Category: Car

Getting new leather upholstery
These days, leather upholstery is no longer only found on the most expensive luxury cars. In addition to making any car interior instantly look and feel more luxurious, leather seats don’t smell musty or wear out the way typical fabric seats do. That is because leather being an organic product can be conditioned and nourished back to its original condition even years after they’ve been installed. Unlike vinyl or PVC upholstery, leather seats never get as hot when you step into a car that’s been parked in the sun.

2. Adding a window tint
As Singapore lies within the tropics and just a few kilometres away from the equator, the sun and its damaging ultra violet rays beats down on us every day of the year. One very effective way of easing the load on your car’s air conditioner and also protect the upholstery, which can get bleached out by constant exposure to the sun, is to install a window tinting film. Brands like V-Kool and Huper Optik are the most established brands.

3. Going for a car grooming package
Car-grooming professionals take the pain out of washing, waxing and polishing the exterior and interior of your car. It gives you more time to enjoy your weekends instead of getting soapy hands and tired arms. There are normally many different grooming packages available and prices may range from around $30 to the thousands. Some of the more popular automotive grooming companies in Singapore are Autoglym, Amazing Glaze and Glare.

4. Modify the suspension
Does your car feel like it’s ‘floating’ at expressway speeds or when cornering on undulating roads? Chances are, the shock absorbers are worn out and need to be replaced. If you drive a popular model, there may be many brands that offer suspension systems that are suitable for your car. Not only will your car ride more comfortably, the better handling responses also mean that your car be able to react quicker if an emergency arises. Some drivers prefer a lowered, sportier stance for their car. To do this, always replace the existing springs with lower and stiffer items. NEVER, EVER have your existing springs cut to a shorter length as your car will ‘bottom out’ easily over speed bumps or road irregularities and can cause irreparable damage. While some drivers claim that a lower, stiffer suspension improves a car’s handling, a less comfortable ride is almost always a resultant side-effect. Be sure however, to check with the workshop that the suspension upgrade is in compliance with the LTA’s guidelines.

5. Upgrading the sound system
Music playback or news reports can be more clearly heard by simply upgrading your speakers as these make the most apparent difference to any sound system.
If your car’s speakers are more than four years old or if they are exposed to heat for prolonged periods, the paper cones found in most speakers can become brittle and not flex sufficiently during dynamic playback. A more powerful amplifier can also bring out the best from your speakers when it comes to producing bass notes you can feel as well as hear.

6. Getting a new exhaust
You can get more horsepower out of your car from installing aftermarket high-performance exhaust system. Due to the improved flow of the exhaust gases, your car will operate more efficiently. However, expect a louder exhaust note and since there are some regulations about aftermarket exhaust system in Singapore first check with the installer if the item is LTA (Land Transport Authority) approved before buying.

7. Getting a new steering, gearlever and pedals
The steering wheel, gearlever and pedals are all parts of a car that one actually touch, and to further enhance the tactile experience of driving, one can have the steering and gearlever wrapped in leather, and drilled aluminium pedals for better grip. For a really sporty feel, the Italian company Momo, which supplies Ferrari with steering wheels and gear knobs, offers an excellent range as aftermarket equipment.

8. Fitting an air conditioner filter
While some car manufacturers have installed high-qualilty air filters to absorb odours and particles in their new models, those with older cars are left breathing fumes and exhausts from other road users. Well, this no longer need be the case as Cairefresh has developed an aftermarket air filter for airconditioners. Containing an electrostatically-charged polypropylene fibre, this filter inhibits fungi and mould growth as neutralising exhaust odours. This is available from most auto accessory outlets.

9. Fitting a DVD player
“Are we there yet?” is something you’ll never need to hear again when taking the family for a long drive. In-car entertainment systems capable of playing DVDs these days are extremely sophisticated with features like Dolby Digital or DTS surround sound capabilities. Best of all, the existing multi-speaker set-up in most cars is usually sufficient for surround sound. Take this a step further by adding a subwoofer speaker and the improvement to the sound quality of your movies can be surprisingly dramatic.The conventional head unit that plays CDs or cassettes and radio broadcasts in the car can be swapped for one that plays DVDs without sacrificing the other functions we’ve come to expect from a car hi-fi. Most of these players also come with a 7-inch screen that electrically folds out of the way when not in use.

For rear passengers however, a larger, ceiling-mounted extra screen or even individual screens for those seated behind, is essential for viewing movies without craning their necks to the front.

10. High performance tyres
For instant performance enhancement, the easiest thing to upgrade on your car are perhaps the tyres. Depending on the existing rubber on your car, fitting ultra high-performance tyres such as the Bridgestone S0-3, Continental CSC 2 or Pirelli P-Zero should improve the car’s handling noticeably. The downsides from these tyres are usually firmer and noisier ride.

11. Fitting more economical tyres
If you are really keen to get the best mileage from your tank of petrol, in addition to being light footed on the accelerator, another effective fuel saving device is to install low-rolling resistance tyres. The brands like Michelin, Pirelli and Yokohama have eco-tyres that have firmer sidewalls so that they roll with less resistance, and thus consume less fuel.

12. Installing a navigation system
If you are constantly thumbing through your street directory because of a bad sense of direction, what might be useful is installing a GPS and CD-Rom based navigation system. On top of displaying a map, most models will even give voice instructions to get to the destination, allowing one to fully concentrate on the driving. On top of this, most sets have flat LCD screens, displaying a map of the local area, that fit into a regular DIN-sized radio compartment.

13. Buying a new set of wheels
Changing to a new set of wheels not only improves how your car looks, but it may also enhance performance. Larger diameter rims certainly make your car look sportier and lighter wheels boost your car’s handling and acceleration, while wider ones allow wider tyres for better high-speed stability if you are a sporty driver.

14. Getting white light bulbs
The headlamps of many new cars today sport a whiter and seemingly brighter spread of light thanks to the use of High Intensity Discharge (HID) technology. If your car has not been homologated with such headlamps which are known as ‘Xenon’ headlamps, it would be illegal to change to the latter. The next best thing however, is to replace the existing halogen lamps with those that emit a ‘whiter’ light. Make sure however, that the wattage is the same

15. Re-painting it
If you have tried polishing and waxing, but your car still looks like a scrap metal on four wheels, then maybe it’s time to repaint it. Re-spraying not only revitalizes the colour of your car (you can always go for a different colour), but the new coat of gloss also gives it a shiny finish, making it look like it just got out of the showroom.

Car valeting means, mainly, the job of cleaning and polishing both the inside and the outside of cars. Private car owners as well as garages and car rental companies are the most common clients of car valets.

While the chief business is cleaning, a car valet is required to have great marketing skills too. A car valet should talk about the details with a customer, and offer his recommendations, before he begins work. He should examine the car thoroughly after finishing.

A car valet needs to look at the windscreen, the bodywork and the paintwork, and the wheels and tyres. Small parts such as mud flaps might need to be changed. Inside, the engine as well as the windows and the upholstery require cleaning.

If you want to join car valeting, you can be self-employed or work with a company. It’s possible to work part-time as well as full-time. To be a mobile car valet you will need to possess your own car and driving license along with the required equipment to carry.

You need to learn how to use your tools well. You need to know something about the different kinds of paint used on cars. How to cleanse a car and with which cleaning product depends on this. Several chemicals used in the cleaning compounds are poisonous. So be attentive of safety issues and use protective gear when necessary.

It takes around three hours to spruce up a car. The work is fatiguing. Your strength level should be high and you should be available to work outdoors in the heat or rain. Good focus and attention to detail are important. You shouldn’t miss the smallest speck of mud or the littlest scratch. So is communication skill. You need to work out what your client’s requirements are and provide him all the advice you can.

It is not essential for you to have a formal certificate in order to get a job as a car valet. However, if you think you could do with some training, then you could sign up for an apprentice course. Such courses are available at different levels. Much the best training, though, can be got from watching and learning from proficient car valets at work.

How much money you earn will depend on many factors. Salaries fluctuate country-wise. The demand for car valeting in your business area, how many hours you put in, whether you are self-employed or work for a company, and last but not least your experience- all these are key factors. But wherever and however you are positioned, don’t join the profession if cars do not charm you.

Car Discounts keeps changing on month to month basis and is a key component for car dealers in driving sales. There is almost a new car been launched every week or so now in Indian car market. Whether a hatchback, sedan or luxury cars every car maker is poised to capture the sales and market share. Where no new models are launched by a car maker, the manufacturer launches a face lift model of the existing car and intends to create a hype by re-branding the same.

With an objective of increasing sales of existing models, these car makers are also extending up there network by adding up more outlets and new dealerships in close by territories. Its ending up in offering better range for direct customers and becoming a highly consumer market in India.

To extend sales, now comes the discounts and offers. In this highly competitive scenario, wherein within a short distance you can see 2 to 3 dealerships of Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai Motors each, 1 to 2 dealerships of Tata Motors. Ford Cars, Honda Cars, Toyota Cars – the options are unlimited for a customer to choose from. Hence, these car dealerships ends up with more discounts and better schemes to lure up customers to book sales by undercutting the other dealer sales of the same make and even showing the highest discounts of the town and value for money as compared to other car dealerships.

Every month beginning, there is an official discount which comes in but is comparatively lesser in initial days, but when sales does not happen and stock piles up adding up huge inventory cost and interest costs on dealerships, they extend the discounts to offload the cars during second half of the month by offering higher schemes and better offers.

Also, even now the customers are getting informed by checking the Car Discounts and offers online and on a phone call with other dealerships. They have a say to bargain the best deals and showing multiple dealer offers in nearby place. Even, the same is also the case of the biggest market of car finance wherein not only the Bank Branches but the dealers and direct sale agents of these banks are offering cut throat rates and to make a bread and butter offering the best deal to customers.

Customer once having the quotation online from Bank, makes up an inquiry with an online portal and the dealer. Immediately, he will end up having 2 to 3 quotes of different banks from dealer and bank branches to finally choosing up to negotiate the lowest and best deal easily. Thanks to the high technology information era these days.

Cars makers offered healthy discounts on passenger cars ranging from Rs. 60,000 to Rs. 70,000 in the last month of 2011 to pull maximum buyers. The car makers were forced to cut down on the purchasing cost of their vehicles in order to survive the slowdown. However, as soon as the year 2011 ended, each and every car company is ready with increased prices for their vehicles. p>

Both Indian and multinational car manufacturers have confirmed a price hike of up to 3 % with effect from 1st January 2012. As usual, the month of December saw car makers selling their products at huge rebates in order to clear-off the stock. However, this time, the discounts offered by car companies were higher as most passenger cars could not attract sufficient volume of buyers due to high fuel prices and unaffordable interest rates on car loan.

Mahindra & Mahindra has announced an increase in the price of its vehicles by up to 3 %. The company has also decided to raise the cost of its recently launched sports utility vehicle XUV500 to Rs. 30,000-55,000.

HMIL is set to increase the prices of its cars by 1.5-2 % whereas Toyota has decided to hike prices by 1.5-3 %. Ford India will also increase the cost of its vehicles by 2-3 %.

With the start of New Year, buyers will have to pay more for purchasing vehicles, at least during the initial phases of 2012. However, car companies may bring some relief to the customers as a wide range of vehicles would be made available to them.

Every car owner wants his or her car to be in the best condition. There are several products in the market that can help the car owners to maintain their cars in the best condition. People who are even looking to sell used car can also fetch higher price by making there car bright and shine. Many car owners often wonder what the best product for their car is. Shine and texture of the car color plays a vital role in enhancing the overall appearance of the car body especially if one looking to be the first one in buying cars like Nissan Evalia or Renault Scala. Wax and polish are two of the most popular products that can help in enhancing the aesthetics and appearance of the car. Car owners often wonder which of these two products are better for their car. Both these products need to be used in sync with each other for best results.

Polish is a coarse product that is used to sand the surface of the car. It works by sanding the surface in order to bring luster to the body surface. Main objective of using a polish is to smooth the surface of the car body. It takes off any irregularities on the paint and allows the coat to shine effortlessly. Polish is generally required for old cars. It is recommended by the mechanics when the coat of paint loses its shine. This happens due to wear and tear of the car. Sunlight also causes the paint to go flat. Environmental factors also cause oxidation, which leads to degeneration of the paint. Polish is used with an objective of restoring the shine and finish of the body paint.

Wax is a smooth product that is used to seal the paint of the car. Wax works like a protective coat on the car’s body. Wax is used to seal off newly painted car body. One must use car wax appropriately. Wax should be applied by professionals or mechanics only. Wax is used after applying polish. Waxing is a process that is undertaken to protect the car’s body from environmental factors and regular wear and tear. Waxing also prevents the process of oxidation and thereby augments corrosion of the body exteriors.

One must understand that wax and polish are essential to protect the car and enhance its appearance and can be great if buys at time of delivery of new cars in India. One must buy these products from authorized dealers only. It is best that one seeks help from an authorized service personnel or a local mechanic for choosing the appropriate product. One must not ignore the role of these two products in enhancing the life of one’s car.