IF YOU drive a late model car,
chances. are you're driving a
unibody. .

_ Carmakers adopted lightweight
unibody construction after the rise
in gas prices during the ’70s.

While today’s cars are lighter
and more fuel efficient, they are
also more difficult to repair.

Unibody cars are made of
high-strength steel welded into a
single unit. .

Therefore, repairing collision
damage requires specialized skills,
combined with the ‘proper equip-
ment, to. ensure no foss in hand-
ling performance, durability or
looks.

With-a unibody, it’s also more
difficult to judge the extent of the
damage. .

What looks good on the surface
can'in fact be damaged under the
skin, where only a trained eye can
detect it.

‘An improperly repaired car can
even cause suspension and hand-
ling problems, increased tire wear,
and reduced durability of key
structural components.

How can you be sure that your
car will be returned to its pre-
accident condition? Training

north came

V4
NEWS photo Nell Lucente

Ff

SPRING

JOHN MCALLISTER, body man at Taylormotive, adjusts a
wedge clamp system to straighten this wrecked car's frame.
Professional bodywork has become more complicated as the
metals used to make cars have changed.

Friday, March 26, 1993 ~ North Shore News - 41

cars are more difficult to repair

makes a difference.

Since the changes in the
automobile have been so great,
it’s critical for the repair techni-
cians working on your car to have
current unibody training.

This training is equally impor-
tant for your insurance appraiser.

Restoring pre-accident
condition necessary

Many. car mandfacturers have
strict repair requirements of three
millimetres — the thickness of
three dimes. And these require-
ments are getting even more strict.

For example, the 1992 Toyota
Camry requires the precise repair
tolerance of ‘one millimetre, If the
vehicle is not properly repaired to
these dimensions, it will not ride
and handle correctly, and_ its
crash-worthiness may be
diminished,

Think ‘of an empty soda pop
can. Undented, the pop can gen-
erally will support the weight of
an adult person.

However, with one small dent,
the can loses its strength and col-
lapses. .

The same principle applies if
your vehicle is improperly repaired

and you're involved in another
collision,

The unibody structure will not
perform as it was designed to, and
may not properly protect the oc-
cupants. —~ ;

However, collision repair shops
that are properly trained and pro-
perly equipped are able to return a
vehicle to its pre-accident condi-
tion. :

Training also is important in —

something as the
repair estimate.

How accurately the damage is
analyzed can affect the quality of
your repair.

Be sure to ask for a written
damage report, which becomes the
“blueprint’’? for repairing your
car.

Ask the estimator to explain, in
detail, how your car will be
repaired.

He or she should perform a
complete ‘‘examination,’’ in-
cluding checking underneath the
car and looking for hidden dam-
age.

Asking the right questions and
taking a shop tour can help you
decide where to have your car
repaired.

“‘simple’’. as

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Next to training, the most im-
portant thing to look for is the
shop’s equipment.

You should see some type of
unibody measuring device plus a
pulling system to ease the metal
back into shape.

For the new high-strength
steels, the shop must have a MIG
(metal inert gas) welder,
someone trained to use it.

Look for a pressurized paint
spraying, booth,

Ask if they, have- the latest

and |

technical information and repair
manuals,

Cleanliness is an important fac-
tor in a collision repair shop. It
can say a lot about the techni-
cians’ attitudes. So can
friendliness and atmosphere.

Many shops also offer some
form of warranty on.their work-
manship.

If you feel comfortable while
visiting a shop,. the chances are
greater that you'll be satisfied
with their work. .

“YOU'RE GOING TO LIKE US
FOR MORE THAN JUST TIRES”

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Repair Centre

#50206

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