Southern California roadways are infamous. They provide fodder for late night comedians, frustrations for 9-to-5 workers, and a means of getting from one place to another for the more than 225 million people that make Southern California home. Anyone who has ever attempted to navigate Southern California’s roadways should not be surprised to learn that since September of 2000, not a single day has gone by that there wasn’t a traffic collision fatality somewhere in the area. The roadways are so dangerous in Southern California that an auto collision occurs, on average, once every 59 seconds. Those are troublesome and unfortunate statistics so long as they remain just that: statistics. However when an auto collision becomes more personal, when it is your auto that needs repair, then once every 15 years for a collision is too often. The reality is that whether you’re in Van Nuys, Montecito Heights, South L.A., Harbor City, Brentwood, Venice, or anywhere else in SoCal, an auto is not a luxury, but a necessity. An auto collision brings about headaches no one needs, from having to deal with insurance adjustors to finding a repair shop to renting a vehicle while the repairs are completed. These become more than minor annoyances when you have a job, kids to get to and from school, and groceries to buy. Luckily, however, there are auto repair shops who are on your side and that reduce many of these frustrations so that your can get your auto back as quickly as possible. No one is going to be able to turn a traffic collision into a positive experience, but a good auto repair shop can make it as easy as possible. One of the things that can reduce your stress is knowing that you will...

Your car is one of your biggest investments. You worked hard for it, you picked it out, you paid for it (or are paying for it). You even went to great lengths to choose just the color you wanted. Whether it is Anaconda Green, Blue Flame, or Truffle Mica, your auto—including its color—says something about who you are. Wait … Truffle Mica? Yes, “truffle mica” is a current color of auto paint. Gone are the days when you picked a red, blue, or even black car from the showroom lot. In marketing efforts that have cost millions of dollars, auto manufacturers have upped the ante when it comes to paint colors and their names. To some extent, it is kind of cool to know that you’re blazing down the road in a Molten Orange sports car. On the other hand, if you take your car to an auto repair shop and ask them to match the paint, they may not have a can of Molten Orange just sitting around. In fact, auto paint doesn’t work anything like other paint. When you paint a room in your home, you normally have a can of basic white paint that tints are added to at the paint store. When the tint and the white are mixed together, you get the hue for your living room. Auto paint works more like airbrushing. With auto paint, resin, solvent, and pigment (which comes in powdered form) must be blended together in just the right amounts so that the paint will adhere to your auto, be the right color, and cure properly. Repair shops must match the pigments that they have to all of the many variations that exist among automobile manufacturers. Consequently, it can be difficult to get a perfect...

When people visit an auto body shop it’s either to get some paint work done or to restore a car involved in an accident to its pre-accident form. Painting a car is much more complex than normal paintwork. Auto paint comes in 10,000 different color shades and effects, so getting an exact match can only be done with the aid of professional paint technicians. This paint also has an enhanced luster, depth, shine and is more weather resistant than normal paint available on the market. A whole body paint job is expensive and should be undertaken when the old paint has faded, is dull and looking lack-luster. Spot painting is an alternative to overall painting but requires expertise and more precision as matching colors and giving a well-blended finish to the car, require a high level of skill as the spray painter will have to not only match the color but also adjust it for aging and the condition of the paint on adjacent panels of the vehicle. It is a multiple masking process that only very experienced professionals can achieve. Rust is an enemy to all vehicles. Proper and timely treatment to control the rust and mask the outbreaks on the surface will help the car appear more attractive and also prolong the life of your vehicle. Some people choose to add a coat of clear paint to boost the sheen and character of their vehicle; however these clear coats are prone to cracking, peeling and delamination. Auto paint jobs keep your car looking smart and new and also help to maintain its resale value when time comes to sell your car. Before an overall paint job or spot painting, the auto body shop will get the body of the vehicle back to...

If you have a chip in your auto glass in Braintree MA, there are certain things you should and shouldn’t do to handle such a chip. Learning about what you should and shouldn’t do if you have a chip in your windshield will lower the likelihood of your chip spreading to a crack and allow you to get the best repair possible on your windshield. One of the first things you should do if you have a chip in your auto glass in Braintree MA is examine the chip. When examining the chip, determine what it looks like. Does it look like a cone? Or does it look like a deep circle? Perhaps it looks a bit like a star or a spider with legs protruding from the chip. If so, it is very likely that your chip will spread into a crack if you don’t get it repaired immediately. When examining the chip in your windshield, be sure not to touch it or dig. You don’t want to risk contaminating the chip in your windshield and making the repairs unmanageable. Once you have inspected the chip in your auto glass in Braintree MA, consider placing tape over it to identify it and to keep the chip from spreading until you can get into a specialist. The piece of tape should only be about a half-inch by a half-inch, and it should not obstruct your view through your windshield. If it does, omit the tape and get in to see a windshield repair specialist immediately. Also, keep in mind that the tape won’t be an actual fix; it will just be temporary until you can get in to have your windshield repaired. Just as there are things you should do if your windshield has...

Having to get a windshield replacement in Quincy MA can sometimes be frustrating. You may think that you do not have the money to get the windshield replaced, or you may think that getting a lower price on a new windshield will be too difficult. However, here are some of the many things that you can do to get your windshield replaced on a budget. Many people will go out collecting quotes for a replacement windshield in Quincy MA, thinking that the price they are quoted is set in stone. However, these costs are often negotiable. Do not be too intimidated to ask to get a discount. Many companies and auto glass professionals will offer a replacement at a discounted rate in an effort to get your business. Remember that credit card processing is an additional expense that the business incurs to accept credit card payments. These expenses are passed onto those customers who use credit to pay their bill. Ask the service provider whether a cash discount may be available prior to having the service performed. If you can possibly wait for your windshield replacement in Quincy MA, it may be less expensive for you to do so. Most auto glass companies will charge a higher price for expedited service. If you can find alternate transportation—such as mass transit or borrowing a vehicle—until your windshield is replaced, it may be better for you financially. Some people think that using big brand auto glass companies to perform their windshield replaccement in Quincy MA is going to ensure that their windshield is repalced by a company that they can trust. However, in many instances these companies charge significantly higher prices for the same services than a small business. If you can find a reputable small...

For some people, a critical part of having fun on vacation or just a long weekend is spending it on a boat with family and friends. However, even in Florida, not everyone owns a boat. Those who are just visiting the area won’t have one either. When this is the case, you can find the relaxation on a boat you need with boat rentals in Palatka, FL. This will allow you to spend a great day with family and friends out on the water. Plenty of Space When you rent a boat, especially a pontoon boat, you will have plenty of space for everyone. You and the rest of the people on the boat will be able to roam around, relax and spend time enjoying food, drinks and good conversation. The deck on these pontoon boats is often large enough to comfortably accommodate a greater number of people than a simple speed boat. This makes it the perfect way to enjoy a day on the water with a larger group. Easy to Drive Another great reason to consider boat rentals in Palatka, FL, is they are easy to drive. With a quick lesson, you will be able to easily maneuver the rented pontoon boat through the water. As long as you learn what to look for to ensure you don’t run the boat aground or break any other boating rules, you will be able to enjoy the time on the water, driving around or anchoring the boat and relaxing. Reasonable Cost If you are inviting a large group to spend the day on the rental boat with you, the cost of the boat and the fuel you need for it will be quite reasonable. Splitting that cost among all the people who will spend...