The Importance of Valeting Your Car

Cleaning and looking after your car is vital in order to ensure it is in top condition and maintains its value. Now alloy wheel repair specialists London-based Whoops Wheel Fix It! have come up with some top tips to keep your vehicle on the road and looking good.

Your car is one of your main assets and so it is vital to give it some regular TLC. This will ensure a better price when you come to sell again and it is likely that you will recoup the costs of valeting at that point. Indeed, maintaining your car's appearance could also make it easier for you to find a buyer, as it will show that the vehicle has been cared for.

It is especially important to keep a company car looking good, as this will help to create the right impression when you meet clients or customers. There is little use in turning up to a business meeting in an immaculate suit if the car you arrive in is letting the side down by looking tatty and old.

At Whoops Wheel Fix It!, we provide an outstanding service to restore your car's bodywork so that your vehicle will look just as gleaming as it did when you first drove it out of the showroom. Our alloy wheel repair service in London is another great way to maintain your vehicle and ensure that it stays in top condition.

Alloy Wheel Repair London  – click here to find out more about our service or contact us  for a free repair quote.

Maintaining the Exterior of Your Car
Washing your car regularly is vital – and it is also important to wax it with a good-quality polish which will help to protect it in all weathers. However, even when your car is well waxed, there are various problems which can take a toll on your paintwork, such as driving through dirt, mud or road salt, loose chippings or uneven surfaces, or being subjected to bird droppings.

Sadly, if you ignore apparently minor damage it can become more major over time, as dented or scraped paintwork will deteriorate faster, causing rust to develop. It should also be remembered that paint is not just cosmetic, but protects the metal bodywork of your car. This means that ignoring minor scuffs can be a false economy.

Fortunately, Whoops Wheel Fix It! offers a fast and efficient service to repair superficial damage to bodywork and retouch paint. We can exactly match any manufacturer's paint colour, using an industry-standard system. Our mobile bodywork and alloy wheel repair service is available to motorists in London, Hertfordshire and Essex, and it is usually possible to repair small chips to paintwork within one to two hours.

We also offer a full body polishing service, carried out by machine. Having your car professionally polished will restore the paintwork's original shine, reducing any tiny scratches caused over time by washing and weather. This is another service which we can bring to you with our mobile van, and is suitable for all types of paint.

Maintaining the Interior of Your Car
There is often a danger that the interior of a car can be overlooked during maintenance. So many people have vehicles which look fine on the outside, but are dirty and full of mess and debris on the inside.

Having a grubby car interior obviously makes a bad impression if you ever have to give a lift to clients or customers and, as with dirt on the exterior of your car, it will also bring down the value of your car when you come to resell. There could also be health implications of having a dirty car, as a survey by the top TV series 'Top Gear' found high levels of bacteria and mould in a family vehicle tested on the show.

Bearing all this in mind, it may be worth considering professional valeting of the interior of your vehicle. This is an especially good option if you have already allowed dirt to build up or have had to carry something messy in your boot – for instance, rubble being taken to your local rubbish dump.

However, it is also possible to valet your own car interior. After clearing out any rubbish, you need to vacuum the inside thoroughly and then use upholstery or leather cleaner to freshen the seats, as well as a suitable cleaner on any plastic components.

Whether you decide to valet your own car interior or take your vehicle to a valeting service, the most important thing is to do it frequently, not just occasionally. This is the only way to avoid dirt steadily building up.

About Whoops Wheel Fix It!

If you need a fast and efficient alloy wheel repair in London, Essex or Hertfordshire, our expert team are the people to call. We are highly experienced and have the latest hi-tech equipment, so you can rely on us for a top quality service.

Alloy Wheel Repair in London and Essex  – click here for details of our service or follow the link for a free repair quote.

Alloy Wheel Repair London – Basic Car Maintenance Tips

Alloy Wheel Repair London – Whoops' pointers on basic car care and how DIY vehicle maintenance can help lower the cost of repairs

Basic Car Maintenance – How DIY Can Lower the Cost of Your Car Repairs

If we find we are too busy to do basic checks on our cars, this can end up costing us more in the long run, so alloy wheel repair specialists in London – Whoops We'll Fix It! – have come up with some handy hints to avoid this happening. It is important to keep your car in tip-top shape, as it is one of the most valuable possessions any of us have – not only in terms of the price of the vehicle, but because of its vital role in getting us from A to B.

We all know the inconvenience and havoc caused when our car breaks down. However, just a few basic car maintenance checks every now and again are simple to do – and in the long run will save on the inconvenience of being without your car. It is not just important to be able to do basic DIY maintenance, but also to look after your vehicle.

Whoops’ alloy wheel repair service in London is an important part of this, aiming to keep your car in perfect condition. We pride ourselves on our expertise, experience and top technology, and offer a complete range of services to sort out the small problems which can all too easily become more major headaches if they are ignored.

Whether you need our alloy wheel repair service in London, an alloy wheel refurbishment or any other service that we provide, including car body work repairs and retouching, we will make it our business to restore your vehicle to picture-perfect condition. Meanwhile, here is our easy guide to some of the DIY car checks that you can do to help keep your car in shape.

Alloy Wheel Repair London click here for details of our service or get in touch now for a free quote.

DIY Car Maintenance – Basic Things You Should Know

Checking the Oil Level

If your oil level is either too low or too high, it can damage your engine, so it is important to keep an eye on this. Before carrying out this simple check, first make sure your engine has cooled down after your most recent journey. The vehicle should have been parked for at least three hours. Your first step is to pull the dipstick out and wipe it with a rag. Then put it back properly in place again, wait for a minute and then pull it out for a second time, this time checking the oil level shown, which should be between the high and low levels marked on the dipstick. If it is too low, add a little oil to bring it up to the right level.

Tyre Pressure and Tread

Drivers should ideally check their tyre pressure every week, using a good-quality digital gauge, and holding it on the valve cap for long enough to get an accurate reading. Having the right tyre pressure is important for both safety and fuel economy, so, if yours is too low, put more air in. Your manufacturer's handbook will give the right pressure level for your vehicle. It's equally important to keep an eye on the level of tread on your tyre, as bald tyres are extremely dangerous, as well as meaning you are breaking the law. Most tyres have built-in tread wear indicators, and when these become visible that means the tread has gone down to the legal requirement of 1.6mm and that you must replace the tyre.

Washer Fluid

It's important to check the level of this weekly, making sure you do so when the car has been parked for at least a few minutes and the engine has had time to cool down. Open the bonnet and look for the washer fluid reservoir, which is in the engine bay – if you are unsure exactly where it is, check your vehicle handbook. Remove the lid and top up the washer with water and screen wash fluid before putting the lid back on.

Radiator Water/Coolant

Checking the level of fluid in your radiator is another important regular check. Again, consult your handbook to find out exactly where the radiator reservoir is in your particular model. Do not touch anything until the engine is cool as there is a risk of being scalded by hot liquids. Once the engine has cooled down properly, check the coolant is between the maximum and minimum levels and, if it is too low, top it up with a mix of coolant and water.

Changing a Bulb

A parts store will tell you what sort of bulb you need and your manual should show you how to get at the bulb. Don't touch the glass when changing a headlight bulb, as many now have special coatings which can be damaged by touching them. With many modern cars, it is now more complex to fit bulbs yourself and this may need to be carried out at a garage.

About Whoops Wheel Fix It!

When you need an alloy wheel repair in the London area, covering north and west London, Essex and Hertfordshire, the people to call are Whoops We'll Fix It! Our experienced team carries out work to the highest standard, using state-of-the-art equipment. We offer a fully mobile service for alloy wheel and body work repairs, so we can come to you if you have a knock or scratch and get your car back to perfect condition.

Alloy Wheel Repair London click here for details of our service or get in touch now for a free quote.

Alloy Wheel Repair London – Car Wheels

Alloy Wheel Repair London – Whoops Wheel Fix It's! easy guide on how to change a wheel

When your car is your pride and joy, you will do everything you can to keep it in great shape, which could range from alloy wheel repair for London drivers right through to a full re-spray.
For most of us, our cars are very much part of the image we like to project, so it can be extremely irritating when things go wrong. Whether your alloy wheels get scraped or chipped, you notice a crack in your windscreen or you drive over something sharp that wrecks your tyres, you will want to get the problem fixed as quickly as possible.
Fortunately, Whoops We’ll Fix It! offers a host of services to make it easier for drivers to keep their cars in great repair. Whether your vehicle's bodywork needs attention, you are looking for car polishing or alloy wheel repair in the London area, we are the ultimate in convenience.
If you have a damaged wheel, you can call in our mobile repair service and we will come to you to carry out on-the-spot alloy wheel repairs in North and West London.
Alloy wheel repair London - click here for details of our service.

How to Deal with a Puncture

Once you have spent a lot of time on the road, the chances are you may be unfortunate enough to get a flat tyre. This can be caused by a number of things – from sharp items in the road to hitting a storm drain. It can happen at the most inconvenient moment, when you are on a busy road, on a roundabout or worse, on a motorway, and often when you are running late for work or for an appointment.
The best course of action to take when you have a puncture is to put your hazard lights on and find a safe place to pull over. If you have a flat, it is not only inconvenient, but you may not actually know how to change a tyre. That will mean you have to rely on a Good Samaritan passing by or call up the breakdown services, which could mean lengthy waiting times.
If you have the misfortune to suffer a puncture while you are driving, while we don’t offer wheel change services, here’s our easy guide to changing a wheel.

Guide to Changing a Car Wheel in Ten Easy Steps

Ideally, you should always have a spare wheel, but many new cars no longer include one and, in order to save on space, they may just include a puncture repair kit. If you don't have a spare wheel, it is important to know how to use your repair kit and to make yourself familiar with it at home before an emergency arises.
The other things you will need include gloves, something to kneel on, your car handbook, a jack, wheel nut wrench and extension bar, reflective jacket and a torch, in case it is dark when you find yourself faced with changing a wheel.
First, make sure the hazard lights are on, the engine is turned off, your car’s handbrake is on and your car is in gear. Don't put yourself at risk by attempting to change a wheel on a motorway hard shoulder or at the roadside. Before you start, get any passengers out of the car and in a safe place well away from the road and vehicle.
Step One: Check your car handbook to find out where you can jack up your car – because if you do it in the wrong areas you can damage your vehicle. Your handbook may also contain more advice about how to change a wheel on your particular model of car, and it is important to follow this.
Step Two: Get the spare wheel from the back or front of the car and lay it on the ground in a convenient place.
Step Three: Take the wheel trim/hubcap off, if your car has one of these fitted. It may be necessary to lever off the hubcap and there might be cable ties needing to be cut.
Step Four: Fit the jack securely in the lifting point shown in your car handbook nearest to the wheel concerned, but don't raise the car yet. Loosen the wheel bolts or nuts, which usually need to be turned anti-clockwise.
Step Five: Jack up the car so that it is just clear of the ground. Never work under the car while it is jacked up and make sure you use the correct jacking point, as specified in your handbook.
Step Six: Remove the loosened nuts and bolts, ending with the top one, and then, when they are all removed, lift the wheel from the hub.
Step Seven: Change the wheel over by taking the old one off and putting the new one on.
Step Eight: Put the bolts back on in the reverse order from when you removed them, starting with the top bolt, but don’t tighten them completely. Don't oil the nuts or bolts as this could create a risk of them then working loose.
Step Nine: Un-jack the car, lowering it carefully to touch the ground.
Step Ten: Tighten the bolts up fully, using your wheel nut wrench.
You should then put the wheel that you have removed back in the boot or carrier of your car. If your spare is a temporary one designed for limited use, bear in mind it is likely to have a speed limit of 50mph and will need to be replaced with a standard tyre as soon as you can arrange this.
It is always best to get a friend or family member to show you how to change a wheel, and there are also various practical courses or evening classes available on basic car mechanics that will cover how to do this.

About Whoops Wheel Fix It!

If you need an alloy wheel repair in London, or body repair work, then Whoops Wheel Fix It! are the people to call. Our team offers great service and has a wealth of experience as well as the very latest equipment, so you can be assured of satisfaction. What's more, we can come to you if needed, as our service is fully mobile.
Alloy wheel repair London - click here to find out more or contact us now for a free quote.

Alloy Wheel Restoration London - What Your Car Says About You

Just as your outfit projects an image about you, so does your car. Both go a long way to creating that first impression. Whether you are a hot-shot executive or a family guy, your car says a lot about you.

Whoops! Wheel Fix It are specialists in alloy wheel restoration, London, and here we take a tongue-in-cheek look at the image you might project with your choice of vehicle and the state of your motor. To create the best impression, it is always important to keep your vehicle in tip top condition.

Alloy Wheel Restoration - London

High Fliers

High flying types choose top of the range models such as Audi, Mercedes and Aston Martin. These vehicle choices reflect that the owner is doing well in life and that he or she wants to create that impression. Top of the range models project an image that the driver is someone to look up to or perhaps someone who is doing well in life. Alloy wheels provide the perfect finishing touch for such models and these top of the range vehicles wouldn't be complete without them.

Family Man/Woman

In the old days Volvo were considered family cars but these days people carriers such as Vauxhall Zafira, Kia Carens and Volkswagen Touran are all the rage. Family types can be spotted a mile off by their cars, sporting “Little Prince or Princess on board” stickers in the rear window and / or blinds on the side windows to protect their precious cargo from the sun. This type of care and attention shows that the owner puts their family first and above all else.

Active/Busy People

Traditionally 4x4 vehicles, such as Land Rovers and Range Rovers were used for going off road and driving in rough terrain. These days they are also used by other people including Yummy Mummy types, ferrying their kids to ballet and football practice and transporting dogs around the countryside for long, muddy walks. The driver of such a car is perceived to be a practical person. Although such cars have been labelled as gas guzzlers, these are the cars that we all secretly covet when it’s snowy outside. They are reliable and can cope with almost any terrain and conditions – both on and off road.

Reliable/Dependable

This is probably the type of car that your Granddad drives. Their main purpose is for getting from A to B. These type of drivers are careful with their money and avoid extravagance. These safe and reliable cars are often hatchbacks such as Skoda Fabia, Vauxhall Corsa, Citroen Picasso or Renault Clio.

Image Conscious

Those that are image conscious will often plump for convertible models such as Alfa-Romeo or convertible minis. These types of cars are often driven by single 'Yuppie' types, or middle-aged men suffering from a mid-life crisis.

Student/Trainee

Students or first jobbers will often drive a clapped out old banger. They don't care what the car is or what it looks like so long as it does the job.

Boy Racers

Boy racers often drive cars that have lots of modifications such as noisy sound systems, go-faster stripes, large exhausts, unusually large alloy wheels, spoilers and tinted windows, This type of driver is often found in car parks late at night with other boy racers. They are likely to wearing a beanie, hoodie or baseball cap.

Whatever car you drive, whether it’s an old banger or a top of the range model, it’s important to look after it well with regular valeting, wheel restoration and dent fixing. Otherwise you will project a sloppy image and this is undesirable, especially if you have passengers. This is particularly crucial if you're picking up a date. If you have a badly looked after car, your date may think that this type of sloppiness extends to other areas of your life as well. At Whoops! Wheel Fix It, we provide alloy wheel restoration for all models from top of the range to more basic vehicles.

About Whoops! Wheel Fix It Alloy Wheel Restoration, London

Cars get easily damaged, and minor chips and dents are common especially on the wheels and bumpers. At Whoops! Wheel Fix It we will have your car's wheels looking brand spanking new in next to no time with our mobile alloy wheel restoration and refurbishment service. We provide alloy wheel restoration in London and surrounding areas. Wheel refurbishment is a great low cost way to maximise your car's image.

Our team of experts are highly skilled and work to extremely high standards. Contact us now for a no obligation quote.

Alloy Wheel Restoration – London

5 Reasons to Keep Your Car in Tip Top Shape

At Whoops Wheel Fix It we specialise in bodywork and alloy wheel restoration for cars in North London, West London, Hertfordshire and Essex. Our services are aimed at keeping your car in the best condition possible, whether that's repairing chips and scuffs to bodywork, restoring a showroom colour and shine, or refurbishing your alloy wheels.

But, as nice as it is to keep your car looking great, there are actually some good, practical reasons for doing so, that go a lot deeper than just how your car looks.

Alloy Wheel Restoration North London – Click here to find out more about our bodywork, polishing and alloy wheel restoration services in North London.

1. Protect Your Investment
For most people, buying a car is their biggest investment next to buying a house. We all know cars depreciate in value over time, but some depreciate faster than others – and that's not just down to the make and model of the car. If you've sunk thousands of pounds into buying your car, it makes sense to protect that investment by preventing it depreciating faster than it needs to. Anyone familiar with Parker's price guides (or similar publications) will quickly see what the main factors are in affecting the price of a used car: its year of production (its actual age), mileage (which is an estimate of mechanical wear) and condition.

"Condition" simply means the state of the bodywork and interior. While you could dismiss these as being "cosmetic" compared to important things like mechanical wear, a glance at the actual figures are educational.

For instance, let's take an Audi A4 2.0 TDI 4 door saloon, new in 2010, and with a mileage of 30,000. For a private sale, this car in "Good" condition is valued at £13,140. The same car, with the same mileage in "Poor" condition is valued at £11,045. (Source: Parkers online car valuations March 2013). That is a difference of £2,095 and more than 15% of the top price. Who wants to throw away two thousand pounds for the sake of a little TLC?

A full body polish costs from £300 + VAT, and alloy wheel restoration around £50-65 + VAT for a standard finish – all available from our mobile van serving the North London area. Even if your car needs both bodywork and wheel refurbishment, this can still add up to far less than what you stand to lose by trying to sell your car with faded or chipped bodywork and scratched alloys (exact costs and potential improvements to car value will depend on car model).

2. Improve Its Saleability
If you plan to sell your car on in the future, then it makes sense to think about its future saleability. The actual price you can sell it for is one thing (see point 1 above) – the other is how appealing and desirable it is likely to be to a buyer. Initially, these might seem like the same thing, but when it comes to the psychology of car buying, they are very different.

The list value of a car is a non-emotional way of comparing one car with another. But as anyone who has bought a car will tell you, choosing a car involves a lot more than just comparing asking price with list value. We look at colour, we look at shape and we look at shine. Many buyers are willing to pay a little more – or be reluctant to haggle too hard – for the sake of having the car we've fallen in love with because of the way it looks. And when it looks almost like a new car, this will often feel like a bargain to the buyer, even if they have paid top price for it.

When it comes to haggling over the price, a car in tip top condition doesn't give buyers the chance to knock too much off your asking price. As long as you have priced your car fairly according to generally accepted valuations and factored in a little room for manoeuvre (by adding a couple of hundred to the asking price) you can stand your ground with cheeky hagglers, confident in the knowledge that someone else will almost certainly want to buy it.

3. Dress to Impress
Even if you don't want to worry about the value of your car, and you're not think about selling any time soon, your car and the way it looks can say a lot about you. If you chose your car because of the good impression it makes (either to impress yourself, your friends or your clients) then you're already aware of how your car – and the condition it's in – can affect how you are perceived by others.

If you're going on a date, to a job interview or to a client meeting, you will no doubt make some effort to ensure your clothes and your grooming are as good as they can be. So why ruin that impression by travelling in a car which needs a good wash, has faded bodywork and chipped alloys? A clean, "well groomed" car gives people the message that you are organised, successful, have good self-respect and are generally "together" as a person.

4. Defy Your Age
Of course your number plate will always reveal the true age of a car – unless you have a personalised number plate – in which case only the true experts will be able to ascertain the age of your car just by looking at it. For certain premium brands of car, such as Jaguar, Aston Martin or Porsche, the brand itself has the caché, often unaffected – or even enhanced – by it being an older car. But hiding your car's true age with a personalised number plate will be of no avail if your car's paintwork is dull or damaged and your alloys are chipped and scratched. For cars in this category, with the right attention to bodywork and alloys, a 15 year old Jaguar can be just as impressive – even more so – than a brand new car.

5. Doing Your Bit for the Environment
Motoring and environmental consciousness don't always go hand in hand, but there is one major thing that car owners can do to minimise their impact on the environment – and that is simply to use each car you own for longer. Suppose you drive and own cars over a 50 year period and you drive each car for 3 years and 4 months before getting a new one – that's 15 cars over a lifetime. Extend your usage to 5 years and that's 10 cars over a lifetime and 5 cars that didn't need to be built using precious earth resources.

Even if you argue that cars just enter the second hand market and continue to be used that way (which is true), a car which has been well maintained and still looks good will have a much longer life as a second hand car than one which looks faded or where chips have gone untreated and rust damage has taken its toll in the first few years.

Whatever the age or model of your car, keeping it in showroom condition is a sensible investment – in the value of your car and in the positive impression that it can make for you.

Alloy Wheel Restoration North London – Click here to find out more about our bodywork, polishing and alloy wheel restoration services in North London.