When you get into a collision and it completely crunches a corner of your car, you may be wondering if there is any way to rescue that area of your vehicle or how it will be accomplished. After you have filed your auto insurance claim, you may be surprised by the work your auto body and paint shop can do with your car. Here is how most collision repair shops will correct the crunched corner(s) of your car and make it like new again.
Removing the "Crunch" Piece by Piece
The auto body shop will remove the crunched corner of your car piece by piece unless most of the side panel is a mess. Then they will just remove the panel and the loose pieces that have broken off and jammed into the frame of the car. Once all of the pieces of the side panel have been removed, the auto body shop will begin working on the crunched car frame underneath.
Reshaping the Car's Frame
If there is some damage to the frame of your car, the auto body shop will attempt to reshape this area. This may include pounding out what can be pounded out, or using a hydraulic suction tool to pull the metal back into shape. If the metal frame is a mangled mess, the shop may cut a section out and replace it with a duplicate section via welding or, when possible, a completely new piece of the frame may be acquired from the manufacturer and installed in place of the damaged section. Be sure to ask your technician what each of these options might cost, as some are significantly more expensive than others.
Repairing Damaged Engine Parts
Crunching the corner of your car may not damage anything vital to the engine, but if there is some minor damage you may want it repaired now instead of later. The technician will repair these parts on your vehicle before finishing up the body work. Usually, it may only be a battery replacement (because batteries are often positioned in the corners under the hoods of cars) or some wiring that might have been sheared off during the accident.
Finishing up the Body Work
Finally, the body (or shell) of your car is replaced. This may be accomplished by either ordering a new side panel from the manufacturer or taking an old side panel from a salvage yard and refinishing it to match the rest of your car. The latter option, while cheaper initially, may prove to be as expensive as the new side panel after labor costs are applied. Ask your technician (such as one from Lombard Body & Fender Inc) to provide you with a separate estimate for each of these panel replacement options.
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