Here are some of the most commonly used terms within the collision repair industry and what they mean, brought to you by all of us at Mike’s Auto Body. If you ever have any specific questions about your vehicle and the repair process, never hesitate to ask and remember, the motto at Mike’s Auto Body has always been the same and will never change—“Where Quality Counts.”

Parts and Repairs

OEM: It means “Original Equipment Manufacturer.” These are made by the same company that made the parts your car was built with at the factory. These are built by the car company themselves, or by a supplier they work with. For example, a body panel for a Camry may be made by Toyota, but the tail light might be made by Denso. OEM parts are available to all body shops, not just dealers.

Aftermarket: These are parts made by a third-party unrelated to the vehicle manufacturer. While you might not think twice about using a different tire or oil filter than what your car came with, the shame of aftermarket body panels can be quite a bit different from OEM parts. That means it can take more work to install and match up with the rest of the car, increasing labor costs.

LKQ: “Like Kind and Quality” parts are used parts that are still structurally sound and in good condition. Body shops will often choose these over aftermarket parts if they’re available because they’ll be a better fit, and insurance companies prefer them because they lower the overall cost of repair.

Benches, Frame Racks and Frame Machines: These three terms all refer to a device used to straighten out structural components. The car is tied down onto the rack, then chains, clamps, and winches are used to pull the vehicle back into shape.

Painting

Corrosion: When metal combines with oxygen, it forms rust on steel and iron and aluminum oxide on aluminum parts. All corrosion must be removed before a part can be painted. Deep rust must be cut out and replaced with new metal to restore the structural integrity of the part.

Paint Prep: This includes sanding, cleaning, removing oxidation and sometimes adding a base coat to create a surface for the paint to adhere to. Good paint prep can make a huge difference in the quality of a paint job.

Primer, Base Coat and Clearcoat: Modern automotive paint is applied in three layers. The primer bonds to the metal, creating a surface the paint can adhere to. The color of the car comes from the base coat. This coat is covered with clear paint called “clearcoat.”

Curing: Paint is mixed with a solvent before being applied so it flows evenly out of the paint gun. This solvent has to evaporate out to solidify the paint. There are three ways to cure paint:

• Air dry – Left to sit without any temperature intervention. This can take several days.
• Force dry – Placed in a heated area, shortening the cure time to a couple of days.
• Baking – Placed in a high heat area. This can damage some car parts, so it’s typically limited to body panels that are off of the car.

Edge-to-Edge: The entire body panel is painted instead of just around the damaged area.

Block Painting: A body panel is painted with subtle shading differences to help it blend in with surrounding panels.

Back sanding: Sanding a large area of a panel to blend in fresh paint. This technique is used when the paint is only applied to a small area.

Common Abbreviations

VIN: The Vehicle Identification Number is a unique number applied to your vehicle at the factory. This number includes information about the car model, paint and options, making it a useful tool for getting parts and mixing paint that matches your vehicle.

FEA and 4-W: These are abbreviations for “front end alignment” and “four-wheel alignment” used on repair estimates and orders.

R&I and R&R: These stand for “remove and install” and “remove and replace.” Even if a part isn’t being replaced, it takes time to remove and reinstall, requiring extra labor charges.

Sources: Autobody News and Body Shop Business

Since 2006, Enterprise Rent-A-Car has been serving all of Mike’s Auto Body’s East Bay locations by providing vehicles to our customers while we work on their cars. It’s been a long-term mutually beneficial relationship with the goal of providing a convenient option to our clients while providing world-class service and safe vehicles from one of the leading car rental companies in the world today.

For the past four years, Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s Area Manager Joe See has overseen the efforts of more than 30 company reps, several of which work closely with Mike’s managers to make all processes timely and seamless.

See is proud to work with one of the largest Multiple Shop Operations (MSOs) in northern California and values the partnership on many levels, as well as playing an integral part in Mike’s Benevolence Program.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Mike’s Auto Body are both committed and focus on a One Team, One Mission approach when it comes to providing world-class rental car services to its Bay Area clients. “We have been serving Mike’s Auto Body for many years and it just gets better and better,” See said. “The Rose family has built their company into a large, highly-respected organization that’s known for quality repairs, outstanding customer service and its desire to help the communities where they serve the public.”

To refine its processes and procedures and provide exemplary service, Enterprise-Rent-A-Car meets with the Roses and their operations team semi-regularly. “We meet with Mike’s 2-3 times during the year and discuss things like best practices and how we can do the finest job we can. We get to look at it from both sides and then see how carefully we are adhering to the playbook we follow. By getting their feedback and looking for viable solutions together, we are all able to achieve Mike’s promise to its customers every day— “Where Quality Counts”.

See and his company is all about customer service, transparency and accountability, he said. “Most people have rental car agreements in their insurance policies, but if they don’t we can often make arrangements that are affordable. We know that when people get into accidents, they have a lot on their minds, so if we can help to alleviate their stress, that’s something we want to do.”

In addition to providing car rental services to the customers of Mike’s Auto Body, Enterprise Rent-A-Car has been participating in the company’s nationally acclaimed Benevolence Program since 2014.

Mike’s celebrates its 19^th year as giving away 81 vehicles to deserving individuals, families and non-profit organizations and Enterprise is happy to be involved in giving deserving people and non-organizations a “Gift of Charity Wrapped in Dignity.”

“We are always delighted to find lightly damaged cars from our fleet and donate them to Mike’s for the Benevolence Program. They refurbish these vehicles and make them look new before presenting them to recipients. We also really enjoy going to the car presentations during the holiday season, where we usually have 15 or more of our people in attendance, and we never get tired of it!”

About Enterprise Rent-A-Car

Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company is the largest rental car company in North America. The firm has more than 5,400 offices in the United States; these offices are located within 15 miles of 90 percent of the U.S. population. More than 600 additional offices operate in Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Ireland. Worldwide, Enterprise’s rental fleet exceeds 700,000 vehicles, and its fleet services unit serving corporate clients includes an additional 135,000 vehicles.

On Nov. 8, Mike’s Auto Body celebrated Veteran’s Day at its Fairfield, CA a few days early by presenting two completely refurbished vehicles to active military families who are stationed at Travis Air Force Base. It was all part of Mike’s annual Benevolence program, which is a community relations program whose mission is to present refurbished “new” used cars to deserving individuals or organizations. The company is proud of its involvement with the NABC™ Recycled Rides® program for the past five years because it’s a nationally acclaimed and highly-respected organization.

Both of the Benevolence vehicles were covered and adorned with red, white, and blue bows as more than 100 business partners, vendors, local political representatives, Mike’s employees, and insurance companies were on hand for the presentation.

USAF Veteran Chris Coffle received a 2018 KIA Soul that was donated by the Hertz Corporation and refurbished by the crew at our Vallejo location. In addition, TSgt. Carlos Carvagal Molina received a 2016 Toyota Forerunner that was donated by USAA Insurance and refurbished by the crew at our Fairfield store.

Recipient USAF Veteran Chris Coffelt, married and with two daughters, wrote a brief one-page application letter that made an impact with all of the people at Mike’s Auto Body. “Owning a reliable car to means…FREEDOM,” Coffelt wrote. “It means I’m free of worry, free to be safe, and free of the financial burden that is owning an unreliable car brings. I currently own a 2004 Mazda 6 with over 160,000—it drives, but it has many issues, and it makes me nervous about driving on the highway. Whether our family receives the car or another military family, it’s a blessing what you’re doing for the military community.”

“Normally I would have been happy with free pancakes and a car wash on Veterans Day,” Coffelt said during the car presentation. Getting a car, he said, take it to a new level.”

Recipient TSgt. Carlos Carvagal Molina is an Air Force active duty member who has been serving our country for 12 years now. He is married with a daughter and a daughter who is starting school. When he found out that his mother-in-law has cancer, Molina and his family moved to Northern California. Their lives changed in many ways because now they’re taking care of their mother-in-law as she takes chemotherapy treatments, With only one vehicle, taking care of her became problematic, so Molina’s refurbished Benevolence car is much needed, he said. “Everything in life happens for a reason, and we know this situation would get better. I want to thank all of the people at Mike’s Auto Body for this amazing vehicle because it’s going to make our lives a lot better in many ways.”

The program opened with a moving invocation by Sal Contreras followed by the colors presented by the Napa Post 113 Legion Guard; American the Beautiful played on the bagpipes by Kristopher Muse (Mike’s Technician); the National Anthem played by the Vanden High School Band directed by Mason St. Pierre; Fairfield’s Mayor Harry Price, “Thank You for Your Service” presented by Mike’s Marketing Director Dane Dearlove and speeches made by Senior Field Representative for Congressman Garamendi Jack Batchelor; Nicole Stinnett of Operation Care and Comfort (North Bay); Adam Redfield of Sumaria Systems, Project Manager, Travis AFB Telecommunications Systems; Jacob Bender, MSgt Officer Associations Flight Chief 348^th Recruiting Squadron, E Flight; Kristle Bollans of Hertz Corporation and David F. Morrissey USAF (Ret.), Senior Military Affairs, USAA Insurance and Carlos Carvagal Molina, TSgt USAF Health Professions Recruiting 348^th Squadron.

Just like at every Benevolence event since day one, Mike’s Auto Body’s program Director Sal Contreras made a few welcoming and closing remarks. “We never get tired of giving vehicles to deserving people in the military, and this year was special because we were able to give away two cars,” he said. “By providing these recipients with these cars, we’re giving them the gift of transportation that offers them independence and a chance to improve their lives. We call this a hand up rather than a handout because we have seen these vehicles enabled people to do great things.”

The company’s next Benevolence presentation of 2019 is scheduled for December 11 at their Antioch ADAC location, where they will give away four more vehicles, making it a total of 88 cars since 2000.

Mike’s Auto Body Benevolence program is a “community give-back program” whose mission is to present cars to deserving individuals or organizations during the holiday season. Everything is donated, including the cars, parts, paint, mechanical inspections, tires and one full year of insurance. The body and paint technicians at Mike’s Auto Body donate their time and skills to turn these cars into pristine “new” used vehicles.

Special thanks to Fairfield’s Manager Cory Flies and Office Manager Krishauna Crites and technicians Thomas Wilson, Fernando Vallencia, Nick Salas, Shawn Teeter, Sheldon Ludlow, Arturo Ramos, Robert Maeder, Jason Wright and Christopher Ferrer who worked on the 2016 Toyota Forerunner that was presented to TSgt. Carlos Carvagal Molina. Vendor partners for the Forerunner include John L. Sullivan Toyota, MAB Towing Big Discount Tire Pros, Napa Auto Parts (West Texas Location), FinishMaster and Dan’s Glass & Dent Express.

Special thanks to Manager Nino Apostol and Office Manager Mariah Snyder and technicians Robert Tuttle, Ryan Griswold, Jose Castillo, Daniel Gutierrez, Kristopher Muse, Gary Bissitt, Erik Hernandez , Mauricio Ramirez and Jason Cobb who helped to refurbish the 2018 KIA Soul for the Coffelt family. Vendor partners for the Soul include LKQ Corp/Keystone Concord Auto Dismantlers Vallejo Nissan Wise Auto Group John L. Sullivan Kia FinishMaster and MAB Towing.

Also appeared in Autobody News