A semi regular outpouring of all things cars and collision including, but not limited to opinions, peeves and ponderings brought to you by Rex Impact of Collision Centers of America.
Do-It-Yourself Collision Repair? … I don’t think so!
I recently heard (true story) of a guy who was going to buy a can of hardware or parts store paint and attempt to repair the damage to his car’s bumper. Now I’m not saying that you can’t fix a rock chip or two with that little bottle of fingernail polish they give you in some new cars, but if you want a professional looking repair to anything more than a pin hole in your paint … leave it to a pro … like me.
Yeah, I know … “Rex is trying to drum up more business for the boss,” you say. Well, it’s not just that. We have heard horror stories over the years of folks trying to “get by” on a DIY collision repair. People tying bumpers on with twine, only to have them fall off, blow two tires, send the car off the road and somebody getting hurt, or worse. It’s not just the fact that you would get an inferior repair if you did it yourself, there are also laws governing vehicle safety as it relates to collision repair. A subsequent accident caused by shoddy or unsafe repair could have you liable for more than an accident … you could face criminal negligence charges, so it really is best to leave it to an expert. You wouldn’t drill or extract your own teeth would you? … or even cut your own hair? So why try to fix your own collision damage?
Speaking of collision damage … did you know that here in Chicagoland we are more likely to have an accident than the average American city? Yep … the average accident frequency in America is once every 10 years, but here in Chicago it is once in every 7.7 years! We know it’s not your fault … its the Jackwagon in the other car. Right?… So be careful out there, because even if you haven’t had an accident in the last 7 years, there is some guy out there working on his fifth year looking to even up the average by slamming into YOU!
Anyway, however you get “damaged”, either stop by any one of our 24 CCA locations or go online at 8884AllWrecks.com and check out our eEstimate page. You can get a damage estimate without ever going to a shop now … although we do like seeing you, we just opened another shop in Berwyn, IL. and we’ll be announcing another couple shortly. Dave Mulder, founder and President of CCA (and my boss) has been at this game for almost 38 years and is still adding shops. That’s a good thing for you, because it means there is a CCA shop close by if you need it, but let’s hope you don’t.
Stay safe Chicago, drive defensively and if you feel like dropping me a line or just commenting on my ramblings here … please do so in the space provided below. Until next time … 
See you at the corner …
Rex
