Preparing a car for sun and heat.

I have an '02 Ford Taurus with black leather interior and black
exterior that I need to prep for usage in South Texas.

I'm just a little worried because some of the products are not good for
the car. I would like to put in some window tint and get it
professionaly done but I don't know which brand is the best. I'm
looking for window tint that won't fade or bubble in a reasonable
amount of time. I prefer the silver window tint. I don't like window
tint that fades to that purple color. I don't like the color purple
and I would not want it on my car.

As for the exterior, any ideas on what type of car wax for all of that
intense sun shine beating down on the car? In direct sunlight the
black exterior paint gets too hot to the touch. I'm afraid it will
become burning hot down in South TX. Is there anything I can do to
prevent paint fade; rather than just waiting for it to fade so I can
repaint it metallic silver?

I already have a windshield shade.

The leather interior has never been treated with any type of product.
I'm worried that certain products might damage the material. As for
the cloth floors/rugs, are they made of cotton or is it a petroleum
based synthetic stuff?

The dashboard has never been treated with anything either. I need to
wipe the dust off of it and apply something that won't reflect the sun
into my eyes. Are those dashboard covers worth it? The problem is it
will block the airbag on the front passengers side.

Are those vynil nose covers a good idea in south TX?

What about the bug deflectors, are they worth it. Do they waste gas?
How effective?

Will I be needing deer wistles? Are they held on by adhesive?

Keep in mind that this is a NorCal car and so none of the above was
ever necessary. In fact I only use the windshield shade when parked
about 3 days out of the year during the summer months. It's used more
as an umbrella rather than what it's really ment for.

Is there any way I can get one of those remote ignition starters? I
figured it would be better to start the car from inside the house and
wait 10 minutes for the A/C to cool down the interior so that the
leather won't be scalding hot. How do those electronic gagets install
and how much? Also which is the best brand to get which is the least
tempromental?



Thank you in Advance.

> I'm just a little worried because some of the products are not good for
> the car. I would like to put in some window tint and get it
> professionaly done but I don't know which brand is the best. I'm
> looking for window tint that won't fade or bubble in a reasonable
> amount of time. I prefer the silver window tint. I don't like window
> tint that fades to that purple color. I don't like the color purple
> and I would not want it on my car.

Ask around, ask people who have tint on their vehicles and ask who did it
and if they like it. Personelly I have gone directly to the gent who
usually does it under contract to a local apple autoglass, by going to him
directly I saved about 20% (glass shops mark-up and taxes). Before you get
the tinting done be sure to check the by-laws on where you are to make sure
you haven't gone too dark or something, its a pain trying to remove tint.

> As for the exterior, any ideas on what type of car wax for all of that
> intense sun shine beating down on the car? In direct sunlight the
> black exterior paint gets too hot to the touch. I'm afraid it will
> become burning hot down in South TX. Is there anything I can do to
> prevent paint fade; rather than just waiting for it to fade so I can
> repaint it metallic silver?

I use the Maquires (sometimes Mother's) step process on my classics (1954
ford, 1957 pontiac), use a good auto soap, then a de-oxidizor, then sealer,
then wax. I do the complete process about once every two months and in
between I just wash and wax.

> I already have a windshield shade.

Good idea, make sure it is a good one.

> The dashboard has never been treated with anything either. I need to
> wipe the dust off of it and apply something that won't reflect the sun
> into my eyes. Are those dashboard covers worth it? The problem is it
> will block the airbag on the front passengers side.

I have heard both good and bad stories from people who have treated their
dash, seats etc with some of the products out there (armourall, stp etc.)
IIRC the best I have heard of is bag balm (?) I'd have to do some goooglin
in some other groups but I think this was the most and often the best
reviews and comments.

As for the dash pad, If you can get one for your vehicle then yes, it will
protect your dash from lots of day to day use, check the various auto parts
places (california covers (?) summit, and other online places) and the mfg.
(dashpad.com ??)

> Are those vynil nose covers a good idea in south TX?

A bra??? again heard good and bad, I have one on my J**P and haven't had
any problems but I'm from Santa's native land and have snow 4-5 months per
year.
I would say NO you don't really want one, as they have tendentcy to trap the
dirt under them and then they use that dirt like sandpaper against the
paint/metal.

> What about the bug deflectors, are they worth it. Do they waste gas?

Again my truck and second J**P have these, I like them and they have mixed
reviews, I'm sure they serve some purpose other then just appearance. I see
no difference in the fuel usuage between my two J**P's (both 93's, with
inline 6)

> Will I be needing deer wistles? Are they held on by adhesive?

Depends, do you drive alot at night? in the country? in forested areas? on
forest lined highways? if so then you may want a set of whistles, many
claim they don't work, Again, I have been using them on 3 vehicles for
several years and drive all those types of roads, highways I mentioned with
no problems. The one time I did encounter a small deer up close and very
personel (had to picks it's dead fur from my fender) I had no whistles on
the vehicle.

Yes they are stuck on with 3M adheasive (the good units are anyways)

> Is there any way I can get one of those remote ignition starters? I
> figured it would be better to start the car from inside the house and
> wait 10 minutes for the A/C to cool down the interior so that the
> leather won't be scalding hot. How do those electronic gagets install
> and how much? Also which is the best brand to get which is the least
> tempromental?

Check out your local speed shops, parts stores, do some googlin and read
reviews on them. If you concrend about the heat inside the vehicle maybe
you should be looking at a car cover.

> Thank you in Advance.

YW
Snow...

<<<<Check out your local speed shops, parts stores, do some googlin and
read
reviews on them. If you concrend about the heat inside the vehicle
maybe
you should be looking at a car cover. >>>>


Interesting. What type of cover? I remember seeing them in many
different types of material.

I'm afraid of using a car cover because my car is a dust magnet and
taking the cover on and off would be like rubbing sand paper on the
car.

Of course, when I'm gone 2 weeks at a time I will most certainly put
the car cover on. I have a decent one right now. From a big box store.

On 24 May 2005 22:39:39 -0700, eastwardbound2003 , said the following in
rec.autos.driving...

> I have an '02 Ford Taurus with black leather interior and black
> exterior that I need to prep for usage in South Texas.

I have two Taurus' (a tan '96 w/ tan interior and a midnight blue '00
with grey interior) in south Georgia, while it might not get quite as hot
as TX, dealing with the heat is an issue here too, so hopefully some of
what I have to say will be helpful.

> I'm just a little worried because some of the products are not good for
> the car. I would like to put in some window tint and get it
> professionaly done but I don't know which brand is the best. I'm
> looking for window tint that won't fade or bubble in a reasonable
> amount of time. I prefer the silver window tint. I don't like window
> tint that fades to that purple color. I don't like the color purple
> and I would not want it on my car.

Neither of my vehicles have tinted windows - save for what may have been
put on at the factory. One vehicle I had several years ago did have
tinted windows, and so far as heat reduction went, I didn't notice any
significant difference. The downside was that the tint made driving at
night difficult. Also, different juristictions may have different laws
WRT to the level of window tinting that is acceptible and some areas will
apply their standard to all cars - even those that are registered
elsewhere.

> As for the exterior, any ideas on what type of car wax for all of that
> intense sun shine beating down on the car? In direct sunlight the
> black exterior paint gets too hot to the touch. I'm afraid it will
> become burning hot down in South TX. Is there anything I can do to
> prevent paint fade; rather than just waiting for it to fade so I can
> repaint it metallic silver?

Most of the name brand waxes should be just fine. FWIW, I use Maguires on
my vehicles. Don't bother with painting to a lighter color. The light
colors get just as hot. As for paint fade, there is really nothing that
can be done about that.

> I already have a windshield shade.
>
> The leather interior has never been treated with any type of product.
> I'm worried that certain products might damage the material. As for
> the cloth floors/rugs, are they made of cotton or is it a petroleum
> based synthetic stuff?

Dunno too much about leather seats - mine both have cloth seats, you
might want to check with a dealer in TX on that one. As for the floor
carpet, I believe they are some kind of synthetic. The carpets in my
vehicles are holding up fairly well. About all I ever do is to vacuum the
carpets every now and then.

> The dashboard has never been treated with anything either. I need to
> wipe the dust off of it and apply something that won't reflect the sun
> into my eyes. Are those dashboard covers worth it? The problem is it
> will block the airbag on the front passengers side.

I use low gloss armor-all for the dash.

> Are those vynil nose covers a good idea in south TX?
>
> What about the bug deflectors, are they worth it. Do they waste gas?
> How effective?

I've used bug screens here during the late spring and early fall when the
lovebugs are a problem, but even then, if you take care of the car, they
are really not needed. A simple way to deal with the kill on the
nose/windshield is to spray some Simple Green on the nose/windshield
about a couple of minutes before washing the car - generally about once a
week; more often if bugs are a problem; the acids from certain bugs
(especially love bugs) can damage your paint if left on too long and/or
the sun can bake the carcasses into the paint. Just if you have a large
accumulation of insects on the nose, you might want to clean the radiator
too.

> Will I be needing deer wistles? Are they held on by adhesive?

The really dangerous time WRT to deer has been in fall around here when
they are mating. Rural roads are best navagated with extreme caution at
night during mating season. I know from experience that deer can f*ck up
a Ford Taurus pretty badly. As for deer whistles, I've never tried one.
From advertising I've seen, they come both held on by adhesive or screws.

> Keep in mind that this is a NorCal car and so none of the above was
> ever necessary. In fact I only use the windshield shade when parked
> about 3 days out of the year during the summer months. It's used more
> as an umbrella rather than what it's really ment for.

The windshield screen won't hurt WRT to keeping the car a little cooler
while its parked. Parking in the shade if possible (under a tree or in a
garage) is helpful. Usually, just opening the windows for a few minutes
will let most of the excess heat out. Just one bit of advice based on
what I see all too often he never *ever* leave a pet or child in a car
that is parked out side. Even if its IBJAM and the windows are cracked
slightly open. It takes *very* little time for the car interior to get to
well over 120 degrees in the summer around here (and I suspect even
higher in parts of TX) and can be fatal to anyone inside the vehicle.

> Is there any way I can get one of those remote ignition starters? I
> figured it would be better to start the car from inside the house and
> wait 10 minutes for the A/C to cool down the interior so that the
> leather won't be scalding hot. How do those electronic gagets install
> and how much? Also which is the best brand to get which is the least
> tempromental?

Check with a local car audio installer about remote starters - most of
them also do alarm systems that come with remote starters and they can
let you know what is required in that department. My experiece, however,
is that it only takes a couple of minutes for the AC to cool down the
interior when set on the max ac setting.

As for the leather seats, a beach towel or similar placed over the seat
when you leave the vehicle should suffice - used to do this with a car
that had vinyl seats many years ago - just remove the towel when you get
into the car. Many people around here will also drape a small towel over
the steering wheel for the same reason.

>
>
>
> Thank you in Advance.
>
>

The towel tricks are an excellent idea. I wonder why I never thought
of that.


T.Y.

Is Armor-All a good idea to use on the dashboard? I really don't want
a cracked dashboard like the other guy with the chevy cavalier. On the
other hand I don't trust armor-all after what people have been saying
about it. Similarly, after seeing the website about oil filters, I
have been avoiding Fram oil filters like the plauge.

I was also wondering if it's OK to wash the car in direct sunlight? I
have heard many say it was a bad idea for some odd reason.

The cars exterior is black. Is it OK to use touch up paint by the
dealer? Or is it something that's not recommended as it could cause
more harm than good or something?

On 24 May 2005 22:39:39 -0700, wrote:

>I have an '02 Ford Taurus with black leather interior and black
>exterior that I need to prep for usage in South Texas.
>
>I'm just a little worried because some of the products are not good for
>the car. I would like to put in some window tint and get it
>professionaly done but I don't know which brand is the best. I'm
>looking for window tint that won't fade or bubble in a reasonable
>amount of time. I prefer the silver window tint.


You have bad taste and are too worried about investing a c-note in
your car.

What do you drive anyway? An '83 Chevy or something?

You must be retarded. If you could only read, you would have noticed
that I clearly stated the year, make, and model of the car I drive
above - even on your quote. As it turns out, it is you who is in fact
at fault as well as of bad taste. Too bad you are not capable of
reading this so you can see just how stupid you really are.



<<<<What do you drive anyway? An '83 Chevy or something? >>>>

> window tinting
It can help, but be both thoughtful and cognizant of the law when
deciding how much to tint and where.

One of the Southwest's great stereotypes of "ready, fire, aim" car
modification (or emphasizing subculture tastes over real-world
constraints, one) is applying such dark window tint so far forward that
the culprit has to roll down the window to maneuver.

Aftermarket tint is probably best restricted to the rear windshield and
perhaps the rear-door windows even if it is legal further forward --
not everything legal is a good idea.

I've never applied it to the rear windshield of a recent Taurus but
have a vision in my mind of a complicated shape in three dimensions,
perhaps better left to the pros (you'll see plenty of examples of
botched homemade tinting with all sorts of bubbles, highly visible
lines, edge tears, etc. -- there's only one way it looks good but many
ways it can look bad).


> I was also wondering if it's OK to wash the car in direct sunlight? I
> have heard many say it was a bad idea for some odd reason.

For one thing, it can get seriously hot down there.

The water might be okay in San Antonio, but for sure as you go further
west you tend to get harder water -- tends to leave white spots all
over everything as it dries. Besides washing your car when it's cool
or in the shade or both, be prepared to wipe it dry with soft towels or
somesuch as soon as you're done.

The same washing and waxing products you already use will do well there
too, though you might find you have to wax more often.


> The cars exterior is black.

Not much you can do about that, but it definitely isn't betting the
main chance down there, in terms of either passive solar heat gain or
the length of time the car stays good looking on a dust or pollen
intensive day... People who really want a black car do manage to live
with them, though.

A high-quality car cover can make life a lot better if you use it
faithfully (but never on a dirty car). I wouldn't worry about a little
dust. It's grit that'll getcha.

As for the interior, probably the best thing is enough of those
"sproing" sunshields to more or less cover all the sunward windows when
you park for more than just a little while. As others have mentioned,
a big old towel thrown over the skin-contact surfaces like the seat and
the steering wheel can also make things more liveable.

Some people really like either the mesh or the beaded sit-upons that
let air circulate between you and the seat. If you get the beaded
"taxi driver" kind, look for a quality one that has a substantial
fabric rim. The ones that are just strung beads all the way to the
edge don't last. If you wear shorts and have hairy legs, stick to the
mesh ones, no pun intended.


> never *ever* leave a pet or child in a car that is parked out side.

Been there, helped break into that, stood by and interjected
confirmation as the mall security guard explained the rapid lethality
of this to the owner, even if the windows are open. Fortunately the
little dog was still able to stand up and drink some water (which one
of us provided -- the owner hadn't even left any water to drink). A
slightly longer shopping trip or slightly hotter summer day, or
passers-by who didn't happen to notice, and it might've been a sadder
story.


Cheers,
--Joe