# Smart repair - Ashford, Kent



## -Simon- (Oct 29, 2010)

Hi Guys,

My brother phoned me last night to let me know he'd come a cropper in his 318d BMW, and incurred some minor damage. Too behonest the car's a nightmare in the snow, and I think this is the last straw!

Anyway think some smart repairs are in order but need a OCD smart repairer recommendation....



















Doesn't look too bad, but want a top notch job....

Cheers

Simon


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## Kelly @ KDS (Aug 4, 2008)

simon town said:


> Hi Guys,
> 
> Anyway think some smart repairs are in order but need a OCD smart repairer recommendation....
> 
> ...


simon

The above dont got together , the damage is more than you think from what i can see , ie the plastic is pushed in on the bumper corner , wants at least bumper cover removed warmed up and pushed out (cant tell from pic really) , the paint has cracked around the edge of the damage , has it surfaced cracked the plastic ????

All is more than a smart repair if you want a long lasting TOP JOB really ,

and also its high up on the front bumper in your eye line , so will show colour match issues if only painting corner ie smart reapair .

yes it can be filled and smart repaired if thats what your after , a Smart repair ?

HTH Kelly


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## turboyamaha (Nov 18, 2010)

I would not have a smart repair at all waste of money!!


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## nighthawk (Feb 10, 2012)

I've just had my missus car fixed by Kentbodyshop in aylesham from some snow damage! 
Recon she hadn't seen the car behind! If women cleaned the snow off the motor they might see where there going!
Anyway all in they did a top job!


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## S63 (Jan 5, 2007)

As Smart repairers go, this outfit do a good job in Kent

http://www.jwsmartservices.co.uk/


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## -Simon- (Oct 29, 2010)

kdskeltec said:


> simon
> 
> The above dont got together , the damage is more than you think from what i can see , ie the plastic is pushed in on the bumper corner , wants at least bumper cover removed warmed up and pushed out (cant tell from pic really) , the paint has cracked around the edge of the damage , has it surfaced cracked the plastic ????
> 
> ...


Thanks Kelly,

You could be right, I haven't seen the car close up, but think bro is going to sell, he covers a few miles and is not happy with the cold weather performance of his 3 series....

I will send him into Ashford Accident & Repair for a quote....

Was in your neck of the woods today, picked up my refurbed alloys from Lepsons, along with new boots from Shane, will be posting some pics shortly, but a great job.

Do you have any other recommendations body shop wise?

Regards

Simon


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## David.A (Feb 14, 2012)

turboyamaha said:


> I would not have a smart repair at all waste of money!!


A professional technician using the right materials will turn out a great looking, durable repair that will match any body shop. As in any industry there are good AND bad operators so ask for recommendations in your local area. Looking at these photos this is an easy smart repair to carry out and get looking great and more importantly for a long time.


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## turboyamaha (Nov 18, 2010)

David.A said:


> A professional technician using the right materials will turn out a great looking, durable repair that will match any body shop. As in any industry there are good AND bad operators so ask for recommendations in your local area. Looking at these photos this is an easy smart repair to carry out and get looking great and more importantly for a long time.


Sorry mate I just dont agree!! Have seen around 100 repairs done by different people and I would not have been happy with one!(I am not just being picky). You cannot get a good quality job done by the side of the road!!


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## nighthawk (Feb 10, 2012)

Smart repair is probaly not the right term for those type of repairs as I haven't seen one yet that's actually smart! They look ok when first done but a few weeks later try all look ropey!


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## Ultra (Feb 25, 2006)

Whitecliffe automotive in lyme ashford are very good :thumb:


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## Kelly @ KDS (Aug 4, 2008)

Of course you could always use KDS for your paintwork too :thumb:

Will be doing some paint work threads soon , just very busy with work load and planning with in KDS. 

painted some nice exotic cars to show case soon. 

kelly

kdsdetailing.co.uk


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## Kelly @ KDS (Aug 4, 2008)

an Aston Martin in for accident damage down one side and front bumper in the oven during process of repairs :thumb:

Thread soon










we are going to need a painting smiley instead of this :buffer: :lol:

Oh and the mini had been painted one side to remove key scratch , now being machined corrected to match lovely new paint.

Kelly


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## Kelly @ KDS (Aug 4, 2008)

The side repaired in house at KDS
































































Another load of threads to come in the future 

Kelly

www.kdsdetailing.co.uk


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## nighthawk (Feb 10, 2012)

Love the pictures!
But do you not strip any of the car out?
Or do you just mask everything?


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## turboyamaha (Nov 18, 2010)

Mate some great work there!!


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## Kelly @ KDS (Aug 4, 2008)

Down to the customers requirements and budget.

Like a protection detail , then enhancement detail , then full correction detail , then part wet sand detail , then full wet sand detail.

Not every customer will want or pay for full wet sand detail.

this customer has a collection of cars , his next one is here now , transport swaps over one car for another , the next car is of higher value and having paintwork too , of course wheel refurb , gold detail same as Aston Martin.

Then the car after that needs paintwork is more money than the rest of the cars put together , this will be stripped out to paint.

Kelly

www.kdsdetailing.co.uk


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## nighthawk (Feb 10, 2012)

Ahh ok, just seems a bit bodgy masking parts up what ever the value


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## David.A (Feb 14, 2012)

turboyamaha said:


> Sorry mate I just dont agree!! Have seen around 100 repairs done by different people and I would not have been happy with one!(I am not just being picky). You cannot get a good quality job done by the side of the road!!


My company uses sikkens autowave paint - arguably the best in the business and if a repair is kept small (smart repair should be no bigger than an A4 piece of paper) then there is absolutely no reason why a repair should not be nothing short of excellent. As a mobile smart repairer myself I have seen some AWFUL work, I have also seen some awful work from a bodyshop. A lot of our guys are ex-shop, one of our guys came from Aston Martin where he trained the painters. We use the same equipment within reason and our paint system is better than most. As previously stated, mobile smart or bodyshop, both marketplaces will have good and not so good operato
rs. It's a shame that of the 100 repairs you have seen, not 1 has been up to scratch (please excuse the pun). I want good quality repairers out there who can help to raise the profile of my industry in a positive light but unfortunatly there are too many cowboys out there...


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

The work on the Aston is spectacular Kelly!


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

In fact... 

OH MY GOD!

:lol:


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## Strothow (Oct 29, 2009)

Very nice job on the Aston, i would actually consider bringing my car down from the midlands to have it painted :lol:


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## turboyamaha (Nov 18, 2010)

David.A said:


> My company uses sikkens autowave paint - arguably the best in the business and if a repair is kept small (smart repair should be no bigger than an A4 piece of paper) then there is absolutely no reason why a repair should not be nothing short of excellent. As a mobile smart repairer myself I have seen some AWFUL work, I have also seen some awful work from a bodyshop. A lot of our guys are ex-shop, one of our guys came from Aston Martin where he trained the painters. We use the same equipment within reason and our paint system is better than most. As previously stated, mobile smart or bodyshop, both marketplaces will have good and not so good operato
> rs. It's a shame that of the 100 repairs you have seen, not 1 has been up to scratch (please excuse the pun). I want good quality repairers out there who can help to raise the profile of my industry in a positive light but unfortunatly there are too many cowboys out there...


I understand what you are saying, you use the best materials but my argument is what can you do about dust,insects tree fallout and grit that can and do get into the paint or laquer from the side of the road I really admire your passion and committment to your business, I am not sure where you are based but I am yet to be convinced of a single, smart repair! 
I have seen wheels done by a smart repair and you could push your nail through the paint a week later?? 
I feel really sorry for you if you have entered into this industry as the reputation it has is appauling!!
I am in no way saying anything about you or your company as I am in no position to do so!!


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## squiggs (Oct 19, 2009)

turboyamaha said:


> I understand what you are saying, you use the best materials but my argument is what can you do about dust,insects tree fallout and grit that can and do get into the paint or laquer from the side of the road I really admire your passion and committment to your business, I am not sure where you are based but I am yet to be convinced of a single, smart repair!
> I have seen wheels done by a smart repair and you could push your nail through the paint a week later??
> I feel really sorry for you if you have entered into this industry as the reputation it has is appauling!!
> I am in no way saying anything about you or your company as I am in no position to do so!!


Firstly it is really quite rare to do a repair at the side of a road, more usual is on a quiet driveway. 
Ref the fallout, dust, flys etc bodyshops aren't immuned from these problems, admittedly they are more common working outside, but working SMART means keeping it small. It takes seconds to clean the area to be sprayed and seconds to spray ... therefore the likelihood of getting dirt on the work is quite small. And if it happens to a repairer that has a reputation to maintain it's not really that difficult to 'start again' bearing in mind the base of a good job is good prep, good prep takes the time, the spraying takes seconds. To clean the job and start again because of dirt may be a ball-ache but the long part of the job (the prep) hasn't got to be done again.

The industry may have, as you put it, 'an appalling reputation' but mainly because of the cowboys ... many of whom work for dealers, the dealers push the price down and the jobs then have their quality compromised because of this. Then anybody that picks up on these sub-standard jobs very wrongly assume that every SMART tech turns out shoddy work. 
I won't work for dealers because they won't pay for a quality job and I have my reputation to consider, and for the same reason I won't when asked 'just do a quick blow in cos I'm flogging it'.
(I would also like to add that there seems to be a growing trend of DIY rattle can jobs and it does make me wonder how many dodgy DIY jobs are wrongly attributed to paid for Smart jobs?)

There are good SMART repairers out there, that can turn out good work, that take their time throughout every stage of the process. But it's the good work that you can't notice (which is the main point) and unless the person that had the job done raves about it no one else will cos they won't see that it's been repaired.


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## turboyamaha (Nov 18, 2010)

squiggs said:


> Firstly it is really quite rare to do a repair at the side of a road, more usual is on a quiet driveway.
> Ref the fallout, dust, flys etc bodyshops aren't immuned from these problems, admittedly they are more common working outside, but working SMART means keeping it small. It takes seconds to clean the area to be sprayed and seconds to spray ... therefore the likelihood of getting dirt on the work is quite small. And if it happens to a repairer that has a reputation to maintain it's not really that difficult to 'start again' bearing in mind the base of a good job is good prep, good prep takes the time, the spraying takes seconds. To clean the job and start again because of dirt may be a ball-ache but the long part of the job (the prep) hasn't got to be done again.
> 
> The industry may have, as you put it, 'an appalling reputation' but mainly because of the cowboys ... many of whom work for dealers, the dealers push the price down and the jobs then have their quality compromised because of this. Then anybody that picks up on these sub-standard jobs very wrongly assume that every SMART tech turns out shoddy work.
> ...


Thanks for the response! I understand pretty much all you have just said. I have witnessed many jobs in progress and completed jobs and they are not to the quality that you are describing(I really wish they were). Cowboys do spoil every industry. But I have seen people from big franchises doing this work to pathetic standards that could be achieved with a spray can. I have also seen whole bumpers sprayed as a smart repair maybe this should not have been attempted??


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## squiggs (Oct 19, 2009)

Being part of a franchise doesn't mean that every repairer maintains high standards. Each franchisee is an individual running his own business and there are bound to be some who are better repairers than others.
RE whole bumpers. There are definitely some SMART repairers that shouldn't take on a whole bumper (or even a corner) ... but really there's no reason why it can't be done.
But - given the larger area with what quite often includes a flat surface there's going to be a greater chance of fall out, and once again it comes down to the skill of the individual doing the job.

Going back to one of your previous comments about wheels, I do sort of agree with you on that. To do a wheel properly IMHO requires the wheel to come off, ideally the tyre should come off (bead broken at least) and the work needs to be oven baked.
However Mr and Mrs Average often just want the kerbing repaired without a long winded process and to a point SMART can be used. I would by no means say that a wheel that is SMART repaired will match the durability or finish of a specialist man with a wheel van or a wheel refurb unit, but in the main it will suit and last for Mr and Mrs Average.


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## turboyamaha (Nov 18, 2010)

I had a wheel done by a smart repair and to say that it would have been satisfactory to mr or mrs average would not be correct. The wheel was off the car and painted and then baked in the van twice. You could then 1 week later rub the paint completely off with your finger?? The entire inside of wheel covered in overspray. Looked like it was done by a toddler! The smart repairs I have witnessed not only dont match durability or finish of specialist they look like they have been done in a kindergarten!!(and I am not exagerrating!)


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## David.A (Feb 14, 2012)

turboyamaha said:


> I had a wheel done by a smart repair and to say that it would have been satisfactory to mr or mrs average would not be correct. The wheel was off the car and painted and then baked in the van twice. You could then 1 week later rub the paint completely off with your finger?? The entire inside of wheel covered in overspray. Looked like it was done by a toddler! The smart repairs I have witnessed not only dont match durability or finish of specialist they look like they have been done in a kindergarten!!(and I am not exagerrating!)


Could have happened in a body shop too. Again, comes down to the individual technician and their capabilites whether painting inside a van or a booth.


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## David.A (Feb 14, 2012)

Here is an after shot of a bumper corner I painted today at my local VW dealership. They called me in after a repair carried out by the local bodyshop started flaking. As you can see the repair looks brilliant, it is glossy, dust free and I guarantee my work for as long as they own the vehicle.

I truly hope that people within the smart repair industry continue to push forward a positive reflection of our industry and the quality concious amongst us can educate the general public. Im also pleased to say that the IMI have just recognised our company for quality, a fantastic achievement. So anybody considering having a smart repair carried out but might be put off by what others have to say, don't be. Ask around and the chances are there will be a quality operator not too far away from you.


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## squiggs (Oct 19, 2009)

turboyamaha said:


> I had a wheel done by a smart repair and to say that it would have been satisfactory to mr or mrs average would not be correct. The wheel was off the car and painted and then baked in the van twice. You could then 1 week later rub the paint completely off with your finger?? The entire inside of wheel covered in overspray. Looked like it was done by a toddler! The smart repairs I have witnessed not only dont match durability or finish of specialist they look like they have been done in a kindergarten!!(and I am not exagerrating!)


Given that you have previously mentioned that you've seen all the stages in the process of a paint repair what exactly would you have this poor quality put down to?

There's no reason why a good SMART tech can't prep, use the same products or wield a gun in the same way as a body-shop tech. 
(Admittedly for wheels ,as opposed to body work, gun settings and pass rates are different.) 
And after that even if working mobile a wheel can be baked of at the right temp if you know what you're doing.

There are many a specialist mobile wheel tech that do nothing but wheels. Their vans are kitted out with a mini booth and mini oven (so not much different to a static site - it's just much smaller) yet many of them consider themselves to be smart repairers ... but if you asked them why they have a mini booth the answer would probably be more to do with it being easier (especially on their backs) rather than quality of work they can turn out.

Aside from wheels requiring a full refurb - carried out by an experienced tech a lightly kerbed wheel can be SMART repaired to a good standard, to suit 'most' peoples expectations .... and the repair will last.

Over the past 3 three years I've done at least 12 repairs to one set of Renault Sport wheels for one customer - and not once have I managed to rub any of my previous repairs with my fingers.

Throughout my crusade for SMART I'm not boasting, I'm merely stating the facts. I know for sure that there are many more in 'the SMART industry' who are far more experienced than me and who are probably more capable than me - and it's them I aspire to ......


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## turboyamaha (Nov 18, 2010)

The guy that did my wheels used what I can only be described as an ouside electric heater once wheels had been painted, almost like the ones they use for smokers outside pubs and clubs!! This is where I think alot of the problem came from, but then all the other overspray and bits of ****e in the finish were purely down to him!! Absolute rubbish!!
As for one of my previous cars I had a smart repair done on rear bumper and the colour match was rubbish it was a grey colour and he put to much red in it, there were pieces of crap within the finish and the shine is completely different to rest of bumper!!


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## squiggs (Oct 19, 2009)

The heaters you describe can often be found in bodyshops, they're recognised throughout the painting industry. They're infra-red heaters - but they have to have the correct bulb fitted. A bulb that would usually be supplied to keep smokers warm isn't the same as a bulb required to bake lacquer. 
There is of course also the question of applying enough heat for a long enough period to bake the job

With the poor standard of work that you describe (which could of course also have been churned out of a bad bodyshop) it does make me question the capabilities of the guy that did the work.

No argument that there are cowboys in the SMART industry, the same as there are many cowboys in many other industries - but as I've hinted at numerous times - it's down to finding a reputable repairer that knows what he's doing. 
And let's not forget that there are good repairers in good bodyshops out there - and that some of these bodyshops are introducing SMART to their services. So if people slate the industry that is 'SMART' do we then start to include in that slating all the repairers from all the bodyshops that are now offering SMART repairs?

When undertaken by a competent tech, using quality products and the correct equipment repairing damage that's suitable for a SMART should be comparable to the standard of work that a good bodyshop can do .... there's just no logical 'blanket' explanation as to why it shouldn't ....


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## David.A (Feb 14, 2012)

squiggs said:


> The heaters you describe can often be found in bodyshops, they're recognised throughout the painting industry. They're infra-red heaters - but they have to have the correct bulb fitted. A bulb that would usually be supplied to keep smokers warm isn't the same as a bulb required to bake lacquer.
> There is of course also the question of applying enough heat for a long enough period to bake the job
> 
> With the poor standard of work that you describe (which could of course also have been churned out of a bad bodyshop) it does make me question the capabilities of the guy that did the work.
> ...


Couldn't agree more - our local BMW dealerships offers smart repairs and I bet their repairs look good and last a long time. Poor repairs are down to poor technicians, NOT BECAUSE IT IS A SMART REPAIR


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