Santa's Honda

Most folks don't recognize Santa driving around town. On the reindeers' days off he sports a 1997 Honda Accord. Mrs. Claus says that Santa is mostly a very good boy. So while he was off making his rounds she brought his car to us for an upgrade. After all, a beat-up green Honda isn't how Santa should roll.

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You Love the Car But Not the Color

Sometimes a great car has a color that just doesn't match your sense of style. All is not lost. Almost Everything's Car of the Day is a 2004 Cadillac CTS. As the original red paint faded it was starting to look a little pink. The owner decided to go a completely different direction and painted the whole thing in a sharp, clean white in our very affordable enamel paint. We also changed the grill from grey to black.

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2013 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG Auto Body Repair

Almost Everything's Car of the Day is a 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG. This car has visited us a couple of times with very minor chips and scrapes. The owner understandably likes to keep it in top condition. We repaired some dents on the rear bumper and repainted it with factory paint.

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Things to Look for After an Accident

Bumpers are designed to take minor hits without showing much damage. Generally it's a good thing. But when the bumpers pop back into shape, they can hide damage. Almost Everything's Car of the Day is a good example. This 2000 Civic was hit from behind in the center of the bumper. There's a dent on the corner but that is actually from a previous accident. The photos below show some telltale signs that there may be more damage than is obvious on the surface.

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This is where the impact occurred. The dent is almost unnoticeable.

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Panel gaps up to 1/4" and sometimes even 1/2" can be normal but this one is approx. 1" and is uneven.

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Gaps on the side of the car are bigger than at the front bumper and the bumper is pushed forward.

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When we take the bumper cover off, you can see more significant damage.

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The bumper reinforcement has a big crease and the energy absorber is cracked.

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Flange where bumper attaches is bent.

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Large, irregular panel gap indicates damage under the bumper cover.

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Panel gaps are back to normal after the bumper and components are replaced.

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Large, irregular panel gap indicates damage under the bumper cover.

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Panel gaps are back to normal after the bumper and components are replaced.

Color Change Breathes New Life into Minivan

How thrilled would you be to get to drive this 2000 Toyota Sienna everyday? The engine is still good but the exterior is hideous. The owner opted for new car paint and a new color over a new car payment.

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