San Jose Body Shop, B-Line Body Shop, Offers Advice on Rock Chips and the Benefits of Factory Paint

• 

It’s always good to keep your vehicle looking great through its life

San Jose, CA (PRWEB) June 06, 2012

B-Line Body Shop, a full-service collision repair center and body shop that offers scratch repair and dent repair in San Jose, is offering expert advice on chips and the benefit of keeping as much factory paint on vehicles as possible.

"It’s always good to keep your vehicle looking great through its life," Ryan Oka of B-Line Body Shop said. "However, re-painting surfaces on your vehicle for minor chips may not always be the best course of action. Factory refinish uses an industrial line of paint that is applied differently from collision repair shops. Surfaces can be cured at a much higher temperature, which promotes paint adhesion to the surface."

Often times, B-Line sees customers who come in for a few rock chips on their hood panel; however, in these cases, B-Line Body Shop suggests trying to brush touch the chips first, just to take the eye off of it.

“We explain to them that a refinished surface, especially one that is exposed to debris, will chip easier than a factory-finished part. So by fixing a few chips, the end result may be twice as many chips in a shorter period of time, depending on driving conditions,” Oka said.

Another example comes from when a panel is replaced, such as a fender. The fender on most cars usually lines up next to the hood panel and because of this, a number of repair facilities and insurance companies will want to blend the hood for color-matching purposes. This may look great when completed, but that hood panel will chip easier than before. Consequently, it is more beneficial to to color match the fender as best as possible and then blend to the side panel, such as the door, if needed.

If refinish of a panel, such as a hood or a front bumper, is needed, a good option to prevent chipping is to apply a clear film that protects those panels after the curing time has passed. But make sure to check with the paint manufacturer prior to applying a clear film because curing times vary.

Front bumpers also take a beating, factory finish or not. Depending on the owner’s need, it may be advisable to wait until driving habits have been changed before updating the exterior.

“We see vehicles come in with a lot of chips on the front bumper. For this issue, it is a good thing to ask the customer if they will be driving in the same conditions because fixing it and making it look great doesn’t mean that the problem won’t come back in a short period of time,” Oka said. “Some people change their commute to avoid being exposed to road debris. In this case, it is a good time to re-paint the front bumper and make it look new.”

Chipping occurs when debris on the road hits the vehicle and is mainly an issue for the front end of a car as side panels, the rear bumper and the trunk are less susceptible to being hit by road debris. Painting those panels to fix small issues does not have as many negative effects as painting front-end panels.

“Of course there are a ton of different scenarios and beliefs about what is best for your vehicle. When looking at a vehicle, we will tell the customer what is best for them and their vehicle,” Oka said. “Customers love their vehicle and when minor things like a few chips on the hood happen, they want to get it fixed. We explain to them the benefits of keeping the factory paint on front-end panels, if at all possible. Then we will provide them with alternatives.”

For more information about any of B-Line Body Shop’s products or services, call 408-279-4500, view the company on the Web at http://www.b-linebodyshop.com or visit 161 Patterson St. in San Jose.

About B-Line Body Shop

B-Line Body Shop is a full-service automotive paint shop and body shop in San Jose that offers to return vehicles to like-new specifications. It uses state-of-the-art technology and equipment to ensure that the vehicle is as safe as it was when it first rolled off the assembly line. All painting is color matched to the individual vehicle using computerized paint mixers. This high-tech equipment provides a level of detail and accuracy that is unmatched by any other method. B-Line Body Shop also works with auto insurance claims companies and provides dent or bumper repair.

PDF Print