July 21st, 2010 by bbergman

From environmentally friendly cleaners to chemical-free restoration methods, the car industry is hot with green. Many auto-repair shops, restoration centers and general car businesses are trying harder these days to dump fewer pollutants, chemicals and other damaging solutions into the environment by using products and technology that promote “going green.”

While we’re still a long way off from doing everything in green mode, the idea is that we need to start somewhere. Doing something as simple as washing your car at a drive-thru facility is better than soaping up your wheels at home.

Washing your car at home generally takes 50 gallons of freshwater compared to a drive-thru facility that only uses 14 gallons. There are a number of cleaning products on the market today that are green and eco-friendly for auto enthusiasts who prefer to skip the drive-thru car wash. Waterless solutions are designed to clean cars without dumping hazardous materials and chemicals down the drain. They are safe to use on fiberglass, metal, glass and chrome.

So you save H2O, avoid contaminating the environment and use a simple, affordable and safe method of cleaning – clearly a win-win.

Auto body shops are adopting new methods and trying out odorless, chemical-free paints that don’t pollute the environment and car care centers are switching to using parts and components that emit fewer emissions and toxins.

Even hot rod restoration experts are recycling more on environmentally-friendly media solutions, such as sodablasting, to remove paints and contaminates from body surfaces.

July 8th, 2010 by bbergman

No one could fault you for thinking the car restoration business drove off into the sunset given the way the economy has played out in recent years.

But customizing, restoring and rebuilding hot rods shows no signs of slowing down; which is good news for industry players who are responsible for serving those car hobby enthusiasts. Despite the sales and market trends – call it what you want: stagnant, flat, down, belly-up, unpredictable (by far, our favorite definition), confusing, overwhelming, the list goes on – we still enjoy hanging out in the garage and tinkering with the old two-door 1957 cherry-red Classic Chevy hard-top.

In fact, the Great Recession has inspired us to spend our discretionary funds more (dare we say wisely?) differently.

Instead of taking elaborate, long and luxurious vacations that are costly, we’ve seen classic car owners choose to focus on projects and goals they have thought about for a long time over spending two week’s salary on a trip to the Redwoods.

And we’re with you - our idea of fun doesn’t include waxing the car or doing the dreaded oil change; the good news is there is a lot of work between stripping the car to bare metal for a clean surface to installing performance-enhancing components that gives your car some muscle.

If anything, the recent economic trends may have just slowed us down enough to give us perspective and a sense of nostalgia about our hot rods. And serve as a road map on where to go from here, of course. Admit it, there’s nothing difficult about choosing to restore your first car, a classic that’s sat in your garage for 12 years – over taking another camping trip with your neighbors to the same Florida park you’ve gone to every summer the past four years.

We talk to many people who either had classic cars when they were younger and now long for an opportunity to restore their auto or wished they had a muscle car “back then” and hope to use this time in their life as parents to share a hobby with their own children.

July 15th, 2008 by SB Editor

Anyone who’s ever been to an auto show knows the importance of a great paint job. An amazing paint job can turn heads even from a distance. But what about when you get a little closer? Even with the most dazzling colors and the most aesthetic designs, your ride can’t have that glassy, glossy, perfect show-car shine without the proper surface preparation BEFORE the paint is applied.

A “Classic” car is only classic because of it’s age, but with that age comes at least one older coat of paint, with possible chips, weathering and rust. If you’re about to spend your hard earned money and time repainting your vehicle, it’s important to make sure you do all the necessary surface preparation beforehand. Removing all old paint and rust rather than painting over it will make a night and day difference in the finished product. But what’s the best way to remove the relics of your cars former life?

When you think about removing paint, sandblasting often comes to mind first. Sandblasting has been around for decades and can have decent results, but there are downsides to the sandblasting method. Sand is a very harsh abrasive that can warp or stretch sheet metal, as well as damaging any rubber seals or chrome. Not to mention that the mess left over afterwards can cut into precious cruising time. Sandblasting works fine for thicker metal parts with rust, but why not save yourself some hassle and use the same blasting media for all areas of the car?

1936 Dodge before & After Photos

Soda blasting is a similar but better process for this application. Instead of sand, it uses baking soda, which is 100% natural and non toxic. Blasting with Baking Soda will not warp metal, and will not damage glass, chrome, or rubber.

For more information visit: www.SodaBlastCars.com