These are important questions. A used car dealer may know the history of the vehicle, but most of the time the cars and trucks that you see on a local car dealer lot come from auctions and your dealer will not know the history. At least half of the time you trade in your vehicle it will end up at a dealer auction. And MOST of the time you turn in your leased vehicle it will end up at auction. So how are we supposed to know what happened to this vehicle that we are eying? What am I getting into here?

The first thing to do is to go to either end of the car and squat down at the corner, such as by the tail light, and look straight down the body of the car, down the body line starting with the quarter panel, down the doors, and right up the fender. Notice the shine or reflections that you are getting off of the paint? That is where you want to start. Are there sections shinier or flatter than others? Does everything line up? Are there any ripples at all? It should look like a nice mirror reflection. If the surfaces of each panel look different, this could be an indication of poorly done body work.

Next, feel the paint all the way around the car. All of the painted surfaces should feel the same. Feel the bumpers and the hood. These are common spots to repaint. Are there any spots on the car that are a little rougher than another? If so, then you have good reason to be suspicious.

If a car has a pinstripe or graphic kit, look along the edge of it to see if a body shop painted part of a body panel. One trick a painter will use to save some work is to only paint part of a panel (if they can get away with it) and only repaint a small area that was most significantly affected by body work. If that is the case, the painter will probably do his masking right next to a pinstripe and try to paint either above it or below it. He will use the stripe line as a stopping point for his paintwork. Feel the edges of the stripe. Do you feel a sharp edge? It’s probably been repainted then.

Finally, always look for hints of over spray or an old color that give away an undisclosed paint job. This requires checking door jambs, under the hood, in the trunk and under the gas cap door. Putting in a little extra time while shopping for your vehicle can save you a lot of time and money down the road.

Best of all, buy a used car from someone you trust, be it a dealer or an individual. And never, ever jump at a deal that seems too good to be true. It almost always is.

About the Author

Mike Briglia is the owner of Custom Auto Trim, specializing in body kits and car and truck graphics, and is based in San Diego CA. Find more information on auto accessories at http://www.customautotrim.com/

It turns out that in some instances it is quite possible to do so without harming the part depending on the body kit part that you are working with, and it would obviously depend on the knot. So can I tie it into a:

 - Square Knot?   – NO
 - Figure Eight?   – NO
 - Overhand? – Well, read on…

Lets take a urethane Air Dam – it is very flexible and if you twist it into a million directions it wont break or crack, so I would say YES you can tie your air dam or probably even your side skirts in a pretzel shaped overhand knot. Let me just say at this point that i think you would probably be the only person that I know that has a knotted body kit, so good for you . However if it were fiberglass you would never be able to do that. Fiberglass parts are not flexible and if you try to bend them like that they will crack or break in half. Thats why people buy urethane body kits, for the flexibility alone. To prove the point we took a urethane front air dam (lip) by Wings West that was for an Acura Integra and took before and after pictures.

Here it is tied into a knot:

Here it is after we untied it:

TIP SHACK

We recently got the question:

I have a 1997 Eldorado. I just realized I DO HAVE a trunk light, but the bulb has been removed. When I find the bulb I need, how do you suggest I verify the light is going out when the trunk closes? Having a missing bulb in such a seldom used spot makes me wonder if the previous owner had a problem with it.

That’s a good question! I would suggest getting into the trunk and pulling the lid down as far as you can without locking it. Ideally, station someone outside the car with the keys, just in case you do lock yourself in, they can rescue you (make sure this is someone who really likes you and will actually let you out, should the need arise.) You may be right, the previous owner may have pulled the bulb because it would not shut off, so you better check that out before it kills your battery. I’m just happy you didn’t ask me about your refrigerator light bulb!

WEB NEWS

Looking to give your car or truck a new fall makeover? Your timing couldn’t be better, because we’ve got literally hundreds of different graphic kits, pinstriping and rear window graphics to choose from. Many of these are recently discounted, and new styles are added regularly.

Now that the weather is cooling off, maybe you’ve been thinking it would be nice to get out after work and do some cycling, get that old heart pumping. Take it from me, you don’t want to risk damage to your car or your bike by just tossing your bike into the trunk. AUTOMEGA® now carries a full line of bike racks. From fold down racks to tire mounted racks, we’ve got you covered.

All right, I suppose I have to congratulate the Panthers and the Patriots in winning their conference championships. Please note that I don’t necessarily want to, but I have to. I would rather be congratulating the Eagles, but clearly that just isn’t going to happen. Instead, the Eagles get the dubious honor of losing three straight conference championships for the first time since the Cowboys held the record with their 1980-83 streak. Remind me again why I continue to watch football…

Anyway, well you all have been just going about your business, enjoying the whole 2005 vibe, we here at CustomAutoTrim.com have been burning the midnight oil getting some new deals cooking up for you on the site.

TIP SHACK

This month, one of our subscribers asked:

I’m looking to buy a used vehicle. How can I tell if a car I’m interested in has been in a body shop or had major repairs done?

That’s a great question, and something that’s very important to know about any vehicle before you purchase it. The first thing to do is to go to either end of the car and squat down at the corner, such as by the tail light, and look straight down the body of the car—down the quarter panel, the doors, and right up the fender. Notice the shine or reflections that you’re getting off of the paint? That’s where you want to start. Are there sections shinier than others? Are there any ripples at all? These could be indications of poorly done body work. Next, feel the paint all the way around the car. All of the painted surfaces should feel the same. Feel the bumpers, as well. Are there any spots on the car that are a little rougher? If so, then you have good reason to be suspicious. If a car has a pinstripe, look along it to see whether a body shop painted part of a body panel. One trick a painter will use to save work is to mask off part of a panel and only re-do a nearby area that was most significantly affected by work. If that’s the case, the painter will probably do the masking right next to a pinstripe. Finally, always look for hints of over spray or an old color that give away an undisclosed paint job. This requires checking door jambs, under the hood, in the trunk and under the gas-cap door. Putting in a little extra time while shopping for your vehicle can save you a lot of time and money down the road.

Best of all, buy a used car from someone you trust—be it a dealer or an individual. And never, ever jump at a deal that seems too good to be true. It almost always is.

WEB NEWS

This month we’ve got the hot deals on truck bed rails like you won’t even believe. And we’re not just talking a few select models on sale—every single one is marked down. Whether you’re rollin’ in a truck from the 80’s or just got a new pickup last weekend, these rails are the accessory to have. We’ve got them in triple plated chrome, black, or stainless steel, so let us help you figure out which model is a match for your truck.

Did you miss last month’s debut sale on Hood Scoops? I don’t think many of you did, because they were selling like crazy, but we do still have some models left, and for a limited time we’ve got them marked down even further. You can order them matched to your factory color, or save even more cash and pick them up primed to paint yourself.

Have you still not taken a look at our AEROGEAR® body kit line? For a short time only, we’ve got select AEROGEAR® hoods and fenders marked down to make room for upcoming models. Find what you need for your car or truck.

Nothing says spring has sprung like some hot new ground effects or a saucy new spoiler. Or hook yourself up with our vinyl flame graphics, but be warned—these babies are so sizzling they might just melt the snow right off your car! All these things and more can be found at CustomAutoTrim.com. And find out the latest site news below in our Blog section. Hey, while you’re at it, be sure to take advantage of our coupon for extra special savings.

Elsewhere in this issue, we’ve got chances for you to learn a few things, win prizes, and even make some extra cash. So sit back, get comfy, and settle in to spend a few moments with us on your favorite subject and mine—cars.

TIP SHACK

This month, we got the question:

How can I get bad window tint off my rear window without damaging my rear window defroster? Won’t a razor blade scrape the defroster off right along with the tint?

Excellent question, and you’re not alone in this concern. Using a razor blade could, in fact, damage your defroster. We wanted to find out the most effective way around this problem, so we took your question to the experts—namely a professional window tinter, and here’s the simple solution he was kind enough to share with us: start with a large plastic trash bag (like a lawn and leaf bag) and cut it apart as to make one long section with it. Once you have that, use a soapy water solution and completely soak the tinted surface (as wet as you can get it) and then cover the wet tint with your cut plastic bag and leave your car out in the sun. What you are trying to do is to basically sweat the tint off of the window. The tint material is pourus so it will absorb your wetting solution. Keep the plastic bag on the window for about 10-15 minutes then remove it. You should then be able to start peeling away the film. Try not to tear it, keep it all in one piece if possible. It will come off much cleaner that way. If some is still sticking, repeat the process again. Once all tint is removed it will leave a glue film behind, so take a bit of lacquer thinner on a rag and start wiping the glue away. This won’t harm your glass or defroster, just make sure you’re careful with the rest of the trim in your car. The entire process may take about an hour, but then you’ll be tint-free, with your defroster none the worse for wear!

WEB NEWS

This month we are very excited to announce a brand new section on the CustomAutoTrim.com website: Message Forums. Not only are our forums the place where you can view private parts-for-sale listings and post a parts needed message, but we’re taking it a step further. Say you’re a Chevy Camaro nut, and you’re looking to talk shop with some fellow fanatics, only we don’t have a message board for that. No problem—we’ll create a Camaro theme board and you’re ready to roll. You’ll even have the opportunity to become a moderator of the board, if you choose. The possibilities here are endless, so stop on by our existing General Chit-Chat board and get to know some other car fiends just like you!

Our other big news to share with you this month is the addition of some brand new styles of Wood Dash Kits that are so slick it’s almost impossible not to find one you love. Whether what you’re looking for is a Flat Dash, a 3-D Formed or a Molded Combo, we’ve got the perfect Wood Dash Kit to fit your needs. And if you’ve been holding out, waiting for the price to drop a little, wait no longer because our entire inventory in all three styles is currently on sale. You’ll also find links from that page to answer any questions you might have about the differences between the styles of kits we offer, how to know which one is right for you, and a handy installation video that makes installing these babies so easy even your dog could do it! So why wait—give your interior that classy wood look you’ve been dreaming about today!

WRAPPING IT UP

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Just call our toll free support line at 1-800-232-6922. We’re standing by to help!

Alternatively, hit the reply button and I’ll get right back to you. We welcome general questions or queries, as well as comments and suggestions. Thanks for your time!