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Advice from the workshop
Straight answers about smash repairs
What things cost, when to claim, what to do after a bump, and how to look after new paint. Written by the people who do the work at Moss St.
How much is a paint job on a car?
What a car paint job costs depends on how much of the car is painted, the colour, prep work and the car itself. Here's what moves the price and how to get a real quote.
Read →How much does it cost to fix a dent?
The cost to fix a dent depends on size, where it is and whether the paint is cracked. Paintless dent removal is the cheapest fix when it suits. How to get a quote in Logan.
Read →What to do after a car accident in Queensland
A calm, step-by-step guide to what to do after a minor car accident in Queensland: safety, details to swap, photos, when to report it, and getting a repair quote.
Read →My car broke down. What do I do?
What to do when your car breaks down on the road in Queensland: getting safe, who to call, roadside assistance, towing, and when a breakdown is really body damage.
Read →How to repair a car scratch yourself, and when to stop
Which car scratches you can fix at home with polish or a touch-up pen, how to do it without making it worse, and which ones need a panel shop.
Read →Should I claim on insurance or pay for the repair privately?
How to decide whether to claim on your car insurance or pay for a smash repair privately: excess, premiums, fault, and when a private repair is the smarter move.
Read →How to fix a cracked bumper
Can you fix a cracked plastic bumper yourself? What the DIY kits do, why they usually fail, and what a proper plastic weld and respray involves at a panel shop.
Read →Choice of repairer: can I pick my own panel beater?
What 'choice of repairer' means on an Australian car insurance policy, how to check whether you have it, and how to nominate your own panel beater for a claim.
Read →How much does a bumper repair cost?
What decides the cost of a bumper repair in Logan: scuff vs crack vs replacement, paint blending, sensors, and why a photo gets you an accurate price fast.
Read →What affects the cost of panel beating?
The factors that set a panel beating quote: panel type, repair vs replace, paint, hidden damage, parts and the car itself. How to get an accurate price in Logan.
Read →Paintless dent removal or conventional repair: which does my dent need?
When paintless dent removal works, when a dent needs filler and paint instead, and how to tell the difference from a photo. Advice from a Logan panel shop.
Read →Hail damage: what to do with your car after a Queensland storm
Hit by hail in South East Queensland? What to do first, how hail damage is assessed and repaired, PDR vs panel replacement, and how insurance claims usually work.
Read →How to look after your car's new paint
Aftercare for a resprayed panel or bumper: when you can wash it, when to wax, what to avoid in the first weeks, and how to keep the finish looking new.
Read →Car scratches: will it polish out, or does it need paint?
How to tell whether a car scratch will polish out, needs a touch-up, or needs a panel respray. The fingernail test, clear coat vs colour, and what each fix involves.
Read →Queensland safety certificates: when you need one and what's checked
When you need a safety certificate in Queensland, what the inspection checks, what happens if the car fails, and how to get one in Slacks Creek, Logan.
Read →How long do smash repairs take?
Typical time frames for bumper repairs, single panels, multi-panel collision repairs and insurance jobs, and what makes a repair take longer than quoted.
Read →How to photograph car damage so we can quote it properly
Six photos that let a panel beater quote your repair from your phone: the wide shot, the close-up, the angle, the edge, the inside, and the paint code sticker.
Read →Repair or replace: how we decide what to do with a damaged panel
How a panel beater decides between repairing a dented panel and fitting a new one: metal condition, labour vs parts, bolt-on vs welded, and resale value.
Read →How a plastic bumper is repaired, step by step
What happens to a scuffed, cracked or dented plastic bumper in the workshop: heat reshaping, plastic welding, flexible primer and colour-matched paint.
Read →How colour matching works, and why the paint code is only the start
Why a paint code isn't enough, how spray-out cards and blending get an invisible match, and why metallic and pearl colours take more care.
Read →Rust repair: what can be saved, and what a proper fix involves
Why Queensland cars rust, the difference between surface rust and rot, where to look, what a proper rust repair involves and when it's not worth it.
Read →Someone's hit my car in a car park. Now what?
Found a dent or scrape on your car in a car park? What to photograph, how to find the other driver, whether to claim, and what the repair usually involves.
Read →Should you fix the dents and scratches before selling your car?
Which cosmetic repairs are worth doing before you sell a car, which aren't, and how to present a car so it sells faster and for more. Advice from a Logan panel shop.
Read →Handing back a lease or company car: fix the damage first?
How end-of-lease and company-car inspections treat dents, scratches and kerbed wheels, what 'fair wear and tear' usually means, and when a repair beats the penalty.
Read →How to choose a panel beater in Logan
Seven things to check before you hand your car to a smash repairer in Logan or Brisbane: reviews, in-house paint, a written quote, time frames, parts and guarantees.
Read →