Don’t Let Your Beauty Become An Old Banger Before It’s Time
Posted by admin at 19 September 2016, at 16 : 22 PM
On average, you’ll have spent a couple of thousand on your new car. Some people will spend closer to fifty grand, and the rich will spend nearly a hundred. Is it worth spending that much on a new car? That’s debatable, but one thing is certain. Depreciation is the real killer. Cars are one of the worst products for depreciation. You can buy a new car that costs eight thousand in 2016. By next year, it will cost closer to six. When you sell it, you’ll be lucky to get anything near two. That’s just the reality of the car market, and it’s completely unavoidable. Or, is it. If you take care of your car and keep it well maintained, you can avoid those dollars dropping off the horse’s escaping the engine. You won’t be able to keep it like new, straight out of the factory. You will, however, stop it from becoming an old banger while still in it’s prime. It’s time for car owners to take pride in their machines once more. Let’s start by thinking about how you drive.
Driving To Protect Your Vehicle
When you drive, do you ever think about what it’s doing to the car? We know it takes a lot of the fun out of it. But, you’re driving habits could dramatically alter the value of your machine. Let’s think about braking. Braking is a natural and necessary part of driving. But braking hard? That’s completely avoidable with a little forward thinking. When you’re approaching an area with a new speed limit, take your foot off the gas. Yes, it’s going to upset the car behind you. But, it will save you braking sharply as you approach the controlled area. It will also save you money. Braking costs more fuel and therefore is a drain on your bank account. Just be careful how close the car behind you is. You don’t want them to go into the back of you because they haven’t noticed you’re slowing down.
Another issue to consider is road conditions. Poor road conditions are going to take a toll on your machine. Whether that’s ice, snow, or rain. When the weather is rough, consider using public transport instead. Keep your car safely tucked away in the garage. You’ll avoid the damage that can be caused by the worst weather conditions on the road. Even all terrain vehicles are at risk from the damage caused by snow and ice. Think about that next time you decide that your two-wheel drive beamer can handle it. You can find out more about the dangers of ice on accuweather.com.
Lastly, we all would love to drive like one of the characters from Fast and the Furious. You probably fancy yourself as quite a speedster switching between those gears. Unfortunately, if you’re not catching them right every time, you will be damaging the clutch. If you don’t have the skill, it’s best to take your time. You’ll be grateful when you don’t have to pay for a gearbox replacement.
Keeping It Well Maintained
When you think about maintaining your car, always start with cleaning. You need to think about how to give it the best clean possible. If you don’t clean your car, the paintwork, the bodywork and other vulnerable areas can easily be damaged. It’s best to give your car the most intensive clean you can get.
Your first tip is making sure you’re using the right tools. Ideally, you want a power washer, and you can find one on a site like thetoolboss.com. Make sure that you’re choosing the right setting using the power washer and stand a good distance from the car. Otherwise, you could easily take the paintwork clean off. Particularly, on an older classic. In fact, if you have a classic car, hand washing is always the best idea. But a power washer is the only way to get the mud and grime off those difficult areas like the skirting.
You might wonder why you shouldn’t just take your car to a carwash. You only have to look at horror stories online to find out why this isn’t a good idea. Essentially, you’ll be playing with the odds every time you do this. There’s no guarantee the wrong setting won’t scratch or dent the bodywork of your car.
Of course, it’s not just about keeping the car clean and shiny. You need to think about what’s happening under the hood as well. Most cars will tell you when they need more oil or water. For older models, aim to check not change, every fourteen days. This might seem like common sense, but you’d be amazed how many people forget. If you think the engine is looking worse for wear, you can give it a good clean. Find out how to do this by looking at an online instruction video. For instance you can check out youtube.com.
Out Of The Elements
Last but not least, you do need to consider protecting your car when you’re not driving it. There are a few ways to do this. Ideally, you want to put your car in the garage. Particularly, through the winter months. Ice and frost and can severely damage your car and take the value right down. If you don’t have a garage, consider installing a carport in your home. It’s a great option, and you can purchase one for installation for less than a grand. Some even have a covering that hang down for complete car protection. At the very least, your car will be protected from rain and snow.
Alternatively, just make sure that you buy a good quality car cover. Find one on a site like 307atec.com. These are easy to throw on and take off with minimum effort. They are also completely affordable and well worth the investment. We imagine it will save you at least a few trips to the mechanics for fixes to your vehicle.
If you take this advice, you’ll have no problem keeping the rates of depreciation on your car low. You might wonder whether it’s worth taking these steps if you bought a cheaper car. To that, we say absolutely! Your vehicle would still have cost at least a couple of thousand. You want to preserve that value for as long as possible.