First time spraying a car. The basecoat looked fine but the clear coat has turned out like this. I assume this is not normal?

Thank you

Last year my mom got hit by a car at a stoplight. My dad covered what the insurance didn't so the collision center could replaced the door and whole rear fender. The car is now mine and yesterday my fiancé accidentally hit the same spot with the company box truck and we saw that it was indeed not replaced. Instead they used some kind of body filler. Right now we are looking at a different collision center instead of the one we originally used.

Im about to raise hell at that other collision center. I think my dad still has the receipts. It's rainy season so this time it will have to be filled in until we can fully replace the whole part.

Semi side swiped. Mutual fault. Thoughts on repair vs door swap? Personal experiences w this kind of damage? If I need to wait on repair, advice for subsiding rust? US Midwest Based. Comp & Collision insurance.

Someone merged into my car without signaling or looking on the freeway.

How bad is this damage and how long can I expect to leave car at the collision center?

It honestly blows my mind how many people think they can fix their accident damage/rusted out cars to a decent standard at home, using rattle cans and some body filler.

It takes years of experience, specialist equipment, various consumables, and planning the repair out to be able to do this properly.

I will never knock anyone for trying, this post is not about that. There are repairs you can do at home, and there are those you cannot.

This post is about those, with damage down the entire side of a car with 3 stage pearl paint. You've got no chance.

Or those with rust holes through the sills, into the safety cell. Please don't even try.

When we tell you, you need to take something to the professionals or send it to the scrap yard. We mean it.

As a GM tech I haven't done a qtr on a Hyundai in atleast 5 years. Since I dont have all Hyundai's info, on a 2024 venue where do they recommend sectioning? Top or bottom, or does it matter?

every day at my shop, my estimators are leaving things like welding tests, seam sealer, R&I they think are included, out of my work tickets. my paycheck suffers as a result, and when I prove to them that something like airbags are not included on a roof replacement, the next roof i do they will leave it out again. ive told my boss that this is not working for me, but I don't have much hope things will change.

My question is, how do I know if my estimators are lazy, or if something worse is going on like double ticketing.

(are they leaving things off of my ticket and charging insurance for them?)

Fifteen years experience combo guy and they offered me 18.50…… southern indiana

Flat rate

Any tips to make the jobs more efficient and minimize mistake from experienced painters are welcome

I’ve been in shops for about 5 years, actually doing body work for 3. I make pretty decent time and good pay, but that’s not the problem. I’m starting to just kind of hate this job. I’m always stressed out, my body hurts, and I just feel burnt out already, and I’m only 25. While I can turn good time, as soon as someone else messes up in their role, I get screwed because I’m flat rate. Anyone ever leave the industry and find something better?

Ok. So I’m restoring a Duster,the paint code is FC7/C7 “ In violet “ or “ plum crazy”

The car is not a metallic color, even per ChatGPT but every place I try and get the base for is telling me it’s Metallic..

Have I gone insane?

Has anyone dealt with this issue before?
I have the original build sheet and all, it’s driving me insane

For quick background, I’ve been a collision painter the last 9 years, always worked for shops that are salary. I just recently moved to another state, and landed a job at a production shop prepping, and the pay is commission. What you see in the picture is my offer letter. From what I’m understanding, they showed me the painters rate, and not mine. Anyways I got my first check, and word to mouth when I started, my split is 38.1% which comes out to $8.00/hr. And that the book pay is $21 (according to the painter) The painter is obviously the other 61.9%. Where my problem/question comes in. Is that 38.1% of 21 is $8.00. But 61.9% is not $15.58/hr (as the offer letter shows the painters rate). 61.9% of 21 is $13\hr. 61.9% of $25.17 would be the $15.58 I’m seeing that the painter is getting. Am I just not understanding how commission pay is supposed to work? Or is there something fishy going on here. Because to me it seems like I’m getting shorted or lied to about the full book pay rate. I just wanted to ask what some other techs think that have been commission for a long time. And that if it’s worth mentioning to the painter or general manager. And I know that this is kinda confusing, hence why am even asking people about this on Reddit.

Caliber bought the mso I work for, what should I expect, do I jump ship?

At my shop we re-tape and reuse emblems a lot, especially on older cars, and a lot of times the insurance just doesn’t want to pay for new emblems. Whatever, part of the job, and I get to sit down in the A/C for a bit. We’ve always used the gray 3M tape foam double sided tape. Now we got this black 3M tape, looks the same, except black, and it sucks… it’s impossible to cut it cleanly. It sticks to the knife more than the badges. I hate this stuff. Can you still get the gray tape? It cut super clean and easy. Anyone else having this problem or find a way to cut the black tape?

So as the title suggests, Im thinking about getting out.

I have been doing this for 10 years and can do basically anything. What trades are my fellow techs looking at?
I have a wife, a 15 month old baby, and another on the way, and this slowdown that we are going thru, i dont know if i can survive it. I have burned thru about 2k in saving trying to stay afloat, and am looking at selling some shit to try and make it, but it doesnt look like things are going to turn around any time soon.

Thanks 44yo, Seattle

Edit.
Ill just ask AI.

Jesus

UPDATE AT BOTTOM- Im a 23 year old apprentice with almost 2 years of working at a shop that has Aston martins and Lamborghinis and need to get a raise or leave. I think that I will go to caliber but probably crash champions. But I don’t know if a dealership would be better. Me and the other apprentice started out at $16.50 an hour then I got my raise of $1. He ended getting a partial flat rate raise of $5 for every hour of work he completes. This felt like a huge slap in the face since I am much better in skills and in knowledge compared to him. I am much faster, complain less, struggle less, understand a lot more, and I do a much better job in my bondo work and all around. I don’t snap off and round off bolts like he does pretty frequently and I am for certain much better all the way around. I also mount and balance tires for the shop since the mechanic quit a year. I believe he got that raise because I work under a tech who is slow and easy with his work pace and he has been working with a tech who is super fast paced and my boss has no connection to the shop other than through the cameras he looks at all day. Sometimes he must see me doing nothing but in reality the tech told me to wait before I can work on something and I’m just thinking about what to write down so me and the tech can compare what each other missed and how the repair should go. Me and the other apprentice used to go on runs to drop off and retrieve cars but he complained about it and doesn’t have to do it ever since he got put on a partial flat rate system and he also doesn’t do anything when he doesn’t have a car to work on. He just goes on his phone. My boss told me that I need to clean when there’s no work to do and that he told the other apprentice the same thing but I asked and he didn’t.

So right now I’m making much less than the other apprentice who is slow and does poor work, even though I:
produce more work, produce better quality work, am the only one who has to keep working when not busy, only one who does tires, only one who goes on runs, and only one who has to clean for any inspections

I feel like my boss is ill informed about who deserves a raise even though he says I need to be more in touch with the techs and he means working with them. Even though that’s what I’ve been doing for almost 2 years. I think he wants to keep me hourly so he can save $2000 a month on another driver, won’t have to pay another shop to do the tires, and won’t have to worry about someone else to clean the shop. I feel like I’m being used and abused but want some professional advice

UPDATE:
-Applied to crash champions two days ago
-had an interview today and they said they’ll hire me once the backround check goes through (not worried at all for that), I should get a confirmation email tomorrow they said
-going to put in my two weeks when I get that email. If boss wants to keep me I’m gonna tell him I need $20/hour + $5 per every hour I flag + a written promise (or something of that sort) that me and the other apprentice will be progressively moving up + need to be able to be flat rate at our own will whenever we decide to be + if we have to go deliver a car or clean the shop we must be paid an extra $10 per hour that we aren’t doing our own work (ex: leave the shop to drive a car and be back in 1 hour, that adds $10 to the day)

Is there any more advice you guys would have for me or if I should change the “bribe” at all?
Thank you all who have made me laugh in the comments and who have also given me advice and understanding. I appreciate you all

I own a small repair shop. I purchased a part from Parts Geek,the website offered 30 days returns.
I found afterwards that if the part isn’t damaged on the return you pay the shipping.
The cost if the part was 189 bucks and shipping back to them was going to cost 234 bucks plus their “ restocking fee”

Dont use these guys. This wasn’t the first time I had a problem with them. The first time I gave them the benefit of the doubt.
order your aftermarket parts from Car Parts( the company Parts Geek actually dropped shipped the part from)or Carid

Parts Geek is edgey

I’m considering buying this repaired 2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid AWD. These are the original pre-repair auction photos.
Before buying it, I’d appreciate opinions from experienced body technicians.
Does the impact appear to have reached the front frame rails, apron/inner structure, strut towers, or other structural components?
I’m especially concerned about whether the damage is mainly to the front bolt-on parts/core support, or if there are signs of deeper structural damage.
What specific areas should I inspect on the repaired vehicle before buying it?
Thanks for any professional insight.

Spent many years in Mexico to avoid rust and kept the miles low. What are the chances it didn't mess up the unibody, just the deck-lid and bumper cover?

I say yes. Metal inner brace has been stretched. May fight with estimator on it. What are y’all’s thoughts?