The Filter

Nearly there folks. The Garage will be closing tomorrow at 4pm. We will reopen on Friday 2nd January. We've sold out of our 'Haynes Build Your Own Engine' so expect to see many car experts on the road next year. Our seat covers are also seriously depleted, as some Christmas shoppers seem to have taken a very practical approach to their gift shopping on MicksGarage.ie. And today we had the usual flood of last minute roof box shoppers.  

Overall it's been a very busy year for us, so we look forward to 2009 and we would like to take this opportunity to wish all our website visitors a very merry Christmas and New Year. And remember, drive safely!

The Sunday Business Post ran a Winter Motoring supplement this week. They interviewed MicksGarage for their Christmas Gifts article. They profiled our Haynes Engine and DIY Manuals, Mechanix Gloves, and the Bottari Impact Wrench and a few other Christmas gift items. The supplement has some useful articles including a look at the new car models coming our for 2009. Well worth a read if you're splashing the cash on a car next year.

www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk - Here's a good website for those thinking of buying a greener car for next year. It details low emission cars from each car manufacturer, information on the most economic cars, road test reviews (even video reviews), and latest news from the industry. It also provides some really good and detailed guides to green cars, which explains some of the terms and features associated with them. 

Overall a very decent website, well designed and some useful information for drivers with a green conscience.

Okay, so we're all skint and won't be buying a new car in 2009. We look at our car sitting miserably out in the driveway and we think, 'another year driving around in this lump'. Well don't despair, because there's a lot you can easily do to spruce up your car for 2009. Here's the top five tips from The Filter to help you:

1. Start off by giving the interior a good clean up. Give it a proper hoover (vacuum for any Americans), polish the dash and the door interiors and clear out the boot and glove compartment. Get a decent air freshener - you can get ones that specifically give off the smell of a new car so don't just go for the cheapest.

2. Now accessorise the interior.

• Get a new set of mats. These will do the front and rear. You can get cheaper rubber ones for about 30quid or a decent set of carpet & rubber mats for about 50quid.
• Now get a new set of seat covers. A decent set of seat covers can really transform the interior of the car, covering up any coffee stains on your seats and giving the feel of a new car when you sit into it. These will range from 40 to 80 euro for a decent set of covers 
• If you do a lot of driving / commuting, why not get yourself a seat cushion, about 25 quid and well worth the investment
• If you're like me and you dump everything and anything into the boot of the car, then you should probably also get a rubber boot mat for 2009 (36.50euro). This will transform the boot into an area that also looks new. And it will protect your boot carpet, if you're going to be selling the car on.
• The steering wheel can often start to fade after a few years, so why not get a new steering wheel cover. Now i'm not talking about the racing style steering wheel cover, but there are nice leather-look steering covers from about 12 euro.

3. Now the exterior. Start off by giving the car a good wash. You can go to the car wash if you're lazy, but the jet wash is a better option if you really want to get rid of the long-term grim. My advice is to do a jet wash, park up for a while and scrub any existing dirt off (concentrate on the lower regions of the car, where the dirt tends to be almost cemented on), and then give it a second foam clean and jet wash. Now drive home where the real work will start.

4. Polish and wax the paintwork. If you're really serious about sprucing your car up, you really need to give it a decent polish and wax. This will make a real difference to the look of your paintwork and it will also keep the car looking good and clean for a good long period of time. You can get waxes that are suitable for different ages of paintwork so be sure to choose correctly. Some waxes can last for 6 to 9 months so you may not have to do it again until the middle of the summer - so it is worth putting the effort in.

5. Accessorise the exterior. I'm not talking about 'go fast stripes' and boot spoilers (The Filter doesn't like them!), but if your wheels are looking jaded, why not put on a set of new plastic wheel trims (about 40euro for a set of 4). Get a new set of mud flaps (14.50 for 2), or if you do a lot of driving possibly a set of wind deflectors (allow you to drive comfortably with the window down) - about 50 euro.

So there you have it, five changes that won't break the bank and half a days work that will transform your car for 2009. We spend enough time in the car so it's worth the investment. Give your car some dignity for the year ahead.

Here's a few handy video demos to help you with sprucing up the car:

Ciaran from MicksGarage was on TV3's Ireland AM Show this morning discussing winter motoring tips. It was a cold morning out in Ballymount and we nearly had to defrost him when he came back. Some wise tips and advice he covered were:

·         Always keep a can of de-icer in the car during the winter.

·         A windscreen scraper is a useful tool to help clear off frozen windscreens. If you’re improvising, be careful what you improvise with – you can damage your glass

·         Keep extra screen washer fluid in the car.

·         Never use boiling water to clear a frozen windscreen – it can damage the glass.

·         Having your car checked for the winter by your garage is a worthwhile investment. – Fast Fit and a number of car dealerships are doing free car checks at the moment.

·         Make sure your tyres are up to scratch. Know the correct tyre pressures for your car and check them regularly.

·         Check the coolant level regularly and top up as necessary – but only when the engine is cold.

·         Wiper blades wear down over time and smear the windscreen if they become worn. Replace them at least once a year for best performance

·         Check all your lights regularly. Replace any faulty bulbs and make sure your lights are clean.

·         Be sure to have an emergency triangle, High-vis vest, first aid kit and jump leads in the car at all times.