The Dolores star., 1923-01-05
WINTER IS Time
TO VARN|SH CAR
Much Pleasure Given to Owner
if His Automobile Has Good
Outward Appearance.
MINOR DEFECTS NOT VISIBLE
Necessary That All Parts to Be Paint.
Cd Should Be Thoroughly Washed
and Sandpapered-keep in
Fairly Warm Room.

Half the enjoyment of owning n car
comes from the fact that IT has "A good
appearance. 1t may run well and ride
very comfortably, but 1t is an eyesOre
and a heart-break If it looks dirty,
paint Is cracked or varnish is dull and
lusterless. How different the car which
shines in the splendor of perfect coat
of paint and varnish, even If there are
minor defects, known only to the own
er or the expert.
1t takes time to do good job Of re-
moving paint and varnish on an auto
mobile, and the new coat should have
plenty of time to dry and harden. For
this reason good time to do this work
is in winter, especially In those cases
where cars are put in the garage and
laid up for the winter. The owner will
then be ready to drive out in good
style on the first nice spring day.
II the owner is not so particular
about an exceptionally high class job
of painting, he can clean the car thor
oughly and paint 1t himself at much
less expense than he can hire it done.
Two Things Necessary.
Two of the things necessary in max
ing smooth-looking paint job are the
following:
First-All parts to be painted must
be thoroughly washed and then
smoothed off by sandpaper or steel
wool, and all Of the dust brushed or
rubbed off.
SecOnd-The car must be placed in
a fairly warm room where there is no
dust, as little dust on the paint be-
fore it is dry will spoil the looks of
any paint job.
If the paint is not worn off, but is
merely somewhat checked and dulled,
it may be preserved by applying a coat
of good varnish, making sure that the
car is first thoroughly washed. dried
and then smOOthed off with fine sand
paper If the paint has worn entirely
through in spots and the metal parts
are beginning to rust, the only way to
preserve these parts and keep them
from becoming spoiled entirely is to
have the car thoroughly cleaned and
painted.
Keep Down Rust.
In case the paint on the car is fairly
good, but rusty spots show in various
places, then by touching these up with
new paint of the same color you will
find the looks Of the car greatly i'm
proved and further rusting prevented
at the expense of very little time and
money.
The top and side curtains should also
be taken care of at this time. First
clean the top thoroughly. Soap and
water is probably as good as anything.
Then, after the top is thoroughly dry,
give it coat of good top dressing.
which can be bought at any accessory
store, and this will not only preserve
the top and help to keep it from leak
ing, but will greatly improve Its gen.
eral appearance. If the top Is sag
ging, the best way to remedy this is to
first loosen the front part of the top
from the windshield and then tighten
the straps at the back slightly. Then,
when the front part is pulled back into
place again. most of the sagging will
be removed in case the right adjust
ment on the rear straps has been
made.
II tine celluloid windows are broken,
probably the best proposition will be
to get new ones, but If there is Just
small break in a window, this can usu-
ally be mended by means Of some sheet
celluloid and celluolid cement.