OVERDRIVE

1 BAVE been getting a num-
ber of letters and phone calls
front readers asking about
new cars and how to take care
of them. So I’ve decided to start
responding to these questions
through my column.

Q: I understand that car waxes
that contain Carmauba are the best
ones to use. Where do I find these
types of waxes?

A: First, let me point out that you
do not have to buy a Carnauba wax
to do a good job on your car's paint
job. There are many other types of
waxes that can bring out the shine
from your paint, including polymer-
based sealants and Teflon containing
waxes,

Most automotive cleaning
experts, however, recommend and
use Carnauba-based waxes because
they contain natural oil that seems to
give that extra, deep gloss to the
paint finish. .

There are many brands that carry
Carnauba waxes, such as Eagle,
Turtle Wax, and Meguire’s. The
labels will clearly state that they con-
tain Carnauba, so they should be
easy to spot on store shelves. These
waxes are available in your local
auto parts store, Canadian Tire or ‘
London Drugs.

Q: What is the best way to
remove minor scratches from my
vehcile’s paint work. Can J rely on
these new, colored waxes often

. advertised on TV to do the job?

A: J came'to the conclusion that
the person who came up with the so-
called color-matching waxes is either
extremely smart or totally ignorant.
He or she found a clever way of cov-
ering up minor scratches on paint
finishes by using colour pigmented
waxes. These waxes fill scratches in
much the same way that make-up
fills our facial wrinkles, but reniem-
ber these waxes don’t permanently

* seal or fix the scratches (or for that
matter, our wrinkles). Unless you're
interested in a temporary solution, I
recommend you do nat use colored
waxes.

Instead, you should first touch up
the deep scratches using a touch-up

. paint, and then use special scratch-
removing polishes to make your
paint look shiny and swirl free. You
can find these polishes at your
favourite auto store (try Canadian
Tire, London Drugs or Cal Van Auto
Parts). Look for a bottle that says
“Seater and Glaz “Scratch
Removing Glaze”.

You should remember that these
polishes are different from waxes
and are only used to “clean” the
paint job. An additional coating of a
regular wax is required to give your,
car full protection against rain. salt,
and sun.

Q: How do | remove the ugly,

white stulf that has accumulated on
my black plastic bumper (from
waxes), Nothing seems to help.

A: Automobile detailing special-
ists use paint thinners to remove the
white wax residues from black
bunipers, Actually, almost any kind
of thinner will work, You have to be
careful when you handle thinners
because they are flammable, and can
damage your paint finish, Have a
bucket and old towel ready so that
you can wash away any thinner that
might have splashed onto the paint.
Do not smoke or work near fire haz-
ards when using thinners,

If you have a question about
automobiles (technology, engineer
ing, general cormments) or how to
take care of them, please don't hesi-
tate to write to me at:

David Chao, #200-2150 West
Broadway. Vancouver, B.C. V6K
4L9, FAX: 736-1519. (Please note
that preference will be given to ques-
tions with the widest interest.)

FIN AL BL
On Like

‘PRICES THIS
LOW MAY NEVER }
BE SEEN AGAIN.
= BUY NOw 7
cee EE , sik.

ne 2, 905]

Laaded with uptints 4 fone
4 te Choore fr $32 895 Sth Povo 0

Free 10 Year Powertrain Warranty.

Take the gamble out of buying a new car.
Buy a Volkswagen instead.

If you buy one right now, you can gel
the longest new car warran
And it's free on the Golf and jetta*

None of the Big Three con match il. Nor
can the Japanese imports, Only Volkswagen
offers you a 10 year warranty on the entire
powerlrain. It says a lot about how well our

cars are built. And how long youll want to
keep driving yours.

So, to enjoy all the reliability, sa fety and
excitement that only German engineering
offers, stop by for a test drive ody
But you better cash in on this

offer quickly. Because while
this warranty seems like il will
last forever, this offer won't.

available.

Offer available on new and demonstrator 1994 Golf and Jetta. 10 year warranty not avaliable
on commercial of fleet vehicies. Offer applles to in stock vehicles only. See dealer for details.

Wetmere Nictors

2203 Marine Drive, West Vancouver Ph: 922-0168