bet
Ter job than they did on my car
when the first coat has !dried for