I’m a car expert… here are five things to do and two to avoid when fixing your car radio on the cheap – I saved £500
A MOTORS expert has revealed five things to do and two to absolutely avoid when fixing a car.
Andrew Collins explained to drivers how to get their project car into shape without damaging it.
Writing for The Drive, he ran through his top tips for dealing with a fixer-upper.
First of all, he warned against a couple of common practices which are actually big mistakes.
He said: “Unfortunately, at some point in my [Honda] Civic’s life, somebody used an ill-advised interior cleaning technique, scuffing the hell out of the radio’s LCD screen and leaving weird spots on the plastic.
“It was probably a using cleaner that had ammonia and a harsh paper towel.
“Many interior elements are sensitive and can be uglified by the wrong cleaners.”
Ammonia is a corrosive chemical which is used in strong cleaning products.
It is not avisable for shining up delicate materials or sensitive surfaces.
Instead, Andrew recommended using “interior-specific” cleaners to spruce up your motor.
Car interior sprays can be found online for as little as £1.45, so it’s really worth picking one up to avoid unnecessary damage.
Likewise, try and use a soft or microfibre cloth rather than paper towel to prevent scratching.
If you do end up with scratched screens in your car then, forunately, Andrew has just the things for you.
He suggested using Novus, an “acrylic treatment product” that fills in the marks and renders them invisible.
All you have to do is place a little of the fluid on bodywork and wipe it against the grain of the scratch using the cloth provided.
You can buy a pack of three bottles, each with a different thickness to accomodate varying scratch depth, from Amazon for £25.
Andrew added that you can also use Plexus for buffing scratches out of plastic and that he has heard it’s particularly effective on old headlights.
Plexus is an aerosol plastic cleaner and protecting spray and, while it is currently available online, similar products can be picked up for around £10.
And when it comes to headlights, Andrew urged caution from cleaning fans.
When restoring a car, the last thing you want is to get the bodywork pristine only to find that your lights are either faulty or scratched to the point of ugliness.
He suggested using a headlight restoration kit from a specialist retailer.
These often involve a set of cleaning products and some specially designed soft tools that can leave your lamps sparkling without any damage.
They can be snapped up online for under £3, while Halfords sell a more upmarket kit for £22.
Even then, Andrew said it may be best to find an old headlight to practice on first to make sure you’re doing it right before setting upon your beloved project car.
Spare parts can usually be found cheap on eBay or through scrappage businesses.
It comes after over three million cars from two major brands were recalled over a fire risk.
Meanwhile, a man used his savings to convert a van and travel the globe has explained how its made him £1,000 better off a month.