Define expectations first

Q1: I have just bought a brand new car and want to know what’s the best way to maintain the colour shine of the car over the years.

A salesman told me to have it polished twice a year and wax the car every two months.

What would you recommend and for polishing what would be a typical price range for a good polish work?

Joe
Kuala Lumpur

It really depends on what your expectations are, which can range from something with practical sensibilities to a complete show-car maintenance.

If you're on traditional polish and wax systems, then yes your salesman would be quite right with his recommendation although waxing should best be done monthly as our humid weather conditions limit its effectiveness to a 3-4 week durability period.

If you'd like to find out more about polishing and waxing techniques pop on over to the "Finishing Touches" section where a number of articles will discuss this in detail (pun intended).

Prices will vary according to quality of workmanship, products used and number of man-hours required.

My advice is to visit to several detailers and weigh-in what they can offer you in terms of meeting your requirements.


Q2: The A-pillar cover on the driver's side of my 11-year-old Proton is coming loose. And it's quite annoying and an eyesore. Can a detailer fix this problem?

Ricky
Port Dickson

Interior plastics degrade over time, especialy in our weather.

Depending on what has caused the A-pillar cover to come loose, you could be looking at anything from loose screws, broken clips or a deformed panel.

If your detailer is skilled with the dismantling and re-assembly of interior components he might be able to assist you, otherwise a visit to the mechanic or an accessory-shop technician should sort it right out.


Q3: The top of the tailgate of my Nissan Cefiro has three spots like acid burn and water is leaking into the boot whenever it rains.

One stop-gap measure I could think of is to seal the underside with tar-like substance. The other option and a permanent one is to replace the whole tailgate if I could find a replacement from the potong kereta folk.

Is it too late for detailers to patch up this problem? I want to review all my options before taking the next course of action.

Dimple
Kuala Selangor

If water is indeed leaking in through the abovementioned three spots, then you've got one of two frugal options (if we're leaning that way).

Weld the damaged spots and then send for repainting although it won't be a permanent solution and would require some touch-ups in the future as the welding marks start to re-appear.

Otherwise, get that used replacement from a chop-shop. Me? I'd personally get it replaced with a new panel along with a fresh layer of paint.