Lidtke Motors Blog

What Parts Will Be Used On My Body Repair?

By Tim Welch | Posted in Lidtke News on Saturday, March 17th, 2012 at 10:12 PM

I have talked about parts before but hadn’t defined some of the questions you need to ask. Parts can vary widely to what will be used on your vehicle.

The repair shop could use OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer), Automotive Aftermarket, Reconditioned original Equipment and Used parts.

Usually with a one to two year old vehicle, parts will be replaced with new or OEM parts. Your son’s nine year old car will receive used or aftermarket parts. We have had clients where their insurance company provides aftermarket parts as part of their policy but will allow the customer to upgrade to OEM and pay the difference. The cost can be minimal in most cases to retain your cars value.

So what are aftermarket or as I call them, ‘imitation’ parts? According to the aftermarket industry they say its products are built to industry standards and are as good as those produced by the OEMs. I will just tell you to check with your body shop what parts will be used on your repair and their experience with such parts.

In any case the decision for what parts are used will depend on the age of your car, the terms of your insurance policy and the size of your wallet.

Tim Welch

General Manager

timothy.welch@lidtkemotors.com

Additional Items to be aware of when getting an Estimate!

By Tim Welch | Posted in Lidtke Body Shop Series on Tuesday, January 31st, 2012 at 9:20 PM

After the last post was published I thought of a couple more things to be aware of when getting an estimate to repair your vehicle.

You’ve probably heard it before, where you have been told to get several estimates. I will say again, you can take your vehicle to the shop of your choosing. Now, I’m not saying the low estimate would be missing something or the higher estimate will give you a better repair. If the insurance company is paying for the repair, which estimate do you think the insurance company would choose? If you do get a couple of estimates though, make sure you compare estimates equally, especially if this will be a customer pay repair.

Some shops will even write low estimates just to “get the keys” and get the owners commitment to do the job. Once they have started on the car, the shop will call and claim they have found additional damages. I understand we can’t see through cars and will find parts damaged that were not seen initially. A “supplement” to the insurance company is then submitted to have the parts and labor covered. Many times this process lengthens the time the vehicle is in the shop. Avoid this ploy by choosing a highly regarded body shop in the first place.

Tim Welch

timothy.welch@lidtkemotors.com

Body Shop Estimate Process

By Tim Welch | Posted in Lidtke Body Shop Series on Sunday, January 22nd, 2012 at 8:23 PM

At this point you have probably narrowed the search down to one or two body shop repair facilities. The task now comes of getting an estimate for the repairs. Remember that you can take or have your vehicle towed, if not drivable, to the body shop of your choice.

This is your vehicle and you need to clearly communicate what you expect to be repaired. Body shops want to get the job done right, the first time. With an insurance claim, damage unrelated to the specific accident will not be covered. The body shop will be glad to repair any additional dings, dents and scrapes but those will need to be negotiated outside of the insurance claim.

In order to fully understand the estimate make sure the estimator goes over all the details with you. Estimates are itemized and will contain labor hours and material costs. Parts that need to be repaired will have an appropriate repair time. Parts that need to be replaced will show the cost of the new part. The estimate will have labor and material costs for painting which are separate from the repair or replacement of parts.

When getting more than one estimate, compare equally. Ask yourself, is one shop repairing the hood and another replacing the hood and so on?

Even if the insurance company is paying for the repair this is YOUR vehicle and you need it fixed correctly to retain its value.

Tim Welch

timothy.welch@lidtkemotors.com

Check Online for a Body Shop

By Tim Welch | Posted in Lidtke Body Shop Series on Saturday, January 14th, 2012 at 12:14 PM

So you just moved to the area and you haven’t built a relationship with a repair shop yet and you are not quite sure who your insurance agent is yet. The last option would be to use the internet or yellow pages to find a body shop repair facility.

Some points to consider.

On average, about 68 million Americans will go online daily
Over 38 million people who go online use a search engine such as, Google, Yahoo and Bing.
In the USA alone, there are 2.2 billion Web searches each month with the intent of finding local businesses or services.

This is a very simple process to use. For example, you can go to Google and type in ‘Auto body repair’ and the ‘city’ where you live and all the body shops will appear. We have experienced where customers new to us and the area found our business through the internet.

Yellow Pages are another option and will also show up in your internet search

Next I will discuss what you need to know once you have decided on a body repair facility.

Tim Welch

Couple Ways to Find the Right Body Shop

By Tim Welch | Posted in Lidtke Body Shop Series on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012 at 3:15 PM

Still looking to find a body shop to repair your vehicle?

So you’ve checked with your technician or shop that works on your vehicle and with friends or neighbors. Your next person to check with is your insurance agent.

It is your auto insurance company that, more than likely, will eventually pay the claim so it makes sense to ask them for a list of reliable local repair shops that they have worked with. Auto body repair shops that work with insurance companies are typically deemed to be the best in terms of professionalism, quality of service and pricing. These shops can also be a good advocate for you when dealing with your insurance.

I would like to mention one last detail when working with your insurance. Most body shops have associations with insurance companies which are called DRPs (Direct Repair Process). Some work with several insurances while another shops work with a different set of insurance companies.

In the end you still can take your vehicle to the body shop of your choosing.

Tim Welch

I just had an accident!

By Tim Welch | Posted in Lidtke Body Shop Series on Friday, November 18th, 2011 at 4:12 PM

YOU JUST HAD AN ACCIDENT!

Your thinking, “Where am I going to go to get the work done on my car?” “I keep my car maintained for mechanical repairs all the time but I don’t know the first thing about how to make the right choice for body repair. I need it fixed ASAP, but where?”

Some of you maybe had an accident recently or a few years ago; some of you maybe never. I’m going to give you some tips on how to choose a body shop all the way to the delivery of your repaired vehicle.

I would be worth your time to do a little research before you have an accident. A very stressful situation will be much easier with some knowledge of the process before hand.

So where do you go? How about Word of Mouth? You probably know someone who had an accident. If so, and you know them well enough why not ask them how they liked the work performed on their vehicle. If you get the opportunity to see the vehicle, how did the finished product look to you? Did they have a positive experience? Another place to ask would be your favorite mechanical repair shop. They might know someone and have recommendations for you also.

Next , I will have more ideas on how to find the best body shop.

Tim Welch

Welcome Our New Website!

By Lidtke Motors | Posted in Lidtke News on Monday, September 20th, 2010 at 3:39 PM

If you are looking for a new car or a new to you, used car, we have you covered.

Our Vehicle specials are updated regularly with great deals that are designed to help save you money. If you do not see a vehicle here that you are looking for, please contact us so that we may further assist you in the search for your perfect new vehicle.

Current new vehicle specials!
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We also offer a wide range of car repairs and service updates including general repairs and maintenance, factory recalls and warranty service on all models. Whether you need an oil change, transmission service, brakes, or even a complete engine overhaul, we have you covered. Use our handy schedule service form to set up an appointment and one of our service advisors will contact you shortly.

If you have a specific question on anything, please use our handy contact us form and someone will get back to you as soon as possible.

Please add our new blog to your favorites so you can check back from time to time and keep up with all of our new vehicle specials we always have online.

Sincerely,
You’re local #1 dealer

Lidtke Motors Blog

What Parts Will Be Used On My Body Repair?

Additional Items to be aware of when getting an Estimate!

Body Shop Estimate Process

Check Online for a Body Shop

Couple Ways to Find the Right Body Shop

I just had an accident!

Welcome Our New Website!

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