The Heat Is On
The use of heat to dry paint is a hot topic these days.
The Invisible Repair
Bringing a collision-damaged car back to preaccident condition in a fast, quality-oriented manner while still making a reasonable profit is the goal of every modern body shop today.
Buffing and Polishing
Everywhere you turn, it seems another vendor has a “new and improved” solution to the art of polishing an automotive paint finish. However, buffing and polishing are
skills that can improve dramatically with plain old practice.
Will Bonding Endure a Crash
The use of “structural” adhesives to attach outer door skins, hoods, deck lids and body panels is nothing new. In fact, the vehicle manufacturers have been doing it for years.
Small-Business Administration Loans
Ask 10 body shop owners to tell you the most frustrating aspect of running their businesses, and eight of them will probably name the area of financing. It’s no secret that obtaining adequate funding to meet day-to-day needs for working capital, equipment and facilities poses a major challenge.
Strategic Partnerships
No business exists in a vacuum, least of all a collision repair shop.
Tool Time: Common Hand Tools
Can you imagine finishing a weld with a file and emery cloth or sandpaper? Can you imagine prepping a panel for plastic filler with a piece of sandpaper powered only by elbow
grease? Can you imagine removing 25 different types of screws and bolts with a socket and a screwdriver – again, powered by
only elbow grease?
The 1997 Industry Profile
That was then … On Nov. 14, 1896, Britain abolished the Red Flag Law, a crazy, crazy mandate that forced motorists to drive behind a person who waved a red flag and walked ahead of the vehicle. While arguable – and in no way based in fact – this very well could have been the
Filling In the Details: Modern Plastic Fillers
Selecting and using modern plastic body fillers can be confusing – a myriad of products are offered by a myriad of manufacturers, each with its own recommended application procedures.
A History of Success and Change
The time: 1894. The place: Boston, Mass. The body shop: Fitzpatrick Brothers.