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| Frequently Asked Questions |
What is a SMART Repair?
A SMART repair uses Small to Medium Area Repair (or Refinish) Technology. This is a system which uses High Volume Low Pressure spray guns, which work at much lower pressures than conventional spray guns, and deliver the paint far more efficiently to the surface being painted. Special fast activators are used in the paint, and we also employ short-wave infra-red drying lamps to reduce drying times. Additionally, special chemicals are introduced into various stages of the repair process which enable invisible mid-panel blends to be carried out. Generally a panel shop will paint every panel it repairs completely from edge to edge, and often the colour will be blended into the adjacent panel as well to minimise any apparent differences in the colour or metallic effects. SMART repairs ensure that only the damaged area is painted, thus reducing the amount of paint and solvents used, as well as minimising repair times and costs.
How Do I Know Whether You Can Repair the Damage to My Car?
ChipsAdelaide quality endorsed mobile services will generally not attempt to repair damage which would require painting more than half a panel; the larger the area being painted in an uncontrolled environment, the greater the likelihood of contamination which would affect the quality of the finish. We always like to be 100% confident we can provide you with a 100% satisfactory repair; if conditions prevail against the achievement of an undetectable repair, we will generally decline the job. Most of our work falls within the cost of the average insurance excess.
How are the repairs carried out?
Each van is effectively a mobile panel shop. To a large extent we repair the damage the same way a panel shop will. The damaged area is cleaned and repaired, major dents being reduced as much as possible by panel beating. Minor dents, deep scratches and gouges are repaired with body filler. The damaged area once smoothed and restored to its original contours is then primed and colour-matched, before top-coating with a fast-drying clear coat that is dust dry in two minutes. The finish is identical to the factory finish and may be treated in exactly the same way once fully cured. The major difference between our repairs and those carried out by a panel shop is that we only paint the damaged area, rather than painting the full panel "edge-to-edge"; thus our colour matching is more accurate, as we will achieve an undetectable patch which is blended into the original paint finish within the panel. Click here to see the article in Autospeed where one of ChipsAdelaide's talented technicians carries out a repair to the reporter's car.
How much does it cost?
As each bit of paint or panel damage is unique, the cost to repair it will depend primarily on the time required to effect the repair. An additional cost driver is the type and colour of the paint. Silver and gold metallics and pearl (mica) paints can be the most difficult to match. Dark colours are easier to colour match, but more difficult to lose the edge of the blend zone so that the repaired area cannot be detected. Generally we will be able to carry out a repair for significantly less than a crash shop would charge, and additionally you get the significant benefit and convenience of on-site service - no time lost to deliver the car to a workshop and pick it up again after a few days.
How do you match the color?
Almost every car has a paint code applied by the manufacturer somewhere on the vehicle. This code is entered into a computer database covering virtually every vehicle manufactured in the world over the last 20 years. Using this database we can formulate and produce an exact colour match with the full International tinting system carried in each van. Some eye matching may subsequently be required if the vehicle has been previously repaired.
Will I be able to see the difference?
No! The paint system and processes we use ensure that the appearance of the repaired area will be equal to the original factory finish, and after an appropriate curing time, you can treat the new paint exactly the same as you would the original finish. Because we only paint part panels, by definition our colour matching will be equal to or better than that achieved by most panel shops. We offer a Lifetime Warranty on the repairs, guaranteeing that the repaired area will not fade, delaminate or lose its original finish. We cannot guarantee rust repairs.
How long does it take to dry?
In most instances the repainted area will be dust dry in 2 minutes after application. Within 20 minutes to an hour after application of the top coat, the finish will be sufficiently hard to allow us to polish and complete the repair process. Depending on weather conditions, the car can generally be driven immediately. If it is raining and cold at least two hours should be allowed before the repaired area is exposed to the elements. You may wash the car 24 hours after the repair, but it is recommended that no sealing waxes or polishes be used on the new paint for a further one month after that time.
Where do I take the car?
WE COME TO YOU! All work can be conveniently performed at your home or office. All we need is a safe working area off the street, and access to a power point (up to 25 metres away) and water. Shelter is obviously required if the weather is inclement, but generally the best results can be achieved in full daylight conditions, out in the open. We do have a depot in Hindmarsh where we can take the car, if there is no other suitable place to carry out the repairs.
Why is a ChipsAdelaide Endorsed Service Different to Other Mobile Services?
Most mobile paint repair services are operated by sole traders - either franchisees (many of whom have limited or no previous spray painting experience and limited technical skills due to inadequate training) or spray painters who have escaped from the booth to start their own business because they have seen how much in demand mobile painters are. They have no effective back-up if they get overloaded, and no way of improving their skills other than by PRACTICING on YOUR car! Many will sell their services cheap just to get work; then they find they can't make enough money to survive.
The services endorsed by ChipsAdelaide through this web-site are all operated by fully qualified spray painters and/or panel beaters, who have worked for ChipsAdelaide, in most cases for several years, before going out on their own. ChipsAdelaide technicians are selected initially because they demonstrate high skill levels which are then FURTHER honed by a rigorous training and up-skilling program, before they are allowed to undertake retail repairs. ChipsAdelaide has always taken pride in the quality of work produced by its technicians, and can state with confidence that there are many panel shops out there that cannot produce such quality - and we can do it in your driveway! The majority of our work, however, has been carried out in support of the new and used car trade (see Testimonials page), so all of ChipsAdelaide's technicians have to meet exacting standards in order to satisfy some of the hardest taskmasters in town - and it is you, the customer, who benefits from having access to these highly skilled tradespeople when requesting a ChipsAdelaide SMART repair.
ChipsAdelaide can't guarantee you the cheapest prices in town, but we can guarantee you the best value for money - the best possible level of repair for a fair price.
Finally, we can offer quick, reliable service. We try hard to respond to most enquiries within 48 hours, although it may be a few more days before we can inspect your car to quote the job.
See our Testimonials to read comments written by some of the people who have enjoyed having ChipsAdelaide repair their vehicle.
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So If ChipsAdelaide is No Longer Operating as a Mobile Business, How Come You Are Referring Our Enquiries to Your Ex-Employees?
I recognise that in its 14-plus years of operation, and as one of the longest-standing businesses of its type in South Australia, ChipsAdelaide has carried out thousands and thousands of jobs for both trade and retail customers. Many of those jobs have created referral work, and the name is well-established with a good reputation for reliable, quality work, which brings people back. They know who to ask for. As they say, the name of the game is in the fame of the name! If this website just closed down, where would the enquiries go? You would probably just take pot luck and try another business and take your chances.
So, whilst I personally am hanging up the spray guns with effect from the end of June 2011, I want to see the people who come to ChipsAdelaide on the basis of a referral or as a previous customer looked after as if the company was still operating with 15 vans and the best technicians in town. To that end, I have decided to endorse a number of my ex-employees and refer work to them, in the knowledge that they will continue to uphold the standards under which they operated whilst they were employees. This means that you, the customer, will continue to be looked after - I guess that's the legacy I'd like to leave the industry. |
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