QuestionWilliam, thank you for the direct "no bullshit" anwser. I had figured as much about the insurance company idiosycrasies. Now here is my perdicament, I run a glass shop, I had a technician scratch a 95 BMW 530I 4door sedan w/sunroof at the top center of the roof right above the windshield. There is about a 1/4 inch gap from where the scratch (from a hook tool) starts and the moulding around the windshield. The scratch is about 1 inch long and scraped mostly the clear coat away (there is no exposed metal). Is a "burn" method possible being there is no drip rails or breaking points? (until you get to the bottom of the front and rear quarter panels, according to the shops I have spoke with) If so, is this procedure still considered a quality job? And if so, why can't I get any body shops to tell me they will do a "burn" "blend" job. If this is not a quality way of doing the job, I can understand. However if is because there is not as much money involved in the deal that is another story, simply put if the insurance companies get a shop to do it, then I should be able to get a shop to do it. Right!? Thank you again for you time look forward to reading your anwser...
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William, hello. I have recently been exposed to the body shop cases, and have a dire want to know. My questions are, "what are the differences between "burn" and "blend" and where can I find literature on this? What percentile of auto body shops out of 100 use "burn" methods? Are "burn" methods guaranteed by shop or paint manufacturers?" Thank you for your time I do appreciate any knowledge or advise...
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You blend color to get a good paint match, you burn in clear coat to break off painting. "Burning in" is usually done only in the sail panel, where the roof meets the top of the quarter. It saves painting the roof and the other quarter when refinishing a quarter panel. Properly done, you should only be able to JUST see it under fluorescent lights, and it should be virtually invisible outside. A coat of wax will help hide the blend. Insurance companies refuse to pay to paint the roof and both quarters, so blending or "burning" new clear into old is a fact of life. Now, partial panel clearing, say, half way down a door, or a fender, that is another story. That is an improper repair, and there is no reason for it except technician laziness, or owner frugality. Every manufacturer has different warranties, all shops have different warranties. There are no cookie cutter warranties or guarantees. Always check a shop's reputation before taking a car to it. Just because an insurance company recommends it, that doesn't mean they will do a good job. It usually means they will get a discount job. Bill
AnswerHello Frank! More info is always good. I think that the problem you are having is the fact that the car is a BMW. BMW owners think they are a special breed, and the world bows down before them. Nobody wants to get dragged into court over some jackass Beamer owner with an axe to grind because he can see some slight flaw when he has the car in the garage. Out of doors people won't see the flaw, mostly because they are distracted by owner hair pieces and comb overs. If your guy was at fault, I would just suck it up, and pay for the extra work. The body shops are just trying to cover their ass. it's not personal, Frank. I wouldn't chance drawing the ire of this guy. A day in court will cost you far more than a little extra paint work. Try offering to cut a body shop some slack on a few glass jobs, and see if that will help. I find that people in the industry tend to work together to solve these problems, and don't be afraid to try push that issue with a shop you do business with. Bill
