Feb 23, 2016 - Canadian International Auto Show Recap

As a collision repair shop, it's not often that we get to admire the beauty and most innovative technologies of the newest car models; after all, they're usually pretty beat up by the time they get to us. It's vital that we keep up to date on everything car-related, so we took a field trip to the Canadian International Auto Show, over the weekend. The Auto Show is the epitome of all things relevant in the automotive industry (and it's also just really fun to go to). We got some great shots of our favourite models for 2016, including some clues as to what the future of cars looks like.

Feb 16, 2016 - Body Shop Glossary

  How often are we so sure we understand something when someone is explaining it to us, but we get home and suddenly draw a complete blank? Collision repair terminology isn't exactly casually integrated in our day-to-day conversation, and some words can be a little confusing. We've broken down some common terms you might find on your estimate or invoice, that might cause you to scratch your head a little bit.

Aftermarket Parts New car parts that were made to fit a specific car but don't come directly form the car's manufacturer.

Appraisal The first step of the repair process-  an assessment of your car's damage and what it will cost to be repaired.

Deductible A deductible is a portion of your repair cost that your insurance company will not cover.

Detailing Detailing involves cleaning the interior and exterior surfaces of the car.

Domestic Parts Dealerships within North America may choose to manufacture the parts for their cars in foreign countries, however, these are still considered domestic parts.

FEA Short for Front End Alignment, and really just means all four wheels needed to be aligned.

Flex Additive A Flex Additive is a chemical application, which softens (but doesn't weaken) paint, in order to repel stones.

Foreign Parts Parts that are manufactured specifically for dealerships outside of North America.

Hazardous Waste Any unusable byproduct from the repair that may be harmful to the environment and thus can not be disposed of with normal waste.

LKQ LKQ stands for Like Kind and Quality, meaning these are used parts from the original manufacturer.

Mechanical Mechanical repairs are any repairs done to the car's motor or suspension.

Paintless Repair A paintless repair is any vehicle repair where no painting is involved.

R/P R/P, or Repair, is noted when a panel is to be repaired instead of replaced.

R&I R&I stands for Remove & Install. In cases where a part must be removed in order to work on another part of the vehicle, and then the same part will be put back once repairs are complete.

R&R R&R, or Remove & Replace, is used when a part must be removed and replaced with a new or LKQ part.

Refinish Refinishing is another word for painting a vehicle.

Supplement If an insurance adjuster has made any parts price adjustments, has found hidden damage, or omitted some of a vehicle's damage on the original estimate, a supplement is created as an additional, secondary estimate.

Feb 09, 2016 - Valentine's Day Gifts for the Car Lover

As the most romantic day of the year approaches, most of you are probably frantically looking for the perfect gift to give your significant other. Sure, chocolate and flowers are nice, but what's more romantic than showing someone how well you really know them by getting them something they'll actually use. We've compiled a list of 8 great Valentine's Day gifts that your car loving boyfriend or girlfriend will love (and will last longer than a day).

1. Shift Knob $30-100 - If he or she drives a manual car, a fun shift knob is an easy and practical way to decorate the inside of their car. Whatever their hobbies, you can find tons of different designs suited to their interests, like this Poké Ball shift knob that we found on Etsy.

2. Sports car lego set $100-200 - If your significant other is a child at heart, why not get them a lego set to build their favourite sports car. Tell them you got them a Ferrari and see how excited they get - after all, isn't a lego Ferrari the next best thing to owning an actual Ferrari?

3. Senna F1 documentary $10 - The Senna documentary, which documents World Champion Formula 1 racer, Ayrton Senna's life until his death at age 34, is a great add-on if you've already gotten a gift, but want to throw in a little something extra.

4. Grand Prix Tickets $33-400 - If you're looking for an excuse to plan a weekend away, consider the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Montreal. Not only are tickets reasonably priced, but even if you aren't into F1, you'll still look like the greatest partner ever and you'll get to spend a few days exploring Montreal.

5. Cayuga racing pack $400-1,100 - Toronto Motorsports Park's racing packs can be a bit pricey, but the cost is totally worth it for a car fanatic. Until the 14th, they're even offering Valentine's Day specials, so if you have a higher budget and are still on the hunt for a gift, a Cayuga racing pack won't make you look like you forgot.

6. License plate frame $20-30 - A license plate frame is a great option when you don't want to spend too much money. Get one with a funny saying or check out their favourite sports team's memorabilia website and get double brownie points for knowing that they love cars and what their favourite team is.

7. Toronto International Auto Show tickets $23 - The Auto Show runs from February 12th until the 21st and is a great reasonably-priced gift option (or Valentine's Day date idea, if you're both car fans). While you're in the area, you might as well make it a Toronto Tourist day and also check out Ripley's Aquarium of Canada or the CN Tower.

8. Dash Cam $100+ - A dash cam is a great gift idea for the boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife who is into drifting or racing and wants to get footage of their races. You can get a basic camera for $100 if it's just a part-time hobby or go up to $500 for more professional quality.

Feb 01, 2016 - 4 Weekend Getaways to Help You Enjoy Winter

There are two types of people in Canada: those who embrace winter, and those who curse Mother Nature every morning as they trudge angrily through the snow to scrape the ice off their car. Admittedly, we're the latter, but that doesn't mean we want to spend close to six months sulking by the fireplace, awaiting warmer weather. We believe your car is more than just a tool to get you from Point A to Point B- it has the ability to take you on adventures. Instead of wishing away half the year, we've come up with a list of fun ways to embrace winter, all within a couple hours from Toronto, regardless of your feelings toward the season.

For the hibernator: Millcroft Inn & Spa- Caledon, ON

If you hate winter but want to enjoy the beauty of the snowy trees and frozen waterfalls without having to step foot outside, the Millcroft Inn and Spa is a beautiful vintage building in Caledon, ON, overlooking the venue's millpond. A popular venue for weddings and wedding shoots (especially in the winter), you'll be able to appreciate the scenic view without having to step foot outside. Instead, relax with their many spa services and award-winning cuisine.

For the nature lover: Take a waterfall tour- Flesherton, ON

If you love being outside in the winter, take a waterfall tour in the Flesherton, ON area. You can use the Bruce Peninsula brochure to plan your own tour and visit one or all the falls. The photo above is of Eugenia Falls, which makes for a very picturesque hike.

For the adventurer: Winter caving- Niagara, ON

If hiking around frozen waterfalls isn't enough of an adrenaline rush for you, you can almost literally become a part of winter by taking a winter caving, or spelunking, adventure in the frozen caves. The photo above is a view from behind the falls on the Niagara Escarpment.

For the family: Fern Resort- Orillia, ON

If you're looking to take your family on a weekend getaway, Fern Resort in Orillia is a family-friendly resort with plenty of outdoor kids' activities including a 1.5km skating trail through the forest! The resort also has dog sledding, ice hockey, hay rides, and other winter activities.

Arrowhead Provincial Park in Muskoka is also a great family option if you're looking to take a day trip as opposed to a full weekend one. Pictured above, and similar to Fern Resort, Arrowhead has a 1.3km skating trail that just opened this year and has become an immensely popular location for social media photos.

Winter is as much a part of Canada as hockey or Tim Horton's are, and since it tends to last for six months of the year, we may as well embrace the cold with these fun winter activities.

Jan 26, 2016 - Why You Need Snow Tires (even when there's no snow!)

You'd think that living in Canada with our unpredictable weather and abundance of snow, every driver would want to invest in good quality snow tires for the sake of their safety. To our surprise though, many of our friends and customers this year have admitted that in order to save some money (and in some cases, out of pure laziness), they chose to opt out of snow tires because of the mild winter we've been having. Actually, in 2014, approximately 44% of Ontarians chose not to use snow tires! The biggest misconception people seem to have in regards to snow tires is that their only purpose is to help you drive better in snow, when in reality, snow tires are beneficial for various other, and in some cases more important reasons. If their ability to prevent you from slipping around on the snowy/icy roads isn't reason enough to convince you to put on snow tires every winter, here are a few others that might:

Save money. As of January 1, 2016, insurance companies are required to offer some kind of discount to drivers in Ontario who put snow tires on their car. Our government recently introduced this new policy in an effort to encourage safe driving in the winter months. Granted, it isn't a huge break, (it might be anywhere from $20-$100, or about 5% of your policy) depending on your insurance company), but it's a nice added benefit to ensuring your own safety on the road.

It's not just about snow. Many drivers, especially this winter, think I don't need to get snow tires until there's actually snow on the ground. In reality though, while the grip of snow tires on ice and in snow is the most noticeable benefit to them, the biggest difference between summer and snow tires is their ability to stay soft and flexible in below freezing temperatures. As the temperature drops, summer tires can become stiff and inflexible, which may lead to cracking and a lower lifespan. Ultimately, not changing your tires can lead to you spending more money by having to replacing them more frequently.

It's not you, it's them. You may be a good driver, but that doesn't mean everyone else is. Snow tires aren't only there to help you drive more smoothly in winter weather - they're also there to react as quickly as you do when other drivers lose control of their own cars. Many driving schools teach students to "drive defensively, not offensively", meaning you should adjust your driving to your surroundings and pay attention to the other drivers on the road in order to react accordingly. The same idea can be applied with winter driving - by putting snow tires on your car to protect yourself in the event that another driver loses control of their own car, instead of deliberately choosing not to because you can drive fine without them, you are assuming other drivers will be able to control their cars to avoid a collision with you; that is, you're putting your safety in the hands of the other drivers on the road.

At the end of the day, it's your choice to (or not to) equip your car with weather-appropriate tires, and we hope you keep these reasons in mind when deciding whether to invest in snow tires - after all, you can never be too safe on the road!

Jan 19, 2016 - The 4 Things You Need to do as Soon as You've Been in an Accident

The sudden influx of snow in the GTA has no doubt taken a lot of drivers by surprise. The beginning of winter generally leads to an increase in accidents from a lack of preparedness in most drivers, but this winter, thanks to El Nino, we didn't even have to worry about snow driving until mid-January. Many drivers still don't have snow tires on their cars (after all, who wants to spend hundreds of dollars on them until it's absolutely necessary?), and as a result, are having trouble keeping control of their cars on the road. While we absolutely advocate putting snow tires on your car (our next post will tell you why), no matter how careful you are, accidents are inevitable. Most of us think we know how we'd handle ourselves in the chance of a collision, but since our first big snow storm a couple weeks ago, we've realized a surprising number of customers don't know what to do in the event of a car accident.

Get photos or sketches of the accident - Photos of the accident will help not only in establishing who was at fault, but will also help you remember what happened. When it becomes a case of he-said-she-said, having photo evidence of the collision will always strengthen your case.

Get a police report - This is one step that many drivers are either unaware of, or put off doing at the time of an accident. It is essential that you report your accident and wait for the police to arrive to write up a report. One customer called us last week and admitted that because her accident happened in the middle of a snow storm, neither she nor the other driver involved had decided to file a report at the time of the accident. Understandably, the idea of waiting in the middle of a storm is less than appealing, but in order to get an accurate report of the scene, and subsequently, a much simpler process of going through your insurance, the police must be informed of the accident at the time.

Don't sign anything - Whether it's a towing or a repair authorization, don't sign anything if you aren't 100% sure. Don't even let a tow truck driver touch your car unless you're absolutely certain you need/want it towed. Often, as soon as they hook up your car, even if you change your mind, they will charge you a fee of a couple hundred dollars just to release it. If you do choose to have your truck towed, again, don't sign a repair authorization because many towing companies are associated with a specific body shop. Unless you're aware of and okay with the shop where the tow truck will drop your car off, signing anything will only add stress to an already stressful situation.

Stand your ground - Call your insurance company to report your accident, but know that ultimately, where you take your car is your decision. Sometimes insurance companies will strongly encourage you to bring your car to one of their authorized body shops, and that's okay! Keep in mind though, in the moment you may think it'll be easier not to argue and then to later request to bring it to a different shop, but it can be incredibly difficult to get your car released from the first body shop. It's always your choice, but it's important to stand your ground if you feel you're being backed into a corner by anyone, whether it be your insurance company, your car dealership, the towing company, or even a body shop.

It's hard to plan for a potential collision, and nobody ever hopes to get in one, but knowing these steps in the unfortunate chance that you do get in an accident will help you keep calm in the moment and will simplify the post-collision process.