Will my paint match?

Yes... Most of today’s vehicles come from the factory with a Base Coat Clear Coat finish. The Base Coat is the color and the Clear Coat is a high gloss protective coating applied over the color. When your car is repaired the paint (Base Coat) is matched to the existing color of your car. It is then applied to the affected areas of the repair. After applying the Base Coat the color is checked one more time for exact match, then the Clear Coat is applied. Some colors often require an additional procedure to achieve an exact match called a blend. Blending is when the paint (Base Coat) used on the repair is partially stretched onto the adjacent panel(s). This blends the new color into the existing. Once the paint (Base Coat) is applied and the designated panels are blended Clear Coat is applied over the newly repaired surfaces as well as the entire surface(s) of the blended panel(s). By Clear coating the entire panel being blended you prevent a "Blend Line" from developing later in the cars life (a blend line is when the original paint starts to fade, but the new paint doesn't causing a visible change in color from the new to the old).

Yes, regardless of the procedure needed to correctly match the paint on your vehicle, we will guarantee that it matches when we are finished.

Will these repairs void the factory warranty?

No. At Auto Body Concepts we use only OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) parts and all repair procedures are done following industry set standards including the restoration of factory warranted corrosion protection.

Will the insurance company provide me with a rental car while my car is being repaired?

• If you are a claimant, the other party's insurance company will be responsible for providing you a rental car during the time of repairs, if you need it.
• If you are the insured party in the accident you will need to check with your insurance company to see if you have car rental on your policy.

Will my car take an alignment after the repair?

Yes. We return every vehicle to the factory dimensions within a factory provided tolerance of +/- 3mm. The vehicle is then sent to the alignment shop where it will be re-aligned. You will be provided with a computerized print out of the alignment specs before and after the alignment is done.

What about my deductible?

Usually your insurance company will write you a check (possibly with yours and our name on it) for the amount of the repair less the amount of your deductible. Upon completion of your vehicle you will be responsible for providing the insurance check and a check for the amount of your deductible.

Why didn't my air bag deploy?

Most vehicles equipped with air bags have sensors in both front corners and on the fire wall. For the air bag(s) to deploy on most vehicles one of the corner sensors and the sensors on the fire wall have to be activated at the same time. To do this requires a substantial impact (this prevents the air bags from deploying during minor fender benders). If you feel that you air bag should have deployed, but it didn't, you should have it checked.

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Early vehicles were built tough to withstand damage during a collision without concern for the passenger. They were built extremely ridged using straight ladder frames and transferred much of the collision energy to the passenger compartment. This subjected occupant to extreme forces in a collision.

Current Vehicles

Current vehicles were developed in the 70's after the rise in gas prices.  They are constructed lighter, more fuel efficient, and safer than their predecessors and are designed to route the forces of a collision around the passenger compartment. Structural parts absorb energy by bending or collapsing at specific points called crush zones, offsets, or kick-up areas in the front and rear of a vehicle body or frame. Holes, dimples, convolutions, or slots are also engineered into the crush zones, offsets, and kick up areas allowing these areas to absorb most of the energy of the collision.

Indirect damage can be found in areas away from the point of impact. This is because collision energy may be transferred through the vehicle during the collision. Hoods are designed to buckle to keep them from coming through the windshield, and reinforced areas around the cab transfer unabsorbed energy around the passenger compartment.

Early Vehicles

• Made of mild steel that could be repaired easily and was less sensitive to heat than today’s HSLA (high strength low alloy) steel.
• Did not have crush zones, offsets or kick-up areas which allowed much more of the car to be repaired rather than replaced.

• Made of mild steel that could be repaired easily and was less sensitive to heat than today’s HSLA (high strength low alloy) steel.
• Did not have crush zones, offsets or kick-up areas which allowed much more of the car to be repaired rather than replaced.

Current Vehicles

• Many components are made of HSLA (high strength low alloy) steel.

• Many components are made of HSLA (high strength low alloy) steel.

1. More difficult to work than mild steel
2. Is usually straightened cold
3. Can lose its integrity (becomes brittle & may have invisible stress cracks) when heated or worked too much

"Work hardening" metal becomes work hardened when it is formed at the factory, even more work hardened when it is deformed in a collision, and if it is repaired becomes work hardened a third time. (This is why many times parts that don't look to be damaged that severely are recommended to be replaced "HSLA")

• Have convolutions, holes, dimples, or slots

1. These features are designed into the parts for passenger safety, and are meant to be replaced when kinked. Structural parts that need to be replaced, but are repaired, may not perform correctly in a future accident, which may result in passenger injury.
2. "kink vs. bend" I-CAR recommends that any structural part that is kinked be replaced, while parts that are bent can be repaired.
3. ** Example: hoods are often times bent in the convoluted areas. They often look like they aren't damaged very badly, but they should be replaced. If a hood that is kinked in a convolution is repaired, it would probably look ok cosmetically, but if the vehicle was in another accident it might fail to collapse like it is designed to and be pushed through the windshield.

• Manufactures are building cars with very tight tolerances some even within +/- 3mm
• Shops must have the proper equipment and measuring techniques to restore the car to manufacturers specs to insure proper performance of the car in driving and the occurrence of a collision.
• Consumers should demand that their vehicles are restored to pre-accident condition not only so the paint will match and the suspension will take an alignment, but also to protect them in the event that they are involved in another accident! And that’s why "THEY DON'T BUILD EM LIKE THEY USED TO"
  

• The windshield is considered a structural component in many vehicles

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