A Step-by-Step Guide to Refreshing Your Vehicle
Bring the sense of a brand-new car back.
A new automobile is adored by all. Perhaps it’s the fresh automobile scent, the precise handling, or the flawless paint and upholstery. Even though getting a new car is exciting, you can still get the same thrill out of your current vehicle. You can make your car look almost brand new with a little elbow grease and knowledge.
1. Make sure it’s cleaned properly
Make sure to thoroughly clean your car’s inside and exterior before making any changes. Your car gets dirtier the more you drive it. Occasionally, a thorough cleaning is sufficient to expose the glossy coating and wheels that were concealed by a layer of filth and grime.
However, if you truly want your automobile to look brand new, you might choose to get it professionally detailed. For a long-lasting look, this means having the outside waxed and polished, or perhaps ceramic coated. If you’re not impressed with the external detail work, an inside detail will definitely make a big impact. A deep cleaning of the upholstery will leave the interior smelling and looking brand new.
2. Retouch the Paint
It’s a tall task to keep your car’s outside immaculate. The paint on your car will eventually crack or scratch unless it is kept in a bubble. Small defects can frequently be touched up at home, but taking your automobile to an auto body shop is a costly remedy for any cosmetic faults. In as little as an afternoon, you can remove the majority of rock chips and minor scratches from your paint with an automobile touchup paint kit.
3. Perform an Engine Tune-Up
Your car can benefit from a tune-up if it’s running a little rough. All of the parts in your car were brand-new when it was built. The wear and tear of components like gasoline, air, and spark plugs from miles driven results in a reduction in engine performance. The good news is that you can get your engine running like new again by replacing these inexpensive parts.
4. Drain the Liquids
It’s likely common knowledge that changing your car’s engine oil on a regular basis will keep it running like new, but there’s more to keeping it that way. Various fluids have an impact on how well your car performs. Many of these fluids deteriorate with mileage, so it’s critical to replace them on time to maintain optimal vehicle performance. The following frequently disregarded fluids could improve the driving dynamics of your car:
* Brake Fluid: Replacing your brake fluid will help your brakes become more predictable and responsive by eliminating a mushy pedal.
* Steering fluid: Maintains the quiet operation and proper operation of your power steering system.
* Transmission Fluid: Keeping the transmission’s fluid fresh will ensure quiet and seamless gear shifts.
* Differential Fluid: Changing the differential fluid keeps any limited slip differentials operating as intended and minimizes possible gear whining.
* Engine Coolant: Changing out old coolant keeps impurities and corrosion from accumulating inside the engine. Fresh coolant also aids in avoiding overheating problems.
5. Repair Your Interior
Because the interior is brand-new and the seat cushions haven’t worn out from years of use, a new car often feels fantastic to drive. Having worn-out steering wheels, broken shift knobs, or ripped seats changed or reupholstered is one way to bring back the feeling of a brand-new car inside your vehicle. But be ready to shell out some serious cash—automotive upholstery can get pricey very quickly.
Finding replacement interior parts in good condition from automobiles that are being “parted-out” can be a less expensive option. Your car’s general driving experience will be enhanced by cleaning any inside objects that you touch, as these are likely to show signs of wear.
6. Change a Damaged Suspension
Your car’s suspension probably needs some TLC if it has more than 70,000 miles on it. Most of the time, upgrading your suspension with new shock absorbers will extend its useful life. New shocks will be able to absorb road imperfections and improve handling at turns. To take it a step further and give your car a brand-new ride and handling, think about replacing any worn-out ball joints or bushings as part of a suspension overhaul.
7. Get a wheel alignment and install new tires.
Your car’s wheels and tires are what attach it to the road. Sadly, not every road is perfectly smooth, thus your tires and wheels may quickly wear down. If your tires are nearing their end of their useful life, replacing them will greatly improve your car’s ride quality. In order to ensure even tire wear and avoid steering pull in one direction, you need also have your wheels aligned before installing new tires.
If you’re want to go above and beyond, think about getting your wheels refinished. Slight bending may occasionally result from large potholes in the road, or your wheels may have minor curb damage from a hasty parallel parking job. Reputable wheel repair companies should be able to get your wheels back to like-new condition for a lot less money than they would charge for new ones. Additionally, a lot of them provide mobile services.
Continue to Feel Like a New Car
You now know how to restore your vehicle to like-new condition! Your present vehicle can be restored to look and perform like the day it was purchased with a little TLC and preventative care.
Back to Blog