Most of us never would want to see the inside of an auto body repair shop. At the most we can often smell the solvents being emitted by automotive body vehicle repair shop as we drive by and wonder how those people can make it through a work day never being precise and accurate in both matching the color of car panels and repairing auto, truck and S.U.V bodies after vehicle collisions.

It is only by accident – car accidents that most of us end up inside the premises of our local, dealer or a chain auto body shop.

Most shops now bear little relation to the establishments you may remember as a child – dark and dusty surrounded by both piles of used and new car parts as well as a mean guard dog in the yard. There may be a few of those still around but they are a dying breed. Repairing cars now, especially with the electronics in today’s vehicles, requires both skill, education and training, sophisticated tools and an ultra clean, modern shop.

Modern body shops now seem to be uniformly clean, well laid out and well lit. As well many body shops are laid out in several distinct separate staging areas. Vehicles are estimated in one area, body work done in another, electronic repairs in yet another area, painted in a very separate area, and finally detailed and presented to the customer in a display area.

If the vehicle has major damage, then it is moved to a disassembly area and onto a frame machine. Unibody construction is utilized by most autos today. Unibody is a an automotive and mechanical body term which describes how sheet metal is stamped, formed and welded together to form the structural portion of the car or truck body.
The purpose of the “frame machine” is not to straighten the car frame now – rather it is to straighten the unibody construction of the vehicle.

Measuring the vehicle body for correct unibody alignment is more than critical. As little as one millimeter error is all that is allowed by most car, truck and S.U.V. manufacturers. Laser measuring systems are used by many body shops along with the frame machine to ensure that everything is straightened accurately to the decimal point.

With the unibody of the vehicle straight, the car, truck or S.U.V. moves to the metal work area where new sheet metal is mounted and damages area straightened. This work is still done by skilled technicians and tradesmen using hammers and dollies, but even the work done by body shop technicians has been changed by modern technologies. Overhead vacuum lines are connected to the grinders and sanders to pull dust and dirt away from this part of the shop. Modern body shops can remain very clean and dust free- indeed modern electronics , and even the most modern hi tech electronics of hybrid vehicles demand this.

With the entire metal straight, it’s on to the paint preparation area, commonly referred to as “paint prep”. Quality shops will use dust extraction systems to remove the dust when sanding and spraying the paint primers. Infrared lighting systems may be used to cure primer paint quickly and properly. These infrared lights can shorten the cure time from 24 hours remarkably to as little as 20 minutes. All of these procedures both help you to get a higher quality assured job and get you back on the road in a minimal time span.

Painting the final colors and clear coats is done in a paint booth. There are many types and brands of paint booths, however it is generally accepted the best are the “downdraft” units where fresh filtered air enters the top of the booth and any underspray is pulled downward and out through grates in the floor. The downdraft procedure of paint booths can produce the best and most consistent of paint finishes. In addition a well trained operator can make a great difference in final paint and appearance quality and consistency. A dust free paint booth of any design is better than a dirty and dusty paint booth of the highest end. Before spending your money or committing yourself to the job or repairs it is always best to ask to examine several examples of the shops work on several vehicles. In addition ask to see finished examples of several different body types – cars, trucks, vans and SUVs. Look for smooth finishes with minimal dust specs and colors that match from panel to panel. These are the signs of a quality paint job done by a skilled and professional painter.

It goes without saying that a professional paint shop will be proud of their faculties- the layout, equipment, training of their staff – and most of all their people.

Such a shop should have no trouble, barring practical logistics, of allowing you a tour of their facilities. Indeed after all of their careful efforts they should be most proud to give you a tour and point out their strong points and capabilities as well as examples of their finished product.

After all it’s your vehicle that is being repaired – whether it is your new S.U.V, car, truck, van or bus.

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Auto body Repairs Using Sand Blasting Equipment
A restoration requires you to make a choice as to which method you are going to use. In order to do this you really need to categorize the levels of restoration.

Category One – Light to Medium fix ups
Mechanical repairs and repainting
The basic mechanical work is done first to ensure safety of the vehicle components. This followed by minor body works and refinishing touch ups.

Mechanical repairs with replacements and refinishing
Some mechanical parts are replaced as needed. Little more detail is required in the bodywork.

Category Two – In Depth Restoration
Similar to the mechanical repairs with replacements with the refinishing more in depth. Some taking apart of the vehicle is required to attend to rust and corrosion of key parts. Items have to cleaned, refurbished or replaced such as drive train parts, suspension and underbody parts. Close color match of body is required and trim may need replacing. Cars restored under this category are often pampered and not used on a daily basis.

Category Three – Just off the Assembly Line
Restoration here entails making the car look like it’s just been manufactured. Showroom quality. No body fill can be used in these restorations as well as fiberglass body panels except for some Corvettes.

Category Four – Show Piece
This is the museum category and is really not applicable because they are those that are only found in the Museums.

Getting Down to Sandblasting
Sandblasters work off of compressed air and are either pressure feed or suction feed which are the cheaper of the two. The only drawback is that part of their energy goes into drawing up the material however; they don’t require an expensive pressure tank.
Pressure feeds do require a pressurized tank, but they work extremely well.

Sandblasting is effective cost saving and messy. Should only be done outdoors. With the right grade of sand the results taking it right down to the metal and removing the rust pits. It works effectively on other parts as well. Make sure you apply a flash rust treatment to prevent rust till you get the primer on.

The one thing to remember about sandblasting is do not over do it. As soon as you hit the bare metal stop.

You can use silica sand for various other grades just be sure to be careful with what you use. For light touches, you can use the ground or English walnut shells.

The siphon blasters are a lot less expensive than the pressure blasters. Remember to remove the hardware and trim before blasting and make sure you wear the proper body protection as well ensuring you have a proper hood and gloves. Preferably, a supplied air hood would be ideal.

Sandblasting can be extremely effective provided the right techniques, tools and materials are used in a safe environment. Many individuals are against sand blasting because of the damage it can cause. They are right it can work against you but only if you go beyond what is required. The whole key to success is stopping when you hit the bare metal.

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As our economy continues to get worse, we all continue to try to keep our money in our pockets. We are always trying to get the most for our buck and make it go as far as we can. As we try to keep the money in our pockets, things happen and we have to let a few go. Our vehicles tend to suck a lot of those dollars out of our pockets. However, it is very important that we keep our vehicles looking great and protect their value. If your vehicle has auto body damage you can keep money in your pocket with auto body repairs!

A lot of times car owners think that if their vehicles auto body is damaged they will have to get replacement for that part. However that is not true. There are a lot of auto body repairs that can be performed such as paint touch up, bumper repair, auto body repairs, windshield repair, wheel rim repair, headlight restoration, paintless dent removal and more. Auto body repairs usually cost only a fraction of what auto body replacement costs. Also auto body repairs can be completed in just a few hours in most cases; there is no waiting for parts to come in or anything else.

Auto body damages can lead to more damages if not repaired as soon as possible. For example if your vehicle has cracked or chipped paint it is exposing your vehicle’s metal body to all the elements and water, since the paint acts as a sealant. If you don’t repair the chipped or cracked paint you will eventually get rust forming in that area. Rust is a much more extensive repair and will cost you more money. So, if you get the minor repairs taken care of you will keep more money in your pocket.

In most cases you will not need a rental car when receiving auto body repairs since they can be completed in such a timely manner. This will also keep more dollars in your pocket and save you the hassle of renting a car and returning it after your repairs are complete.

Many auto body shops work with insurance companies on the repairs. Some of them will even handle calling and dealing with your insurance company for you. Many times the insurance will pay for the repairs or at least part of them. However, many people find that auto body repairs can be completed for such a low cost that they just pay out of their own pocket.

Paying a little out of pocket now will keep more money in your pocket in the long run. For starters it will prevent you from spending more money on damages incurred from the damages you don’t repair. Also it will preserve the value of your vehicle meaning that you will get more for your vehicle when you sell or trade in if it is in good shape and looks great!

So, keep more money in your pocket by getting auto body damages repaired promptly!

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If your car is in need of auto reconditioning start looking for a qualified professional to handle your concerns. Look for an auto body professional to take care of your ride from bumper repairs to fixing the major auto body repairs