Totalled Ford GT

Speaking of the Most Beautiful Cars in the World, Jalopnik is reporting a Ford GT that was wrecked by a tuner at a total loss (of a $200,000.00 car!) They include a really sad set of photos.

Totaled Ford GT, photos provided by Jalopnik

We were fortunate to have had a Ford GT at the shop a couple of years ago. The owner let the entire crew sit in it (which was a very big deal because we are a dirty bunch after sanding cars all day!)

Ford GT at Almost Everything Autobody

Ford GT at Almost Everything Autobody

Bumper Repair on 2003 Mazda Protege 5--Bumper Special Sale

Today's Car of the Day  s one of the many that comes to Almost Everything Autobody from San Francisco, about a 30 minute drive. These San Francisco customers must park on very crowded streets and their bumpers really take a beating. So for many the trip to Almost Everything Autobody is a yearly ritual. They gather a bunch of scrapes and parking "love taps" until the car starts to look worn. Then they take advantage of Almost Everything Autobody's Bumper Special. It's worth the drive because they typically save $200-$300 and don't have to live with a beat-up car. Plus we are always happy to provide free rides to & from BART

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The Protege 5 is one of my favorite cars and is included in Almost Everything Autobody's list of Most Beautiful Cars. We know this will get some confused frowns & dismissive snickers. But I love the clean, simple, elegant design of the Protege 5. And it seems to be a perfect combination of good looks, sporty handling, economy and utility. Zoom-Zoom!-Frank

Another Home Run for Hyundai? 2012 Veloster

Jalopnik is quickly becoming my favorite on-line car fix site. Here's their take on the world premier of the 2012 Hyundai Veloster (click link) at the Detroit International Auto Show.

Almost Everything Autobody's take is this is another dramatic score for Hyundai, the surprisingly hot, cheap, green AND RELIABLE car company. The Veloster manages to look quick and mean but almost cute at the same time. It's really light which means 1) it should be quick 2) handle well and 3) get up to 40 mpg. It's got 2 front doors & 1 rear passenger door plus a big hatchback. You can get it with a 6-speed manual transmission. I'll take one now.

1989 Chevrolet Corvette with Auto Paint Service

Today's Car of the Day is a 1989 Chevrolet Corvette that came in with cracking paint, peeling paint and chips and scratches. Almost Everything Autobody recondition the peeling and cracking paint, feather out all the chips and scratches and primer sealed the entire car. Almost Everything Autobody painted the car with it's famous and now on sale, Presidential Paint Service.

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1934 Packard V-12 Roadster

One of my favorite cars to DRIVE is a late 1920's or early 1930s Packard. I don't care if it is the V-12, the Straight-8 or Straight-6. They are all extraordinarily quiet, smooth & powerful. They feel almost like a current car (except for the huge steering wheel and shiny metal dash.) I've been very fortunate to have gotten to drive several including on freeways at speed in California. Each one felt stable, safe and they kept-up with modern traffic.



I never used to think Packards were a beautiful car, especially when compared to the Duesenbergs, Cords, Cadillacs, Rolls Royces and other great cars of that era. But after driving them I fell in love and understand why they were the cars wealthy and powerful in the early 20th century.
-Frank

Car of the Day - 1997 Honda Civic with Auto Paint

Today's Car of the Day is a 1997 Honda Civic that came in with peeling paint on the front bumper cover. Almost Everything Autobody sanded the peeling paint off the front bumper cover, apply flex additive, and primer sealer. Almost Everything Autobody painted the bumper with the Factory Platinum Paint Service to match the factory finish.

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Say It Ain't So! Jaguar XJ220 Crash Test

The fastest and most expensive car in the world when introduced in 1991 and still looking modern today. Jaguar XJ220 (for 220 mph.)

1983 Datsun 280ZX with Auto Bodywork and Paint

Today's car of the day is a 1983 Datsun 280ZX that came in with bad cracking paint and auto bodywork. Almost Everything Autobody sanded all the bad paint off and repaired a dent on the hood. Almost Everything Autobody primer-sealed the entire car and painted with the Ambassador paint service.

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Porsche 918 Spyder Hybrid the Star of Geneva Auto Show

From Edmunds.com (our favorite site for real world auto pricing), here's the scope on the awesome Porsche 918 Hybrid! Edmunds says it upstaged Lamborghini, Bugatti and Bentley at the premier automotive show in the world. And it may possibly be the fastest production car around Germany's famed racetrack, the Nürburgring—assuming it gets produced. We hope so.

Car of the Day - 2007 Chrysler Town & Country Bumper Damage

Today's Town & Country had a minor mishap that crumpled the rear bumper. Almost Everything was able to repair the bumper instead of replacing it, saving the customer a significant amount of money while keeping the superior fit of the original Chrysler part.

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Getting the Most Out of Your Car

The Allen Swift 1928 Rolls Royce Phantom I Picadilly Roadster

Mr. Allen Swift knew how to take care of a car. He drove the same one from 1928 until his death at 102 years old in 2005. This is the longest car ownership we have ever heard of and we think must be the world record. When he died, he left the car to the Springfield History Museum, along with $1 million to buy a new building. Shows what you can do if you save your money instead of buying a new car!

Allen Swift and his 1928 Rolls Royce Phantom I

The car itself, even without its special history, is an amazing vehicle. It is a Rolls Royce Phantom I Picadilly Roadster, serial number S273 FP. It is one of the few Rolls Royces made in the USA in Springfield Massachusetts between 1921 and 1931, a "Springfield Rolls,"

Brewster Body manufacturing plate from Swift's Rolls Royce

Swift drove the car for over 80 years and museum directors say that it still runs well and very quietly after 170 thousand miles. In later years it mainly did parade duty. The car was originally a gift from Swift's father in return for giving up college to stay with the family business.

Allen Swift and the Rolls Royce P1 Picadillly he owned from new

The car was repainted in 1988 by Automotive Restorations, Inc. and Swift, already 85, drove it home with the top down.

Car of the Day - 2003 Honda Civic with Peeling Clear Coat

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Delaminating Paint

Does your car look like this? A lot of our customers ask if this condition is caused by either a manufacturer's defect or from something that happened to their car.

Most likely you didn't do anything wrong and neither did the manufacturer. The paint is just showing its age. We call this condition delaminating paint, delaminating clear coat or just peeling paint. It is caused mainly by ultraviolet rays (UV) from the sun, the same thing that causes sunburn & peeling on humans and the deterioration of your lawn furniture. Weather, chemicals, temperature and other environmental factors also contribute to the paints decline.

In the 1960s & 1970s many people bought a new car every 2-3 years so they never noticed the paint wearing out. On used cars, it was normal to expect to paint the car every 5 years or so. And the average car did not last as long as they do now. Bodies and engines were typically worn out at just 100k miles.

Much has improved since then. Cars often have engine warranties for 100k miles and many last well over 15 years and 200k miles. Because of this, more people are noticing the paint failing on their cars even though the paint is much better than it was 30-40 years ago. Factory paint jobs typically last 7-14 years depending on color, chemistry and environmental conditions.

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Happy New Year!

Almost Everything will be closed

from:   Saturday, January 1, 2011 

to:   Monday, January 3, 2011

We'll be back in the shop and hard at work by 8:00 AM, Tuesday, January 4. See you in the New Year!

Photo of Geese at sunset over Bosque del Apache by Judy Liddell
It’s a bird thing…

This photo was taken December 26, 2010 in New Mexico. Nothing to do with cars. Just beautiful. Happy Birthday Jan & thanks Judy for the gorgeous photo.

2011 Aston Martin DBS Carbon Black

More from the boys at Top Gear, here's the new Aston Martin DBS Carbon Black. We need one of these too.

If you fancy the color (or colour), we can make your car look like this. . . well, we can paint it the same hue. It's a special metallic & pearl black and available in all of our paint grades from the least expensive to our finest and most durable high-solids base-coat clear coat.

For the humorous (or is it humourous in "British"?) commentary plus more pics visit: http://www.topgear.com/UK/aston-martin/dbs/road-test/carbon-black-driven?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=twitter