Ice and snow keep body shop technicians busy this time of year handling all manner of fender bender crashes. Slipping and sliding on Madison WI streets results in dozens of minor mishaps after every fresh snow event. The results are often more stressful than damaging, but prompt attention to even minor collisions is important.
Immediate attention to every ding, dent and scratch minimizes long-term damage. Large, prominent dents get repaired quickly. They’re too obvious to overlook, aren’t they? However, attention to minor fender bending dents, slight dings and door-knocks are easier to put off. Especially if your car, truck or SUV has a few years on it, right?
Unfortunately, putting off an appointment with you auto body repair specialist can compromise the integrity of your vehicle’s body and paint. There are elements at work deep beneath that scratch or minor blemish. A dent in metal work is never unimportant, no matter how small,
Is Your Fender Bender A Ding Or A Dent
Does the crack in the paint go deep enough to damage metal below? Call a trained body shop technician to diagnose the problem.
Is a “dent” worse than a “ding?” Most vehicle owners don’t make a large distinction. Dings, dents the terms are interchangeable, right? To drivers, maybe. To body shop pros there are differences. They separate the two as:
- Dings – slight damage usually limited to about ½-inch in diameter. Very little damage to paint and no exposed metal where rust can get a start.
- Dents – larger, more extensive damage to the surface where paint needs repair and entire panels may need replacing.
The true definition comes down to size and cost. Dents are bigger and cost more to repair.
Minor blemishes, often considered cosmetic, have drivers attempting to fix them on their own. Improper techniques have consequences impacting long-term performance, appearance and vehicle value.
Large dents get immediate action when they reduce a vehicles ability to function. Getting those repairs requires no thought. Fixing smaller problems before they get bigger is just as important. Why get minor collisions and incidents taken care of quickly? The No. 1 reason is to head off serious long-term problems, including:
- Rust and corrosion – dents are not only unsightly, they open body work to real damage beneath the surface. Cracks in paint and clearcoat, left untreated allow water to seep right to unprotected metal. The metal slowly oxidizes. A little dent can grow to a small rust spot. Rust is the No. 1 enemy of metal car parts.
- Long-term paint damage – auto body paint, exposure to the sun, repeated washing and road salts and debris stress even the best paint. As a vehicle ages paint and clearcoat cracks widen and go deeper. Paint chips, flakes and peels right down to its original sealant. Once bare metal is exposed it is only a matter of time before rust and corrosion damage it.
Additional Considerations For Timely Auto Body Repair
Plastic bumper damage and battered paint are common wintertime repairs to vehicles of all sizes.
There are three added reasons for timely repairs to even minor damage:
- Repair cost – fixing small dings and dents is almost always cheaper than repairing rust or corrosion and serious paint damage. If you wait until wintertime road salt seeps in, the repair will be more complicated – and the price tag higher. Modern paintless dent repair is clean, quick and cost-efficient.
- Passenger safety – even small blemishes can hide serious structural damage beneath the surface. The only way to know for sure is to consult an auto body specialist. If you’re driving a newer vehicle it is equipped with flexible bumper covers. They absorb impact and may show little damage. Beneath there could be serious concerns.
- Reduced value – a car, truck or SUV that looks good has a higher resale value. While mechanical performance is vital, keeping up appearances is important, too, isn’t it? If your ride looks good you feel good driving it. It comes down to pride in ownership. Fixing even minor blemishes is worth the effort.
Choose The Right Shop For Fender Bender Repair
The term fender bender covers a host of minor dings and dents. Most involve front or rear bumpers. Choosing the right pros to attend to your vehicle need not be a tough decision. Look for an auto body shop specializing in bumper repair and paint protection.
A vehicle’s bumper gets its name because it’s the first line of defense in a minor mishap. Repairing and replacing bumpers takes skill, experience and training. Plastic bumper repair is a science. Most drivers have no idea what technology can for modern repairs. Everything from scuffs to dents and cracks return to “like new” condition with the proper technique.
A key to getting a vehicle into “showroom” condition is an AutoColor specialty: Paintless dent repair. With more and more modern bumpers and panels made of plastics it takes skilled technicians with high-tech gear to remove and repair dents without repainting.
Like new condition includes renewing surface luster and shine. That means protecting paint. Matching weathered paint is an extreme challenge. Applying the newest technologies for the least invasive repair is what paintless dent removal is all about. Combining skilled dent removal with professional paint technology leads to the “never knew it was damaged” result.
Minor dent repair and restoring vehicle paint, clearcoat and trim is an AutoColor specialty. Call AutoColor or stop into one of our local auto body shops: on Madison’s west side in Middleton on Parmenter Road, 831-9554; on Madison’s East Side on Stoughton Road near Buckeye Road, 221-5041 to schedule an appointment. Put our skilled, trained professionals to work on your car, truck or SUV to whenever you need fender bender repairs in the Madison WI area.
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