Everyone around here seems happy with the new shops that do quick digital estimates. I've seen three cars in my area come back with problems because the scans missed frame damage. We need to slow down and check things by hand to do it right. It's better to take a little more time than to have unhappy customers later.
I painted my shed last week with a beige from the store. It looked perfect under my shop light. Outside it was a different tone. Too yellow. I had to mix my own batch. That's when it hit me. Car paint does the same thing. The shine changes in light. Now I spray test panels. Check them at noon and dusk. No more call backs for color issues.
In my experience, some aftermarket pieces need so much tweaking it's not worth the supposed savings. Take that with a grain of salt, but it's a real headache most days.
On minor scratches where the metal isn't exposed, I often skip the primer step. Just a thorough scuff with fine grit and then base coat. It bonds fine if the surface is clean and properly prepped. Saves a whole day of curing time on quick jobs.
An old timer showed me his way of treating small rust spots with phosphoric acid before priming (claims it stops spread better). The other guys in the bay prefer just grinding it out and using a rust converter gel. I've tried both, and each has its ups and downs. Honestly, I can't decide which method is more reliable for daily drivers. Would love to hear what you all do for these common fixes.
Ngl, everyone around here swears by heat lamps for faster curing. Honestly, in our dry climate, I let things air dry and the results are just as good. Saved on electricity for a recent sedan.
More shops are skipping the frame machine for small dents. The process is too slow.