5 cheap and simple tips to make your car look newer
Times are hard right now, which means everyone wants to make sure they look after the pennies as much as possible. You may want a new car, but uncertain times mean that if your vehicle works well you might consider simply keeping it. There are ways you can refresh the look of your old car, however, without having to spend a great deal of money.
Follow these five affordable tips to give your car the freshen up it deserves.
1. New number plates
Number plates tell a lot about your car, but first, let's talk about how they look. They're usually placed in a reasonably vulnerable position, which means that over time, they get exposed to all manner of road debris and the elements. This can cause your number plates to start becoming discoloured and damaged.
As with everything else on your vehicle, the more your plates begin to look tatty, the more they drag down the overall appearance of the vehicle. There's also the registration - if you get yourself a personal plate, nobody will be able to see when your car was first registered, which can make it seem much newer.
Investing in a set of cheap number plates, whether personalised or not, can dramatically improve the appearance of your vehicle. Buying them through CarReg is easy, and with some simple fitting your car's look is improved.
2. Clean and detail
Your car's paintwork starts telling a story the minute it leaves the forecourt as a new car. Everywhere it goes. the car is picking up stone chips and scratches, as well as being exposed to the elements. Wind and rain, bird marks, leaves and falling debris - the list of things that subtly damage your paintwork on a daily basis is considerable. Even if your car is lucky enough to live under cover in a carport or a garage, it can still pick up damage, swirls and scratches while you're driving. Shoddy paintwork can make even a reasonably new car look tatty, so it's something you should rectify if you want it to look its best.
Start by seeing exactly what you're working with by thoroughly cleaning your car. Either invest in the services of a professional or wash it yourself by hand. Do not use automated car washes, as the rollers can actually cause even more damage and swirls to your paintwork. With your car clean, you can see what you're dealing with. You may be able to improve it by touching it up yourself using the correct paint code, or you might feel it worth investing in the services of a professional.
3. Clean the lights
This is important, so deserves distinction from a general clean of your car. Over time the plastic lenses used to cover your lights can become cloudy and milky. Not only does this considerably reduce their effectiveness at lighting your way when it's dark, but it also makes your car look older than it needs to, and can seem like a sign of neglect.
There are many polishing and cleaning kits available for cleaning lights, as well as dedicated professional services you might want to invest in to get the best results. Doing so can dramatically improve your car's visual appearance.
4. Interior freshen up
Give some attention to the interior of your car, and consider investing in a full interior valet. If you want to do it yourself, you can rent a wet vac and give your seats and carpets a thorough shampoo. You might be surprised how much grime is held in your car seats, but remember that you're sitting in them all the time so it's to be expected.
A thorough polish of your interior plastics can also brighten up your car's appearance. If your vehicle has leather seats you should think about conditioning and feeding the leather to keep it looking its best. An idea may be to invest in some seat covers if you want to make sure your vehicle's seats are properly protected going forward.
5. Buy new wheel trims
Your vehicle's wheels can take a beating during day-to-day driving. Caked-on brake dust, mud and grime, as well as stone chips and damage from curbing can make even the nicest car look unsightly. If your vehicle has alloy wheels, you might be able to find a specialist who can restore them back to their former glory reasonably affordably.
If your car has plastic wheel trims, you can find a set of aftermarket replacements reasonably easily. All you need to know is the size of your vehicle's wheels, and they should simply clip onto the wheel.
CarReg have over 52,000,000 number plates on offer, you can search for your new number plate on our home page.
