Got Hail Damage? What You Should You Be Looking for on Your Car?

Hail damage can be easily identified, especially on the hood and roof, after a hail storm. If any body part of your car exhibits clusters of small to medium dents, it is likely because of hail that fell on that part.

The roof and hood of your car are most susceptible because they are facing up and take direct hits from falling hail. Sometime hailstorms are fierce and your car may experience hail damage on its sides due to heavy winds causing hail to hit your car diagonally.

Hail damage on cars can be very costly to owners and it can easily bring down the value of a fairly recent car model down by around $5,000 to $10,000. If we compare this drop in value with the typical cost of hail damage repairs, it is substantially more than getting your car fixed.

Sometimes owners want to wait out the hail season before getting their hail damage repaired. If this makes sense to you, it should not. If your car takes hail damage from more than one hailstorm, it may result in you not being able to get a Paintless Dent Repair (PDR), which is the best dent repair for hail damage.

What Is Paintless Dent Repair (PDR)?

PDR is the most advanced and innovative form of dent repair. Unlike traditional dent repair, it does not involve any fillers, sandpapers or repainting.

A certified PDR technician, like the ones at Appearance 1st Automotive (A1A),uses their skill and experience to repair your hail damage far more efficiently and much faster than traditional dent repair. If you are looking to repair hail damage in and around Florida, A1A PDR is your best option.

Here’s why.

Benefits of PDR for Hail Damage

There are incredibly great benefits of A1A PDR for hail damage when compared to traditional dent repair. These, they include:

  • Saving Money

Hail damage repair can be costly with traditional dent repair. Not so much with PDR because there are no extra costs of fillers or paint, which means you save money. You only pay for the expertise of your A1A PDR technician.

  • Saving Time

Most people who have gotten hail damage repaired know that it is a far lengthier process than typical dent repair. This is not the case with PDR. Our A1A PDR technicians are experts at repairing hail damage and can easily go through 5 cars a day.

Moreover, the lack of repainting and drying in the PDR process means that you do not have to wait multiple days to get your car back. You can get your hail damage fixed in a few hours on the same day you bring your car to Appearance 1st Automotive.

  • Saving Value

Since A1A PDR restores your car to its original state and does not tamper with the original paint coat, you get to save its resale value. While traditional dent repair makes your car lose value with repainting, A1A PDR repairs hail damage without any repainted parts.

  • Saving Paperwork

The inexpensive costs of PDR allows you to pay out of pocket and never file a car report with your insurer. No paperwork is involved and once your car is repaired, no insurer or expert will not be able to tell that there was any hail damage to begin with.

Why A1A Services?

You need only a highly skilled, experienced and certified expert to deliver the PDR process for your hail damaged car, and Appearance 1st Automotive is where you will find one. Paintless dent repair is solely reliant on the PDR technician and you want the best.

Our certified PDR technicians have years of experience with all sorts of rare, unique and common cars and can deliver you the best results in and around Florida.

Conclusion

Waiting for the hail season to end or letting hail damage reduce your car’s value is not the best practice. Identify any hail damage and quickly get it repaired from the best certified PDR technicians at Appearance 1st Automotive in Florida.

For more information on hail damage and Paintless Dent Repair, please visit our website today.

PDR 101 – What You Need to Know with Appearance 1st Automotive

Have you heard of Paintless Dent Repair or PDR?

If not, then you are at the right place to learn and you will be surprised by the benefits and results of Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) compared to a traditional dent repair. But first, let’s discuss what Paintless Dent Repair is and how you can determine if the dents, dings or creases on your car qualify it for a PDR.

Determining if your dents and dings qualify for a PDR is important because, as you will soon learn, PDR is your best option to repair any dents, dings, creases or hail damage on your car’s body.

Let’s dive right in and discuss the basics of PDR.

PDR 101 – What Is Paintless Dent Repair (PDR)?

PDR is the latest and most innovative dent repair method that involves various PDR techniques to repair dents, dings and hail damage. Only a certified PDR technician fully understands these techniques and is qualified enough to professionally practice on commercial cars.

If you are in or around Jacksonville, Florida, Appearance 1st Automotive (A1A) is the best place to find well experienced and certified PDR technicians.

PDR 101 – How to Determine If PDR Is an Option for Your Dents & Dings

Here is how you can determine whether the dents, dings, creases or hail damage on your car can be repaired using PDR.

  • Inspect the dents for paint damage. If there is no paint damage, even in dent clusters of hail damage, PDR is the best option for your dent repair
  • If there is slight paint damage, PDR may still be the best option because it is capable of correcting minor paint damage
  • Lastly, consult an A1A certified PDR technician to best guide you on your options. You can even get a quick quote through call or text
PDR 101 – Benefits of Professional PDR

A professional PDR is better than traditional dent repair in every aspect. It provides superior results and great benefits, especially if you opt for the certified PDR technicians at Appearance 1st Automotive in Jacksonville, Florida.

Here’s why.

Time

You do not have to spend days waiting for your car with PDR. Unlike traditional dent repair, which involves disassembly, fillers, repainting and drying, PDR has no such processes. You can get your dents, dings and hail damage repaired in just a few hours on the same day you bring your car to A1A.

Money

Since there are no fillers or paint involved, you save money on these material costs and only pay for the skills of an A1A certified PDR technician. This makes PDR much more inexpensive than traditional dent repair.

Insurance

You do not need to file insurance paperwork because PDR is so inexpensive that you can pay out of pocket. Your insurer will never be able to tell the difference once Appearance 1st Automotive is done repairing your car using PDR.

Resale Value

PDR immensely saves the resale value of your car because, unlike traditional dent repair, PDR does not tamper with, scrape or repaint the dented body parts of your car.

Why Use Appearance 1st Automotive?

A1A only has the most skilled certified PDR technicians that are well experienced at repairing dents, dings, creases and hail damage on classic, rare, exotic and common cars alike. You will not see better results in or around Jacksonville, Florida, than from the experienced professionals at Appearance 1st Automotive.

For more information on PDR, its benefits, Appearance 1st Automotive or to get a quick quote, please visit our website today.

Top Reasons to Use Appearance 1st Automotive Paintless Dent Repair

Most people believe that dent repair is expensive, time consuming and an unnecessary strain on their lives, especially if it is a relatively small dent. This could not be farther from the truth. The fact is that not all dent repair services are equal.

Appearance 1st Automotive is an industry leader in Paintless Dent Repair (PDR), which is a modern dent repair technique that defies all your preconceptions of dent repair. You would be shocked to learn the innovative advantages it has brought to the world of dent repair.

More importantly, Appearance 1st Automotive provides this service better than the competition in all of Florida and its surrounding area. Let’s discuss the PDR process and the top reasons to use Appearance 1st Automotive Paintless Dent Repair.

The Appearance 1st Automotive PDR Process

The process can be broken down into three simple yet effective steps, they are:

  1. Cleaning your car from edge to edge to remove any dirt and dust particles for a smooth repair process.
  2. Placing your car under UV light to assess the damage and accurately identify which areas need repairing.
  3. Finally, a skilled PDR technician repairs the damage using a glue slab or by massaging precisely the right points of the damage from behind the body part.

It is that simple to bring your car back to its original state. Hard to believe, isn’t it?

As simple as the PDR process may seem, it requires the skills and experience of a reliable PDR technician who knows exactly how to get the best results.

Top Reasons to Use Appearance 1st Automotive Paintless Dent Repair

Here are the top reasons you should opt to use Appearance 1st Automotive PDR service.

  • It’s Fast

While traditional dent repair requires dismantling the body part, fixing the dent and then repainting, PDR does no such thing, which means it is much faster. There is no need for repainting and that means not having to wait for 3-5 days, you can get your PDR done in a few hours of a single day.

  • It’s Inexpensive

The fact that there is no need to purchase fillers or paint for the PDR process means it is much less expensive than traditional dent repair. You only pay for the skill set of Appearance 1st Automotive’s experienced PDR technician.

  • It Retains Value

This is our favorite reason to use Appearance 1st Automotive PDR, because your car retains its value for longer when you use PDR. The original paint of your car is left intact, which means that it will sell for more because the original paint coat has not been removed.

  • It Does Not Require Paperwork

Unlike traditional dent repair, PDR is inexpensive, which means you can pay out of pocket and never have to fill paperwork for insurance. After the repairs, no one, including your insurance company, can ever tell there was a dent to begin with.

Conclusion

If you are in or around Florida and your car needs dent repair, we highly recommend that you opt to use Appearance 1st Automotive Paintless Dent Repair. It is fast, easy and inexpensive and it eliminates all the concerns you may have for dent repair services.

For more information on PDR or Appearance 1st Automotive, please visit our website today.

Paintless Dent Repair for Acorn Dents on Your Car

Dent Removal

Imagine running low on food and your best friend who has been out of town for a year has just told you that he/she is coming to meet you in an hour in Jacksonville. You’re excited when you hear the news, but the feeling of excitement suddenly goes away when you realize you’re not prepared for the situation. You take your car out of the garage, drive to the grocery store while maintaining the speed limit, and enter the grocery store. 

You were in and out of the store in 15 minutes. As you walked towards your car, you noticed several dents on top of the hood and roof of your car caused by acorns! You should have remembered not to park underneath an oak tree on a windy day! Now you start  to imagine the painfully long process you’ll have to go through to get it removed. 

Although you may feel tired just thinking of finding an inexpensive solution, to your relief, a paintless dent repair can save the day.

What Is A Paintless Dent Repair (PDR)?

A paintless dent repair is the modern approach to repairing vehicles that is a lot quicker than the conventional method of repairing dents.

It’s understandable why there was a need to create a different approach to fixing dents because the traditional method of repairing a car is troublesome and time consuming. 

Here’s why. 

The Problems With the Traditional Method

The traditional method of fixing dents on your car has been around for decades because by appearance it may seem like your car has been fixed. However, in reality your car has lost its structural integrity and has a weaker body now. 

When a car technician uses the traditional way to repair the dents on your car, they drill two holes around the dent and then fill it with body fillers. After this, they paint over this space with a paint and it looks like your car has been repaired. When your car is shipped from the factory, it comes with a protective coating that protects your car from dents and dings, and with the traditional method, the coating from your car is removed.

The Benefits of PDR

There are several benefits of PDR which make it the best choice for dent repair in 2020. Here’s why you should consider getting a PDR.

  • It’s a lot more affordable than the traditional method since the PDR process is a lot simpler than the conventional method, making it convenient for the customer and the repair specialist.
  • It’s considered environmental-friendly since no harmful fumes are released into air.
  • It’s also a lot quicker. Most cars that come in for a PDR leave the same day!

Using PDR for Acorn Damage

Here’s why you should be using PDR for acorn damage:

  • Since the dents caused by acorns are small and negligible, they can be easily repaired with the PDR method. Compared to the auto body shop method, the PDR method is a lot quicker.
  • It is also a lot more affordable than the conventional method. Why would you want to pay a premium amount for a dent that is barely visible?
  • Depending on your insurance coverage, most insurance companies will cover the cost of PDR repair.
  • PDR can also prolong the life of your car. So in a way, you’re getting your money back with the dent repair you get!

Appearance 1st Automotive is your best choice for PDR but that depends on whether you’re a candidate or not. Contact us today to for a free estimate on acorn dent removal! 

Dent Removal on a Bumper With PDR

A bumper is one of the most commonly damaged parts of a vehicle. It’s also one of those few parts of your vehicle that you can’t see when you’re driving your car, because of which it often gets a fair share of dents and dings. Apart from the obvious reason that a dent on a bumper is easily visible – you should also consider getting a dent removal with PDR because a dent can have several effects on your car that you might not know.

Here’s why you should get a dent removed from your car’s bumper as quickly as possible.

  • Rust

Why would anyone want to look at an ugly dent that tarnishes the beautiful look of your car? Even when you aren’t looking at it, there’s always that tiny voice in the back of your mind constantly nagging you to get a repair. Ignore it as long as you want; the problem gets serious when you start to see how the dent can damage the paint on your vehicle. 

The cracks caused by the impact allow water to seep under the dent. When this water touches the unprotected metal of the car, the body starts to oxidize, and rust beings to form. The worst part is, while a dent might not expand, rust will!

  • Long-Term Damage

Another problem with a dent on the bumper is that you’re going to need a lot more than just a paintless dent repair if you ignore it for a long time. If there are scratches on the car, your car will need paint, and if you aren’t able to find someone experienced – the process of the repair would be prolonged. 

Weather conditions and occasional wear and tear can make the problem get bigger. 

  • Lesser Resale Price

Let’s suppose you ignored your bumper dent to the point you’re thinking of reselling your car. Now, the dent has expanded, rust has formed, and even if you get a repair, the overall process will drastically reduce the value of your car. Not only are you paying a lot more for a process that could’ve been a small repair, but you’re also losing money off the price of your car. 

That is why – not only should you get PDR on your car’s bumper – you should also get it quickly!

But why PDR?

The Advantages of PDR

  • It’s Quick!

You don’t have to wait for a week to get your back because the PDR process is a lot quicker than a traditional auto body repair, depending on the damage your car has sustained. Since PDR is simpler, certified technicians at Appearance 1st Automotive can get done with it quickly. 

  • It Prolongs the Life of Your Car

PDR also won’t damage the protective coating your car has when it is shipped from the factory. This way, your car can stay safe from paint cracks and dents for a longer period of time. This also means that your car won’t lose value with a small repair! 

Contact us today for a free estimate to get that bumper dent fixed!

 

Why You Should Get a Dent Repaired Quickly

Trunk Dent

If you’ve owned a car in Jacksonville, Florida – a dent has probably popped up on your car somewhere. It happens to the best of us, and there’s no reason to feel ashamed! No matter how carefully we drive, small damages happen here or there.

The dents and dings that happen to our vehicle can occur for many reasons. Someone could open their car door close to your car. A reckless driver could bump into the back of your car during a traffic jam, or perhaps, someone might throw a baseball that might hit your car to cause a dent. 

Often, people have no idea how a dent happened. They walk out of an exhausting day at work and notice the ugly sight when it’s too late. You might think of putting it off because “it’s just a dent,” but do you know what’s happening under? 

Get Dents Repaired Quickly

Getting a dent repaired from a professional dent repair shop like Appearance 1st Automotive is the best decision you can take. This way, you won’t have that little voice in your head nagging you to get the dent repaired. Here are a few reasons why you should get that repaired ASAP.

Rusting Problems

Dents cause blemishes on your car that are not pretty to see. But one of the most prominent damages a dent can cause is to the paint. The cracks on the paint of your car can cause the water to seep through to the metal of your car. This part of your car is unprotected and will soon to oxidize and rust. 

When the dent is small, you might not notice this at first. But as soon as the metal starts to rust, the damage on your vehicle becomes a lot more apparent. 

Long-Term Damage

Dents don’t only cause damage to the body of the car. If you don’t repair a dent long enough, you’re going to get your car repainted as well. Since you’re going to need a paint expert and a dent repair expert to repair the damages on your car – you’re going to have to wait until you find the person for the job. 

This wait will worsen the damage. Weather conditions and everyday wear and tear slowly chip off more paint than the initial damage your car sustained, and with time, you’re only letting the repair cost go further up! 

Reduced Value

There are no arguments that a dented car is going to sell for a much lesser price – but that’s not the point we’re trying to make. After your car has got a dent, there’s only a limited amount of time that you can take it for a paintless dent repair. Even though we at Appearance 1st Automotive want to fix every dent with PDR – our hands are tied in some situations. 

Once your car has been repainted, and a body filler has been used on it – it will sell for a significantly lower price. 

So don’t wait around! Drop by Appearance 1st Automotive and get your car repaired today! Or call us for a free estimate!

PDR vs. Do it Yourself Repair Kit

black mustang

You come out of the movie theatre feeling thrilled because of the movie you just saw. You never quite understood the twist at the end, but you tell yourself that not knowing is part of the fun. But while you hear your friends debate continuously – trying to make sense of what they saw – a dreadful sight pours cold chilly water over your blazing emotions.

Your Cadillac has sustained a dent on the door, and it just doesn’t look the same anymore. It feels like a punch in the gut because you’ve been so protective of your car all this time. A situation like this leaves many people reaching for two possible options that offer to make sense of the mayhem that has ensued.

A Do it Yourself Repair Kit?

The do it yourself repair kits you see online are designed in a way that they implore you. These repairs kits “claim” that without the help of a professional, you can get rid of the most annoying dents yourself. They tell you to stop paying a professional for the job because you can do it all yourself – but how much truth is there to this bold statement?

In some cases, DIY kits can work but to be fair – in those cases, you don’t need a DIY kit for a repair either. DIY kits are made for small repairs that can be fixed without a professional. If you have time and patience for a DIY kit – it might work for you, but then again, doing it wrong can have disastrous consequences as well.

The point is – a DIY kit is not the perfect solution. You’re going to need a lot of patience and some experience repairing dents to make sure everything goes right for you.

DIY Won’t Always Work

In some situations, even the most experienced and skilled home technicians can’t fix dents with a DIY kit. The dent either won’t change at all, or your relentless efforts will make the dent bubble out on the other side of the car.
Even though your DIY kit will come with tools that are supposed to stop this from happening, it’s a very easy mistake to make. And once the dent has bubbled out – your problems have just increased four-folds.

Leave It To the Professionals

There’s nothing like PDR repair from a professional.

Because the professional has done this procedure more times than you can probably imagine – leave their job to them. Not only are they certified experts in the field – but they also work for your best interest. Our technicians at Appearance 1st Automotive, make sure they make every paintless dent repair as affordable and safe for the customer as possible.

Since the PDR process is a lot quicker than a traditional dent repair, customers leave with their car a lot quicker, too. If your car has sustained damages in Jacksonville, Florida– drop by our shop anytime, or call us 904-664-9088 to get a free estimate of your damages.

FAQs About Dent Repair with PDR

Black Porsche

What is Paintless Dent Repair?

Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) is the modern way of repairing a dent. With the help of this procedure, certified technicians like Appearance 1st Automotive can remove small dents and dings from your vehicle. A technician does this by massaging the back of your vehicle’s dent with special tools that they are equipped with. 

Will the Paint Of My Vehicle Be Damaged?

Unlike a traditional auto body repair, PDR does not damage the paint on your car’s body. To repair dents the PDR way, the technician uses a massager to massage the body of the car back into its original place. The paint of your car also has a protective coating over it, which prevents the paint from chipping off, or it can help save your car from cracks. 

A traditional auto body repair destroys this protective coating, too, while PDR lets it stay intact. 

Can Any Dent Be Fixed?

No.

Even though at Appearance 1st Automotive, it is our priority to fix every dent with PDR – in some situations, our hands are tied. Larger dents or dents that tear the sheet of the metal on your car can’t be repaired with PDR. Dents that can be repaired with PDR are:

Round Dents

These dents are usually classified as hail repair or can be caused by a basketball, football, or baseball. These dents are pretty common and can be repaired easily with PDR.

Dings

Dings are pretty common, too. Dings are usually caused when a car is parked in the parking lot of a shopping mall or in a crowded place. Other cars or shopping carts can easily cause dings on your vehicle, but you don’t have to worry! Dings can be easily repaired with PDR, too.

Creases

Creases are complex dents that can be caused by storms. They stretch the body of your vehicle to a dangerous extent and for a very long time, repairing these dents with PDR was not possible. However, with advancements in PDR technology, these dents are repairable by PDR, too. 

If your car has any of these dents, or even dents apart from these, contact Appearance 1st Automotive for expert repairs!

Does PDR Have Benefits?

Yes.

Compared to the traditional method of repairing dents, PDR can have several advantages. 

  • It’s affordable. The traditional method of repairing dents drilled holes around the dented area and filled the dented area with body fillers. After the process was complete, this part of the car was repainted. This process reduced the value of the car, and it’s structural integrity. At the same time, PDR  does not use body fillers or paint to repair the dent. The value of your car is not affected. 
  • PDR is also a lot quicker. Most cars that come into the shop for a PDR leave in a day, depending on the repairs needed. However, a traditional auto body repair can take up quite some time. 

PDR is also environmentally friendly since no harmful chemicals are used to repair the dents.

PDR vs. Traditional Auto Body Shop Repair

Blue Car

Just about every vehicle can pick up a dent or a ding. When it’s about repairing minor damage on your vehicle, there are several options you can choose from. Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) is a somewhat radical procedure of fixing a dent when compared to a traditional way of repairing a dent. A PDR is a lot quicker, and it protects your car from losing value, too. 

If you’re wondering how PDR would fare against a traditional body repair – you’ve come to the right place. Here’s everything you should know about paintless dent repair, and how it fares when compared to a traditional dent repair. 

PDR Vs. Traditional Body Repair: The Process

Through PDR, a certified technician at Appearance 1st Automotive repairs the dented body panels on your vehicle. This repair process restores the panels back to the same condition they were when your car came from the factory. PDR also does not cause any harm to the paint of the car. 

To make sure that the technician can see every dent, they use LED reflection lights so they can see the smallest of dents on the vehicle. Because of the lighting, the technician knows where the fix is needed, and therefore, they can massage the panel on that specific spot.

On the other hand, if you opt for a traditional auto body repair, the technician will weld holes into the body of your car, and will then fill these holes with fillers. Conventional repairs also include sprays that are harmful to the environment. 

PDR Vs. Traditional Body Repair: The Price

The traditional method of repairing a dent is a lot costlier than PDR. That is simply because the traditional method includes sanding, painting repaired areas, and then bonding them together. This process is suitable in that situation where PDR can’t be applied. 

A traditional dent repair can cost somewhere around $3,000, while a PDR is much cheaper. PDR also provides results that are durable since it doesn’t affect the protective coating your car comes with from the factory. 

Insurance Companies Prefer PDR

Many car owners dread the idea of getting a car repair because it results in some deductibles in their insurance policy. But on the other hand, a PDR offers car owners to bring back some of the vehicle’s life. Because a PDR restores some of your car’s health, insurers prefer when their clients get a PDR. Some insurance companies even recommend their clients to get a PDR. 

It Is Environmentally Friendly

Compared to traditional body repair, a PDR is a lot more environmentally friendly. A traditional body repair includes a lot of sprays and fluids that release harmful chemicals into the air. These chemicals are bad for the environment. Unlike traditional body repair, the PDR process does not involve any harmful chemicals. The repair is done with simple tools, which is why it is a lot safer.

If you live in Jacksonville, Florida, and your car has dings or dents, you should call Appearance 1st Automotive to get your car fixed. We can also give you a free estimate of your damages.

All you Need to Know about PDR in Clay County

Dented Porsche

PDR is also known as paintless dent repair, a non-invasive, environmentally-friendly restoration process that repairs an automobile’s body back to its factory-like form. It is popular for being a cost-effective and time-saving procedure.  

Paintless dent repair is used to remove small or large dents and dings from a vehicle without ruining the original paint of the vehicle. The PDR process comprises of the following essential steps outlined below: 

PDR Techniques and Process

Every day, Appearance 1st Automotive PDR technicians safely reinstate automobiles to their original factory condition without compromising the surface finishing and also taking care of the customer’s wallet

Appearance 1st Automotive provides this service to multiple places in Clay County. Including Orange Park, Argyle Forest, Oakleaf Plantation, Middleburg, Penney Farms, Green Cove Springs, and Doctor’s Inlet.

Evaluate the Damage

The initial step to any restoration process is to assess the damage. Consider the location of the car ding, its size, and how to best get to that dent. Once the assessment of the dent is complete, the area around the damage is prepared for repair.  

Access to the Dent

In most conditions, paintless dent repair requires the technician to access the ding’s backside, which means cautiously detaching body panels, interior panels, and tail lights. To execute PDR, a pathway to the damage is created. Once it is accessible, the repair process can begin.

 

Close up of the Dent

A special light board is used to give the technicians a better look at the dent from their point of view. It displays a shadow of the ding, showing the technician where to place tools on the dent’s backside to pull the body back to its original state.

The PDR process can be finished within a single day, depending on the dent’s severity.

Traditional Repair Time vs. PDR Repair Time

The paintless dent repair is undoubtedly a quick and inexpensive way to get your vehicle back in its original state. A brief comparison between the restoration time of PDR and traditional dent repair process has been shown below:

Dent Type Traditional Dent Repair Time PDR Time
Hail Repair 1 to 2 weeks 1 to 2 days
Minor Damage 3 to 5 days 2 to 3 hours
Door Indentations 3 to 5 days Single day

Looking for an Experienced Professional in Clay County?

Appearance 1st Automotive has been in the automobile repairing industry for over a decade and provides high-quality repairs at affordable rates. We also provide home service repairs, so no need to worry about your car sitting in a workshop for days.

Call us at 904-478-0321 to get an absolutely free quote for your repairs!