Many car owners can hardly wait to get back their cars after a collision repair. As such, most don’t give it much thought; after that call, you hurriedly get to the shop, test drive your car, and take it home. While satisfying as you have your car back, it can come back to haunt you. The mechanical and structural considerations are in good shape, but have you checked the paintwork? Effective collision repair includes the paint job. While the excitement might “blind” you, checking for possible tells that the paint job wasn’t effectively undertaken can’t be stressed enough. Among the easy ways to establish if the auto body shop did a poor paint job includes;
The texture
The uneven texture is among the quick tells that the auto body shop didn’t do a good job. The process requires a specific method to ensure that the auto paint is sprayed evenly and dries, leaving a smooth texture. For instance, if it is sprayed too closely, the chances are that it’ll look uneven. Some shops do the job in a hurry, including measures such as heating to dry the paint and add the next layer. With such an approach, your car will spot uneven texture characterized by looks such as waves, orange peels, or ripples.
Running/sagging
Mixing the car paint is among the tricky considerations, requiring experience and expertise. If it is not done correctly, one layer will be too thick than the other. As such, it starts to run before it dries under the heat lamp. This leads to long, droopy wrinkles. It is an unsightly view that can, at times, be visible from a distance. With such a paint job, you’ll need the car to be repainted to spot a smooth and polished look.
Color matching
This might seem like a stretch, but it is possible to spot blotches, streaks, and swirls on your car panels as the colors don’t match. Matching the colors isn’t as straightforward as it seems, especially with all the shades available. If you hire an inexperienced pro, the time-consuming and challenging process can take a toll on their progress, meaning that you’ll get poor color matching even with a good finish.
Overspray
Auto painting requires following the right procedure. For instance, if they hurriedly do the work, they might skip an essential step that leads to overspray. For example, the auto shop could overlook masking off panels, ending with overspray. Such a surface isn’t only ore sight, but also a problem to remove. It could even require more parts to be repainted to ensure you spot a uniform paint job.
Poor sanding
Investing in quality products is not an afterthought for auto body shops. Nonetheless, some cut corners, including skipping steps that ensure you get a smooth texture. With such concerns, for example, poor sanding, your car will spot odd bulges and pits. Experienced pros using quality body fillers ensure you don’t end up with such a poor paint job.
Collision repair aims at returning your car to its pre-accident state. This includes the looks. While easily overlooked, the paint job can affect your car’s value, especially if you are considering selling it in the near future. The first impression counts, emphasizing the need to give the paintwork a thought as you get your car back.
