Like new again
The car ain't a pretty sight but it will be - days later. A Pro-Garage worker sanding down the bonnet of a Mercedes coupe before it is painted. Shop located in Sunway Damansara, Petaling Jaya.
WHEN scratches, dents and stains are beyond a detailer’s ability to remove them, it’s time to feign ignorance or get a new paintjob.
If you choose the latter route, there are plenty of spray-painters eager to make money out of your sorry situation. Workmanship is always a prime concern when scouting for a refinisher. You want a good paint, a long warranty and an excellent job at a fair price.
Pro-Garage Sdn Bhd appears to fit the bill. Judging by its established clientele, it is making all the right moves to draw a steady stream of customers who are on to a good thing when they see one.
It has half of its work cut out for it as it’s a favoured refinisher for two insurers that send it accident vehicles to be restored. Having the hydraulic tools to “tarik chassis” of such beat-up cars means Pro-Garage does not need to outsource such work.
Pro-Garage started out in Petaling Jaya’s Kampung Kayu Ara locale in 1992 and shifted to Sunway Damansara in 2003. It will move to even bigger and better equipped premises nearby this month.
“We don’t do rush jobs; our priority is to give customers quality,” says Pro-Garage managing director N. Suresh.
It takes 14 working days to change the colour of a car and only 10 to re-spray the same colour.
Pro-Garage uses premium Sikkens paint.
“Previously, we used German-made Glasurit but have switched to Sikkens. Sikkens, a Dutch product, is better. It’s easier to blend Sikkens with the body paint. For example, we need only five layers of Sikkens to match paint; it will require seven in the case of Glasurit.”
It also uses locally made Carmix for Proton and Japanese makes like Toyota and Honda.
A rare sight indeed. This MGA has seen better times. Its owner hopes to restore it to its former glory with a Sikkens paintjob at Pro-Garage of Sunway Damansara, Petaling Jaya. Two cans of the German-made Sikkens paint is shown on top of the MGA, which was launched in 1955. More details on
www.mgcars.org.uk/mga.html
Sikkins, being inherently brighter, is unsuitable for them because the contrast will be visible, says Suresh.
For a glossy, durable finish, it’s important to have the preparatory steps done right. Poor prepping can result in lack of adhesion, air entrapment, orange peel, pinhole, fisheye, blistering, wrinkles and pre-treat staining.
The prep work, primer, blocking, and the final spray job and detailing are involving tasks, each taking less than a day to a few days.
It takes two days to strip the car of all its trim, bumpers, mirrors, grille, and other items, followed by sanding, priming and masking.
Then the car is sprayed with the new colour and baked in the oven for four to five hours. It is followed by more sanding and polishing for a smooth lacquer finish.
The car is washed down to remove all contaminants and all the parts are fixed back before a final polish and wash is performed prior to waxing.
Suresh’s workers were able to strip down and reinstall the parts in the Mercedes CL500 and the latest BMW 6 Series without using special tools.
As the work is done by hand, the uniformity of paint deposition on car surfaces cannot equal what a spray painting robot in a factory can achieve. To the customers’ naked eyes, however, Pro-Garage’s refinishing quality is stellar enough to kill complaints.
“After my boys have done the job, I’ll personally inspect every car and make sure the job is of high standards. If not, I’ll tell them to re-do it. But these are few and far in between.” Pro-Garage offers a five-year Sikkens warranty against colour fading. –
GEORGE WONG
