If you have purchased an old car that is a bit battered but which in good working order, here are some steps you can take to spruce it up.

Get it spray-painted

One easy way to give an unattractive second-hand car a new lease of life is to have it spray-painted. There are several benefits to doing this. Firstly, the colour of a car can reveal its age; if your car's colouring is quite dated (i.e. if it is a colour that was popular many years ago), getting the panels spray-painted with a more contemporary hue is an effective way to make your vehicle look more modern.

Secondly, a few coats of a high-quality brand of paint, applied neatly by a professional, can hide a multitude of flaws. It could, for example, make any light scratches on the panels look less noticeable and could draw attention away from the other parts of the car exterior that are in poor condition (such as the wheels or the lights).

Thirdly, getting the car painted could protect it from further environmental damage when you begin driving it, as the paint can act as a barrier that stops the metal base layer from rusting if the body sustains scratches. This is important, as the appearance of a car that is already old and in less-than-perfect condition will decline rapidly (to the point where the vehicle might not even look roadworthy) if it is badly scratched and starts to rust.

Have a bodywork specialist fix any dents, scuff marks and cracks

Another step that you can take to spruce up a second-hand vehicle is to bring it to a bodywork specialist and have them assess and repair all of those minor imperfections which, whilst they might not compromise the car's roadworthiness, do make it look dilapidated and old. These are the type of flaws that will give your car a neglected appearance, even if you wash and wax it regularly and make every effort to avoid causing further damage. This could be frustrating if you take pride in your vehicle and like to keep it in presentable condition.

Some of the imperfections that a bodywork expert could fix include dents and scuff marks on the door panels, bonnet or roof as well as cracks in the bumper. Levelling out the aforementioned dents, removing the scuff marks and patching up any cracks in the bumper will refresh the vehicle's appearance and make it look newer than it actually is.

Reach out to a bodywork shop to learn more.