First dent!!!
Pit Crew
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 203
Likes: 33
From: Texas
Dent Wizard
Auto Body Shop
0 review on Yahoo
Phone:(361) 452-0254
Address:2620 S Padre Island Dr, Corpus Christi, TX 78415
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 8,560
Likes: 389
From: PA
It sounds like what you are talking about is known as "orange peel" it is present on cars with body work and also new cars that are not properly wet sanded and buffed. This is easily taken care of with a proper wet sanding and paint correction. This flattens it out and gets you a mirror shine. Paint blending is an art and a bad body shop guy can do a very bad repair the key is to find a good one.
As to a PDR guy, I like to use yelp and google reviews to find the best one. Look for one that posts photos of their work and gives you a satisfaction guarantee.
As to a PDR guy, I like to use yelp and google reviews to find the best one. Look for one that posts photos of their work and gives you a satisfaction guarantee.
Same with my LS430. I didn't use a paint depth gauge on it (no way anyone buys a used Porsche and above without one), but it's moonlight and it was bright sun when I first looked at it. It has never been hit nor repainted. . If the vehicle were repaired, as one is looking at one's reflection, it will change and get blurry at the repair. I have seen so many brand new < 1 y.o. cars like that, and concluded, the owners of these cars are not stupid, there's just nothing they can do about it. Think about it, really. You go to see your doctor and you have a copay. You're not paying the "real" amount of that doctor's visit. The doctor has 8 minutes to spend with you or he is dinged. No different than a body shop. They cannot restore cars to perfection. One, insurance isn't paying for that, they are rarely even paying for original crash parts, let alone the time needed.
I truly and sincerely am saying the fact that your car has a noticeable repair from my shop doesn't mean I'm a bad shop. It means I am running a business for profit, and have more work than I can do i.e. a backlog--I have to get these cars in and out. Your job was 2, 3, 5, 10k, not 200. If you are paying for a $200k restoration, we have tons of time and are going to produce a paint job where you cannot see any repairs. Think about Graveyard Carz and how painstaking the owner is on applying decals correctly--do you think any local body shop has the time to do that? I've seen factory emblems applied in the wrong side of the trunk before! Shouldn't opened the pc up to see where it belongs. And at what distance.
edit PDR is amazing--have had 3 on my BMW, to include one in the lower front corner of the door. Guy said I wish I could take you to the shop to show you how we do it, but we're not allowed (the guy that comes to the BMW dealer 1/wk)--and this was a ding in a bad place, and small. I first got a voicemail that the PDR guy could not find the dent (they don't use the word ding). Then another voicemail, found it, it's all done. I highly recommend PDR
p.p.s. the guy who did my car said BMW and MB is so easy to do. The metal has a memory and the results can be incredible. He said not so with Asian cars. Which I do not know if that means Lexus.
Last edited by Johnhav430; Jul 28, 2019 at 03:55 AM.
Pit Crew
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 203
Likes: 33
From: Texas
Dent Wizard is the industry leader and primarily serves dealers, body shops, auctions(Manufactures, leasing companies, finance companies;etc.). They are very protective of allowing anyone to view their work as it takes years of training for a master status and the methods and certain tools are proprietary. They have limited retail outlets but that doesn’t mean that you can’t find a Dent Wizard tech either current or no longer with the company to do the job. PDR is so commonplace even in $200k builds as factory stampings and especially aftermarket stamping fall short of what an enthusiast wants from a quality perspective.
As to production body shops a customer has to understand that they are in business to make money and to restore to the factory or better quality means the body shop, adjuster and customer need to work together. Unfortunately that means supplement after supplement to get there which rarely happens unless your body shop has a Platinum Certified Adjuster boxing the ears of a typical adjuster & their manager. The customer has to expect to pay more if they want it repaired just like it left the factory. Most customers can’t tell the difference but those who can need to pay extra. It’s not a “just” system but unless you are educated or hire a Platinum Certified Adjuster to negotiate on your behalf don’t just expect to throw the keys and pick it up” and have it be just like it rolled off the showroom floor. Many shops don’t accept insurance as their quality won’t be compromised. If their normal rate is $100 an hour they can’t break even on $42 insurance rates. How do you tell your team to reduce their quality to just good enough for the average “appliance” buyer? I always pay more and I have a Platinum Certified Adjuster to help me wring every dollar out of insurance so the amount I pay isn’t huge to return it to my standards.
Every body shop with a conscience hates dealing with adjusters that have no clue what it really takes to do it right l. The industry standard is “good enough” so to make money a body shop does “good enough “ work. Nobody wins except the insurance company unless you view each accident as if a poor result nets you prison time. If you want quality expect to pay more and be actively involved. Don’t wait until it’s convenient to return calls to the body shop as your vehicle sits, clogging up the shop until you provide direction. Be tardy and what choice do they have but to move you along with all they can get out of insurance.
As to production body shops a customer has to understand that they are in business to make money and to restore to the factory or better quality means the body shop, adjuster and customer need to work together. Unfortunately that means supplement after supplement to get there which rarely happens unless your body shop has a Platinum Certified Adjuster boxing the ears of a typical adjuster & their manager. The customer has to expect to pay more if they want it repaired just like it left the factory. Most customers can’t tell the difference but those who can need to pay extra. It’s not a “just” system but unless you are educated or hire a Platinum Certified Adjuster to negotiate on your behalf don’t just expect to throw the keys and pick it up” and have it be just like it rolled off the showroom floor. Many shops don’t accept insurance as their quality won’t be compromised. If their normal rate is $100 an hour they can’t break even on $42 insurance rates. How do you tell your team to reduce their quality to just good enough for the average “appliance” buyer? I always pay more and I have a Platinum Certified Adjuster to help me wring every dollar out of insurance so the amount I pay isn’t huge to return it to my standards.
Every body shop with a conscience hates dealing with adjusters that have no clue what it really takes to do it right l. The industry standard is “good enough” so to make money a body shop does “good enough “ work. Nobody wins except the insurance company unless you view each accident as if a poor result nets you prison time. If you want quality expect to pay more and be actively involved. Don’t wait until it’s convenient to return calls to the body shop as your vehicle sits, clogging up the shop until you provide direction. Be tardy and what choice do they have but to move you along with all they can get out of insurance.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 8,560
Likes: 389
From: PA
Dent Wizard is the industry leader and primarily serves dealers, body shops, auctions(Manufactures, leasing companies, finance companies;etc.). They are very protective of allowing anyone to view their work as it takes years of training for a master status and the methods and certain tools are proprietary. They have limited retail outlets but that doesn’t mean that you can’t find a Dent Wizard tech either current or no longer with the company to do the job. PDR is so commonplace even in $200k builds as factory stampings and especially aftermarket stamping fall short of what an enthusiast wants from a quality perspective.
As to production body shops a customer has to understand that they are in business to make money and to restore to the factory or better quality means the body shop, adjuster and customer need to work together. Unfortunately that means supplement after supplement to get there which rarely happens unless your body shop has a Platinum Certified Adjuster boxing the ears of a typical adjuster & their manager. The customer has to expect to pay more if they want it repaired just like it left the factory. Most customers can’t tell the difference but those who can need to pay extra. It’s not a “just” system but unless you are educated or hire a Platinum Certified Adjuster to negotiate on your behalf don’t just expect to throw the keys and pick it up” and have it be just like it rolled off the showroom floor. Many shops don’t accept insurance as their quality won’t be compromised. If their normal rate is $100 an hour they can’t break even on $42 insurance rates. How do you tell your team to reduce their quality to just good enough for the average “appliance” buyer? I always pay more and I have a Platinum Certified Adjuster to help me wring every dollar out of insurance so the amount I pay isn’t huge to return it to my standards.
Every body shop with a conscience hates dealing with adjusters that have no clue what it really takes to do it right l. The industry standard is “good enough” so to make money a body shop does “good enough “ work. Nobody wins except the insurance company unless you view each accident as if a poor result nets you prison time. If you want quality expect to pay more and be actively involved. Don’t wait until it’s convenient to return calls to the body shop as your vehicle sits, clogging up the shop until you provide direction. Be tardy and what choice do they have but to move you along with all they can get out of insurance.
As to production body shops a customer has to understand that they are in business to make money and to restore to the factory or better quality means the body shop, adjuster and customer need to work together. Unfortunately that means supplement after supplement to get there which rarely happens unless your body shop has a Platinum Certified Adjuster boxing the ears of a typical adjuster & their manager. The customer has to expect to pay more if they want it repaired just like it left the factory. Most customers can’t tell the difference but those who can need to pay extra. It’s not a “just” system but unless you are educated or hire a Platinum Certified Adjuster to negotiate on your behalf don’t just expect to throw the keys and pick it up” and have it be just like it rolled off the showroom floor. Many shops don’t accept insurance as their quality won’t be compromised. If their normal rate is $100 an hour they can’t break even on $42 insurance rates. How do you tell your team to reduce their quality to just good enough for the average “appliance” buyer? I always pay more and I have a Platinum Certified Adjuster to help me wring every dollar out of insurance so the amount I pay isn’t huge to return it to my standards.
Every body shop with a conscience hates dealing with adjusters that have no clue what it really takes to do it right l. The industry standard is “good enough” so to make money a body shop does “good enough “ work. Nobody wins except the insurance company unless you view each accident as if a poor result nets you prison time. If you want quality expect to pay more and be actively involved. Don’t wait until it’s convenient to return calls to the body shop as your vehicle sits, clogging up the shop until you provide direction. Be tardy and what choice do they have but to move you along with all they can get out of insurance.
Funny about the insurance. When my son needed a wheelchair, as soon as I said insurance, you should have seen how many DMEs said can't help you we don't take insurance. We finally found one that took insurance. We pay $3/mo. and insurance pays $18. How would a shop even keep the lights on, they have to set it up, see if it fits him, deliver it, pick it up, etc. This is generally how insurance works--pay a fraction of the real worth, collect premiums for more than the real worth. Coming and going.
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