Tips To Prevent Your Car From Rust

-- Cover paint chips as quickly as possible. For a quick fix until you can get some touchup supplies, dab a little clear nail polish on the scratch. Touchup paint can be found for virtually every vehicle ever built, including antiques. Use the paint code number shown on the identification plate located on a door jamb, in the glove box, under the hood, in the trunk under the carpet next to the spare or wherever else the car maker has hidden it. The owner's manual will tell you how to find it.

-- Small dents can be fixed with paint less dent repair, a service found either through local automotive suppliers, the classified section of the phone book or on the Internet. 

-- Avoid parking in the hot sun; it can damage interior surfaces as well as the exterior. 

-- Wash the vehicle frequently, including areas underneath, with mild, safe products. Select and use cleaners and waxes carefully. A cleaner that is effective for one type of finish could be disastrous for another. Consult the vehicle owner's manual to be sure.