We’ve been busy creating DIY auto body and paint video tutorials this summer, and I have several of them ready to share for you.  Other than videos, we’re having a great summer and I hope you are as well.  We recently bought a boat, did a little work to it and hit the lake.  We all got quite sun burned over the Memorial Holiday, but we had a lot of fun.

I hope your summer is off to a good start as well

Videos

How To Create Ghost Flame Effect Without Using Paint – This is a quick and easy way for the DIY to create ghost flames.  It’s quick, simple, and inexpensive.

How To Get a Glassy Like Paint Job – This is a Q&A video response for getting show car quality glass like paint jobs.

How Much Paint Does It Take To Paint A Car – This is a Q&A video response asking how much paint it take to paint a car.

How To Remove A Outer Wheelhouse on a 1966 Mustang – This is a video demonstration we created during our Mustang project.

 Does Sanding Between Coats Create A Better Paint Job – This is a question ask that I responded to on my YouTube channel.

Prepare Flanges For New Outer Wheelhouse – This is a video demonstrating how to prepare the flanges for a new wheelhouse.

That is it for now, but we’ll have more heading your way soon.

“Auto Body”, “Autobody”, “Body Shop”, “Collision Center” – all the same right? 

We recognize all these name iterations as simply different terms for auto body repair businesses, but do search engines see it the same way as we do; and could selecting one over the other influence our visibility to search engines?  Po-tay-toe or po-tah-toe; it’s still just apotato.  Right?

With the internet proving to be a significant lead generation tool for small businesses – the auto body industry included – businesses are discovering that local marketing is a hyper-competitive marketplace and being discovered online is getting increasingly complex.  The days of set-it-and-forget-it website marketing are long gone, today’s businesses need a better strategy with quantifiable results for their marketing spend.  With respect to online marketing – this means selecting the right words that will enable your business to rank well on search engines thus be discovered by more people searching for what you have to offer.

Regardless of what the name is on the sign outside your body shop – the wording you use for your online marketing plays a significant impact on both overall visibility and brand recognition by your customers and prospects searching for you online.  A businesses ranking on Google for example – is often the first impression a new customer has of your business.  Conversely, for your older customers who haven’t needed your services in a while who look your business up on the internet instead of searching for your business card that they most likely misplaced, your ranking on search might cause them to be lured away from your business by your competition who appears more prominent in the local auto body repair scene – judging solely by that businesses higher ranking on the search engines.

High ranking on search engines for your auto body business is all in the words – choose the right ones, and they will come.  {more}

If you are not one of the 100 million people who have already watched Somebody That I Used to Know by Walk off the Earth, take a few minutes to watch it.

Click here to view the embedded video.

It’s not the song, but the teamwork.  I thought this was pretty darn cool.  So you may be wondering, what the heck does this have to do with collision repair!

Well, online and anytime the industry is telling me what they expect from students I hear the word TEAMWORK…along with work ethics, attitude, etc.  In fact, we recently were going though our NATEF inspection at Butler and one of the team members from Carstar expressed this exact point.  He said it is important for the students to learn how to work as a team.

Why Team Work In Collision Repair

Times are changing and so are the way body shops do business.  Technicians may not have their independent work stall and do their own thing as they used to.  For instance, during the inspection, the ETL of NATEF called Rusty ECK Ford to ask about one of our former students that went to work for Rusty ECK.  He mentioned that the student had a good attitude and that he was willing to work as a part of their team.   At Rusty ECK, the technicians must work together.  The technician that takes a car apart, may not be the technician that puts the car back together.  That is why is important for everyone there to be on the same page .  Using specific uniform procedures, such as bagging and labeling parts will eliminate communication errors with your co-workers.

I do not know all of the facts about how Rusty ECK operates, but I have been told by the body shop manager that they work in teams and teamwork is important to him.

Teamwork Can Earn More Income

At one of our advisory meeting teamwork was brought up by several Auto Craft employees.  Two of them team together on the paint side.  The lead painter even switches positions with his team member.  He’ll prep and buff for a few weeks and let the other painter paint the vehicles.  He said this prevents either one of them from burning out from prepping or painting.  I thought  that was an excellent idea.  I can’t remember the number, but with the teamwork system they use, they are able to push an enormous amount of work through the paint shop each week.

Advice

So if you are looking to advance and excel in the collision repair industry, music industry, or just about any other job, start learning how to work with others well.  You may be surprised how more you can accomplish with others, as opposed by yourself.

• Together
• Everyone
• Accomplishes
• More

What Are Your Thoughts On Teamwork?

This is a video response about primers.  There are so many different primers, how do you know which one to use for your car?  I’ll do my best to explain it in this video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Bare Metal

1. Self Etch Primer (acid) or
2. Epoxy Primer

Filling Scratches, Body Work, etc.

1. Primer Surfacer aka Primer Filler or Fill Primer must be sanded

Alternative Option

Direct To Metal Primer (corrosion protection + filling) must be sanded

Color Hiding

1. Primer Sealer (not required, but helps hide and cover color variations)

There are other primers and systems out there, such as tinted primers, UV primers, but this may become confusing if you are not familiar with them, so we’ll keep it to the basics.  However, I do recommend all 2k (two-part) primers, except for the etch primer which is a 1k primer.  2k simply means the primer mixes with a catalyst making it a two-part.

In response to This is in response to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_SJSyExkJI

After teaching high school students for 3 years, it was obvious that we are educating students who don’t want to be at school.  It made me question why we spend so much money at a cookie cutter education system.  No, we’re not all the same and we’re not all going to attend a four year university.

I believe more emphasis should be on technical programs to provide more alternative career pathways to meet the needs of these students and the workforce.

Check out how this school in Arizona is offering specialized training in forty different careers.

Why spend money on students who do not want to be there? Why not develop more programs such as this that will motivate the students to attend school and provide jobs for the workforce. This is a win/win….what do you think?

by Allen B. Ury

By Brandy

Collision Damage to Car – How Collision Insurance is Important 

Although most states only require drivers to carry liability insurance you may not want to settle for the minimum. The problem is too many drivers settle for the least amount of insurance required in order to save a few dollars a month.

If you are in an accident and do not have enough coverage – all of the expenses will be yours to pay, out of your own pocket. For that reason the cost of monthly premiums make much more financial sense then trying to pay for pricy repair costs after an accident.

Consider this scenario: 

• You have a liability car insurance policy with the required minimum for your state just so you can at least drive legally. Unexpectedly you have an accident involving another vehicle and it is time to file a claim. Suddenly you realize this means your own car repairs and even your hospital visit are your financial responsibility. Even a brief visit to the Emergency Room with nothing wrong can cost a small fortune out of pocket, if you do not have health insurance. Not only that but then you find out the state minimum wasn’t very high and you may have to pay for a large part of the other driver’s car repairs and medical bills.

• The bottom line is that trying to save by having less car insurance coverage could easily cost you a great deal more farther down the road. You should also realize with liability car insurance you will also be without any type of coverage for your own vehicle. Suddenly those monthly premiums for collision car insurance protection do not seem too bad when faced with the reality of all the expenses you would have to pay out of your own pocket should a collision occur in which you are the at-fault driver.

Determining the Price 

What you have probably realized by now is that you can easily afford the cost of collision car insurance premiums as opposed to paying for your car repairs and possible medical bills following an accident. Of course, it would also help if you realize some ways you may be able to get lower rates.

Collision insurance is important coverage to have. If you think it is out of your budget consider some ways to get lower rates:

• Shop around – You should always take advantage of the opportunity to get free car insurance policy quotes. Usually, it takes nothing more than your zip code to get quotes and you can get quotes from multiple companies at one time. The site we recommend checking out is CollisionInsuranceQuotes.com. This is the best way to lock down the lowest rates. In fact, even if you already have coverage it is a good idea to compare your rates with other competitors. Do this every time your policy is up for renewal so you can always get the best deal.

• Play with the Deductible – The lower your deductible the higher your collision auto insurance premium rates will be. Try to avoid taking a deductible as low as $250. If you increase your deductible to around $500 – $750 your rates will be lower and you should be able to cover this amount in the event of an accident. Going as high as $1000 for your deductible may be a little risky, and you may only want to consider this if you can actually put aside the money in a savings account so it is there if you do need to use it.

• Find out About Discounts – Many insurance providers offer lower rates if you are on active duty or retired military personnel. Maybe you qualify for the “Good Student” discount. Find out what affiliations you may have that could earn you cheap car insurance coverage rates.

• Go Paperless – By going green you could be saving green on your car insurance premiums. Have your payments set up to be an autopay from your checking, savings or credit card. You may be surprised just how much green this can save you. Also, try to pay annually or quarterly instead of monthly and your collision insurance rates will be even lower.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Align Panels

Align Door and Trunk Gaps To Quarter Panel

In this tutorial we are going to take the quarter panel off of a 1966 Mustang. First, we need to align the adjacent panels to the quarter panel so the new quarter panel will fit properly when installed. If you don’t First align the door and the deck lid to the quarter panel you will have problems when trying to align the quarter panel. To align the door loosen up the hinge blots and adjust as needed to properly align the door to quarter panel gaps.  Next loosen the bolts holding the deck lid in place to make necessary adjustments to align the deck lid to quarter panel.

 If Damaged, Repair The Damage

If the quarter panel is damaged, obviously, it’s not going to fit or aligned properly. Therefore, you must rough out the damage in order to assure the body lines align and the new quarter panel will fit correctly.

Once the damage is straightened and the gaps are aligned properly you can begin removing the quarter panel. To start removing the quarter panel you will need to use a drill to drill out the spot welds. We’re doing this project as a DIY project at our house as you may be.  Therefore, we are using basic tools which will allow you to do this from home as well.

 Finding The Spot Welds

Example Of Spot Weld Locations

Spot welds are easy to identify.  They are a small dimple in the metal.  However, there may be locations where seam sealer or other coating are covering them up.  If there is seam sealer of other coating, it must be cleaned of before locating the spot weld location.  A wire brush, sanding, or scraping will help remove the coating from the area.  Once cleaned, the spot welds can be located.

Properly Using A Drill When Drilling Metal

Use A Lubricant Gel or Spray To Help Bit From Over Heating

Any type of drill will work but in this tutorial we’re simply using a cordless drill. The trick to drilling metal, is using good quality drill bits, drilling at a slow RPM, and using a lubricant jell or spray.  Not using high-quality drill bits, drilling with too high of a speed, or not using a lubricant will lead to burning and dulling the drill bit, which makes it difficult and time consuming to when drilling metal.

There are other methods for removing spot welds, but most of them require an air compressor.

Drill Through Both Panels

Drilling Through Both Panel With 9/64 Drill Bit

Using a 9/64 drill bit, drill through the center of the spot welds. If you have a problem with the drill walking on or moving around it may be wise to use a center punch and hammer to tap a small indention in the center of the spot weld location .  Drill both panels with the smaller 9/64 drill bit.

Drill Through Outer Panel

Drilled Spot Weld Examples

After the small hole has been drilled a larger bit 5/16 can be used to drill out the spot weld.  When using the bigger bit, you only want to drill through the outside panel.

Separating An Outer Panel Using A Seam Buster

Once all spot welds have been drill, use a seam buster to separate the panels. This is done by hammering the chisel edge of the seam buster between the panels.

 Making A Rough Cut At Section Location

Making Rough Cut

The Seam Buster also comes in useful when making rough cuts as we did on this Mustang project.  Now that the quarter panel is off, you can start preparing the vehicle for the new quarter panel. However, we are going to have to do additional work before continuing this quarter panel replacement due to the rusted wheelhouse on the Mustang.

Quarter Panel After Removed

Step 1: Remove Rear Bumper Extensions – To remove extensions use a 1/2 socket to remove the right and left bolt holding the top of the extensions on. The top bolts can be accessed from inside the trunk area.  The lower bolts will need to be access from underneath the car.

Step 2: Remove Rear Roll Pan – The roll pan will need to be removed to gain access to the spot welds on the back of the quarter panel.  Using a phillips screwdriver unscrew the roll pan from the rear body panel.

Step 3: Punch An Indention in Center of Spot Welds – To prevent the drill bit from moving, use a center punch and hammer to make an indention in center of spot welds location.

Step 4: Drill Through Both Panels at Spot Welds Locations – Using a 9/64 drill bit, drill in the center of each spot weld location.  Drill through both panels, but care should be taken not to drill though interior parts or anything that may be damaged on the other side. This may require removal of interior parts.

Step 5: Drill Through Outside Panel – Using a 5/16 drill bit, drill though the outside panel only.  This will remove the spot weld.

Step 6: Separate Panels Using a Seam Buster – Once you have drilled out all the spot welds a Seam Buster can be used to separate the outer panel from the inner panel.

Step 7: Make Rough Cuts Using Seam Buster – Using the Seam Buster, make a rough cut at section location.  Be sure that you leave yourself extra metal so the final cut can be made later when installing the new quarter panel.

Step 8: Remove Quarter Panel – Now simply remove the old panel from the Mustang.  Gloves should be worn to protect yourself from sharp edges from the rough cut and spot weld locations.

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It’s no secret that driving distracted is one of the many reasons for car accidents along the road.  From texting to eating to day dreaming, there’s a host of explanations for one’s driving habits to be corrupted and put not just their safety in danger, but other drivers around them as well.  Being alert behind the wheel is important not just because of safety but just general defensive driving as a whole.

Although there are many ways to rectify the problem, here are three ways to be as attentive as possible on the road.

Minimize Driving  Late At Night

Whether it’s long distance night driving or just a few miles up the road in the wee hours in the morning, nighttime driving obviously reduces visibility against daytime settings.  I know it’s practically impossible to keep drivers from going out at night, but when you do, take a little more care behind the wheel and always look further up ahead the road.

And factor in being drowsier than usual with nighttime drives and it can be an even stickier situation.  Always, always pull over as soon as possible when you feel the slightest bit drowsy.  There’s only so much coffee or energy drink to the point it loses it’s effectiveness and can, in some cases, cause you to get drowsier from the sugar crash.  Best case to combat nighttime drives and long distance travels is plenty of rest and frequent stops to gather your bearings.

Break Old Habits

It’s time, now more than ever, to rid yourself of nasty old habits while driving.  Things like texting and taking phone calls, eating or drinking, messing around with the radio stations, smoking, trying to stabilize the wheel with your knees while you try and do something else…they all drastically cut down your attention span and can lead to fender benders or much worse.  In fact, studies have proven just how bad texting while driving really is.  So much so, that just 5 seconds of focus towards that tiny screen cuts out 37% of brain activity that should be devoted fully to what’s ahead of you on the road.  It’s no wonder there are so many car accidents and injuries associated with drivers who text at the same time.

It’s far and away the easiest habit to fix.  Now, you don’t have to leave the phone at home, per say, but you should nix any and all use once inside the car.  I’ve started putting my cell phone in the glovebox as soon as I enter or stash it in the middle console.  Whatever keeps me from being tempted to use it works, and every driver should start working towards the same.

General Preparedness

Aside from defensive driving, preparing yourself from the moment you get in the car to being on the road, following basic protocol by checking your mirrors, whether it’s adjusting the rearview mirror from night shade to daytime, looking to the sides of your car when merging for blind spots, keeping two car lengths between you and the cars ahead of you and so forth.  Keeping true to the basic principles of driving and being patient behind the wheel regardless of whether it’s gridlocked rush hour traffic or few and far between can be the difference and get you to your destination safely.

Because in the end, cautious driving can keep you from avoiding costly fender benders and make the roadways a safe haven for everyone involved.

About The Author:  Kyle is a freelance writer and automotive enthusiast who writes about collision repairs, car care tips, defensive driving and other car-related topics and consults for a local body shop in KC.

In this tutorial I am going to show you how to replace a quarter panel on the 1966 Ford Mustang. The quarter panel on the Mustang is rusted out as many older cars do.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Quarter panels are welded on panels that may be required to replace if involved in an accident or if rusted severely as with the Mustang we’re working on. Weld- on panels require drilling spot welds. Before you start cutting and drilling, you will need to remove the necessary parts to prevent from damaging then or to access the spot weld locations.

Since this was rusted, we will not need to repair the quarter panel before we beginning. If the quarter panel had damage caused by a collision it would be necessary to first straighten straighten the quarter panel to realign the structure to realign all the body gaps.

The first thing you want to do as with any part is check the part to make sure that you have the correct part. Many times the wrong part may have been ordered or the wrong part was shipped. This is not something you want to realize after you have removed the part. It only takes a second set it up to the car to assure you have the correct panel. Next remove any parts necessary to access the spot welds. Below are the first steps to take when replacing the quarter panel:

Step 1: Remove Rear Bumper

To locate the bolts holding the bumper on open the trunk lid and locate two 5/8” blots one each side inside the trunk area. Once the four bolts are removed the bumper is ready to take off the Mustang.

Step 2: Remove Taillight Assembly

From inside the trunk area locate four 3/8 inch bolts. Remove the four bolts, unplug the taillamp plug and remove the taillamp assembly.

Step 3: Remove Quarter Panel Extension

From inside the trunk area locate three 7/16 inch bolts holding the extension filler on. Remove the bolts and then remove the extension filler.

Step 4: Remove Interior Parts

Quarter panel interior panels may need to be removed to access spot welds, to prevent damaging, or from drilling through the interior when drilling spot welds. However, on this Mustang, the spot weld locations are not near the interior trim panel. We decided to go ahead and remove the interior trim, as we will be restoring the inside as well.

Step 5: Remove Back Glass Trim

Using a glass trim removal tool, we removed the trim will need to be removed to prevent damaging it.

Summary

We removed the back bumper, taillamp assembly, quarter panel extension filler panel, quarter panel trim, and the back glass trim. Now we’re ready to start drilling spot welds. We’ll cover the steps in the next tutorial.

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Several weeks ago I received a packet from I-CAR stating that they are changing their curriculum structure for schools.   We’ve already bought the I-CAR curriculum for the school and purchase I-CAR cd’s for the students.  However, according to a letter in this packet I-CAR is going to start charging an annual fee to use their curriculum.  The packet also included an invoice that is due April 30, 2012.  From what I understand after reading the packet, if we do not pay the annual fee this month, we are no longer eligible to use I-CAR curriculum or provide I-CAR points.

My question is about the students that have been using the I-CAR curriculum for the past two years.  Since the invoice is due April 30 and the students graduate in May, are they eligible to claim the I-CAR points they have already tested for?  I could not find where the packet addressed this.  If it did, I missed it and need clarification.

As many schools I’m sure, we do not have an extra $900 this time of year.  In fact, there was no way to budget for this as I did not know about the annual fee until I received the packet earlier this month.  I am assuming the students that have already been using the curriculum can still get their points, but I cannot confirm this with I-CAR to make certain.  I certainly do not want to provide false information to the students.

I wanted to post this and reach out to other collision repair instructors who read the CollisionBlast.  I am hoping one of you may know the answer or have been able to contact I-CAR regarding this matter.  I have sent several e-mails and left voicemails, but have not had any response from I-CAR.

So here is my question once again, the invoice is due April 30.  We are not going to pay the annual fee this budget year.  Are the students graduating next month going to be able to receive the I-CAR points?  If you know the answer to this, please comment below are e-mail Donnie at asmith73@butlercc.edu

Around where I live, I’ve been the biggest champion (or complainer) of avoidable roadway hazards with my car.  Ever since my father told me about the depth and size of a pothole being a detriment to a car’s alignment and tires, I’ve always tensed up every time I accidentally run over one.  Doesn’t even matter if the hole was the size of a baseball, I still think deep down that my tire’s going to pop or the axles will somehow be affected.  Oddly enough, though, this taught me to be more aware of road hazards and be a better defensive driver than I give myself credit for.

Truth be told, there are a handful of road hazards that can be worked around both with how we drive and by just being aware of foreboding signs ahead, all of which can help keep your car’s health intact as much as possible.   Here are just some obstacles to push through:

1.  Road Signs:  Unless you failed the portion of the driving test or just tend to ignore specialized road signs such as the one above, chances are you’re setting the car up for an accident down the road (literally and figuratively).  Whether it’s deer crossings to make drivers aware that a forested area or dense part of a neighborhood has a pretty extensive deer population wandering about on down to uneven roadway construction signs to help make drivers use caution when passing through, paying heed to any and all road signs is the first order of business.

2. Potholes and Other Fissures:  One of the biggest reasons drivers have minor problems with their car’s steering is from altered alignements or bubbles in their tires that cause one tire to leak faster than the rest.  The main culprit for these particular issues tends to be from potholes littered across roads and highways.  What starts off as a tiny fissure can quickly balloon into a sizable pothole because of the amount of pressure forced onto it from cars and trucks or it’s just a case of simple erosion caused by constant rain and or snow.  Whatever it is, road crews are sometimes unable to get to every single one fast enough meaning they should warrant driver’s attention more often.  9 out 0f 10 times your car’s going to roll over them without issue, but why risk the ten percent and instead just keep a watchful eye?

3.  Weather Conditions:  Yet another obvious candidate that’s only in here because some drivers are just not as extra cautious as they should be when the roads are littered with snow or rain.  For some reason or another, drivers with 4-wheel drive sometimes think their car’s invincible to slick roads.  Icy conditions or slick, wet roads don’t discriminate between 4-wheel drive or front-wheel drive.  Speed and control are going to be the main factors every time, and if you’re not being cautious, slowing down your speeds and giving more room than usual to stop, the road conditions may just surprise you with a fender bender or two.

4.  Other Drivers:  This harks back to the defensive driving mention earlier.  Defensive driving tactics such as looking both ways after a light’s turned over before passing, slowing down when approaching a constant green light, avoiding loud music or other distractions from drowning out police/ambulance sirens up ahead  and being two car lengths behind the car in front of you…these are just a few examples of safe, defensive driving to either start doing or polishing to a mirror shine.  There will always be aggressive drivers on the roadways, but that doesn’t mean you should follow suit.

And that last point can more or less be a remedy to the other one’s mentioned before it.  Safe driving is all about being aware of your surroundings while behind the wheel.  Thinking something’s up ahead (whether it is or isn’t) is better than day-dream driving any day of the week because at the end of the day, assuring the well-being of yourself and others on the road is what matters most.

About The Author:  Kyle is a contributor on car-related topics, from automotive care to driving safety and writes for and about used car dealers in Springfield, comparing specific car models and other related subjects.

We’ve been busy at the collision repair program at Butler trying to complete all of the projects be schools ends in May.  However, we did manage to catch a few clips of what we do in the program.

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you are interested in a career in collision repair now is the time to get enrolled.  Many colleges are enrolling for Fall 2012.  There are many community colleges and technical schools that have excellent collision repair programs to consider.  However, these types of programs fill up fast.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This is response to http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=XW3wp2bhqgE

The question: Do they sell epoxy primer in spray cans? In the video, I state that I am not aware of a 2k epoxy product. However, thankful to our YouTube friends, they mentioned a line of paint that does have 2k products in spray cans. If I understand it correctly, you must use all of the primer within a certain amount of time or it will harden. Don’t know much about this line of products, but I did a little research and found a resource for it. You can learn more at http://CollisionBlast.com/SprayCanEpoxy

Since the first production line car made its way on the road, drivers have been told stories of what may or may not happen to their vehicle for this reason or that.  Some stories gained momentum just from one person adding myths on top of other myths to the point some drivers aren’t completely sure what’s true and what isn’t.

General car myths like what type of gas should be in the car all the way to saying it’s OK to drive on a spare tire for more than a day have been around for ages.  That’s why it’s better to get the brunt of the myths squashed right now.

1.  Gas Enhancements:  Being told that “ultra premium” gas is better for your vehicle than regular gasoline is one of the oldest myths out there.  Don’t get me wrong, some cars like a Mercedes-Benz, Maserati or other high-performance car does require high-end gas.  Yet, a Honda Accord or Geo Prism model doesn’t have to follow suit.  Being told otherwise is a big, fat myth.  Rather, check your driver’s manual and see where it clearly states what type of gas is needed.  Nine times out of ten it’ll say “regular”.

2.  Spare Tire Drives:  Some drivers have mentioned to me that it’s okay to drive a car on its spare tire for many miles.  In fact, some have even thrown in that’s okay to drive on the highway with a spare.  Not only is it potentially dangerous to go long distances on a spare, it’s a giant no-no to drive more than 55 mph on one.  Fact is, a spare tire is there to see you through a flat and help you go a day or two until you can fix the original tire.  It’s nonsensical to drive on the highway unless you’re going 40 mph or less because most every spare’s build is so thin, the treads aren’t what a regular tire is and so forth.

3.  Warming The Engine:  Feeling it’s necessary to let the engine warm up during cold mornings is not only a waste of gas, but it’s not good on the car while it’s idling.  In fact, a car will warm up faster if you drive it as soon as you turn the car on and drive off.  People think they’re hurting their car’s handling and performance by doing so, but the reality is the car’s more than capable of driving fine during sub-freezing temps just as much as it is during mid-90 degree days.

4.  Over Inflating Tires:  Often times drivers will try and fill their tires up way past the recommended PSI setting on their tires when in fact, the settings on the tires are actually the maximum capacity the tire can withstand.  Thinking that just because your tires appear lower than normal shouldn’t mean overcompensating because then you might have something much worse in the form of popped tires and quick flats by comprising the air pressure capacity to its limits.  Instead, fill the tires just a bit under the PSI number on the tire and you’ll be fine.

5.  Fuel Economy Numbers Are Exact:  Drivers think that since they hear a car’s fuel mileage gets 30 mpg on the highway that it means they can go 300 miles on a 10 gallon tank.  A 40 mpg car always gets 400 miles and so on.  Now it’s true that 9 times out of 10 you’ll get 20+ mpg on a 30 mpg car, it doesn’t mean the car will get to 30 mpg every time.  That’s because fuel economy doesn’t account for how a driver drives.  If you speed off the line every time the stoplight changes, you’re putting unnecessary stress on the motor, which in turn takes a bit extra from the fuel to make do.  Same rules apply for having the A/C constantly on throughout because the A/C affects the car’s performance which affects the fuel output.

In conclusion, these myths, along with countless other ones out there, are more or less urban legends that have stood the test of time because one person will always hold true what others believe is false. Myths are exaggerated stories that shouldn’t affect how we take care of our car and all drivers (and their cars) will be better off by putting these behind them.

About the Author:  Kyle writes on many automotive related topics including car care, vehicle comparisons and other ideas that pique his interests.  He consults with State Line Nissan, a local car dealership offering new and used Nissan models, service and repair stations and much more.

It’s time for students to start getting ready for the world of work.  They’ve spent hours in training awaiting graduation so they can go make their mark in the world.  May is almost here graduation is approaching, now what?

One of the first thing students will need to do is to prepare their resume’ for potential employers to see.  Hours may be spent crafting the perfect resume’ spotlighting all of the student’s abilities and knowledge.  However, all of this training, knowledge, the and resume’ is useless, if it’s never read.

Just because you prepare a resume’ does not mean an employer will see your credentials according to this study.  Your resume’ can be thought of as a speech.  Don’t they say, it not what you say, but how you say it?

A resume’ is all about looks.  It’s not about what you write, but how it looks.  This study shows that it must be clear and easy to read.  If it is a page crammed full of words, it may not be read.  It’s what you say in 6 seconds that counts.  Read the full article and think about it before preparing your resume’. Read The Full Article Here

If you are looking for a job in the collision repair industry check out these listings Collision Repair Jobs.

Have you ever wondered where to find the color code for your car?  If  you have, this is a quick post to let you know about a tool I found on the internet that helps you find you color code.  This is a very simple tools to created by PPG.  All you need is your year, make and model.  Just click and point. 

It is called Paint It.  Visit CollisionBlast.com/Paint-It to learn more.  Give it a try.

If you want to receive all of our updated, look for the subscribe to newsletter to the right side of this website.  Just add your first name and email address.

I read an article this morning where one of our fellow Body Shop owner’s needs help for their kid.  Helping each other out is what it is all about, isn’t it.  No, this is not a life or death situation, but if the collision repair industry has been kind to you this year, it’s time to help a fellow body shop owner in need.  It is for his daughter…..what would you do for your kids?  I know I would do whatever it takes for my kids and I am sure you would too.

The daughter, Ashley Sabbatini,  was diagnosed with moderate-to-severe sensorineural hearing loss when she was 4.  She is now 18 years old and has dreams to study speech and hearing and become an audiologist to help individuals like her.

Their goal amount to raise is not that unrealistic, the operations are going to run $62,000.  But with the body shop business slow and the mother’s hours cut at her job, and insurance not helping, $62,000 can be impossible to come up with.

Think about it…we all want everything possible for our own kids.  It’s a shame that a dollar amount stands in the way of this family helping their daughter regain her hearing.

I am reaching out to everyone in the collision repair industry to help if you are able to.  Every little bit will help.

To read the full article visit http://www.sunherald.com/2012/04/06/3867703/community-raises-funds-for-teens.html   After reading the full article click on the link Ashely’s Dream To Hear to donate.

Automotive/Collision Repair Training Event and Webinars.

SEMA Education Institute Online -  

The SEMA Education Institute eLearning Center is open 24/7 and contains a vast library of courses that you can download and listen to at your convenience.

Thursday, April 26, 2012 at 12:00 PM EDT

Free Webinar – Spot Welding Techniques

Produced by Automotive Body Repair Network and I-CAR. Over the past several years, spot welding has advanced significantly and has become the preferred welding technique for many vehicle makers. One advantage being that spot welding has a smaller heat-affect zone, creating a less adverse affect on materials. During this webcast, experts from I-CAR will explain how to properly perform spot welding techniques that simulate what is done at the factory. You will learn how spot welding, in conjunction with adhesives (weld bonding), can help protect against corrosion.  Register For Free Webinar

April 17-18, 2012

Masters – Leadership, Management and Marketing

Leadership, Management and Marketing is the first classof its kind that brings together the three components of success as the name implies. Many books have been written on the three subjects. Masters has connected the dots between all three components of success.Leadership is sorely lacking in business today.  Register online http://www.masters-school.com/class_schedule.php

April 11 at 1 p.m. (EST).

Free Webinar Will Give ASA Members Details of LogMyCalls Benefit

This live webinar will allow you to ask questions while you learn all the details about this new benefit, including how to set up your free account, how it can help improve your marketing, save you money, and how to use it to help train your staff. You can sign up now for the free webinar by visiting www.logmycalls.com/webinar.

Thursday, April 5, 2012 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM CDT

Free Webinar “The KEY Indicators of a Healthy, Vibrant Auto Repair Business”

Listen up and you will hear a unique perspective from Greg about “The KEY Indicators of a Healthy Vibrant Auto Repair Business”.
Greg has 25 stores in operations as of today, PLUS more opening in 2012. Put this SHOWCASE on speaker phone and invite your entire staff!  Register For FREE Training Webinar

Car dents or major collision repairs are a sad fact of driving for some.  Whether it’s a simple fender bender or something much more impactful, car accidents ultimately lead to taking a visit to your local body shop for an estimate and repair.  And depending on what coverage plan your auto insurance is under, the price can vary.

But what should be clear above all else is the dents need to be fixed.  From general appearance on down to maximum performance, there are a number of reasons why getting your dents and damage fixed can benefit down the road.

 Keeping Up With Appearances

Would you really be comfortable driving down the road with a missing rear bumper or taped down hood?  I wouldn’t.  Aside from protecting the metal frame and gears and shafts underneath, your car’s exterior aesthetics should be looking its absolute best.  With as much care and attention you put towards your car with a simple car wash, it makes just as much sense to outfit and maintain your car’s body accordingly.  This means checking for cracks, scratches and paint chips and having them buffed to a mirror shine whenever possible.

Maximize Performance

From an aerodynamic perspective, most modern cars have been molded to drive efficiently with and against the wind.  This affects how well your car’s fuel economy standards are, among other things.  Now imagine how strained your car’s drive would be on the open road with wind patterns rolling off of a loose bumper?  And in extreme cases where the wind speed approaches 25+ miles, the grab and pull on a loose rear bumper can take precious seconds off your car’s performance, or worse, the high winds could pull a loose bumper completely off the body of your car.

A great example of a car being hindered from a dent is what happened to my old 1989 Honda Accord.  I accidently ran the front bumper into a wooden post and hit it just hard enough to push the dent down dangerously close to the tire.  It was still driveable after I got the headlight fixed, but since I ignored the dent for the time being, the more I drove, and the more bumps or potholes I ran across, the closer my tire would shave up against the dent, causing the tread to thin out.  Luckily, the tire itself didn’t pop or burst before I took it in to get it fixed, although that is definitely a possibility from dent negligence.

And it’s no coincidence that ignoring a leaky oil pipe or cracked water pump will come back to bite your car’s performance, let alone allowing it to start or idle properly.  Same goes with the alignment being compromised from a fender bender or being too aggressive over a speed bump or curb.

 State Laws

Depending on the state you live in, many inspections at the local DMV require the car’s exterior to complement the car’s working condition.  With that, I mean many cars can’t pass inspection if it’s missing a tail pipe, has a cracked headlight or tail light, has a pushed-in door or any number of collision-related issues.  And for good reason.  The car must be in working condition and have the appearance that every part is secure enough to not pose a hazard for the driver or other drivers on the road.

And that’s the thing with dents and collision repair:  it can cost the driver more money in the end because of one dent leading to other headaches later on.  Obviously no one likes the thought of car repair or inspections, but they are necessary for making sure your car is of the highest order.

 About The Author: Kyle is a freelance writer and automotive enthusiast who contributes for a local car dealership, Cable Dahmer of Kansas City, which specializes in Chevy cars and trucks, auto repair needs and much more.

Vision High-Tech Training and Expo is one of the top automotive training events held every year in Overland Park, Kansas.  Sheri Hamilton has always done an outstanding job of putting the training event and expo together each year for people from all over the country to attend automotive related training.

Here is a quick video of Pete Meier interviewing PowerBlock TV host, Courtney Hansen last month at Vision 2012.

I mentioned to Sheri that I was jealous that she held one of the top training events each year, but did not include collision repair training this year.  However, this is not from a lack of trying.  Sheri has incorporated collision repair training in the past, but found it hard to get  collision repair technicians to attend.  I attended a few years ago when collision repair was included and the training was great, but there were not enough participation from the collision repair industry to justify continuing collision repair training.

I can’t understand why more collision repair technicians would not be interested in this event.  Perhaps March is a busy time for body shops….storms, hail damage, etc.  I think it would be great if Vision includes collision repair training at future  Vision training events.

Anyway, kudos to Sheri for the hard work and awesome job she does putting together one of the best automotive training events each year.

To learn more about upcoming Vision training and expo held each March, visit  Vision High-Tech Training and Expo.

What is your favorite training event?

I just read an article on ABRN’s website that says the government is going to fund 14.2 million to accelerate the development of lighter and stronger vehicles.  According to the article in ABRN the funds will support the development of carbon fiber composites and advanced and advanced steels and allows.

The push for lighter vehicles is to improve fuel mileage.  You can read the full article at ABRN.

What Does This Mean For The Repair Industry?

One thing I think they need to include in their research when developing these new materials is how cars going to be repaired if damaged.   Or is the idea of totaling most cars that have been involved in an accident the plan?

It sounds to me that auto collision repair shops better be ready for changes heading our way.  At SEMA 2011 I heard about more aluminum and new repair methods heading our way.  3M is also in the process of developing metals and materials to produce paintless cars and now the additional funding to accelerate  the development of lightweight materials is going to change the repair methods in our industry.

It is going to be interesting to see what the automotive industry looks like in 5 to 10 years.  One thing is certain, it’s changing and it may be sooner then we realize.

What Are Your Thoughts?

We tried the new PPG DC 2000 Ultra Velocity clear coat to see how it works.  Brandon, a BCC collision repair student, was at the last minute trying to get his Blazer completed before we took our Christmas break.  Lucky for us, out paint suppliers had dropped off a quart of a new fast dry clear coat for us to try.

Click here to view the embedded video.

With little time left we decided to give the new clear coat a try.  The technical data sheet stated that the clear coat should be dry and ready to buff in 20 to 30 minutes without heat.  To apply the clear coat, spray two full wet coats without flash time between coats.  We sprayed the two coats as stated on the TDS, waited 30 minuted and tested a small spot to see if we could really sand and buff the clear.   The small spot sanded and buffed fine.

We allowed it to dry a little longer for handling, then we carefully installed the parts and Brandon drove his Blazer home.

The clear coat is great for one or two parts.  However, it is not designed for larger jobs or completes.  So if you have a last minute part that you need to get painted, then you may want to give this clear coat a try.

Lead Filler

Lead has been around for many years.  It was used as one of the first filers to fill imperfections on car parts.  There are still a few custom shops around that use lead, but most shops have started using lead-free solder or body filler.

If you are a lead fanatic then you probably know the name Bill Hines.  He has been working with lead and became know as the leadslinger and king of leading.  Bill was born in 1922 and starting using lead in 1941.  He has customizing cars since the 1040‘s and it is said that he still works 7 days per week.  This means lead has been working well for many years and still being used today for the right applications.

Lead can be used a s a filler to fill imperfections and to seal welded seams.  Lead is not used much anymore due to the health hazards of lead as it has been outdated with plastic body fillers.

Lead Free Body Solder

A new lead-free version body solder has been developed if you are a lead enthusiast and want to produce the same quality results.  The lead-free body solder is used much like the older leads.  The metal still requires to be tinned, solder applied with heat and smoothed with wooden paddles, then shaped using a body file.  You can also sand or grind this solder without the worry of breathing harmful lead particles.  While this is a safer leading alternative, a proper mask should still be worn as when sanding any type of filler.

 The Benefits of Lead

• Lead seals much better than body filler.  Therefore, you can lead straight over welds, section location, pillars, or anywhere else exceptional sealing properties are required.  Once the lead is shaped, you are ready for primer.
• Lead flexes well with the metal without cracking.  However, body fillers have improved through the years and flexes as well, but lead is superior for flexing without cracking.
• If you are slightly low on an edge or body line, lead provides a better edge that body filler.  In fact, body filler is not recommended for building edges or body lines.

The Disadvantages of Lead

• It take more skill to use lead.  It requires more training and practice to perfect leading than body filler.
• Leading is a much slower process.  As mentioned, you must prep the metal by tinning it, using heat to soften and apply the lead or solder, then smooth it out with wooden paddles.  Then using a body filler to smooth the lead or solder smooth.  If you are filling a large area, you may have to break the filling process into smaller sections.
• Lead does not work well on thinner metals.  More care must be taken when working with thinner metals to prevent overheating or weakening the metal.  Since heat and filing is required to use lead, it will not work well on thinner metals.
• Lead is harder than body filler which makes it harder to level or sand.
• Lead is often referred to as becoming a part of the metal.  However, I do not agree with this statement.  In order for this to happen, the metals must be a fused together.  This requires both metals to melt together and become one piece.  For instance, when welding, both metal pieces are melted and fused together.  However, when brazing, only the brass is melted.  Brazing is not considered a fusion weld.  While both brazing and lead provide excellent sealing properties, they are not a fusion process.  Therefore, lead does not become a part of the panel.

I still prefer using plastic auto body filler.  However, if this is something you want to explore for your project or to learn I have additional step-by step directions and where you can find this type of products at Auto Body Filler Guide

by Donnie Smith

We get hit every year with hail season, which leaves many cars needing hail damage repairs.  There are several ways to repair the hail damage and we are going to discuss a few them in this article.  The last method I am going to discuss is probably the most common method used to repair hail damage when not using Paintless Dent Repair.

(1) R&R (Remove and Replace)

Many of the parts that have been hit heavy with hail damage may be replaced instead of being repaired.  Parts that may be replaced are bolt-on parts that can be easily removed such as: hoods, fenders, and trunk lids, etc.  It is usually less expensive to replace the parts than the labor it would cost to repair the parts.  Of course, there is the exception 1 or 2  random hail dents in a panel.  However, a car that has severe hail damage requires a lot of R&R (remove and replace).

(2) Hail Damage Repairs – Traditional Repair

Another way to repair hail damage is by using body filler.  This requires you to grind the repair area to metal, feather edge your paint edges, apply body filler and block sand the body filler.  Then you will need to prime, block and paint.  When using this method, care must be taken not to overheat the metal when grinding.  You may even want to use a Dual Action sander to remove the paint coatings to help reduce the heat.  I would not use anything finer than 80 grit to prepare the metal for filler.  This will assure proper adhesion.

Traditional Hail Damage Repair Steps (For small dents only.  Bigger dents may need to be pulled)

1. Properly clean repair area.
2. Remove coatings to metal using a grinder with 50 grit or a DA sander using 36 to 80 grit.
3. Feather edge paint edges.
4. Blow repair area with compressed air to prepare for body filler.
5. Mix and apply body filler to metal repair area.  Do not apply body filler on paint.
6. Block sand body filler with 80 grit followed by 150 grit sandpaper. (use guide coat when blocking to help find highs and lows).

Now you’re ready for priming, blocking and paint.

(3) Hail Damage Repairs – Old School (Some dents and thinner metal are not a candidate for this repair method)

This method uses heat to raise the metal.  You can use an oxyacetylene torch and heat the metal around the small dent in a spiral motion.  Work from the outside towards the center of the dent.  This will raise the metal.  Then slightly tap the high area with a body hammer to relax the metal.  Last, using a body file cross file the metal  level and determine if the dent is gone.  If there is not a dimple with paint in it, then the dent has been repaired.  As the metal cools, the high area will flatten back out to a level flat surface.  Then you can feather edge the paint, prime, block, and paint.  I have used this method to remove a lot of hail damage.  It is quick, fast, and eliminates the filler and block sanding filler steps.  However, I caution you…this is not a good method to use on newer vehicles.  The metal is too thin and overheating and warping the metal or filing too much metal off when using the body file is a few of the problems you may have.  However, if you are restoring an older car, this method works like a champ.

Old School Hail Damage Repair Steps (For restoration of older cars with thicker metal)

1. Locate small dent
2. Starting with about a 12″ radius around the dent, use a torch with a carbonizing flame (more gas – this produces a cooler flame) heat in a circular motion.
3. Heat the metal until it starts to slightly move.  Then work the heat in a spiral motion towards the center of the dent.
4. Once to the center of the dent has raised, slightly tap the high with a body hammer to relax the metal.
5. Next, use a body file to file the top layer of metal to determine if dent is gone.  If the dent is you will see all metal in the repair area.  If there is a spot with paint, the dent is still there.
6. Once you have crossed filed the area and it is all metal, allow the metal to cool naturally.  Do not use compressed air or water to speed up the process.  As the metal cools, it will level back to a flat surface.

Now you are ready to feather edge, prime, block and paint.

Watch the video demonstrating this method.  In the video, I did not have an oxyacetylene torch.  I used a small propane torch, which did not work as well.

Click here to view the embedded video.

(4) Paintless Dent Repair

PDR is heavily used for hail damage.  This is the process of getting behind the dent with tools and messaging the dent out without the need to paint the outside of the paint surface.  This method is used on many of the parts that are not replaced, such as roofs, quarter panels, bedsides, etc.  However, the tools are expensive and requires much practice to master PDR.

(5) Hail Damage Repairs – Finish Glaze (for smaller hail – large hail may need to be pulled)

This is one of the most common methods used for small hail damage when not using a PDR method and is a method easy to learn with little practice.

This last method for repairing hail damage is the method that I wanted to highlight in this article.  There are other methods, such as PDR that I may go into detail in another article.  However, if you are not performing PDR and the dents are small enough to fill with finish glaze, then this method works great.  I added a video below that will demonstrate this method.  The advantage of using this method is you do not have to remove the paint coating down to the metal.  You simply need to rough the paint with 180 grit or courser for the glaze putty to adhere properly.  It is best not to sand through the clear coat when sanding the surface.  You also want to assure the paint surface is in good condition when using this method.

The obvious advantage is the time it saves from grinding and feather edging.  However, another benefit is the factory e-coat (corrosion protection) is not removed from the part being repaired.  This will eliminate the need for primers to provide corrosion protection, as the e-coat is already providing optimal protection.  I will list the steps, then you can watch a video demonstrating this method.

Steps To Repair Hail Damage Using 3M Glaze

1. Properly clean the areas being repaired
2. Locate all the hail damage
3. Using 180 on a DA, sand the hail dent areas to assure proper adhesion, but do not sand through the clear coat
4. Blow repair areas off with compressed air
5. Clean the surface using wax and grease remover
6. Apply a thin coat of finish glaze to the surface.
7. Block sand the glaze with 150 to 180 grit sandpaper

That is it, now you are ready for prime, block and paint.  Works great!

Here Is A Video That Demonstrates How To Perform This Method…Click Play To Learn More

Click here to view the embedded video.

P.S. Would you like additional dent repair training?  Check out my book!  This guide covers the basics to dent repair.  Eliminate many of the common mistakes when straightening sheet metal.  Visit Dent Repair Book to learn more.

Welding automotive structural parts is becoming a bigger concern in the automotive industry, as there are many different types of steel being used to manufacture cars.  The techniques we’ve used for years are not going to work for many of the modern day vehicles. 

 What was once mild steel is now being replaced with hid strength steel, ultra high strength steel, boron, aluminum, and composites.  The problems with welding some of these types of steels is overheating and destroying the strength of the steels, which could result in a unsafe car.

 We’ve been discussing how to weld structural parts, such as lower and upper frame rails in class.  While teaching the class, I found an excellent video discussing MIG brazing.  MIG brazing is one of the solutions and recommendations to welding some of these steels, but only if  performed properly.  MIG brazing may still overheat and destroy the metal if too much heat is used.

 In this video, State Farm is interviewing an I-CAR instructor at SEMA 2011.  By watching the video, you will learn about the concerns of automotive welding.  The car in the video has  color coded parts, which will give you a visual of the different steels used to manufacture a vehicle. 

 As you can see from the video, vehicle designs are changing and the repair methods to repair them are changing as well.  Proper training, such as I-CAR is a must if you plan on working on today’s car.

 The online training I-Car was referring to can be found at www.CollisionBlast.com/I-CarOnlineTraining I-CAR estimates the training to take about 1 hour and you will receive .25 points after successfully passing the MIG brazing test. 

 If you just want to learn the basics to MIG welding and the different types of welds using in auto body welding, I have a Kindle book available at Amazon.  However, this is the basics to welding mild steel.  It does not cover welding structural parts or MIG brazing mentioned in this post.  This book can be found at www.CollisionBlast.com/AutoBodyWelding

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Have you ever had to decide between a 4 wheeler to play on land and a jet ski to play in water?  I guess if you do not live by a lake or river the decision would be easy.  However, if you are having troubles deciding, why not have both!  Check out this cool video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Isn’t that cool!  I want one of these.  The only problem I see is bottoming out and knowing a hole in the hull.  I don’t know, but I still want one.  It looks like fun to me.  What do you think?

I stumbled onto this video that also has a course you may find interesting.  I have posted videos in the past demonstrating space or spray can art, but this has a course that will teach you how to do it.  It is not really  automotive airbrush painting, but if you are like me, all types of painting amazes me.  I am one of those guys that have to stop and watch every time I see someone demonstrating space art or even airbrushing t-shirts at a mall.

Check out this video.  You can learn more about the course at CollisionBlast.com/SprayPaintArtSecrets

Click here to view the embedded video.

This Membership Site For Learning Spray Paint Art. There Is A Thriving Community Of Street And Spray Paint Artists Online And In The World. This Site Teaches Spray Paint, Street, And Graffiti Artists How To Take Their Skills To The Next Level And Do Fine Art.

Check out there website to learn more.  Visit CollisionBlast.com/SprayPaintArtSecrets

Last week a big shipment arrived at the collision repair program at Butler Community College.  It was a new vacuum system for the collision repair program.  I know, a vacuum does not sound like much to rave about, but this piece of equipment is going to provide a much cleaner and safer learning environment for the students. 

 The Eurovac vacuum system will be placed in our one of our storage areas and hose drops will be ran and installed at each work station.  This will allow the students to connect an air hose and vacuum line to the tools being used.  With all the sanding of paints and fillers and grinding we do, this is going to eliminate much of the dust and dirt in the shop.  Not only will this provide a cleaner shop, it will also help produce cleaner paint jobs. 

 We’re excited to get this hooked up and start using it and to be teaching green technology.  One of the first steps towards teaching green technology was when we started using Aquabase paint last year ago.  This is a waterborne paint system owned by PPG.  Waterborne paint produces less volatile organic compounds (VOC).  VOC’s is what ends up polluting our environment and is what the EPA is concerned about.

 A greener training facility is awesome, but the color matches waterborne paint has is amazing.  The color matches have been more accurate, which requires less time tinting and/or blending paint.  The Aquabase system also eliminates the need for a paint mixing system that agitates the paint, which saves time. 

 With or without the green factor, it has been a positive experience moving this direction.  Less dust flying around cleaner paint jobs, and better paint matches is what I see beneficial.  A cleaner and safer learning environment is an added bonus for teaching green technology.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In this video, you will see a few of the things the students at Butler are learning how to do.  It is hard to find time to take photos and video clips of every job, but this will give you an idea of what we do.

Students are doing everything from spot jobs to complete paint jobs. We recently replaced a bedside on a Chevy pick-up.  This is the process of removing the bed from the frame, cutting the welded side panel off, and installing a new side panel using adhesives and welding.

We are also learning how to perform smaller repairs and blending paint.  Blending paint is the process of fading the new color into the existing color.  When perfected, this process will produce an invisible repair.

Body repair, plastic repair, welding, priming, blocking, masking, painting and clear coat is a few of the things we are learning on a daily basis in the program.

For more information at the Butler Collision Repair program visit: http://CollisionBlast.com/BCRN

COLLISION REPAIR TECHNICIAN

FERRARI BROS. BODY SHOP (Monrovia, California)

Auto Rust Repair – In part 1, we are going to learn how to cut out a rust hole.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This is part I of auto rust repair tutorial.  This lesson we are going to talk about cutting out the rusted damaged area and welding in a new piece of metal.

Determine Extent of Rust

The first thing you want to do is determine, where the rust is located and the extent of the rust. Rust is really not that hard to find. Obviously, if there is a hole, that is easy to find, but a lot of time the rust does not eat all of the way through the metal you may be able to repair the rust without having to cut out a section of the panel and adding a new piece to the panel.

Where Does Rust Come From?

Rust starts forming on the metal underneath the paint or from the backside. For different reasons, it could be due to salt on the roads that cause rust, it could be mud getting caught behind this area and not being cleaned, which results in the moisture causing it to rust, it could have had a repair in this area before and didn’t have the proper corrosion protection applied to the metal.  But for whatever reason, the rust starts forming on the metal. At this point you can’t see it, but as it starts spreading and growing it starts pushing the paint out and will bubbling the paint outward.

The First Indication Of Rust

When you see bubbled paint, this is the first indication there may be rust underneath it. This is the time you want take action and repair the rusted area.  At this stage you may not have to cut the rusted area out and replace it with a patch panel repair panel.

Determining The Extent of Rust

To determine how bad the rust is, use a screw driver or scratch awl to push on the bubbled area.  This will flake some of the rust out, but if does not push through, you may able to clean that area up, grind to bare metal, and apply corrosion protection.  The the part can be refinished, which will protect the panel from rusting again.

A Rust Hole

If the screw driver or scratch awl does push through or if it is too extensive to repair, it is going to require cutting out the rusted surface and replace area with new metal.

Before Cutting

Before you start cutting determine how big of an area needs to be removed.  Just because you have a quarter size hole does not mean that the rust is just in that area. Chances are it has spread behind the panel more than that.  So you want to grind the rust area to the metal and make sure the outside rust is removed.  Now you should be able to determine how thick the metal is around the edges.  You want to make your patch big enough to where the new patch is going to be welded to good metal on the panel.  Most of the time you are going to have to extend out where the rust was present to three or four inches past the area to assure  you are going to be cutting and welding to good metal.

Marking The Cut Line

Once you have determined where to cut, the easiest way I have found to mark the cut line is to use masking tape.  It is really not that necessary to spend a lot of time measuring to make perfect measured mark lines, as the piece cut out is what will be use as a template to make the patch repair.  I lay out the masking tape around the area to be cut out and use the masking tape edge make the cut.  Many time you will be by an edge flange where the metal wraps around the panel.  There will be several spot welds on the inside of the flange, which will need to be drilled out.

Making The Cut

Once the tape is  laid out use a cut off saw to make the cut along the tape edge.  Care must be taken not to cut into any inner panels, as you do not want to cut into inner panels.  You may have to carefully cut the outside panel taking care not to cut all the way through other components of the car.

Following the tape line, make the cut all the way around the rusted area and drill out the spot welds if there are any on the flange area.  Try to remove the rusted area with a little damage to it as possible.  The piece need to be removed if one piece if possible so it can be used as a template when making the new patch panel.  When the entire edge is rusted, the panel can’t really use the entire piece. In this case, use masking tape to lay out the shape of the panel.

Check Metal For Thickness

Make sure that your edges are good metal that you will be welding to.  Now you are ready to start fabricating your new panel or preparing a pre-shaped repair panel that can be purchased.  Pre-shaped repair panels make the job much easier, but with a few basic tools, you can fabricate some of the panels yourself, if they are not too complex or have multiple body lines.

The students did an outstanding job on this corvette. After watching the video, you will hear how excited the auto body repair instructor is and how proud he is of the students that painted the car. I can relate with him, I still remember the first car that I painted in high school and how it felt to step back and see the end results. It still excites me to step back and see something I sprayed that turned out good. However, not all of mine turn out as I hoped and that can be very discouraging as well.

As the instructor in the video, I get excited when a student’s paint job turn out good too. After all of these years, I still get the rush from seeing the finished project.

Watch this video and you will hear the pride this instructor has for his students.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Kudos to the collision repair students and instructor at Colonial High School in Orlando, Florida.  They made some SMC (sheet molded compound) repairs to the vette body, stripped the old paint finish and repainted the car complete.  You can see from the video they did an outstanding job.  The corvette looks absolutley great and they all deserve a thumbs up for their effort.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I would like to give a shout out to Liquid Design Custom Paint and Airbrush.  They have been a long time follower on my YouTube channel and have been very helpful by providing comments to the videos.

The business is located at 2132 US Highway 70, Swannanoa, NC 28778.  They perform custom paint and airbrushing.  You can see from the video that they do outstanding work.

Kudos to Liquid Design and thanks for being a YouTube subscriber.

I would like to encourage everyone to visit their Facebook page and follow them.  The link to their Facebook is located below.

Facebook Page – CollisionBlast.com/LiquidDesign

iPhone App – CollisionBlast.com/LiquidDesignApp

Video – CollisionBlast.com/LiquidDesignVideo

By David Brauns

You are entitled to diminished value if your car was repaired after being in an accident. Diminished value is the amount of money your car decreases in value because it has been in a wreck. When you go to sell your car, the car dealer or buyer can pull a report out of a national database using your car’s VIN number. When they see your car was in an accident, it makes your car worth less. In most States, you have a legal right for the insurance company to compensate you for this lost value.

The amount of diminished value you may be entitled to varies wildly based on a lot of factors. To get started you should first make sure you “qualify” for a claim. You should have a claim if:

1. Your car’s fair market value prior to the accident was at least $5,000.
2. Repairs exceeded $1,500.
3. Your car is no less than eight years old.
4. Your car doesn’t have a salvage title.

Once you tell the insurance company that you want diminished value, they will get back to you with an offer. As with all offers in life, their first number is usually not the highest they are willing to go. It is a starting point to see if you will jump at it and to see if you are up to a negotiation.

If you decide to counter the insurance company’s offer, you are going to need to present a dollar amount that you think your car lost in value. You just can’t pull a number out of thin air. You need to find a diminished value appraiser who will run your car’s numbers and give you an official report on how much value your car lost. You then send your adjuster this report and demand the diminished value amount the adjuster came up with.

If the adjuster does not agree to this higher amount, you will need to negotiate with him or her. Negotiating is a topic in and of itself. But at a high level, you need to get the adjuster to explain why their amount is right and yours is wrong. Then you will need to “debate” the adjusters reasons. A lot of times the appraiser who did your diminished value report can help you come up with good reasons for increasing the diminished value based on their report.

Finally, some insurance policies have an “independent appraiser” clause. You can tell the adjuster you want to invoke that clause, which costs them time and money. They will have to pay a third-party appraiser to analyze your car’s diminished value. Many times the adjuster will increase their offer the amount of money it would cost to pay that third-party appraiser. So, this can be a quick way to get them to bump up their offer.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: David Brauns is an experienced Atlanta accident attorney. He began his career working for insurance companies with the intention of learning how they defended serious personal injury cases so that he could one day start his own law firm and oppose them. Unlike other personal injury lawyers, David only takes a select number of cases each year to ensure that he is strategically litigating each of his clients’ cases towards maximum value. You can visit his website AtlantaPersonalInjuryCenter.com to learn more about dealing with insurance adjusters.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Brauns
http://EzineArticles.com/?Lost-Value-Claims-After-Your-Car-Is-Repaired&id=6841018

• ClaimBuster - Did You Have an Accident?   Do You Want To Learn How To  Deal With Adjusters and Attorneys?  Check This Report Out.

We are discussing color theory in class today. I found this video that does a good job of explaining the color theory process.

The video hits on the things we need to know when tinting automotive paint. By understanding the color wheel, you will be able to mix and match automotive paint much easier.

Watch this video to learn about this app. If your kids are out speeding, the parents get a text notification. This is cool for the parents to have peace on mind. However, I must admit, I am glad they didn’t have this when I was a kid. With my younger days in mind, you can bet I am going to use this when my kid starts driving.

Watch the video and let us know what you think.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Learning to do some of your own car maintenance will save you money and help your car last longer.  In this tutorial, you will learn how to replace windshield wipers.  This only take a few minutes and you can buy new wipers at Walmart or any parts store.  Follow the simple steps below to do this yourself.

1. Determine the length of your windshield wipers.  You can do this by using a tape measure to measure the length of your blase, compare the new blades with the old blades, or ask for assistance at a parts store.  By providing the make and model of your vehicle, they can tell you which wipers your vehicle takes.
2. Remove the old wiper blade by pushing in on the clip and pulling down.
3. Compare old wiper with the new wiper to assure you have the correct part.
4. Reverse the process to install.  Make sure you hear the clip to assure the wiper is properly secured.

That is it…simple to do and will save you money on your car maintance expence.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Steven Schillinger

(888) 374-7475

RENO, NEVADA – January 16th – GRC-Pirk Management, managers of www.haps6h.com, announced they will provide a complimentary template along with telephone consultation to collision repair centers subject to the annual notification requirements under EPA Regulation 40 CFR 63 Subpart 6H: Paint Stripping and Miscellaneous Surface Coating Operations at Area Sources.

The firm’s Senior Environmental Engineer, Shannon McDaniel stated, “The EPA requires all spray coating operations to comply with the NESHAP 6H Rule, meaning most body shops must file an annual notification. In support of the EPA Collision Repair Campaign, we are helping shops navigate through the confounding language and confusing requirements of the compliance codes, until the reporting deadline of February 29, 2012.”

Steven E. Schillinger, GRC-Pirk President said, “Although the January 10, 2011 compliance deadline has long since passed, spray coating operations are still required to report compliance or risk violation. By not reporting compliance, there is a risk of violating the Clean Air Act.” Schillinger continued, “Knowing how to follow the HAPs 6H requirements can benefit those working in the collision repair industry, both economically and environmentally.”

About the EPA Collision Repair Campaign (www.epa.gov/collisionrepair) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency developed the Collision Repair Campaign to focus on meaningful risk reduction in the Collision Repair source sector to complement the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ongoing community air toxics work and attain reductions at a faster rate. The Campaign serves as an opportunity for shops to work towards compliance with the Paint Stripping and Miscellaneous Surface Coating HAPs 6H Rule.

About HAPs 6H Report (www.haps6h.com/Pdfs/HAPS_6H_Annual_Notification_Report.pdf) GRC-Pirk Management created haps6h.com for state and local authorities to assist building owners in eco-friendly fulfillment on a professional engineering basis, enabling third party validation, verification, and documentation. Engineers managing haps6h.com have extensive experience in climate, energy and compliance measures, having consulted on issues ranging from permitting, to greenhouse gas calculations. Each engineer is committed to building sustainable solutions for clients and executing the most appropriate course of action to secure the most favorable outcome.

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Click here to view the embedded video.

Watch This Video Full Screen:  www.CollisionBlast.com/CarCrash1

If you had a car wreck, would you know what to do.  Car crashes happen ever day and is a normal occurrence to police officers, auto body shops, and insurance adjusters.  However, there are many people that have never been involved in an auto accident.  Therefore, no thought or preparation has been given to what they should do, if they do have a fender bender.

Having a car accident is a stressful experience.  Although, you can take a few steps to prepare yourself if this should ever happen.  Of course, no one wants to plan on having an accident, but if you will follow the steps in the video, you will know what should be done, if you should ever have a wreck.

This video covers what should be done immediately after the accident.  In upcoming videos, I’ll discuss what steps can be taken throughout the whole process.  From the time you have the accident, until you have the keys back in your hands and your car back on the road.

Hopefully you will never need to use the tips given in this video, but at least you will have an idea of what to do.

 Resources:

www.CollisionBlast.com/AccidentKit – This is an accident kit as mentioned in the video.  The kit has many of the things, preprinted forms for collection information, etc.

By Grant Webb

With the wild ride of the financial markets in recent years, the automotive industry has taken its share of blows, yet despite the chaos of turbulent times, many companies are persevering, growing, and reaching into new markets. In the automotive industry the pressure to get a concept into production and out to consumers is extreme. For professionals looking to get in on a little of the success of the big guns, consider the role of Six Sigma training in your auto company’s repertoire for growth and long term viability.

Six Sigma in the Automotive Industry – A Case Study for Success
As many professionals with Six Sigma certification can tell you, Six Sigma training provides a template for overhauling the process of doing business in a cohesive way that reduces waste, streamlines resources, and produces changes that are data driven, profitable, and sustainable. In recent years, Chrysler’s “Imported from Detroit” campaign underscores the success of Six Sigma strategies that when applied with innovation, consistency and great skill can expedite growth, improve customer confidence, and increase product marketability.

In their 2010 sustainability report, Chrysler CEO’s indicated that Six Sigma strategies helped them to focus “on understanding the voice of the customer and driving product performance with functional robustness. It serves as the foundation for developing vehicles that delight our customers and improve their loyalty by enhancing quality, reliability and durability.”

Application to Small Automotive Companies

In its purest form, Six Sigma certification provides the standardized language and tools to identify data indicators that support aggressive goals; at the same time Six Sigma training teaches leaders how to measure, evaluate, and respond to the data; and lastly, the Six Sigma framework provides a template to drive change that is adaptable and sustainable. Looking at case studies of companies like Chrysler which have adapted Six Sigma strategies with success provides examples for smaller companies with fewer resources. More and more consumers and business stakeholders are recognizing Six Sigma as synonymous with business success. This may be one of the reasons why Chrysler chose to mention it to customers in its 2011 Dodge Charger marketing literature. Businesses big and small know that Six Sigma certification can help a company build client trust and brand confidence.

For professionals looking to grow a smaller business into a larger one, Six Sigma certification through a nationally ranked and fully accredited online program can offer a world-wide level of confidence, reputation, and success within a flexible learning environment custom built for today’s working professional. To compete with industry leaders, smaller businesses need to speak the same language and utilize business strategies that not only make sense, but are also recognized as best practice protocol across the industry.

Six Sigma training not only offers the skills and knowledge necessary for staying fully engaged in the race for 21st century business growth, but also affords professionals the opportunity to network with an elite group of leaders across industries whose ideas in business are driving economic growth and industry standards. You don’t want to be sitting on the side lines with the competition charging by you – Six Sigma certification leads to new opportunities for companies and their leaders who engage innovatively with the process and are willing to devote the time and resources into making change sustainable.

Conclusion

In today’s cut throat global marketplace, leaders need to be able to identify the best ways to collect the data that will bring positive momentum toward aggressive goals and lasting change. Change itself needs to be responsive and resilient, not only to marketplace indicators, but also consumer demands. In this age of instant social media reports and international brand chatter, it is vital that small companies employ strategies like Six Sigma which is recognized by many industry leaders worldwide as the gold standard for best practice business growth strategies, especially in a challenging economy.

As a Six Sigma certified professional, you will exhibit the strong commitment to professional and company growth that hiring professionals are looking for in today’s competitive marketplace. There are as many interpretations of Six Sigma strategies as there are innovative leaders heading Fortune 500 companies. To be innovative means that you have committed to the discipline of acquiring a standardized body of knowledge that could take you on the path of gaining the competitive advantage enjoyed by today’s most elite business leaders industry wide. If you feel your career is idling on the side lines, Six Sigma certification might be just what you need to kick up your performance into overdrive.

Click here to view the embedded video.

With more vehicles made out of aluminum, requires more aluminum repair for collision repair technician.

I visited with Steve Widen with 3M at SEMA 2011 and asked him what he thinks a few of the biggest challenges the collision repair industry faces.

Steve mentioned that vehicle technology is changing fast.  Getting the new repair methods to the repair shops is a challenge he feels is an issue.  We are not going to be able to use the same repair methods that we have in the past.  The industry must realize continuos training is essential to stay updated with new repair methods.

The other challenge Steve mentioned was aluminum repair.  Aluminum requires separate tools  used only for aluminum.  Using the same tools used on steel panels will cause galvanic corrosion.  Another thing Steve mentioned, was having a clean work station to repair aluminum.  If an aluminum repair is being repaired near another repair, the surface may get metal contaminates embedded into the aluminum surface.  This may not show up immediately, but with time the contaminates causing galvanic corrosion.

To prevent this, body shop’s are going to need separate work stations for aluminum repairs.

This is going to effect all body shops, as more vehicles are being made with aluminum parts.  The new F-150 Ford pick-up will consist of mostly aluminum.  It’s not just the higher end cars, but the average vehicles are being designed with much of the new technology, which will require new repair methods to consider.

For more things changing the collision repair industry, visit Collision Repair Trends.

In this video, I am demonstrating the basic hand tools for hammer and dolly dent repair. There are many tools used for repairing dents.  However, this video touches on a few of the most common tools used for hammer and dolly dent repair.

Body hammers, shrinking hammers, combination dolly, heel dolly, wedge dolly, comma dolly, toe dolly, spoons, and the slapping file are a few of the  tools used dent repair using hand tools.

This method works great, but you must be able to have access to both side of the panel for this method.  Many of the newer cars do not allow you to have access to both sides of the panel, but when it is possible, this is probably the easiest method to use.

I will be uploading additional video for hammer and dolly repair soon.  Keep your eye on the Auto Show page for upcoming videos.

CollisionBlast.com – Weldless car repairs in another thing heading our way. With the heat welding produces, welding structural parts is not recommended on vehicles with certain steels and aluminum. At SEMA 2011, I also heard that less repairs to structural parts are recommended. Some car makers are recommending to follow the damage back to a place where there is no evident damage, cut the part off and section with a new one. Therefore, eliminating the straightening stage. I believe this was focused on aluminum, but many of the steels used today are very heat sensitive, which is an issue with welding. Things are changing fast in the automotive industry, so pay attention and look for new repair methods for these changes.

For the largest selection of chrome bolts check out this site… CollisionBlast.com/ChromeBolts

3M has partnered with other companies to develop technology for paintless cars. We’ve heard of paintless dent removal, but this is cars with no paint from the factory. New car materials are being developed, which will not require paint from the factory for corrosion protection The cars will be wrapped with vinyl wraps to replace what has been painted to this point.

Sorry for the video quality.  I am not sure why it turned out to blurry. I may post another video and do a better job with the camera later.

For more information about this partnership, visit an article at CNBC

Have you heard about the compressed air and hair dryer trick for repairing dents?  It’s nothing new, but I have been asked about this in the past.  However, I have never tried to use this method….until now!

I tested this method on three different types of dent on my Nissan pickup.  The videos I researched instructed to heat the area with the air dryer and then hold the compressed air upside down and spray the dent.

Do you think it worked for me?  Watch the video and let me know what you think.

How to remove and replace a pick up bedside.  For step-by-step instructions, visit http://CollisionBlast.com/ReplaceBedside