Pride of Ownership Begins From Within

"Gee, it looks like new,“ said Fran, looking into Randy‘s car.“I’d never have guessed it was eight years old."

Bursting with pride, Randy confessed that if Fran had seen it a month earlier she would have turned her head the other way. The interior had become drab with time and wear. A gap in a seam, once barely visible, now spanned the seat. A minor rip from a screwdriver had become a big hole, oozing with foam padding. The carpeting was worn thin in spots and the headlining fabric was falling down.

“Our car had become a disaster area and we were waiting until the kids learned to behave better before trading,“ he explained. “When that magic time arrived, we got a terrible appraisal from a dealer. Despite pretty low mileage and good mechanical shape, the interior turned him off.

“We got a similar response from another dealer. Forget trading. Instead, we decided to fix up what we already owned. Next stop, Larry‘s Auto Trim. “We found that the upholstery, carpeting and headliner were easily readily replaceable.. Larry said he could makeour shabby interior look like new, begining with upholstery fabric identical to original equipment or, if the owner prefers, an upgrade. Then there‘s carpeting, custom designed to the contour of each vehicle. Ditto, headling fabric which, when professionally installed, looks like origina.

Randy decided to get all three done and it turned out to be a good investment, although he admists the neglect had cost him plenty.

According to the Car Care Council, a well maintained vehicle is worth half again as much as the identical car in average condition.Certainly, the cost of reupholstering, full carpeting and a new headliner would be significantly less than the amount of lost value of Randy‘s car.

The Car Care Council is the source of information for the “Be Car Care Aware” consumer education campaign, providing information about the benefits of proper vehicle maintenance and repair. For more information visit www.carcarecouncil.org.