ARA Collision | Collision Repair

I found a very informative article on car accident prevention.  Almost daily I see people doing the following mistakes on the road, I’m sure you have too.

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Avoid-a-Car-Accident&id=327205

Just this morning I saw one woman putting on her make up on the way to work, not paying attention to what was around her.  She kept drifting over the lane she was in causing other drivers to swerve in the other direction.  I kept a safe distance behind her! This is a prime example on how not to prevent a car accident.

This past weekend I had car accident. Not sure how i could have prevented it. A guy hit me in a parking lot while I was sitting in my car.  He wasn’t paying attention when he was backing up and backed right into me.  Now, any responsible driver would have gotten out and assessed any possible damage they might have caused and exchanged information.  NOPE!  This guy got scared and took off, knowing I was still in my vehicle when he backed into me.  I got out of my car to see the damage, but the first thing I took note of was the type of vehicle he was driving and his license plate number, just in case he decided to take off.  The police showed up, but told me there was not any damage done to my vehicle, so they weren’t going to do anything about it.  It was 11pm at night and I couldn’t see any damage myself, plus my car hasn’t had a good bath in weeks.  The next day I checked out my car again just to see if i could see any damage in the day light.  You could see fresh scratches in the paint of my bumper.  I wasn’t THAT worried about it since I work at the best auto body shop in Seattle, but still mad that I was hit and the fact that it could have been avoided if he had been paying attention to what was around him, and he had car accident prevention knowledge.

This Article brought to you by ARA Collision.

www.aracollision.com

The voting has started!  Remember to vote for us for Best of Western Washington Body Shop.  Contest ends on October 11th.  Vote and you could win a trip to Los Cabos!  Visit www.KING5.com/best to vote under category: Body Shop – ARA Collision

We appreciate your support!

www.aracollision.com

ARA Collision has been nominated in Evening Magazine’s 17th annual Best Collision Repair Shop of Western Washington.  Voting begins on 8/31/09  Vote for us here! We are very excited to have been nominated and really appreciate your support!  Category: Body Shop

http://www.aracollision.com

The ARA Collision website has a new ‘Before & After‘ page of vehicles that were in our shop for repairs.   New photos will be added soon, so check back often.  Feel free to navigate back here and leave a comment …. or two =)

http://www.aracollision.com

When should I wash the car?

DON’T…. wait for a layer of crud to accumalate before washing.  Dead bugs, bird droppings, and chemicals from the atmosphere all leach acids that can strip away wax and eventually eat into your cars paint.  If left too long, they can cause damage that requires sanding and repainting the area to correct.

DO…. wash off dead bugs, bird droppings, and tree-sap mist as soon as possible.  Other than this, a weekly car wash will keep the finish in its best shape.  In addition, if you live in an area that suffers from acid rain, rinse your vehicle off after a period of rainy weather.  Otherwise, acidic chemicals in the rainwater will be left on the surface after the droplets have evaporated, leaving a mark that can permanently mar the paint.

DON’T…. use household cleaning agents like hand soap, dishwashing detergent, or glass cleaner on the paint.  These aren’t formulated for use on a car’s paint and may strip off the protective wax.

DO…. use a dedicated car-wash product, which is milder and specifically designed for use on automotive paint.  Apply the suds with a large, soft natural sponge or a lamb’s-wool mitt.

Grease, rubber, and road-tar deposits picked up from the road often accumulate around the wheel wells and along the lower edge of the body.  These can be stubborn to remove and may require a stronger product, such as a bug-and-tar remover.  Use a soft, nonabrasive cloth to remove these deposits, as they can quickly blacken your sponge.

Use a seperate sponge to clean the wheels and tires, which may be coated with sand, brake dust, and other debris that could mar the car’s finish.  Mild soap and water may work here; if not, a dedicated wheel cleaner may be required.  Be sure the cleaner is compatible with the type of finish (paint, clear-coat, chrome, etc.) used on the wheels.  A strong formula intended for mag wheels, for instance, can damage the clear coat that’s used on the wheels that come on today’s cars.  To be on the safe side, choose a cleaner that’s labeled as safe for use on all wheels.

Are there any general guidelines I should follow when washing a car?

DON’T…. wash your car when the body is hot, such as immediately after driving it or after it has been parked in the direct sunlight for awhile.  Heat speeds the drying of soap and water, making washing more difficult and increasing the chances that spots or deposits will form.

DON’T…. move the sponge in circles.  This can create light, but noticeable scratches called swirl marks.  Instead, move the sponge lengthwise across the hood and other body panels.  And don’t continue using a sponge that’s dropped on the ground without thoroughly rinsing it out.  The sponge can pick up dirt particles that can scratch the paint.

DO…. rinse all surfaces thoroughly with water before you begin washing to remove loose dirt and debris that could cause scratching.  Once you begin, concentrate on one section at a time, washing and rinsing each area completely before moving on to the next one.  This ensures that  you have plenty of time to rinse before the soap dries.  Start at the top, and then work your way around the car.

Work the car-wash solution into a lather with plenty of suds that provide lots of lubrication on the paint surface.  And rinse the sponge often.  Using a seperate bucket to rinse the sponge keeps dirt from getting mixed into the sudsy wash water.

When rinsing, use a hose without a nozzle and let the water flow over the car from top to bottom.  This creates a sheeting action that helps minimize pooling of water.

How should I dry the car when I am done?

DON’T…. let the car air dry, and don’t expect a drive around the block to do an effective job.  Either will leave watermarks, which in areas with hard water are the minerals left after evaporation.  In addition, don’t use an abrasive towel or other material that can leave hairline scratches in the paint.

DO…. use a chamois (natural or synthetic) or soft terry towels.  If you choose towels, you may need several.  It’s best to blot the water up instead of dragging the towel or chamois over the paint.  The drying process can be speeded up by using a soft squeegee to remove most of the water on the body, but be sure the rubber is pliable and that it doesn’t pick up bits of dirt that can cause scratches.

http://www.aracollision.com

ARA Collision is now ZR1 certified!! We just keep making our collision repair shop better.

http://www.aracollision.com

A little bit about our shop and services:

We are a collision auto body repair facility currently based in the North Seattle area of beautiful Washington State.  Our doors opened in early 1995 and have continued to remain open ever since.

Here is a little message from our fearless leader:

Hello,
My name is Ron. I am the owner of ARA Collision and will take care of you, so if you have any questions you can email me directly or call me at (206) 365-2053.  Todd is also availible to answer any questions you may have during the repair process.  We work with ALL insurance companies and are a Direct Repair Facility for Allstate, AIG, and Encompass. We really do appreciate your business!

Here is a little info about our shop.

We currently have:

3 ASE Certified technicians and 3 I-CAR Certified technicians and 2 journeyman technicians with over 40 years of combined experience in auto repairs and over 20 years combined experience in the painting of automobiles.

Also we have the state of the art equipment in our facility:

Customers have the advantage of checking on the status of their vehicles while in our shop.  Its easy!  Just visit aracollision.com and click on the repair update tab.  Vehicles are listed under job # and vehicle type .  The repair update page is updated almost every day.

Feel free to check out our official website at aracollision.com