Michael McAleer answers your questions
From Martina from Laois:
I am in the process of buying a used car. I fancy a particular car - however, I don't like the colour. I was wondering how much it would cost to change the colour of this car to a colour I would like if I bought it. It is a BMW 318.
We rang around a few of the auto repair people and were quoted prices in the region of €3,000 to €5,000 for a full respray that would include inside doors and under the bonnet.
There's a vast difference in price between the various independents, so the advice would be to definitely shop around for a quote.
There is some good news however. BMW Ireland estimate that a proper respray at a dealership could cost you about €2,600, including the labour, but that this price would depend on the condition of the car.
With these sort of costs in mind, perhaps the colour of the car doesn't look so bad after all.
From: A O'Sullivan, Monkstown:
There's a car at the bottom of our road that seems to have been abandoned. Over the past few weeks the windscreen has been smashed; the side windows broken; the tyres punctured. What can I do to get rid of this eyesore?
Quite simple really. Contact your local council, which in this case is Dún Laoghaire /Rathdown. It's not the fastest system in the State but it seems to work. According to the council's website, the removal time is within 5-10 days.
From John Morton:
Could you please advise on the best way of removing stale smells, especially from smoking, from the car interior.
There are dozens of so-called old wives' tales for this problem; some work, some don't. Thankfully we've never suffered from this problem, but from a quick survey of our motoring colleagues and a trawl through the internet, we've come up with some suggestions that warrant a try.
First and foremost, several people suggest a good valet service might sort you out. Sadly, speaking to people with experience of your problem, this might solve the problem in the short term, but smoke has a tendency to work its way into the likes of the dash as well as the fabrics and within months it can worm its way back up your nostrils.
Thoroughly wiping down the interior (fabrics, dashboard, doors etc) with vinegar and water is also recommended by some. Also be sure to thoroughly wash the insides of all windows, as the nicotine film can build up there.
Again, never tried it, but it would seem that you'd simply replace the smell of cigarettes with that of a chip shop. Whatever method you use to clean out the car, do so thoroughly. After that, some helpful tips would be to fill the ashtray with potpourri and leave it partially open. You should also place a few fabric softener sheets under each seat.
Alternatively, fill an old sock with charcoal and throw it under the seat.
Charcoal has an amazing quality to soak up smells in all sorts of circumstances, not just the car. However, as this is Motors and not Property, we won't get into that.
From Katherine Finn:
I recently saw a magazine ad for a baby-pink Smart car with matching dashboard etc. When I looked on the Smart car website, they didn't feature this colour. Do you know whether this pink edition of the car will be on sale in Ireland; where the Smart car dealers in the greater Dublin area are, and whether this pink edition will be available with a soft top? (as some other colours of the car are).
Clearly we're dealing with no shrinking violet here. I can't believe anyone would seriously seek out a pink Smart, unless you own a Dublin radio station. Yet it's probably the only car that you can get away with in such a garish colour and have any hope of a resale.
The car you are referring to is the Smart fortwo pink edition, available only as a coupé. This car is essentially a passion model, but with sugar candy pink body panels and interior trim.
Despite the obvious demand for small pink cars in Ireland, Smart will not be selling this special edition in the Republic. Clearly they had not reckoned on your custom.
However, you can source one via the Belfast dealer (smartofbelfast.co.uk). The sales price there is about £8,515 (€12,400), but remember the VRT down here. As for the Dublin dealership, Smart is in Blackrock (01 288 1624) and their details are on the Irish website, smart.com/ireland
Send your queries to Motors Help Desk, The Irish Times, D'Olier St, Dublin 2 - or email motorshelp@irish-times.ie