Today, the average resident of Toledo OH keeps a car for about 5-6 years before selling it, which is approximately 18 months longer than it was back in 2006. Most people maintain their vehicles for extended periods today because the cars are of a better build. However, as people continue to keep their vehicles for longer, the cars are consequently exposed more to wear and tear as a result of parking lot dings, scratches, UV damage from the sun, and rust from salt a well as other environmental chemicals. Most people are unaware the role these elements play when it comes to the steady decline in the appearance of their vehicles.
The Damaging Effects of UV Rays
The biggest contributor to the damage of a vehicle’s appearance is UV rays from the sun. Although automotive paint systems consist of UV inhibitors that absorb these harmful rays, helping to extend the paint’s lifespan, over time these inhibitors wear out resulting in the cloudy or hazy appearance of the color. For instance, in Toledo OH, UV rays cause yellowed, hazy or cloudy headlight lenses; the surface of such lenses goes from crystal to oxidized and cloudy as the UV inhibitors fail. UV inhibitors in automotive paint usually have a half-life of about five years.
Ultimate Protection
You can prolong the lifespan of the UV inhibitors and even prevent them from by properly auto detailing your car and remembering to apply wax, sealant, or coating onto the surface at suitable intervals. Waxes, sealants and coatings provide a layer of protection which effectively bonds to the surface of your vehicle’s paint and includes UV inhibitors that ideally protect your car’s paint, helping to extend the lifespan of the paint’s UV inhibitors by absorbing UV rays. Waxes, sealants and coatings also add gloss and shine to your car significantly improving its appearance.
People will often take exceptional care of their vehicle’s mechanical aspects, but slack when it comes to the physical condition and appearance. Unfortunately, a combination of both the mechanical and physical variables determines the overall state of a car, how much more that particular car can sell for, as well as the speed at which it can sell. The main reason used-car dealer keep all the cars they sell clean and shiny is that such vehicles sell a lot faster compared to dirty and dull painted cars. Auto detailing therefore significantly improves the resale value of your vehicle, which is particularly evidenced by the fact that even used car dealers invest money into detailing cars, mainly because it assures them of returns on their investment.
First Impressions Matter
Everyone wants to drive a clean, shiny vehicle, which projects confidence and professionalism and is more enjoyable compared to driving a dirty, dull car. Auto detailing helps to preserve your car’s paint, improving the resale value. As we all know, first impressions matter. A clean and shiny vehicle enhances the confidence of potential buyers that the car is in pristine condition both inside and outside. A vehicle that looks neglected on the outside gives the impression of neglect in every other area, which consequently lowers the resale value and makes it even harder to sell. To a mechanically sound vehicle, the paint is its icing on the cake.