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When The Flames On Your Truck Have Been Quashed: How To Restore Body Art

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If you had some very nice truck body art done, and you were recently in an accident, there is a good chance that your flames or lightning bolts have been utterly wrecked. It is painful to look at, to be sure, but it can be fixed. For starters, you will have to take your truck in for truck repair services at an auto body and paint shop. Here is how the art can be restored, with a few extra options for you to consider.

Removing the Paint to Remove the Dents

Let's face it; the paint job is already ruined in areas where there are dents and crunched metal. If you are going to restore the damaged panels on the truck, you are going to have to remove the paint anyway. The technician is going to pop as many dents out as possible and then look at the extent of the remaining damage to see if the panels can be restored.

If the metal needs to be "ironed out" because it still appears "wrinkled," then the panel may have to be removed from your truck. A metal roller followed by a sander will smooth out these rough areas. Finally, the paint will be removed as well.

Starting with Smooth, Blank Panels

Now the dent-free panels are buffed smooth, and they are ready for a primer. The technician applies a primer to the metal so that the fresh coats of paint will adhere properly. Next, if there is any of the original paint design left on your truck, be it flames, lightning bolts, or whatever, the technician does his or her best to match the colors to what is available in the shop. If the colors are not in the shop, they are a special order. Then you will have to wait for these colors to arrive before the technician can finish restoring your truck.

Your Options When You Have to Wait for Paint

At this point, you have the following options:

  1. Take your truck out of the shop, if the mechanical issues have all been fixed and drive it around until the paint colors come in. Then take the truck back to the shop to have the paint job completed.
  2. Leave the truck in the shop until the paint has arrived. The technician can finish the paint job, and then you can pick up the truck and pay your bill in full.
  3. Drive the truck around until you can find another body and paint shop that does have the colors you need to restore the paint job.
  4. Completely remove what is left of the body art and select something entirely new and different, which could be both fun and exciting. This also allows the body and paint technician to use the colors in the shop that he or she has available.
  5. Remove all of the body art and restore the base paint color on your truck. Opt out of body art completely.

As you can see, this leaves you in quite the position. Most people who are really in love with the body art on their vehicles tend to either change the art or wait for the paint to show up. If you are not that attached to the body art, you could just scrap it completely, but that would require that the art be buffed off entirely, and then your truck will still have to be repainted and have a finishing coat applied.

Moving Ahead with the Full Restoration

If you are certain that you will move ahead with the full restoration of the body art you had on the truck before the accident, the technician will order the paint colors needed. It usually takes about a week, give or take a few business days. Then it will take a few more days for the auto paint artist to complete the job and apply a clear coat sealant over the top. Your truck will be as good as new.

For more information about what to expect from the body work process after an accident, contact a shop like Downtown Garage & Auto Body.


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