Auto Body Experts
Motors Guide to Basecoat Refinishing!

Repair Procedure
Basecoat Refinishing
Content Topics

Repair Procedure
Basecoat Refinishing
Content Topics

1 Basecoat Description

Are you being compensated for this important Full Basecoat Procedure?

2 Authoritative Oganizations and Technical Groups

2.1 ASA Position on Refinish and Basecoat

Basecoat and Refinish Time Procedures

2.2 Motors Guide

Motors guide to Basecoat Refinishing

2.3 PPG's Clearcoat Defect Removal



Procedure and Recommendations

2.4 CAA's Report on Bascoat Reduction

Is Basecoat Reduction an Unreasonable Estimate Adjustment? <See the Details>

*NEW! 1989 Rolls Royce Sivler Spirit Video from Network Auto Body's North Hollywood Center

2.1 - Comparision of needed Procedures for Repaired Panels vs New Panel Refinishing
ASA- Position on addition refinish time requirements for repaired panels vs new panel refinishing



Information provided by and courtesy of ASA, Automotive Service Association.
*Network Auto Body wishes to commend and thank ASA on over 50 years of outstanding service to both consumers and the auto body collision repair industry.

The following are excerpts from ASA's Press Release on the important Procedures and Policies with regards to controversial Basecoat Refinish Reduction times commonly imposed by Insurance Companies on Body Shops.

ASA States Position on Two Blend Deduction Issues
BEDFORD, TEXAS, June 24, 2008 – The Automotive Service Association (ASA) board of
directors has approved two position statements on blending issues – including the use of the term “blending” in regard to labor and material reductions; and also deductions related to a number of specific refinish procedures. Both positions were presented to the board by the ASA Refinish Subcommittee during the association’s annual convention in Santa Clara, Calif. The subcommittee drafted the text under the direction of Dan Stander, Jerry Stander’s Collision Works, Littleton, Colo., who is chairman of the subcommittee.

First, ASA does not support the use of the term “blending” to describe adjacent panel color matching or to represent labor and material reductions.

ASA supports the industry practice of using adjacent panels for a highly technical refinish process to facilitate color matching. ASA does not recognize the outdated term “blending” for labor and material reductions as listed in the current databases for information providers. Using current paint materials, this process – often referred to as “blending” – requires as many procedures as refinishing a new undamaged panel. ASA believes the additional labor and materials used by collision repairers to facilitate adjacent panel color matching should be acknowledged and approved of by information providers and insurers.

Second, ASA does not support deductions for repaired panel blend refinish, blend within panel, zone refinish, spot base, spot within panel or spot paint with full clear. ASA does not support the practice by any insurer to arbitrarily reduce refinish times for repaired panels, as published by information providers. This practice does not take into consideration the additional “not included” operations. A base coat deduction or refinish labor deduction will not account for the necessary materials or the additional skilled preparatory and spray labor required to properly restore a repair panel to pre-loss condition.

Additional labor and materials beyond those specifically published by an information provider are necessary to obtain a high-quality and proper repair. The practice of refinish-related deductions falsely assumes fewer procedures, less material, less time and overall fewer steps to refinish a repaired panel compared to a new panel. ASA believes the additional labor and materials used by collision repairers to refinish repaired panels should be acknowledged and approved by information providers and insurers.

*Note: The above cotains direct excerpts from a May 8, 2008 ASA Press Release for consumer and public information on the Basecoat Refinishing issues. For the full release you may contact ASA direct.

Progressive Changes Policy on Partial Paint/Full Clear
ASA Collision Division Meets with Progressive during Annual Convention

BEDFORD, TEXAS, May 8, 2008 – Members of the Automotive Service Association’s (ASA) Collision Division Operations Committee met with Chris Andreoli, corporate PD process manager of Progressive Insurance, May 1 during ASA’s Annual Convention in Santa Clara, Calif.

Following an overview of current Progressive programs and practices, committee members welcomed the opportunity to discuss the relationship between Progressive and collision repair shops, and address issues repairers are experiencing.

During the discussions, Andreoli told the operations committee that as part of Progressive Insurance’s regular overall guideline reviews, it has revisited the topic of partial paint/full clear. Management reconsidered its position, in part, due to industry feedback – including documents such as ASA’s trio of refinish fliers. Progressive has also expressed a strong interest in improving repairer relationships.

Andreoli said, “As part of this process, we reviewed our refinish guidelines and made changes to better address the refinish procedures that are being performed in the industry today; and to clarify operations so that they can be better understood and applied in the appropriate situations.

“Although we strongly believe that reducing refinish times on a more widespread basis is an acceptable practice and reflects operations that allow the shop to restore the vehicle to its pre-loss condition, the decision to limit the use of partial refinish was made in large part to improve our working relationships with shops, and thereby improve the customer’s experience. Situations that would include a minimal color coat application, such as a chip on the edge of a panel, will be adjusted accordingly based upon evaluation of the damage.”

Progressive is expected to implement this change in the weeks to come.

Darrell Amberson, AAM, ASA Collision Division director, said: “The spot paint/full clear position of Progressive, as well as that of other insurers, has been a source of controversy and frustration for repairers for some time. Most repairers and paint manufacturers argue that the logic is flawed based on estimating database procedures and refinish guidelines. ASA hopes that other insurers will recognize the leadership position Progressive has taken on this issue and reconsider their positions on the issue as well.”

Comparison of needed Refinish Procedures for Repaired Panels -vs- New Panels

Getting Paid Less to do More? Here are the Facts:

The following ASA Procedures Guide clearly indicates a profound fact that there are 17 additional steps in Refinishing a 'Repaired' Panel vs a New Panel. Many insurance carriers of late have been overlooking this important fact ie; allowing 2.0 Hours to refinish a New Panel but cut the shops 'allowed' refinish time by 0.5 hours to 1.5 Hours when doing a 'Repaired' Panel. The argument made by the insurance carrier is that you are applying Basecoat on only 1/2 of a Repaired Panel. The argument made by body shops and industry authorities such as ASA, PPG, Motors, CAA and many others is that 'these additional' procedures are obviously more 'time intensive' and necessary when refinishing a 'Repaired' Panel..
See ASA Refinish Time Comparison Procedures Guide below: