Category: Car Care Tips

Peeling Paint has a Few Causes Your car’s paint isn’t just there to look good; it protects the vehicle from the elements.  So when the paint starts to chip, fade, or peel, it can be irritating to say the least.  But why is this happening?  And what can you do about it? If you recall from our last post, the paint is actually three layers: the primer, the paint, and the clear coat.  Different causes of paint damage and failure...

Swirl Marks in the Paint Happen Have you ever spent an hour or two really cleaning up your rig?  You vacuum it out, throw out those old Taco Bell wrappers, clean the windows until you can’t even tell the glass is there.  You wash the exterior, then give it the old spit polish.  You step back and admire your handiwork only to realize that something looks funny.  Upon inspection, you notice the paint has swirl marks.  You’re certain that you...

When to Ignore; When to Replace Driving on our Montana roads, you’re likely to get a rock thrown up onto your windshield a time or two.  It happens to everyone at some point, and generally speaking the hit isn’t direct, and glances off with little more than a loud smack.  But what happens when it chips or cracks your windshield? There’s a little bit that we have to dive into here.  And as we strive to be the best auto...

Maintain to Avoid a Costly Crash When’s the last time you had your vehicle in for maintenance?  If you’re like most people, you tend to put it off a bit longer than you should.  In fact, most people put it off too long, and end up needing costly repairs instead of moderately priced maintenance. Here at Big Sky Collision Center, our goal is to ensure that your vehicle is safe to drive.  So we have rounded up the most likely...

Avoid Unsightly Scratches with These Tips How many times have you walked up to your vehicle and noticed a big scratch that you are certain wasn’t there yesterday?  If it has happened once, it has happened too many times!  Scratches, dings, dents, scrapes, and paint rubs generally won’t affect your vehicle’s performance, nor will they cause furthering issues (depending on their severity of course), but they look bad! Here are a few tips how you can make sure that your...

The Garage is to Protect; Not Damage If you’re able to park your vehicle in a garage, that’s awesome!  It will last a whole lot longer that way, plus you don’t have to worry about scraping ice off the window in the morning.  But as vehicles get bigger, garages are often not quite big enough to accommodate them.  Many people damage their rigs simply pulling in, or out, of the garage. Here are a few tips to help make sure...

No Need for a Full Upgrade; Just Improve! Most of us love our vehicles.  But as new technology improves, and our rigs wear out, we end up looking longingly at buying something new.  If you love your vehicle, and you don’t want to spend the cash on upgrading to something new, here are a few ways that you can soup up your car (does anyone say “soup up” anymore?) so it looks and feels like a new one. The vehicle...

Auto Theft is a Problem; You can Curb It If you have ever had a vehicle stolen, you know the feeling.  The confusion hits first, and then the sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach.  It was always something that happened to someone else and wouldn’t happen to you. Criminals look for the easiest opportunities.  The harder you can make it for them to steal your car, truck, or SUV, the less likely it is that you will end...

How to Prevent Sun Damage to Your Vehicle Few things will wear on your vehicle like prolonged exposure to the sun.  It’s relentless, the UV rays are damaging, and it affects both the inside and outside of the car.  Fortunately, just like taking care of the other aspects of your vehicle, you can slow the damage that the sun does to your rig. Here are a few tips that you can put into action today in order to reduce the...

Don't Ruin a New Paint Job! After any collision, and after most repairs, your vehicle will need some fresh paint.  Our paint technicians are awesome at what they do, and they can blend the new into the old in a way that you won't be able to tell the difference.  But without proper care, your vehicle may not look as good as you hoped. Yes, paints dry fast.  But drying time and curing time are two entirely different things.  Dry...