Boyd Autobody & Glass Articles

Every industry has unique terminology, and the auto body repair sector is no different. As a car owner, it can be difficult to understand when an estimator starts listing acronyms you don’t understand.

To help cut through the jargon and have you ready for your next repair, we’ve compiled a list of common repair-related acronyms.

DRP

DRP stands for Direct Repair Program. If an auto body shop has been approved by an insurance company for direct repair, vehicle owners are able to go through the entire repair process in one place, from assessment to estimate to repair.

VIN

Before leaving the manufacturer, each vehicle is stamped with a 17-character identification code, called the Vehicle...

Winter is here, and whether you like it or not, snow comes right along with it. Winter is a time to be sitting warmly by a cosy fireplace, not sitting in your cold car after getting stuck in the snow.

However, getting stuck in the snow is a common occurrence during the winter season. If you find your vehicle stuck this winter, keep these tips in mind: 

Getting Unstuck

Don't spin your tiresWhen your vehicle is stuck in deep snow, your first instinct might be to rev your engine and force your way free. But, whatever you do, do not spin your tires. This will only dig your vehicle in deeper.Instead, attempt the following:

Rotate your tires from one side to another, pushing...

Shorter days and longer nights mean that fall is coming. Soon, your easy breezy summer morning commute will be a thing of the past as kids, big and small, start trekking off to school.

As schedules get busier, though, so do the roadways, so what’s the best way to make sure that you and your car are in fine driving form and ready for the back-to-school routine? These tips will help you get the kids to morning class plus hockey, dance or band practice, too, safely and on time.

Slow ‘er down

September 1 is when lower speeds are put back into practice when driving around schools and school playgrounds. Official school zones often start before you can even see the school, so look out for those road signs to...

Having a car accident is stressful, even a minor one. Aside from the obvious concern about safety, dealing with paperwork and having your vehicle repaired just adds to your already full day-to-day to-do list.

Being prepared with questions about the best way to repair your vehicle can help your stress levels and make your ride a smooth one. Here are a few questions to ask when talking to your collision repair shop about getting you back on the road quickly.

      1. Is my car a total write-off?

Even if a vehicle’s frame is damaged, most cars can be returned to their original, fresh out-of-the-box factory specifications. Usually, only when the repairs would exceed your insurance...

Darn. Someone dinged your car door in the parking lot! It’ll probably take weeks at the body shop to correct, patch, sand, and repaint the whole area, right? Wrong. What if there was a better way that’s fast, easy, and saves you money? Enter PDR - Paintless Dent Repair.

PDR can correct minor collision dents without all the hassle. You can have your dent fixed fast and for a reasonable rate.As long as there is no paint damage on your vehicle, PDR may be right for you. It’s perfect for the hail damage on the hood of your car. Or if your neighbor dents your side door, PDR can do the trick. It is easy to fix minor dings and even large dents. No metal exposed? You’re likely good to go.

The three main reasons to use...

Anyone who has ever been stuck in a hot car on a long summer trip knows that warm weather and vehicles may not mix. However, what you might not know is hot weather may also be hard on your windshield– especially if it might already have a little bit of damage. Auto glass damage is something that needs to be addressed quickly at any time of the year, but in the summer months, it is especially important because heat can exacerbate small chips and cracks leading to more extensive damage.

Air Conditioning Vs. External Heat

Even the intense heat from the sun on its own can play havoc with already existing auto glass damage, but when you add air conditioning into the mix, it can be even more difficult. When sunlight is...

Accidents happen, and sometimes they are completely unavoidable. However, there are many things that you can do as a driver to help reduce the risk of becoming involved in a collision that leaves you in need of auto body repair. 

We’ve shared a few safe driving tips to help you avoid an unwanted trip to the auto body repair shop! 

Top Driving Safety Tips

First, let’s start with some top safety driving tips. These are things that you should do every time you are behind the wheel of your vehicle to reduce the risk of an accident. Most of them are common sense, and if you get into the habit of doing them they become second nature and help make you a safer driver! 

Focus on...

Apart from your home, it is likely that your vehicle is one of the more expensive purchases you may make. Thus, you will want to do whatever you can to keep your automobile safe and in excellent working order. Unfortunately, there are some things in life we cannot control and eventually, you may find your vehicle in need of auto body repairs. However, with multiple body shops to choose from, it might be difficult to decide where to take your car to get it fixed. How do you choose – especially if you are not particularly knowledgeable about auto body repairs! 

With that in mind, we have come up with a short list of things to know before choosing where to have your auto body repairs completed! 

1 – You...

If there is one thing we cannot control in life, it is the unexpected emergency! However, we can make sure we are fully prepared to handle whatever life throws at us. As a driver, emergencies can include extreme weather, a tire blowout, a breakdown, or maybe even an auto collision. These things happen to us all at some point, so it is wise to have an emergency roadside kit in your car to cover all of these eventualities and more!

 Why Do I Need an Emergency Kit?

Before we delve into what to put in an emergency kit, let’s talk about why it is important to have one! If you are out driving and for example, you are involved in an auto collision it is essential that you get assistance as quickly as possible. If it happens in...

One of the biggest causes of auto glass damage – and to some extent paintwork damage too – is loose rocks on the road. It doesn’t matter whether you are an experienced driver or a newbie behind the wheel, tires and loose chips of rock don’t mix, and you are likely to scatter some chips at some point while driving. 

However, there are a few steps you can take to avoid unnecessary auto glass damage for yourself and other road users.

Watch Your Speed

Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind when it comes to avoiding throwing up rock chips and other debris is the role speed plays. It all comes down to physics – the faster your tires turn, the more force they exert on the road...