Advantages of Direct Repair Programs

Your car crashed and you need someone to fix it quickly. Your first instinct might be to call the nearest repair shop. However, consider shops that offer Direct Repair Programs, or DRPs, as they might offer greater benefits than getting your car repaired through other auto shops.

First, what is a Direct Repair Program? In the DRP, a collision shop enters a contract with an auto insurance company. When you are in an accident and you contact your insurance company or that of the at-fault driver, it will refer you to their network of repair shops. In some cases, a collision shop must meet the mandated service levels of the insurance company in order to remain in the DRP network. Such standards may include the quality of repairs, customer service and overall time it took to complete the repairs.

You should always have the option to work with an auto shop outside of an insurance company's DRP. However, there are some significant benefits to the vehicle owner if he or she chooses a shop through DRP.

The biggest advantage is that you do not have to handle the details. There is less paperwork, less phone calls, less time investment, which means less stress for you. The insurance company handles everything, while you and the auto shop still have control over the specific provisions of the repair. So all you have to do is drop off your vehicle, pick up a rental car, and pick up your vehicle after repairs. This usually also means free storage and free towing.

Because the insurance company takes care of the bulk of the process, the estimate for your repair will be approved more quickly. Also, once approved, the repair itself may take less time, because a shop does not have to wait for parts to arrive while the insurance adjuster re-evaluates an accident. Not only that, your quote may be lower because the partnership between the insurance companies and the auto body shops allows them to cut processing costs and offer more competitive rates. This also helps the insurers to save costs when pricing future insurance rates for the vehicle owner.

Other advantages include a limited time warranty offered on your vehicle's repair, rent cars available on-site at the auto shop, and guarantees offered by the insurance company for any work done at a Direct Repair Program shop.

One body repair shop can have multiple contracts with various insurance companies. Check whether a location near you is in partnership with your insurance for maximum convenience. For more information on a car accident repair service in Raleigh visit the website.

Why You Should Repaint Your Car

A car can say a lot about the owner’s personality: a sports version may say you are a little daring; a hybrid can shout that you are concerned about the environment; a minivan can show you are the proud and busy parent of an honor roll student from Brand X Jr. High School. However, the paint job on the vehicle may not be as indicative of your true nature. A new paint job is one way to express your personality or to get rid of years of wear and tear.

If you purchased your car new, you probably had several colors to choose from so you could have the version you really wanted. If you bought a used one, the choice was probably quite limited. If you love your automobile but hate the hue, you don’t have to live with it.

Perhaps the white you have reminds you of grandma, when what you really want is midnight black. You can customize yours to be pretty much any shade you would like. If you are planning on reselling the vehicle in the near future, basic colors are usually the easiest to unload. The most popular ones across the globe are white, black, silver, natural brown or tan, and red.

If you’re going to hold onto it for a while, feel free to do whatever you want. You can choose pigments that the manufacturer would never dare try because it doesn’t appeal to the masses. If you love purple, you can go for it. Is neon orange more your style? It can be yours.

Even if you like the shade of your vehicle, it may be time to repaint it. Environmental factors can wreak havoc on your paint, particularly if you park outside. Bird droppings, road dirt and oil all contribute to a diminished surface. Throw in some door dings, rock pits and other scrapes and your auto can start looking downright dull. The topcoat may also be damaged, evident when you see cracking and peeling.

A new paint job can refresh the entire look of your car. Beyond aesthetics, it can also protect the underlying metal from possible rust damage. In fact, a quality paint job can make it look nearly as good as when it rolled off the assembly line.

If you aren’t happy with the color of your vehicle, or if it’s just doesn’t wash up as well as it used to, take it to a qualified auto body shop for a fresh coat of paint. To learn more about options for auto body painting in Carlsbad, please visit this website.

Car Painting As an Art Form

A masterpiece of car painting has been perfected in this homage to Mondrian. It looks beautiful in its choice shades of blue, red and black on the white background of the vehicle's original color.

Top 5 Worst Car Accidents

Here are 5 of the worst car accidents that have occurred in world history and a little about what you can do to avoid being involved in one yourself.

Fresno 2007

Involving 126 vehicles and 36 people injured, this accident occurred on a highway in Fresno in 2007. The cause of it was limited visibility due to fog. If you have limited visibility due to fog or for any other reason, it is best to slow down as much as you can to feel safe or pull over and wait out the weather.

Londonberry, 2009

If the roads where you live have not been plowed after a heavy snowfall, it is best to avoid going out altogether, a tip that might have been useful in Massachusetts in 2009. This accident involved 46 cars, 13 trucks, and totaled at 15 injuries and was the result of unplowed roads.

Williamsburg, 2010

This accident that occurred in Williamsburg, Virginia has heavy snowfall to blame for 7 injuries and 50 wrecked cars.

Industry Veteran Creates "Body Shop of the Future" Using Overseas Technology

If you could cycle 10 to 12 cars in eight hours through your booth, cure filler in one minute, and apply four coats of primer....read more

Clean Up

Washing your car has more than justaesthetic value; it also helps your paint job stay healthy. Still, the products you use might be harming it. Learn the best way to wash your vehicle and keep it looking new.

Save Time and Money with Paintless Dent Removal

Remember that feeling of excitement when you first purchased your car? How you would run your hand along the smooth surface and smile knowing that this beauty was yours? If your car has seen a few years, chances are the panels now have a few dimples; low-impact collisions and errant baseballs can easily leave pockmarks. Here are a few reasons to consider paintless dent removal to bring back the glory day 

1.       It’s Economical

Standard repair work includes sanding down the damaged panel, filling the dent and then recoating. That can be quite expensive. With paintlessrepair, there is only step: pushing the indentation back out. Because there are fewer steps, there are fewer costs for you. 

2.       It’s Quicker

Your car can be in and out of the shop in a matter of hours if you can use this method. Regular work can take days, which means you would need to find alternate transportation while you’re waiting and waiting. 

3.       It Will Look Better

No more dings and dents mean a more attractive vehicle for you. Also, an auto body shop won’t need to worry about matching your shade to the manufacturers, because little or no painting is involved. 

4.       No Need to Use Insurance

Because of the low cost, you may not even reach your insurance deductible. As a result,you won’t need to file a claim, so your premiums won’t be increased.

Get your car back into pristine shape without spending a lot of time or money. You can find out more about paintless car scratch removal in Vista, by visiting this website.