Petrol Shortage!

October 29th, 2011 admin

Just recently I had the pleasure of taking a road trip to the Highlands of Scotland. A very pleasant journey with the most spectacular scenery. Abandoned country lanes with the odd country pub dotted here and there. However whilst the supply of pubs may have been sparse the petrol stations were virtually non-existent. Unfortunately its not just Scotland which are suffering from a “petrol drought”!

Petrol stations in the UK are fast disappearing. Forecourts are closing up and more and more drivers are finding themselves caught short. In the nineties there were approximately 21000 forecourts in the UK but that number has fallen dramatically to only 8,500 stations! A rather alarming figure. The independent retailers have been worst hit and the problems are possibly set to get worse.

It was recently reported that more and more illegal petrol stations are cropping up. Organised criminal gangs are stealing petrol from stations and selling it illegally for half the price. With the recession hitting hard the motorist is taking advantage of the prices regardless, of its illegality.

There is nothing worse than your car breaking down only to find out that you have simply ran out of petrol. So don’t find yourself getting caught out. Plan your journey bearing in mind access to petrol stations. Many “TOM TOM” devices indicate where the nearest stations are located but ensure that they have the most up to date download as otherwise the stations may be already closed. As an emergency measure it may also be advisable to carry spare fuel in the boot of the New Volkswagen Scotland car. Always ensure that fuel is carried in the appropriate container.

How Can I Strip Old Paint From My Car Easily? Learn Car Bodywork Repairs

January 30th, 2011 admin

If you have decided to do some repairs on your car perhaps in preparation for painting then you will need to know how to remove the old paint.

To begin with, you will most likely want to use a paint stripper rather than hours of sanding. There are many commercial paint strippers on the market. One thing you must bear in mind is these are chemicals, and most certainly must be treated with respect.

You must put all of the safety precautions in place before you begin to work. First of all, you will want to work in a well ventilated area. The fumes of some of these paint strippers can be pretty strong, and dangerous to breathe for any period of time. Perhaps you may want to consider wearing a mask that is applicable for fumes. In addition don’t bypass the safety goggles, If any of the solution were to splash in your eyes it could cause blindness.

Although there are many commercial strippers on the market, they all will have their own individual instructions on how to use it. Be sure and read the directions carefully before starting.

Ok so now you are ready to start. If possible, remove the body panel so it will be easier to work with. Put it on a stand if you have one and make sure the floor area is protected in case of drips. Now apply the stripper liberally with a brush unless it came with an applicator.

Once you have applied the stripper cover the piece with plastic. This will help to contain the fumes. In addition, it will help the stripper to work faster. Leave it this way for about 20 minutes.

Now remove the plastic and discard carefully. With a putty knife or a scrape start to remove the paint. Once you have scraped off all of the paint you can, rinse the piece with cool water. Be sure to wear you gloves. The cool water helps to neutralize the paint remover.

Once you have reached this point you need to assess the piece. If there isn’t too much paint still there you may want to sand the remainder off. On the other hand, if there is a fair amount still to be removed you may want to re strip it again. Either way you want to be sure, all of the paint has been removed. It wouldn’t hurt to give it a light sanding once you are finished with the stripper.

We have given you the basic steps here on how to work with strippers. One thing you must remember though is to follow the instructions exactly as they are outlined on the product. If you are not sure what you should use, then check with the store where you are buying the product. There may be various types that are used for specific jobs. You want to be sure and get the one that is best for you. Once you have completed the job, make sure everything is disposed of properly.

By: Mario Goldstein

About the Author:

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How to Paint a Car

January 29th, 2011 admin

The smooth shining paint is the beauty of all the cars. You can change the appearance of the car by painting it according to your will. To have your car paint from the professional painters cost you many bucks. The cost varies from several hundred to several thousand bucks depending upon the paint job and its quality. Painting your car is not an impossible task; it is very much doable job. The only thing required is your commitment and precision. Hereunder we are going to discuss some of the useful tips, which help you to paint your car easily.

Items Required

-Masking tape (special type of tape used to protect certain areas when painting)
-Tarpaulin or other covering material
-Paint urethane based
-Sandpaper
-Paint sprayer
-Putty
-Dust mask, gloves, goggles etc
-Sponge
-Urethane Clear coat Kit
-Acrylic Lacquer Clear coat
-Car Painting Clear coat
-Grease remover or wax

Instructions

1. It is important to wash the car before you start with painting process. It is desirable to make the surface of the car free from any dust, mud, scum or dirt in order for paint to adhere properly. Wash the car and make it dry with cotton cloth.

2. The next step involves the sanding down of the rough. This will be done with the help of sandpaper. Use loose and fine grit sandpaper to tough and small areas respectively. Make use of putty to fill out small holes and dips before you can proceed to next step. For if these holes and dips are not given special care they will not let the paint to adhere properly. So, sand down all the affected areas. Be sure that the area you are about to paint is smooth and level.

3. In this step you need to cover all the parts with masking tape and tarpaulin, which you don’t want to get paint on. For instance, mirrors, windows, wheel covers etc.

4. Once you are fully prepared, apply the equal amount of primer to the entire parts, which are to be painted. Primer an important ingredient as it helps paint to adhere properly. After the application of primer, let it dry for some time. Once the primer is dried, sand down the surface again to make it smooth.

5. Now is the time to apply paint to your car. Use urethane based paint and the spray gun to spray the base coat of the paint over the whole surface slickly. Let it dry for about 15-20 minutes. After 20 minutes apply the final coat of the paint evenly over the surface and let it dry for about 90 odd minutes.

6. In the end you are required to apply the clear coat of paint over the surface. Give a gap of 15 minutes after every coat. Repeat this process thrice and after the third coat leave the surface to dry for about 90 minutes. You are done with your paint job.

By: Tauqeer Ul Hassan

About the Author:

You might also want to learn how to clay your car and also how to paint color code on ford vehicles.
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