The general condition of the car body is one of the factors that greatly influence the price of the car. Body maintenance is very simple, but should be done regularly. Neglect of maintenance, especially after minor damage, can quickly lead to further deterioration of the body and increase the cost of subsequent repairs. It is very important to monitor the condition of those elements of the car that are not visible, such as the bottom of the body, the inner surface of the wheel arches and the lower part of the engine compartment.
The main form of car body care is washing – preferably with plenty of water hosing down. This will remove any dirt that may have stuck to the car. Dirt must be washed off so that it does not scratch the color. The wheel wells and underbody also need to be cleaned regularly with water to remove accumulated dirt that contains moisture and promotes corrosion. Oddly enough, the best time to clean the underbody and wheel wells is in damp weather when the dirt is wet and soft. In very wet weather, the bottom is cleared of most of the deposits on its own, and this is the best time for inspection.
Periodically, unless the underbody of the vehicle has been waxed, it is recommended to clean the underbody as well as the engine compartment with steam so that a thorough inspection can be carried out to determine what minor restoration or repair work is needed.
Steaming can be done at many body shops and is necessary in order to remove all the oil deposits that sometimes accumulate quite thickly in some places on the underbody. If you are unable to steam clean, use solvents to scrub the bottom with a brush, the resulting dirt can then simply be washed off with water. Please note that these methods are not recommended for vehicles with protective underbody wax as it can be removed. Cars with such a coating must be inspected every year, preferably before the winter period, while the bottom must be washed and the protective coating restored. Ideally, a completely new protective coating is recommended. It is also recommended to use this wax coating to fill door panels, sills, box sections for additional protection against rust formation, if such a coating was not applied by the manufacturer.
After the painted surfaces have been washed, wipe them down with chamois to obtain a flawless surface finish. A layer of clean wax finish will provide additional protection against airborne chemicals. If the paint is dull or oxidized, treat it with a cleaner and polish to restore the shine. This operation is quite laborious, however, such darkening usually occurs due to the fact that regular washing of the car was neglected. Special care must be taken when working on a painted metal surface, as non-abrasive cleaning and polishing agents must be used to treat it in order not to damage the finish. Always make sure that the vents and drains and pipes are clean so that water can drain freely. Chrome coatings must be treated in the same way as painted ones. The oil film that often forms on windshields and windows can be removed with a suitable glass cleaner. Never use wax or chrome polish to treat glass.