What does your Car Colour say about you?

Ever wondered what the colour of your car says about you? Well going by 2013 statistics we Irish seem to prefer Silver above all other colours when it comes to our cars. Have a look at the interesting infographic below and see what it says about your car colour!

If by any chance you've a very strong objection to what it says about you based on your car colour then fear not, at MicksGarage.com we've an extensive range of car paints so you can pick the colour that best suits your personality!

Infographic with thanks to motorclick.co.uk

Words by Lisa, That's What She Said!

Why Prioritise The Protection Of Paintwork?

Drivers spend an awful lot of money keeping their cars in good condition, especially when they graduate to newer models after a few years of driving second hand cars. There are loads of reasons why it makes sense to preserve the appearance of your car as well as maintaining the inner mechanics.

A sense of pride

For starters, it’s much easier to take pride in the car you drive if it looks great. As soon as the outward appearance of a car starts to deteriorate, their owners inevitably think of the car as older and less worthy of proper care, even if this happens on a subconscious level. As such, the overall quality deteriorates more rapidly once you become less proactive about the cosmetic aspect of things and you’re more likely to run into difficulties with breakdowns and so on.

Depreciation in value

Then there is the fact that new cars depreciate relatively quickly in the first couple of years after you’ve bought them and they do so much more rapidly if cosmetic damage occurs. Wear and tear shows on the paintwork of a car. Mistreatment shows on the paintwork too.

When you are looking to sell your car, potential buyers are much less keen to part with their money for something that looks worn, old, mistreated and so on if they can get something for around the same money that looks in perfectly good condition – this is regardless of how well-kept the interiors are and how perfectly tuned the mechanics are under the bonnet. A buyer will always want to take pride in a new purchase, so cosmetics matter.

How To Guide: Spray Painting With Aerosols

Up until last week I had two preconceptions about spray painting with aerosols.
1: Aerosols give a poor, patchy and dull finish.
2: Painting any part of my car, especially with a spay can would be best left to the professionals

That was until our friendly Holts supplier dropped by to give us the full low-down on how to use the Holts Paint Match Pro range of  spray paints.
There was good reason for my preconceptions because I've painted quite a few parts of cars myself over the years using spray cans and to be honest the results were a bit disappointing. I've had a range of poor outcomes such as orange peel effect, paint runs, cracking and even these weird spots that the paint wouldn't cover.  What I discovered this week was that (perhaps unsurprisingly) it was the man, not the machinery that was at fault.
Basically I had been breaking all the rules! With a few simple guidelines and good dose of patience I managed to achieve a near perfect finish and an exact colour match. Here's how I did it:

Preparation:
Two things are absolutely essential for a perfect paint finish, preparation and patience. For this demo I chose a wing mirror to paint as it is one of the most commonly replaced parts that requires painting before fitting.
If possible, take the part you want to paint off the car - it's easier to spray downwards onto a part than it is to try and do it while it's attached to the car (and there will be less masking off to do). The paint will also be less likely to run if the part is lying down flat on the bench.

Get rid of any silicone based products out of the area you are painting in. Car care products such as Sun Of A Gun and certain polishes and waxes contain silicone and can ruin a paint job by just being in the same room! (silicone was the cause of the weird spots I mentioned earlier)

Inspect the surface you want to paint for any imperfections, run your fingers over the surface and see if you can feel anything. Use fine wet & dry sandpaper and water to remove imperfections.
Before you apply any primer you need a perfectly smooth surface, don't be fooled into thinking the paint will cover up small scratches or marks - it won't!

Mask everything off really well using masking tape and paper for larger areas. Paint can travel a long way so cover up more than you think is necessary.
Lastly, wipe the surface you want to paint with a cleaning agent such as thinners or petrol. This will remove any oily residues (even the oils from your fingers can wreck a paint job)

Priming:
There are a number of different primers to choose from. White, grey, red oxide and plastic primer are some of the most common ones. In this instance we will be using the plastic primer. Plastic primer is designed specifically for painting plastic products which have a certain degree of flexibility. Unlike standard primers, plastic primer actually flexes with the plastic underneath and stops the paint from cracking.
To apply the primer you need to shake the can really well for a couple of minutes, ideally it should be at room temperature (leave the can in the house overnight before painting) Hold the can about 10-12 inches away from the product and spray a very light dusting of primer over the surface in a smooth, back and forth motion. You wan't to just cover the surface. Leave the part to dry for 5 or 10 minutes and then repeat, moving the part around and changing the direction to up and down.
You want to apply a minimum of 5 or 6 fine layers of primer. If you can see any imperfections you can take the finest grade of wet & dry and sand them out and then re-apply another few layers of primer.


Painting:
This is the satisfying part. The method of application is identical to priming, you want to build up layers rather than apply one thick, heavy layer. The most important point to mention here is the difference between metallic and flat paints. Metallic paints MUST be used in conjunction with a clear lacquer to achieve the correct glossy finish. A standard or flat paint colour doesn't need lacquer and is made up from at least 8 layers of paint.

Lacquering:
Lacquer is only needed for metallic paints and is applied in exactly the same way as the primer and paint - lots of fine layers. A lacquer is there to provide gloss and protection to the paint underneath.

So, as I mentioned above, the real key to a perfect finish is patience. If you're willing to put in the time, follow these simple guidelines and you can achieve a perfect finish at a fraction of the cost that a main dealer would charge, and don't forget, if you do make a mistake you can always sand it down and start again.