Advice For Avoiding Chips, Scratches and Wing Mirror Damage

Advice for Scratches
It is difficult to avoid getting scratches as nearly anything that touches your cars paintwork can scratch it including the cloths and tools you use to clean dirt off your car, and the dirt it's self can also be a main cause of scratches.
We always recommend washing your car yourself, a large number of scratches are caused by automated car washes, that will swirl the dirt around your car.
You should also avoid putting things on your car. It's very tempting to rest a cardboard box on your roof, boot or bonnet while you are looking for your keys, but this is an increasing cause of scratch damage.
You should also avoid leaning up against your car or sitting on it, it is amazing how many of your friends will lean up against your car without a second thought. If your car has not been recently washed it could be covered in grit which will scratch if you rub up against it. They other thing to consider are the copper rivets on jeans, zip, buttons and buckles on jackets and handbags, and even jewellery can cause scratches.
Keys, feet and luggage also cause damage so be careful when unlocking your car in the dark, do not shut ( or slam) the car doors with the keys hanging out of it. And as you or your luggage enter or exit the vehicle be sure to make sure it clears the car and does not scrape the bumper or boot.
You may be the most careful person with your car but don’t expect other people to be so careful. Many scratches will be from getting in or out of the car parked side-by-side with yours. It is worth parking a bit further away so that you can place your car in a less busy part of the car park - also try and park in places which have plenty of space around them so that people (including you) are not trying to squeeze by. Another tip is to allow the passenger out of the car before parking. Also remember that you may have plenty of room to get out but what about the cars either side, the owners may not be as thin as you is there plenty of room for them.
If you are parking on the road every day and you start to accumulate scratches you may find that this is because people are brushing by your car as they walk around it. So put some thought into where you park, try to park somewhere that less people walk past so stay away from doors, entrances, alleyways and any other access areas.

Stone Chip Advice
Unfortunatly you are always going to get stone chips, there is no way of avoiding them altogether. The most common cause of stone chips is tailgating, so if you get a lot of chips you should consider change your driving style and avoid driving so close to the car in front. This will allow the stones flying up from the car in front chance to land on the ground rather than on your cars body work or windscreen.
For certain models of car there are self adhesive plastic coatings which can be purchased. These kits are mainly aimed at sports cars and are an expensive purchase and for the everyday car this is not a viable option.
Another method of reducing stone chips is to have your car treated with a paint sealant package. Sealants form a tough coating over your paintwork and also fill microscopic holes making it much stronger and thus reducing chips and scratches. It won't make your car bullet-proof but will greatly increase protection over the whole car.
Any stone chips or scratches can lead to to more serious problems if not attended to. You paintwork protects your car from the elements and if the paintwork is broken, water and salts will get in and lead to rust. Therefore it is very important to address any damage.
Light scratches can often be polished out but any scratches or chips which break the paintwork will need to be touched in with a touch-up paint/pencil.
You are probably aware you can buy touch up paints from your local Halfords or car accessory shop, but what you probably aren’t aware of it that although your car may be Ford Diamond White which you can buy, Ford actually made 13 different shades or Diamond White, nearly every manufacturer is the same that is why the majority of the time your touch up doesn’t match. This is why it is important that you take your car to a specialist like us who will not only match the colour name but your individual shade.

Advice For Wing Mirrors and Bumpers
The most common damage to exterior trim and fitting is to the wing mirrors and front/rear bumpers. This can often be avoided by taking more care and becoming more aware of the size of your vehicle.
If you park your car in your garage, ask somebody to see you in the first few times to make sure you do not scrape your wing mirrors, on some cars it is possible to fold back the mirrors to give you extra room to manoeuvre, however this does limit your visibility.
Be sure to keep your garage clear and tidy, make sure the lawnmower is put away. Toys bikes and lawnmowers are the cause of a lot of damage on many cars! Check your kids have not dumped their bikes behind your car before you reverse out.  The best solution would be to invest in a shed, for your garden equipment and the kids toys.
Also be aware that the fronts of modern cars are very low and kerbs can be very high. When parking, do not keep pulling forward until you feel the bump because the bump may be the front bumper and not the tyres. Also be wary of speed bumps with cars being lower it is important to slow down or it wont be long before you hear the bumper rub.

Click Here for our guide to preventing Car Dents and Dings.