Getting your vehicle a cheap face-lift on Jl. Kramat Raya

By P.J. Leo

JAKARTA (JP): Driving along Jl. Kramat Raya heading toward the Senen area in Central Jakarta, and chances are you will be confronted by people weaving between traffic and gesturing wildly.

"Come over here, Sir! We guarantee quality!"

They are all in the business of giving face-lifts to battered cars.

They tout their skills in ironing out the dents and scratches on paintwork and providing a finish that would bring a gasp of pride to a second-hand car showroom owner.

Their diminutive signboards bear a uniform slogan of Menerima Cat Duco dan Las Ketok, meaning that they accept orders for pounding, welding and painting of vehicle bodies.

Wawi, 43, a veteran of dozens of years as a car body repairman, is among those on the street who specializes in light automobile body repairs.

Assisted by 10 other workers, Wawi oversees 10 or 15 repairs in one day, from simple scratches to the heavier damage sustained in collisions.

"I have been in the repair business since I was still single. I had some experience from my work in a garage," Wawi said. "The present economic crisis has not affected our business."

This plump father of three, who speaks in the distinctive vernacular of native Jakartans, will only help out in the repairs if business is unusually hector.

His neighbor, Aang Zakaria, is also his tenant. The 40-year- old has only one assistant and, with no other place to work, he rents a small space from Wawi.

Aang pays Rp 5,000 for each parked car, plus Rp 2,000 for use of a compressor to paint the vehicles.

"From these activities I can provide for my family's daily needs despite the current crisis," the slight father of five said.

There is no cut-throat rivalry between Wawi and Aang to attract customers. They take turns in receiving orders for car repairs.

Minor repairs cost less than Rp 100,000. Bigger jobs can reach Rp 300,000.

Guarantee

"If a car owner wants complete repainting, it costs between Rp 1 million to Rp 1.5 million," Wawi said. "A guarantee of three months is normally given to the client. We need one week to get the job done."

Speaking last month, Wawi said expenses for materials such as paint had not increased exorbitantly.

Negotiations with potential customers are conducted when a car stops on Jl. Kramat Raya. The repair work starts the minute a deal is struck.

Aang inspects the vehicle and assembles the equipment needed for the repair job.

"Slight damage to a car or a motorcycle as a result of sideswiping or a collision requires only two or three hours to make it look new again," Wawi said.

Aang pounds on the dent of a car with a hammer. Next, he uses sandpaper to smoothen the surface. He then uses steel spatulas to apply Daltone putty mixed with a slight amount of the drying agent of yellow Daltone polyester putty.

After 10 to 15 minutes, the putty on the car body is scoured again to obtain a smooth surface. After cleaning the surface, Aang applies gray Isamu lacquer on the putty. It is left to dry and then scoured once again to obtain a glossy finish.

Then it is time for painting with the help of an air compressor.

If the weather is fine, the car soon looks almost as good as new.

In the days when there was no air compressor, a pump was used to spray the paint all over the car.

Wawi is thankful that time has passed.

"It was painful on the back!" he said.