Dear Tom and Ray:

Do you have any advice for shining up a gray Ford Econoline? The roof and hood are very dull, and now they are under several layers of wax, none of which shined up the paint. How do I strip off the old stuff to get down to the bottom? Can you give me a brand name? Don

Tom: Sure, I'll give you two: Earl Scheib and Maaco.

Ray: Actually, before you have it repainted, you can try a can of DuPont Polishing Compound. That stuff removes the top, oxidized layers of paint. Of course, if that oxidized layer is your LAST layer of paint, then the van will be shiny, but the shine will be coming from the bare metal.

Tom: Alternatively, can also have a body shop compound and then wax it for you.

Ray: But when you find out how much that costs, you might just decide to go into Maaco or Earl Scheib and get one of their "economy" paint jobs.

Tom: One suggestion, though. Offer to pay extra if necessary to get them to roll up the windows before they spray on the paint. It'll be money well spent.

It's NEVER cheaper in the long run to buy a new car. Want proof? Order Tom and Ray's pamphlet How to Buy a Used Car: Things That Detroit and Tokyo Don't Want You to Know. To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1996 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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