overdrive

QUESTION: Is there a right
and a wrong way to wash a car?

ANSWER: Believe it or not,
there is a lot more to washing cars
than just wiping down with a wet

+ sponge. If you're not careful, you
can scratch your car’s paint finish.

Before doing anything else, use

“your garden hose to splash plenty of
water all over the car. Apply enough
pressure to wash off loose dirt and
dust. which can act like abrasives
during washing if not removed.

Now mix in your favourite Car
Wash liquid (buy them at auto parts
stores) in the bucket and start wash-
ing from the top of the car. You can
use liquid dish detergents but they

- will strip waxes off the paint, so
only use them if. you're preparing
your car for a wax job.

T also recommend using three

different sponges: |) For general
body cleaning 2) For washing the .

“dirty parts of the car such as the .
rocker panels, bumpers, and splash

" guards 3) For cleaning the wheels
and tires. The last point is especial-
ly important because wheels often
accumulate brake dust which is cor-
rosive, and you certainly do not
want to wash the rest of your car
with the same sponge!

For 2fuminum wheels, use a spe-
cial aluminum wheel cleaner which
can be purchased from the same
store that sells waxes and other
automotive items. Once clean, dry
the car using real or synthetic
chamois. I use old bath towels
which are excellent for holding lots
of water. Just remember not to let
your car dry under the sun because
the water beads act like a lens and

‘can cause “burns” in the paint.
When the car is dry, apply the wax
using soft toweis and finish off your
rubber components (tires, bumpers)

KHOSRO KHANDASHTI
‘AUTO TECH

FRONT BRAKE

INCLUDES METALUC PADS
MACHINE ROTORS
REPACK WHEEL BEARING .

REAR BRAKE

INCLUDES HEAVY DUTY SHOES
MACHINE DRUMS
REPACK WHEEL BEARING

ne OLN Ta
WATER SAFETY RULES
DO YOU?

ip The Canadian Red Cross Society.

264 PEMBERTON AVE.
NEXT TO NORTH SHORE TAXI

Rak eevee

TOO :

NEWS picto Mito Wokatietd

SOFTOUCH AUTO Detailings’ Nicole (left) and Jon Shandler go to work on a customer's car. if you wash your car yourself, column.
nist David Chao warns, you can use liquid dish detergents but only if you wax your car immediately afterwards.

with a protectant like Armor-All.
By the way. if you're serious
about keeping your car in first-class
condition, you should never take it
to automated car washes. Jf you
insist on using them, select those
that offer “soft-cloth”
they utilize long, sponge-like felts
that are reasonably gentle on your
paint. ;
QUESTION: Front-wheel-drive
cars offer much better traction in
the winter, How come there are no
front-wheel-drive pick-up trucks?
ANSWER: Actually, automakers
did offer a number of front-wheel-
drive pick-up trucks in the past.
They weren't true utility trucks, but
were really a car/truck hybrid.
Volkswagen and Dodge, for exam-
ple, sold a Rabbit-based minitruck
and a Charger-based utility truck in

the 1970s.

Aside from a few.odd models in
other parts of the world, car compa-
nies have basically abandoned the
idea of selling a front-wheel-drive
truck for a simple reason: safety.
Front-wheel-drive cars normally
have better traction in slippery con-
ditions than rear-wheel models
because they have a much heavier
front-end (usually 60% weight in
front, 40% in back). This allows the
driving wheels to carry extra
“weight” and therefore increase
traction.

In trucks, however, this weight
advantage can become a problem
because trucks already have a very
front-biased weight distribution.
Front-wheel-drive trucks, therefore,

See Trucks page 27

REPAIR ..

990-9931

PAGER 650-1001

@_ Oll CHANGE

fa

AND LUBE

includes AL oil & filter

|) MRAPIDLUBE .

DRIVE-THREU Off CHANGE PROFESSIONALS &
, Limit 1 coupon per package
1. NOCASH VALUE
J+ Open Sunday 10 to 5
i Cannot be combined ‘with any other oil
change offer.

» Radiator Flush - 15 min.
($44.99 including cootant & labour with coupon)
1 . Auto Transmission Service - 15 rain.
i Replace fitter, qasket & fluid ($48.99 with coupon)
1 * Fuel System Cleanout - 15 min. -
[For fuet injection & mmission system ($59.99 with coupon) Expires Aprit 10, 1995
Qe _ _. 13TH &LONSDALE 988-4050)

Starting at $19.95.
with this coupon, .
Expires April 10, 1995

NO APPOINTMENT. NECESSARY

Le ns ws ee ee ta me

Precision repairs to all domestic»

& import cars & trucks
Frames & Suspension, Factory Color Match, Unibody
Specialists, Glass Replacement. ICAR/CART trained,
rust restorations, Courtesy Cars Arranged. Pickup or
Delivery. Free Estimates. :

Serving the North Shore
through 4 decades.

Open Saturday.

Gy (aes) 5
QUALIFIED,
QUALITY,
QUICK.’

Guaranteed Quality Products
& Workmanship

- COLLISION
‘987-7141

CARS - TRUCKS - RECREATIONAL VEHICLES - . COURTESY CARS AVAILABLE

AUTO SERVICE 985-7795

183 PEMBERTON AVENUE, NORTH VANCOUVER