Regardless of whether the car collisions took place while you were on the road, or you came outside to find that someone hit your vehicle while it was parked, accidents are stressful and inconvenient. We understand this, and will work closely with you and your insurance company so that we can make repairs as quickly as possible so you can get back on the road.
It didn’t take long for cars to start sporting metal bodies. In fact, the first US car with a steel body was the Eastman Steamer in 1901, followed by the first car with an aluminum body, the 1902 Marmon. Both of these were made with metal panels that were pinned to all-wood frames.
In its history of auto making, the Volvo company has innovated many important advances in the area of safety. This includes everything from seat belts to crumple zones, rear facing child seats, collapsible steering columns, and side collision protection.
The Gross Combination Weight Rating, or GCWR, is the maximum weight for the vehicle and the trailer. This measurement also includes all people and objects inside both the vehicle and trailer. Exceeding these will cause extra stress on the vital parts of the truck.
It’s a common misconception that a vehicle is totaled if the frame is damaged in an accident. This isn’t necessarily the case. As long as the cost of repairs isn’t more than a certain percentage of the total value of the car, insurance will pay for the body shop to repair frame damage as well as other types.
Did you know that chemists were partly responsible for some of the advancements in automotive finishing? Alkyd resins were used to produce enamels in the 1930s, which are generally considered the beginning of the modern process of car painting.
Auto body paint and primer come in many different types, from rust fighting aerosols to etching filler and primer. Aerosol auto body paints are most effective when used as a coating cover or as an internal panel coating agent.
Not all dents are good candidates for paintless dent removal. If the finish or underlying paint coats are cracked or crazed, the color and finish must be reapplied to protect your vehicle and produce a smooth, like-new gloss.
In the early 1980s, the car industry began experiments with paint using water-based systems. Unfortunately, these products were not very successful and were ultimately produced and tested to help California with its smog problem.
Before any type of collision repair is performed, a thorough inspection is needed in order to pinpoint any problems or structural weaknesses in the vehicle. Careful attention should be paid to the alignment, suspension, and all mechanical elements.
Are you thinking of having your car repainted and can’t decide on a color? Remember that darker colors have a tendency to show every blemish and can take more effort to maintain a clean look.
In auto collision repair, an engine compression test can help to establish the overall integrity of the engine. Since an engine is essentially a self powered air pump, it needs good compression to run efficiently and cleanly.
We recognize that damage to your vehicle’s body isn’t always something that will keep you from driving safely. That said, putting off body repairs could lead to more extensive bodywork requirements as time goes on.
Body shops can be very helpful even when you haven’t been in an accident. Virtually all collision repair centers will also remove dents and repair damage from weather, such as hail. They have the equipment and know-how to get your vehicle back to its former condition.
What is PPF? It’s an acronym used by industry specialists, car enthusiasts, and manufacturers to describe paint protective film, the clear, flexible urethane covering applied to shield car finishes from the ravages of wear.
Repairing a vehicle following a serious collision will usually involve much more than just fixing dents and hiding flaws. In many cases, the frame will be damaged, which will completely offset the way the rest of the vehicle looks and drives.
We employ skilled collision repair technicians who can straighten bent car frames, smoothen dents, and replace collapsed parts that cannot be mended.
The National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS) for 2012 listed some interesting but somewhat predictable findings. The highest cell phone use while driving occurred among 16 to 24 year olds and increased the risk of crashes.
TIG welding is typically used for piping systems, motorcycles or bikes, and aerospace welding. Some advantages of using TIG welding are the ability to weld very thin materials, clean, high quality welds, and the wide variety of alloys that can be welded.
Did you know that if a service agreement cannot be reached between the repair shop and your insurance company, your policy has an “appraisal clause,” whereby an independent appraiser can be called in to resolve the matter?
For more than 50 years, nitrocellulose lacquer was the leading automotive paint in both custom and production environments. Why? It was easier to spray, dried faster, produced vibrant colors, and created a glossy, eye-catching finish.
It can be easy to think that being rear-ended at a low speed won’t cause a lot of damage, but you might be surprised. If a bumper is poorly designed, or the car hits in the wrong place, it can cause a lot of damage, but a collision repair expert can take care of it.