10. Windshield Repair and Touch Up Painting.
Two little things you can do if you are a perfectionist with your new or close to new car, or maybe it’s a collector’s dream car you have. First is repairing a windshield with a do-it-yourself home kit where little pits have appeared that you know will turn into a big crack in the windshield. This is a very easy and effective process to undertake. It is important to note that star chips with minimal to no cracks is the best candidate for this repair. To accomplish this project, all you need is a do-it-yourself windshield repair kit from an auto parts store or equivalent. Clean a 12 inch square area around the damage with a glass cleaner, then take a razor blade and smooth out the surface of all defects, making sure to pick out any loose pieces of glass found inside the chip. Most kits will have a plunger apparatus to inject the adhesive into the windshield, then all you have to do is allow the tool to do the rest of the work. One bit of advice is not to perform this project in the hot sun, as the adhesive will try too quickly to leave a clear finish.
Next is spot painting where maybe a rock has hit a fender for instance and chipped out a small amount of paint.
Do this painting repair is like applying nail polish. It’s a very precise process to avoid streaking or globs of paint, so follow directions carefully. I had the misfortune of putting a small scrape on the fender on a brand new BMW I had rented in Spain several years ago. I went to a BMW dealer, got the spot paint.
When I was done, you couldn’t see where the scrape had occurred.
