How to Find a Custom Auto Body Paint Shop

Whether you are tired of your car’s look or you car has been in an accident and requires a  repainting job, you need a professional auto paint shop to give your car the look it needs.

There are numerous auto body paint shops in Atlanta, but how do you know which one to take your car to?

There are several things consumers should keep in mind when looking for the right body shop to restore or overhaul your car's paint job.

Seek Referrals & Read Reviews

Make sure you do your research ahead of time and ask for recommendations to people you trust who have firsthand experience with auto body painting shops. Also, be sure to check the company's reviews on local business listings like Google+, Yelp, and the like.

Now this does not mean you should take what other people tell you or what you read as gospel, but it should help you weigh your options. However, it will help you narrow your list down to a select few auto paint shops that you'd want to do business with.

Get Multiple Estimates

After you've narrowed down the list of shops you'd want to work with, start gathering up estimates from each of those body shops.

Just like any other major purchase you'd make, you should shop around and get multiple estimates for your custom paint job. Don't just settle for the first shop you find. A good estimate should entail the probable number of hours required to finish the job, how much your materials costs are for the automotive paint, and what the overall labor cost will be.

Make sure your estimate doesn't have any hidden fees that will surprise you at the end. And keep in mind, you shouldn't always go with the cheapest estimate. You get what you pay for!

Professionalism Matters

When you visit a shop that is messy, unorganized, and manned by people who do not know aren't helpful and friendly, that could be a reflection on the type of work you'll get from them.
Often times, the workplace is a reflection of the people who work there and the quality of work they do.

Make sure you're working with a body shop that has a professional, helpful, and friendly aura about them. Odds are, the quality of the paint job you'll get will be on par with your customer service experience!

More about D&I Body Shop
1779 Marietta Blvd NW
Atlanta, GA 30318
(404) 885-9575
www.dandibodyshopandglass.com

History of Automobile Headlights

In the late 1800s when automobiles started driving on the streets (or lack there of) of America, it revolutionized the way things were done in more ways than one. As you can imagine, driving during night time back then proved to be difficult and highly dangerous.

Still today, so many automotive accidents occur at night. It didn't take long before automobile manufacturers realized that headlights were necessity if cars were going to stay on the road after the sun went down.

The first headlights, also referred to as headlamps, were unveiled in 1898. Invented by the Electric Vehicle Company, these electric headlamps were first installed as an option for the Columbia Electric Car. However, the short service life of the light filaments, coupled with the harsh conditions environmental conditions of the outdoors, prevented the widespread use of electric headlamps on cars. In addition, there were technological hurdles that prevented the creation of a dynamo small enough to be installed on cars, yet powerful enough to provide sufficient lighting for night driving purposes.

By 1904 the technology had advanced, and acetylene headlights became the norm, with "Prest-O-Lite" becoming the brand of choice by many car manufacturers. Four years later, in 1908, Peerless started to delve into electric-powered headlamps. But it was the Cadillac Company that introduced the blueprint to modern headlight system. In 1912, Cadillac first installed a lightning system that was fully integrated with the car’s ignition mechanism.

This became the trend for the most part of the automotive history until in 1940, when technology allowed car manufacturers to produce sealed beam headlights. This system was incorporated by major car makers in North America, Japan, and Europe throughout the 1960s.

Modifications to the system were introduced, such as control and dips, but the technology wouldn't evolve much for another 50 years, until halogen bulbs came to the scene and reinvented automotive headlights.  However, most cars in the United States did not use halogen bulbs until 1978.

In 1991, the BMW 7-Series became the first roadster to debut xenon headlights. Xenon bulbs were not only brighter than halogen headlights, but also had a longer lifespan, lasting up to 2,000 hours compared to the 1,000 hours of service provided by halogen bulbs.

LED (short for light-emitting diode) technology debuted on the 2008 Lexus LS 600h hybrid for low-beam and side-marker lighting. LED is now the norm for all cars manufactured in this ear up until today. That said, LED lights are not yet fully used as primary headlights for most cars. Many car manufacturers install LED lights for use with turn signals, daytime running lights or brake lights.

While it is costlier than most forms of automotive lighting, it has lower power requirements, making it an ideal option for electric and hybrid vehicles.

There is still an on-going debate between the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and several car makers on whether LED technology can be utilized as primary source of lighting for headlights. For now, NHTSA maintains that LED technology does not fit the requirements provided by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108, which disallows the use of headlights that which “shine in such a dynamic way.”

Regardless of their technology, headlights today start to fade and show signs of wear because of the harsh outdoor elements. At D&I Body Shop & Glass, we offer professional restoration services for headlights that will revitalize the look of your car, and restore their brightness.

For more information on headlight restoration, call us at (404) 885-9575 or visit our shop at 1779 Marietta Blvd NW Atlanta, GA 30318.

Different Types of Car Paints

Car paints began to surface in the late 1880s, shortly after the automobile was invented.

In those days, cars were still in its rudimentary stage, but advances in automotive technology paved the way for an evolution from earlier toxic automotive paints to safer and environmentally safe water-based car paints.

Nowadays, there are essentially four main types of car paints that are used in the automotive industry to paint our cars. Those types of car paints are: lacquers, enamels, urethanes and water-based.

At D&I, we utilize the highest-quality automotive paint for our painting services, auto body repair, and car restoration services. Each type of car paint that we've seen over the years has its own sets of pros and cons, which we'll go into below.

Lacquer car paint

Widely used during the mid-1920s to 1960s, lacquer automotive paints are relatively inexpensive and easy to use. Lacquer car paints provide an excellent, glossy finish to the car, however, they are notorious for breaking down in face of heat, ultraviolet rays, and other weather elements causing the lacquer-based car paint to chip and fade.

With this in mind, lacquer paints aren't recommended for long-term use on vehicles.

Enamel car paint

Enamel-based auto paints can be used as a long-term paint because of its superior durability versus lacquer paints. Once the enamel-based paint dries, it forms as a durable, hard outer shell that does not break easily and can withstand extreme hot and cold temperatures. The one downside to enamel paints, it their complex chemical structure that makes it more difficult to apply, and certain colors require a clear sealing coat as a finish. Because of this, most DIY car restoration types that want enamel auto paints have the car painted by a professional, rather than opt to do it on their own.

Urethane car paint

Urethane-based auto paints are kind of like a hybrid between enamel and lacquer. Urethanes apply easily like lacquer, but tout the durability of enamel. That said, they are more costly compared to their counterparts and preparation can be quite complicated.

In a urethane paint job, a thinner (or reducer) is needed as well as a drying agent to speed up the drying time. Once the materials are mixed, the paint must be used immediately and any unused paint should be discarded because of their high toxicity. Urethane-based automotive paints also require a clear coat.

Water-based car paint

The use of water-based auto paints has not yet become mainstream practice in the automotive painting industry. However, many small-scale auto shops recommend its use and industry analysts consider it the future of auto paints. Because of its relative “newness,” the color selection for water-based paints aren't as vast as its urethane and enamel counterparts, which has played a role in its delay as the go-to choice for auto paint and car restoration shops everywhere.

About D&I Body Shop
1779 Marietta Blvd NW
Atlanta, GA 30318
(404) 885-9575
www.dandibodyshopandglass.com