Owners are keeping their vehicles longer than ever – and they're investing more time and money to keep those cars, trucks and SUVs maintained.
And while that includes everything from regular oil changes and replacing brake pads to air conditioning service and more, cosmetic upkeep should be another consideration for those seeking to get the most from their vehicle's service life.
While regular washing and occasional waxing should be part of any vehicle maintenance schedule, fixing paint scratches and small chips that inevitably come with driving should also be handled. Headlamp lenses can also dull and yellow in the sun.
Taking care of these small paint blemishes doesn't have to mean an expensive trip to the body shop, either, as companies such as AutomotiveTouchup.com offer custom-formulated, precisely matched paint as well as all the supporting materials to tackle the job yourself. AutomotiveTouchup.com offers polish to renew the clarity and appearance of dull, yellowed headlamp lenses, as well.
"More than ever, owners are trying to get the maximum life from their vehicle and maintaining its appearance certainly adds to it," said Paul Fernandez, general manager, AutomotiveTouchup.com. "In fact, it's never been easier to tackle cosmetic paint repairs yourself, and the results can dramatically improve your car's value."
Along with the paint and other materials, AutomotiveTouchup.com's website has an easy-to-use guide for determining a vehicle's color code to ensure an exact match. After that, you decide which form of paint is best for your repair: a paint pen, brush-in-bottle or aerosol spray. Paint pens or brush-in-bottle form are the most convenient way to make small chips, nicks and scratches disappear. When bumper scrapes and larger scratches need to be addressed, the aerosol spray is recommended.
The website also offers supporting materials such as filler, sandpaper, rubbing compound and more so everything necessary to perform the paint repair arrives in one box.
To optimize results, the company's website has a number of educational how-to videos that demonstrate techniques for a variety of different types of repairs. Customers can also call to speak with a customer service expert that can offer tips and guide them through the touch-up process.
"We make it simple for our customers to have the confidence to do their own paint repairs themselves," said Fernandez. "It's convenient and it doesn't take any experience to achieve great results for filling those minor nicks and chips that can spoil a vehicle's appearance."
It may also bolster a vehicle's resale value when the time comes to finally pass on a trusted road warrior to the next owner or the lease is up.
