A car with an excellent paint job is one of life’s true joys. It’s like being the kid with the best bike in the neighbourhood or the biggest piece of birthday cake. Whether you drive a ‘47 Eldorado, a ‘66 Beetle or an ‘07 fortwo, a great paint job will take your vehicle from ho-hum to headturner.

Actually creating a great automotive paint job takes skill and finesse. Automotive painting is one of the most arduous and painstaking tasks in crafting an automobile. It can also be one of the most costly. If you are on a budget, there are options for you. Some paint shops can deliver a good paint job for a fair price. Your other option is to take on the task yourself. If the paint job is a success, you’ll have even more to brag about: a hot set of wheels AND a "do it yourself" tale to tell. Achieving a great paint job is a step-by-step process. You simply can’t rush automotive painting. Follow the basic steps of preparation, primer application, blocking, final paint coat and detail application. This can seem like a daunting task for any beginner, but the entire job can be completed in just a few days.

Prepare Before you begin, check with local bylaws and regulations regarding the use of spray paint in homes and enclosed areas. The last thing you need is a legal holdup delaying your painting job.

Cleaning the car is your next crucial step. The car must be spotlessly clean and free of dirt. Use detergents to clean the car top to bottom, and then follow up with grease removers. After the car has been cleaned, it’s time to begin sanding. An air sander (preferably a dual-action sander) should be used to remove the old paint from the car. This kind of sander will not cause body damage because it removes paint without digging like other sanders and grinders. Every trace of paint must be removed to create a perfect palette for your new paint job. Automotive detailing tape or even duct tape can be used to cover and protect other parts of the car, including plastic moldings and windows. In addition to removing the old paint, all traces of rust have to be sanded off. Rust will spread if ignored or untreated, and the last thing you want is body rot happening beneath your spiffy new paint. You can repair minor body flaws on the car’s surface using fillers. Shape the compound with care using a sanding board, then follow up with a glazing compound. This step will help to ensure a smooth-as-glass finish on your ride.

Mask After the whole car has been initially cleaned, then sanded, a final cleaning takes place and the vehicle is ready to be masked. In this step, every part of the car that shouldn’t be touched by paint is covered and protected. Remember, you will be using high-grade automotive paint that doesn’t wash off with water. Cover your windows, every light and reflector, all window rubbers, all chrome, tires, wheels, door handles, wipers.. take a good look and what needs to be masked. If you don’t want even the tiniest bit of over spray on it, cover it up! The tools and materials needed for masking are available at automotive supply warehouses and hardware stores.

Prime Priming is an essential step to providing a good foundation for your new paint. A flawless prime coat will help you to achieve a perfect paint job. Valspar epoxy is a good primer choice, combining dependable filling capabilities with minimal shrinking. After the primer has been applied, a second coat in a contrasting colour should be applied on top of the first layer. This will serve as a sanding guide. The primer should be sanded to a smooth finish, but don’t sand too vigorously or you could actually damage the body of the car. When the priming is complete, a sealer is applied and a final sanding takes place.

Finishing off In finishing off the automotive painting, it is essential to achieve uniform colour. The spray gun should be held ten to twelve inches away from the body to avoid streaks and runs. This is necessary when applying the basecoat, final coat and clear coat.

Regardless of the type of car you drive, a new paint job can turn it into a real showstopper. Automotive painting can be a time consuming task, but you can do it if you take it step by step. The creative energy will be good for your soul, and the compliments you receive will be great for your confidence.

The tires and the spokes of the scooter will require daily inspection to ensure you have no problems, and that your ride will be a safe one. If you are faced with broken spokes, you should repair them right away to prevent additional breakage. If you have a flat tire, you will also need to have someone change it, plug it or repair it so you can continue riding the scooter. Riding the scooter with a flat tire is going to bend and chip the rims, the wheels, and will not provide you with the smooth ride you are accustomed.

For flat tires, there is a canister type of solution you can purchase which is known as fix a flat, which will fix flat tires, plugging holes in the rubber tire. The Fix a flat is a canister that will plug right into the tire, inflating the tire as it plugs the hole at the same time. The Fix a flat is going to work on the tires that are rubber, the same as your car. This type of repair is not going to work on the tire with a tube or the tire that has a major cut in it. Repairs to the tire that has a large gash will require replacement of the tire. Most all medical supply houses, and scooter retail outlets do make replacement tires easy to purchase.

Regular reviewing and maintenance of your tires will be required. If you are not using your scooter for long periods, you should at least have someone move the tires around, so they are not sitting on one portion of the tire for weeks on end. Dry rot is a problem for tires not used often. A scooter not used for three months at a time can easily have dry rot on the tire. Dry rot can be spotted by the cracks in the tires, which can easily then lead to air leaks.

To prevent the need to fix flat tires, to fix broken spokes, and to prevent dry rot on any scooter tire, you should consider the purchase of tires, which are solid. Solid tires are available with or without tread. Solid tires never require air. If you have tires that do require air, you can pump up the tires with a bike pump or with an air compressor.

A scooter with the safety feature of a headlight will require some amount of maintenance so you always have a fresh bright headlight. A headlight is generally sealed tight, so little or no water is going to enter the headlight fixture. Many scooters are also available with a scoop over the headlight to prevent additional moisture from reaching the interior of the headlight.

If you do find that your headlight is getting a bit dim, or that you have moisture in the headlight fixture you should replace it. Sometimes a large jolt can break the headlight requiring replacement as well. Every scooter varies in headlight replacement needs, but the headlight is very similar to that of a car.

The headlight that requires a bulb replacement will use a very small bulb, just a size larger than that of a bulb found on a string of lights. Removing the headlight can be accomplished using a screwdriver or a wrench. Some scooters are available with easy to remove headlights that require no tools at all but the movement of a few slip connections to remove the headlight. Simply remove the old bulb, insert the new bulb, and refasten the headlight to the scooter.

Headlights that are one piece, with no interior bulb are easy to replace as well. The one-piece headlight generally is going to require a hex screwdriver or a regular screwdriver to remove the headlight. You can purchase replacement headlights through medical supply houses, through scooter retailers and online headlight sources. Knowing the make and model of your scooter will allow for easy replacement of your scooter headlight.

The once piece headlight is taken out by removing two or four screws that hold it in place. Once you have removed the screws, you pull out the headlight, and unplug the headlight from the scooter. The new headlight will plug into the electrical outlet, and then you place the headlight back into the socket. You should be sure to replace all of the screws you have taken out so your headlight is secure and in place once again.

Remember, every scooter is different, and the type of headlight your scooter is equipped with will be detailed in the manual provided with your scooter.