Contributed by Tim Brugger, Catalogs.com Top 10 Guru

Cars are a terrible thing to waste.

Maintaining your car in tip top shape will not only keep it looking good, it will save you a lot of money over the long haul. A little lube here and filter there will extend the life of what can be a pretty expensive proposition if something breaks down.

But how to maintain your car, therein lies the rub. The Best of list to follow should give you a pretty good head start.

Mud flaps

Protection from the environment

For trucks or SUV’s, slappin’ on a pair of mud flaps does more than just look good. Anything that keeps mud, water and grime off the body will help minimize rust and wear. And when you’re considering how to maintain your car or truck, some thought needs to be put into the outside as well.

Check fluids

Maintain optimal levels

Most of us know enough to get the oil changed, whether we do it ourselves or drop by the local fast food oil change shop. But there are a lot more fluids than just oil in our cars, and many of them go neglected until it’s too late. Flushing and replacing the power steering fluid is the optimum, but ensuring the levels are where they need to be is an absolute must. And like so many maintenance items, it’s not expensive.

Great tutorials

Save you a bundle on d-i-y projects

Whether you’re new to car repair, just need to look up the details for how to fix that odd noise, or are looking to your own version of “Pimp my Ride” with the help of the pros, there’s going to coming a time when you need the how-to as much as you need the car parts.

There are some great car repairs video at the Car Care Kiosk, with content for all major car types and clear advice on how to maintain your car and repair your car to keep it running smooth.

We all know what it costs to take our car into the shop, it’s become like going to the doctor’s office it seems. They ding you about $100 just for saying ‘Hi.’ Take a peek at these videos, you’ll be surprised just how easy working on your own rig can be. Sure, you’ll regret having shelled out a small fortune in the past, but best not to dwell on that.

Beemer parts

Both necessities and luxuries

Just as with the mud flaps, the little dings and paint chips that are inevitable not only look bad, but gone untreated can cause much bigger corrosion problems. Dropping by the local body shop to repair a few spots will set you back a lot more than necessary. For the Beemer owner, Bavarian Autosport will set you up with all the maintenance gear you’ll ever need, and even some that are more luxury than necessity.

Mustang afficionados

Keep it classic

Whether you have an old ‘Stang like this Hi-Pro air filter is designed for or not, changing out the air filter is about the easiest maintenance tip there is. Unscrew the top, pull out the filter, drop the new one in and screw the top back on. Amazing that something so easy can make such a huge difference to both the performance and longevity of a car. If you’re lucky enough to have an old Mustang, or even a newer one for that matter, you’ll want to make the Mustangs Unlimited link part of your web browser’s Favorites list.

Corvette dreams

Authentic Chevy brand

In the interest of fair play we needed to include a Chevy-related maintenance product directly after the Ford. I know, it’s the Elvis or Beatles argument all over again. As you may have gathered, answering the question of how to maintain your car should include as many options for the outside as under the hood. Changing fluids and filters are important, but the outside is too often neglected. If you’re cruisin’ in a Corvette, you definitely don’t want to ignore the outside and a car parts catalog makes it easy not to. They will have all the engine and performance parts the ‘Vette owner will ever need too, along with covers like this one to fight off the weather.