Want to armour your car?

By CARSIFU | 30 July 2016


PETALING JAYA: “Uneasy” would be an understatement to describe the times we live in today.

The recent spate of gun crimes has added one more dimension to shake public confidence along with various ills doing the rounds in Malaysia.

A real estate agent who was owed RM13mil was shot dead in her MPV in early July. And the death of a moneylender in a very public execution-style murder on Wednesday has concerned citizens wondering: “What is this country coming to?”

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For those who have reasons to fear being attacked or shot at while driving or being driven on the road, armouring their vehicle is an option to consider.

In Malaysia, armouring passenger vehicles is a low-volume business and only a handful of players are doing this. One of them is IMS Magna Armoring of Kuala Lumpur, whom we reported about in April 2014. At the time, it showed off its handiwork through an armoured BMW X6.

CarSifu is republishing the information on IMS Magna Armoring along with new details today as it ties in with a topical issue that is of public interest. Other companies offering car armouring services in Malaysia include SecuGlass Sdn Bhd and STEC Laminates.

IMS Magna Armoring’s packages are suitable for vehicles with engine capacities of 3.0-litre and above. The vehicle has to have a bigger engine to ensure enough power to haul the standard vehicle plus the additional weight imposed by the armouring.

No penetration


It costs between RM145,000 and RM200,000 to armour a vehicle. While many would balk at the cost, it has to be weighed against the value of the life or lives being protected, which to the person paying would always mean “priceless”.

IMS Magna Armoring’s armoured vehicle solutions are different from traditional methods which use steel plates. It uses DuPont’s famed Kevlar fibre for the car’s body panels. The bulletproof glass materials are imported from the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

Its chief executive officer, Howe Chin, pointed out that traditional solutions can result in significantly higher weight which would require modifications to the car’s suspension and brakes.

He said the local company’s solutions add only 250kg to the vehicle weight. According to him, armouring a vehicle, which typically is an MPV, would take around three weeks.

“No modification to the suspension or electrical system is needed. Also, our bulletproof glass does not cause vision distortion. We offer immaculate finishing while maintaining the vehicle’s original appearance,” he said.

“The solutions can withstand bullets from 9mm handguns and this has been certified by the Weapons Technology Division of the Defence Ministry,” said Chin.

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Note: BR1-7  same as B1-7 in Class column.

According to the European standard for armour protection (bullet resistance in windows, doors, shutters and blinds), there are 7 levels of protection with B1 being the lowest and B7 the highest. B2 protection is able to resist penetration from 9mm handguns, the most common calibre used in Malaysia. The United States follows its own security standard.

Chin said IMS Magna Armoring is mulling plans in 2017 to buy vehicles, armour them and put them up for sale rather than depend only on walk-in customers who seek such protection. It is also in talks to secure a contract to armour a fleet of Proton Perdana in the government sector.

For details, call 1300 888 223 or log on to the IMS Magna Armoring site.

 


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