ie = Photo submitted WHAT BETTER way to spend your summer vacation than hitching up the jet skis to your new 4 Dodge Caravan and heading for lake country. North Shore News’ auto columnist Greg Wilson : wil tell you all you need to know about the new Chrysler product in an upcoming Test Drive. er ONCE: AGAIN, ‘columnist David Chao takes arun at answering some of the read- r mail. arr “Question: t have a number of small door dings that are absolutely annoying to look at. How can I get these fixed without. spending a fortune?.. y+’ Answer; Fortunately, there is a way small dents and dings can be ‘ixed quite painlessly and at a sur- “prisingly low cost. Often referred 0-as paintless dent removal (PDR). this nifty technique is © ffered by a number of special- ized people in the Greater : Vancouver area. Instead of grind- ng, sanding, and repainting the “affected area, these skilled techni- cians use a variety of hand tools 0 literally push the ding back ‘from ‘behind. the hody panels. The ‘tools look like giant versions of those used by dentists; some are curved, while others are shaped like hooks. The skilled workers ‘use them to gently apply pressure from the back of the body panels. After a few minutes of pushing here and there, the dings miracu- lously disappear. In'some cases, the technician -will drill a’small hole inside the door panel or fender to allow hese tools to be inserted. The oles-are always drilled in‘an nconspicuous area, and after- -wards,” they are neatly sealed with. - : plastic plugs. 1 have had my car fixed by a highly reputable place ° -caited Dents Unlimited (located in ‘ort Moody), and I.was pleasantly surprised as owner Randy Manzardo,. swiftly and quickly ‘removed three door dings from the ‘dcors and fenders. Manzardo’s hop was the first PDR shop to pen in- Western Canada, and is the only one operating out of a tnié garage-style shop (others work out of:a mobile van). I recommend this method high- ly, especially since the cost is very reasonable. Manzardo’s shop charges $75 for the first dent, and $15 thereafter — a far cry.com- pared to $300 to $500 a typical - body shop charges for fixing and repainting a dent. In fact, many high profile car dealers that sell Ferraris and Porsches prefer to use PDR since the original paint is untouched.. If your paint is scratched or scraped off, you'll have to touch it up after the dent has been removed. Question: My car's paint looks milky and is no longer shiny. What can I do? Answer: What you are seeing is an oxidation of the paint. The paint has undergone a chemical change as a result of sunlight and contact with various elements in the air (acid rain, oil etc). This would not have happened if you waxed your car on a regular basis, since the wax would have protect- ed the paint from the “attacks”. Unless your paint is extremely - oxidized, there is a good chance ‘that you can recover the old shine your car had when it was new. Go to your. local auto parts store, and buy a paste of polishing compound and some soft terry cloths (or use old pajamas and T- shirts). Make sure that you buy a polishing compound, and not a rubbing compound, which is much stronger and can ruin your paint if you’re not careful. If your car has a clear coat paint finish, you must buy a polishing com- pound that says “safe for clear- coat paint”. Using a slightly damp cloth. massage a smal! amount of pol- ishing compound into the paint one area at a time, while turning the cloth frequently. You'll see your car's paint color coming off onto the cloth — this is the oxi- dized paint pigments that are being removed by the process. Using a dry piece of cloth, rub off the excess compound and buff the paint. Repeat this process slowly but surely throughout.the car's oxi- dized paint areas. With some patience, your paint should shine once again. Make sure that you apply : some high quality wax (preferably one made of Carnauba wax) after this process to give the paint the pro- tection it deserves. ° Uf yate have questions about new cars or how ta take care of them, write to: David Chao, #200- 2150 West Broadway. Vancouver, B.C.. V6K 4L9 (Fax: 736- 1519). Our 37th Year 1,.0.B.C. - B.C.A.A. - A.R.A. APPROVED CENTRE FREE COURTESY CARS FOR COUISION REPAIRS “LIFETIME GUARANTEE” AS LONG AS YOU OWN YOUR CAR DON TAYLOR Same owner high tech equipped shop + Estimates, Consultation*x 985-7455 ay po rr errr NORTH VANCGUVER S$ SUZUKI my! In addition to our fine selection of affordable Suzuki Sidekicks, we also feature a good selection of pre-owned luxury import vehicles. We currently have 16 BMWs, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and yes, even a Ferrari. Come in for a test drive today. 1695 Marine Dr. 983-3211 La oe ee ee 5, Gheck tempera gauge 6. Drain system and flush iii clean., _ Dave Holowaty FOR OLD-FASHIONED FAMILY SERVICE AT PRICES YOU CAN, AFFORD et 8294 1830 Marine Dr... {at Garden Ave. yoy North Vancouver