Collision Repair and Auto Body Work – What To Know
The allure of the open road and the necessity to commute to work, school, and daily activities, means that millions of people are on the roads and highways on any given day. According to some statistics, there are about 6 million car accidents on the country’s roads every year. Most of these collision accidents cause some kind of property damage.
If you are lucky enough to come out of the car accident unscathed or with minor injuries, it hurts to see your car mangled or damaged. It is also likely a nuisance, as you suddenly have to scramble to get a rental or find a ride to work. From the moment that car repairs were a thing, so were car repairmen. The art done by “body men,” as they often refer to themselves, is changing as the industry changes, but the fundamentals of quality and craftsmanship remain. As a state-of-the-art auto body shop, Sergio Lewis Body Shop focuses on quality and a job well done. So what are some of the things you know about your collision repair?
What is Collision Coverage?
Collision repair coverage pays to repair the damages or refund you for the vehicle’s cash value if the car is beyond repair. Collision coverage ensures the cost of your vehicle. Most of the time, this coverage only applies when you are at fault for the accident. You do have a choice as to where you go for your collision repair. Many people think that they don’t have the ability to choose, but you do! So make sure you choose a state-of-the-art facility that has experienced auto body techs and the best equipment for today’s vehicles. Your insurance company will likely suggest a shop, but remember that you make the ultimate choice.
Collision repair is often more than skin deep.
Car collisions can be deceiving. It’s not uncommon to have damage that is worse than it looks. This is because when your car collides with another vehicle or something else, the impact travels throughout the vehicle. This might bend or break body panels, frame components, wheels, interior pieces, and drivetrain parts. This is why wheel alignments are a common part of collision repair. When a car collides, it will likely have some damage to the frame.
What is considered ‘totaled’?
Insurance companies simply see things in terms of money. An insurance company will consider a vehicle a ‘total loss’ when repair costs exceed the costs of replacing the vehicle.
With quality bodywork, a wrecked vehicle can be fully restored. Our auto body techs are artists and take the work very seriously. Most people will be surprised to see a car that comes in badly mangled, leave the shop good as new. A quality job means that not only does your car look gorgeous, but it performs and functions as before.
A Word About the Art of Paint Matching
Not only do our techs here use the latest technology to repair vehicles, but we also finish the job with a shiny coat of paint, and— depending on the damage— we either paint your vehicle or match the paint to what it was before. One of the most challenging aspects of the process is the paint matching, but we never cut corners or stop until we get it right.
The paint matching process is challenging because when vehicles are at the factory, they are painted with the same paint batch. Most colors have codes that identify the shade, but dozens, if not hundreds, of variations, occur. Even what might seem like a simple black will have various gradations that make the difference. Even when we get the right code for your vehicle’s original paint, there is an art to matching the color exactly. Here at Sergio Lewis, you have expert techs that know how to alter the shade just enough and/or blend with perfection.
What does the process of collision repair look like?
So what should you expect when you come into our body shop? The process can differ depending on your particular circumstance, the insurance company, and the particular repairs needed on your vehicle. General the process looks like this:
Our expert techs provide you with a low estimate to fix your vehicle.
We do an inspection that determines the estimated costs of the repair.
- Disassembly and repair.
Insurance companies often make a disassembly request to ensure that all damages are accurately documented. Once the necessary repairs are authorized, the repair process can begin. We work to repair the damage to the vehicle and ensure the integrity of the frame. This might include wheel alignment and suspension as well as mechanical repairs. We perfect the body and fix the dents.
- Paint and final touches
Paint prep is crucial. As we explained above, finding and matching the right color can sometimes be a challenge. We will prepare all the necessary panels for priming and sealing.
- Reassembly.
In this step, we reinstall any detail pieces or final touches. At this point, the car is almost ready to be delivered back to you.
The Sergio Lewis inspection.
We’re not like other body shops. We are perfectionists. So we perform a series of final quality control inspections to ensure that everything was done in the utmost detail.
Finally, the car is returned to you, and off you go onto the open road! If you have suffered a collision, remember that you get to choose who fixes your car. Go with the professionals and call Sergio Lewis.
