A car or pickup truck owner should take good care of their vehicle, and this means not only changing the oil filter and rotating the tires, but also watching out for hazards on the road. Most drivers are safe and responsible about how they drive on today’s roads, but some drivers are impaired or reckless, and bad weather can make even a safely driven car go out of control. A few million car accidents take place across the United States every year, and cars may suffer glancing blows or scratches, cracked windshields, busted bumpers, or worse. Repairs at an auto body repair shop must be done at once, and the staff at an auto body shop can pound out dents, replace windshields, and even touch up paint. A paint shop can fix any scraped or scratched paint on a car, and this is very important, since exposed car metal may rust quickly.
Getting a Car Repainted
A car’s paint and sealant is like a protective skin, to prevent the car’s metal body from rusting. What might compromise the paint? Many collisions or scrapes that put dents in the body may also scrape off or scratch the car’s paint in the affected area, and a very old car may have its paint chipping and flaking off due to age. Falling tree branches can also scratch up a car, and flying debris such as bricks from a truck’s bed can scrape the paint as well. Vandals are also known to damage car paint, such as when they intentionally drag a car key across the body to put ugly scratches in it.
Now it is time to visit paint shops in the area, and the crews there can touch up scratched or scraped paint on a car for a fee. The cost varies depending on the location and extent of the damage, and some minor paint jobs might even be free. Bear in mind that these paint shops might not have the exact color of paint for the job, so the staff may simply use a similar color. Some car owners, such as enthusiasts, bypass paint shops entirely and order the correct paint online, and have it delivered to their home or personal garage. The car owner can raise the hood and check for a sticker on the barrier between the engine and passenger compartments, which will describe the paint’s exact color code. Now, they can sand down the affected area and put down primer. Once that dries, layers of paint can be put on until it is time for sealant, and all that may need a day or two to dry off. This ensures that the car’s paint is perfectly consistent in color.
Blunt Trauma Repair
Meanwhile, what about dents in the car’s body or cracks on the windshield or rear window? A car may suffer damage like this after an auto accident, such as if a drunk or distracted driver runs a red light and hits them or delivers a glancing blow. During icy or snowy weather, cars can slide out of control and hit one another, or hit items such as mailboxes, fire hydrants, or lamp posts and suffer damage. A truck’s cargo might come loose during travel and fly around, and bricks or other items may hit the cars driving behind that truck. Large hail can pound dents all over the car, and vandals may use blunt instruments to pound on a car’s body or crack its windshield.
A dented car is not only unattractive (and thus can’t sell well), but its aerodynamic qualities are impaired. The owner is urged to get hail damage pounded out by visiting local auto body services, where staff can remove the damaged metal and pound on it from the other side. Damaged bumpers can be replaced too, and dented rims may have their dents pounded out as well (and busted or missing hubcaps can be replaced). Meanwhile, a cracked windshield is not only distracting to the driver but is also liable to shatter at some point, so the owner must take it to a shop and have the compromised glass replaced at once. Besides, a car with cracked glass cannot pass an official safety inspection, and it may struggle to sell.
