New Westminster Automotive

After emigrating from east Africa in 1974, Bashir Hirjee started detailing cars in a small bay in his father's Texaco station. Today, Bashir's detailing center, Bashir’s Auto Cosmetics, could swallow several such bays, as the sprawling facility covers 16,000 square feet and services up to 150 cars per week. Inside the center, autos enter a 110-foot tunnel for a thorough lambscloth car wash before a slew of protectants enhance paint and inhibit rust. Customers can take refuge in Bashir's 800-square-foot lobby while they wait, running fingers along the handmade mahogany furniture or easing into a leather sofa to enjoy the view of a flat-screen TV. A 150-foot red carpet also runs adjacent to the auto wash tunnel, letting drivers keep watch over their sudsy vehicle like a school chaperone on a class trip to the water park.

Since 1961, Crompton Brothers Automotive has kept cars across Vancouver running smoothly with repairs and maintenance of all kinds. Skilled technicians conduct basic oil changes and tune-ups with a flair worthy of a pharaoh's garage. They also inspect suspension systems and transmissions, check brakes and electrical systems, repair radiators, and break up any spare-tire parties in the trunk.

Stepping out on the showroom floor and being labelled as "used goods" can be the most frightening experience in a car's life. When local dealerships are prepping cars for their big day, they call on Dynamic Shine Ltd., whose technicians—many of whom have been with the company for more than a decade—have been preserving vehicles for more 25 years with a blend of detailing packages and protective services.

Most of the automotive-maintenance services at Pro Oil Change begin with the pop of a hood. The dull sound reverberates around the engine, where trained and certified technicians inspect air filters, replace batteries, refill fluid levels, and inject Valvoline motor oil. Outside the automotive nucleus, they extend their restorative touch toward burned-out headlights and waved-out windshield-wiper blades. All of this unfolds inside their welcoming facility, which accepts all vehicle makes and models and features a waiting room with TVs and complimentary coffee, hot chocolate, or tea.

At Coquitlam Wash World, drivers turn cars over to a chorus of machines or scrub them by hand with powerful, simple-to-use tools. The centre’s two touchless tunnels offer a wealth of services, including hot and cold soak, candy-coloured tri-foam, and fast-acting drying agents. Drivers can also roll roadsters into a 40-foot self-serve wash bay, where they’ll find an arsenal of foaming exterior brushes, high-pressure water guns, and shampoo-dispensing brushes designed for interiors. Coquitlam Wash World ensures visitors receive treats for all their hard work, including lollipops for children, dog biscuits for canines, and paper clips for teething accountants.