Used cars are in hot demand these days.  People have started to realize that they can be a better buy, in some cases, than going brand new.  The values of used cars are also reflecting this higher demand.  All the more reason to know what you are buying before it is too late.

Speidell Body Works has been around for over twenty years and we have seen many cars come in with prior damage that was not fixed correctly or rust that was painted over and much much more.  We have seen the use of cheap paint and substandard repairs that cause a lot of headaches to us and to the vehicle owner.

A couple of things you should look for when you are buying a used car are:

1. Look for paint imperfections such as sand scratches, dirt nibs, color variant differences between panels, runs, tape edges,among a few others.  That is a sign it has been repaired but not necessarily a poor repair.

2. Look for body work imperfections such as varying gaps between panels, pinholes, and just plain bad body work.

3. Make sure the car drives straight and does not dog track.

4. Big panel gaps on one side and small gaps on the other can indicate major frame damage.

5. Bubbling paint will normally indicate rust underneath.

If you are still not sure what to look for or just want a professional opinion, you can always bring the vehicle to one of our locations and have us take a look.

We don’t want you to get stuck with a vehicle that you are not happy with or worse, costs you lots of money down the road.

We recently repaired this 2012 VW Jetta after a collision with a deer.  This car had less than 200 miles on the odometer.  Ouch!  Nothing like breaking it in.  Deer collisions have become a major concern on Nebraska roadways the last few years with the rising populations.  Unfortunately deer do not carry liability insurance.  Fortunately deer accidents are considered comprehensive claims for most insurance companies and don’t cause an increase in your insurance premiums.  Please drive carefully especially at night on highways and county roads.  We can fix your car but we can’t fix you!

Which one is more of a risk, driving or jumping out of a plane?

 

Let’s take a look.

When you get in a car and decide to drive somewhere you take a risk that something bad will happen.  The same thing happens when you jump out of a plane.  When you drive, you are hurling down a street at a whopping 25 to 45 mph or highway at 45 to 80 mph.  When you free fall from a plane you can reach speeds of 120 to 200 mph depending on your position.  There is one major difference between driving a car and jumping out of a plane. The difference is that you would never jump out of a plane without a parachute but some people will not put on their seat belt. Why is that? It is because you know you will die if you don’t have a parachute but there is a good chance that you will survive a car ride without wearing your seat belt.

 

One last question.  If you knew you would be in a car accident today, and you couldn’t avoid driving, would you wear your seat belt?  The correct answer is YES!!  No brain-er right?  Make the right choice and wear your seat belt.  Think of the ones you would leave behind if you were killed in a car accident and what they would go through.

We here this statement all too often when people are afraid of there insurance going up.  The problem with this especially when it is someone else paying for your car, is that there may be hidden damage.  The complexity of today’s vehicles make it nearly impossible to know everything it is going to take to fix your vehicle correctly without first having it disassembled.  We are in the middle of a repair right now that is being paid by a third party who didn’t want to use insurance so they came in and paid the initial estimate amount up front with a credit card.  Once the vehicle was disassembled we found some additional damage and although we made it abundantly clear in the beginning that there could be hidden damage we now can’t get ahold of the third party who is supposed to be paying.  This leaves the customer responsible for paying the remainder of the bill.

My word of advice to anyone who is going to agree to let an individual pay for their vehicle repairs out of pocket is to do so after acquiring all of their insurance information.  By doing this you have a back up plan in the event they back out after repairs have begun.  You also know for sure that they do have coverage and are not trying to avoid a ticket for no insurance.  I also recommend calling the police if you have an accident on public property no matter how small the damage may seem as again you could be left paying for your own repairs if the other person suddenly decides they are not at fault.

Texting, talking, eating, putting on makeup, reading!!!  These are some of the big distractions that can cause you to have an accident.  As I was running along 84th street the other day I did a very unscientific survey of distractions among the drivers that I observed.  I saw people texting, talking on cell phones, eating, having discussions in the car using hand gestures (or maybe that was a gesture at me), etc.  If they weren’t doing any of that and they were alone in the car, they were gawking at the non-runner running down the sidewalk (I could tell because they were laughing in my direction).

My conclusion is that every driver is distracted constantly.  The remedy, stop driving!  Well, that might be a little extreme. So maybe you work on eliminating as many distractions as you possibly can.  Definitely, put the phone down.  Wait until you get home to eat, or even stop in a parking lot and eat before driving.  Keep your eyes on the road.  Driving is so second nature to all of us but can be deadly in an instant.

Drive safe!!!!

Why do you do business with a restaurant, hair dresser/barber, department store, or car dealership?  Most of you know why.  Maybe it is because your family likes it and you have always gone there.  Maybe you got a referral or someone raved about their products or service.  Whatever the case is, you go there because you want to.

What if someone told you that you couldn’t use them anymore and that you had to start using another business?  I am guessing that you wouldn’t like it too much.  Some of you may not mind because you didn’t have a lot of loyalty to that certain place, but it is a little deeper than that.  Nobody likes to be told where they have to go for a service or product. 

This goes on in the autobody industry all the time.  Insurance companies tell their insureds where to go all the time.  Now, they can’t force you to go there but they will sometimes make it very difficult for you if you don’t go where they want you to go.

The bottom line is that you have the choice to have your vehicle repaired wherever you want.

If you have any questions about this or you are trying to choose a shop and the insurance company won’t let you, please contact us and we will give you a hand.

 

This car came into our shop a couple of days ago.  It is, quite obviously, a total loss.  There is very heavy damage to the front left and the left rear.  I always cringe when I see a vehicle with this kind of damage.  The worst is feared.  The worst being personal injury or worse. 

When I talked to the vehicle owner, he said that his daughter had been driving and that made my fear even worse.  Having a daughter myself, I was very concerned for her safety and well being.  Here is what he told me.  She not only walked away from the accident, but was checked out at a local hospital and was said to have a minor muscle strain.  You see, she was wearing her seat belt and the air bags deployed.  Her dad, never experiencing what an air bag does in an accident, asked her what it was like and here were her words.  “It felt like I was laying my head down into my soft pillow.”  What a description.  I don’t know if they are all like that, but it is so much better than hitting your head on the steering wheel.

Your airbags and seat belts work together in an accident to reduce as much injury to you and your passengers as possible.  So please buckle up every time you drive or ride in a car.  I bet the driver of this car does from now on.

What was the last text you sent? 

Many people don’t think twice about the last text message they sent.  I couldn’t tell you what mine was.  However, families of people that were killed in a car accident because they were distracted by texting will remember forever. 

People ask me all the time what our busy times of year are.  They are shocked to find out that the summer can be just as busy as the winter.  Winter is an obvious time for body shops to be busy but you would think that summer would be really slow.  What you have to realize is that the summer comes with many distractions.  Windows down, radio up, faster speeds, etc.  We don’t need any more distractions.  In the winter you are a little more focused on the task at hand especially when it is slick out.

Here is an experiment I would like you to try.  The next time you are riding with someone try closing your eyes for 5 seconds and try to observe how far you traveled in that time.  An accident can happen in the blink of an eye.

I know your friends and family will understand you not getting back to them right away.  It beats you not ever getting back to them.  PDYPAD!!! (Put Down Your Phone And Drive)

TTYL

 

There have been 3 accidents in the past 2 weeks that I have known about that caused death or a severe injury.  Some people were wearing seat belts and some were not.  This really stirred up something within me.

The first emotion is grief.  I feel so bad for the families and individuals involved.  Accidents happen.  It is a part of life on the road and the streets.  They will happen, and unfortunately they will cause injury and death.

The second emotion that has been stirred up in me is anger.  I literally get mad that people still refuse to wear their seat belts.  If you knew, without a doubt, that you would be involved in an accident today, would you put your seat belt on?  I think that everyone would say YES!!! without question.

That seat belt will not always save your life or prevent serious injury, but your odds of surviving a crash are increased exponentially when you are belted in and stay inside the vehicle.  What it really comes down to is a choice.  Is your right to not buckle up or your comfort or whatever excuse you might use more important to you than those in your life that love you and would be absolutely devastated when that officer knocks on their door with news that there has been a terrible accident?

PLEASE BUCKLE YOUR SEAT BELTS!!!!

That’s right, winter will be here before you know it.  Are you ready?  How about your car?

Here is a list of things that would be helpful to have in your vehicle just in case you get stranded:

1. Water

2. Snacks (candy bars, protein bars, and packaged items that will keep fresh)

3. Blankets, extra clothes, boots, gloves, hats, etc.

4. Flashlight

5. Cell phone car adapter and, of course, a cell phone

6. Jumper cables

and just in case you are in an accident:

1. First aid kit

2. Pen and paper (write down other vehicle info like license plate, make and model, color, insurance info., drivers license info., insurance info.)

3. Camera (Cell phone or maybe a disposable camera)

4. Insurance card and current registration

5. Speidell Body Works phone Number

You may think this is overkill and that you would never need this.  You may put it off until later.  As the old saying goes; it is better to be safe than sorry.  Trust me, you will thank me when you slide off the road in a blizzard or have the unfortunate luck of being involved in an accident.

HAVE A SAFE WINTER!!!