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How to Care for Your Car Before and During Winter.

Cold weather, along with winter snow and ice, can cause a multitude of problems for your car and your driving. Salted roads and built up layers of ice take a toll on your car’s finish and undercarriage. At Wrecktify, we have created a few tips to help you keep your car in good condition throughout this winter season.

1. Apply a protective wax coat to your vehicle. Winter weather will dull and eventually corrode your cars shiny exterior. Consider washing and waxing your vehicle in the late fall, before the colder months hit. When applying wax, concentrate on the lower areas of your car. Don’t wait too long to apply the protective coat on your car because cold weather can render your work useless. Wax is best applied in a warm or heated environment and can protect your car from salt, road chemicals, and that dreaded winter sludge.
2. Drain and flush your radiator. Radiators should be drained and flushed at least once a year. Your radiator works extra hard in the winter, so give it a proper cleaning and fresh fuel. Many automotive and supply stores offer green disposal services where you can dump the waste, and fall is the ideal time to do it.
3. Check your thermostat. The severity of winter cold and extreme temperature variations can wreak havoc on your thermostat. Minor breakdowns occur more in the winter due to faulty or old thermostats than any other cause. Any auto body shop can check the condition of your thermostat, and if necessary, replace it.
4. Check your tires and your fluids. Tires will lose about 1 psi for every 10 degree drop in temperature. You do not want to take a drive in under-inflated tires during the winter, so check your tire pressure regularly. A common mistake is to overfill your tires, which can be just as dangerous as under-inflating. Besides tires, don’t forget to evaluate your antifreeze, oil, and windshield wiper fluid levels.
5. Stash your trunk. You don’t want to be caught unprepared in winter weather. Even if you don’t need supplies for yourself, you can help somebody else out! Keep your trunk full with windshield scrapers, a spare tire, and warm protective clothing. Knowing you have equipment in case of emergency will give you peace of mind.
   

   Practice Safe Driving

As always, please practice safe driving during this cold season. Winter weather causes all kinds of wrecks due to unsafe road conditions and unwary drivers. Wrecktify Collision and Restoration is here to help if an accident does occur; we will get you back on the road.

Every winter, feeling safe on the road becomes harder. Rain, ice, and visibility can all lead to a higher risk of car accidents and collision. First and foremost, practicing safe driving techniques, like following at a safe distance and driving at a steady speed, can prevent most major accidents. Controlling the other drivers on the road, however, is impossible. Each year, 24 percent of weather-related vehicle crashes occur on snowy, slushy, or icy pavement; and 15 percent of accidents happen during snowfall or sleet. Thus, if you do get into a collision, below are five tips to get your vehicle back on the road again, quickly and safely.

Take Pictures

Keep a disposable camera in the glove compartment, even if you have a camera on your phone—it is helpful when batteries are dead or you have lost/forgotten your phone. This will allow you to document any other vehicles in the collision, damage done, and other pertinent evidence. This is crucial in the case of any disputed responsibility of the collision.

Take Notes

Whether in case of collision or any other daily circumstance, keeping a pen and paper around to jot down a quick note is helpful for any driver. This will be especially helpful in filing your police report. Write down as many details as you can remember about the collision, such as when you realized something was wrong, what portions of the vehicle were damaged, what speed you were going, what sounds you heard, etc. While it is nerve-wracking in the moment, jotting this information down will help once the shock wears off and the details start to fade.

Locate Car Repair Shops

You will most likely need a repair quote for your insurance company, and to get your car back on the road. Non-totaled vehicles make up more than 90% of collision claims, in other words, nine out of ten vehicles are repairable. Keeping an accurate list of repair shops within 25 miles of your home can help get you back on the road faster, as most accidents happen within 25 miles of home. Furthermore, when traveling you can plan ahead and look up repair shops in the areas you will be staying. Wrecktify Collision is a reliable collision repair shop that focuses on serving Madison, WI and the surrounding area. They focus on building long-term relationships with their customers based on quality service, while bringing 25 years of experience to the table. Services include restoration, collision repair, auto detailing, and more.

Safe driving techniques and accident preparedness will help keep you safe while driving in the winter. If you do get into an accident, Contact us for a repair quote. Wrecktify will get you back on the road.

Located in New Glarus, Wisconsin, Wrecktify Collision and Restoration is a full service auto body shop with a reputation for integrity. With over 60 years combined experience and expertise, our specialists at Wrecktify strive to provide unmatched quality, workmanship, and service, while remaining active in cultivating lifelong relationships throughout the community.

Superior Collision Repair Services

An automobile accident is both terrifying and traumatic. From dealing with your injuries, the insurance company, and finding the most reputable auto body shop, the process is time-consuming and daunting. Here at Wrecktify, we truly care about your well-being and will work quickly and efficiently to help you regain your balance.

With our state of the art facility and our expert staff, we take pride in our ability to work on any make or model, and repair any and all types of damage. From frame straightening, welding, bumper replacement, alignment, new windshield or dent repair, no job is too large or too small. You will additionally appreciate our attention to detail with the computerized color matching technology utilized in our cutting-edge spray booths, ensuring an impeccable paint job every time. We stand behind our work and offer a lifetime guarantee on all our repairs.

Classic Car Restoration

Do you remember your first vehicle? All of us here at Wrecktify certainly do. Nothing quite compares to the feeling of nostalgia that washes over you upon laying eyes on your first ride, or your favorite classic. Our shop can build or restore classics, hot rods, and street cars back to their original glory with advanced engine, transmission and rear axle rebuilding capabilities. We also service the chassis, suspension and brakes, and will also restore any interior. Finally, our technicians provide such show-stopping body and paint work that you will be proud to show her off for years to come.

Professional Auto Detailing Services

Our first-rate detailing services range from basic to supreme, and include services such as washing and waxing, window cleaning, thorough interior vacuuming and shampooing, tire shine and Rain-X. Our detail plus service even offers a clay bar treatment to remove embedded surface contaminates that a traditional maintenance wash leaves behind. Using a clay bar on your exterior will leave the surface glass-smooth and properly prepped.

At Wrecktify, we realize that not every vehicle requires complete reconditioning. Sometimes only a facelift is necessary to bring your car or truck back to showroom condition. Daily wear and tear leaves unsightly surface damage to your vehicle. Be sure to stop by for that extra attention required every season to keep your ride clean and vibrant.

The #1 Choice

Remember, in the state of Wisconsin, you have the right to choose your own auto body shop after an accident. We work with all insurance companies, so do not be bullied into using a shop you do not know or trust. 100% customer satisfaction is our top priority at Wrecktify Collision and Restoration. Our managers will take the time to explain every step to repairing or restoring your vehicle, and will keep you up to date on the progress so you will never need to wonder. We work hard to ensure a positive experience for all our customers, making us the #1 choice in auto repair, restoration, and detailing. Contact us for a free estimate.

If you have an old car that needs a loving restoration, count on the automotive experts at Wrecktify Collision to bring your car to engine revving life. Although it says “Collision” in our name, that is only the beginning of our services. We provide quality repair on cars to make a living, but we build hot rods, customs, and work on classic car restoration projects with genuine attention to detail.

Maybe your classic has sat under a tree for too long and isn’t so classic looking anymore, or perhaps you have a garage car you haven’t driven since you picked it up at the dealers thirty years ago in pristine condition. We can handle either one, and do anything you need from complete frame off restorations, to custom accessories like after market air conditioning, or high performance power upgrades. When it comes to classic car restorations at Wrecktify, the tachometer is the only limit.

One of the most important things to look for when choosing a shop for your classic car restoration, is the ability for the company to do most of the project work on site. It is one thing to send out the new seat upholstery work to a proper tailor, but you want your paint guy and your body guy working side by side, and of course, end to end mechanical services as well. When a well tuned team works together, the finished product is always better than when things are pieced together at various shops over a period of time. Wrecktify is a full service collision and custom car restoration company, and we will go out of our way to make sure your finished vehicle meets your expectations on every level.

We can help you restore your classic pickup truck, add power to that old muscle car, install air conditioning into a stock sedan, and just about every other upgrade, modification, restoration, or repair you can think of. Put your project in the hands of professional car lovers, and set your mind at ease while we work on your ride.

Classic car restoration can be tricky business, most people who begin the project on their own never actually finish. Costly beginner’s mistakes, lack of time, trouble finding parts, and ongoing new problems that crop up as work progresses prevent the realization of the dream car for many weekend amateur mechanics. Fortunately, Wrecktify is here to help you get the job done. Nicely restored classic and collectible vehicles rarely go down in value, so contact Wrecktify today to get your classic car restoration project rolling.

The aftermath of an accident can be stressful, and downright frightening. The right Madison body shop will help make the process easy and pain free. Who is handling the repairs on your car? Body shops run the gamut in terms of value and reputation, here are the top things you should look for when choosing a collision repair company after your accident. Wrecktify Collision provides you with the quality and workmanship you are looking for in the repair of your car.

Do Your Research.

Your insurance company will often want to choose the body-shop you take your car to. Make sure that you do your homework before allowing that to happen. The body shop selected must be able to restore your car to its original condition in terms of looks, drive-ability, and safety. Check the reputation and references of the body shop the insurance company is steering you toward.

Is The Facility I-CAR Certified?

I-CAR are the people who provide education and training to body-shop employees nationwide in order to keep them up-to-date on all the latest technology in the repair business. The collision industry changes constantly, new repair techniques and materials are added often. I-CAR certification guarantees that a body shop is paying attention to all of the latest collision technology.

Does The Body Shop Offer Free Estimates?

Any body shop should willingly offer a free estimate based on looking at your vehicle. If the estimate is not free, it is highly likely that there are more hidden charges that will occur if you have them do the work. It is a way of gouging an already stressed person, and should be avoided.

Is The Madison Body Shop ASE Certified?

The ASE, Automotive Service Excellence, is a non-profit nationwide institute that is dedicated to providing education about quality automotive repair and services. They have aggressive and current training/testing programs around the country. If the body shop you are considering is ASE certified, it means they take the quality of their work seriously, and want to provide the best for their customers.

Can The Body Shop Provide References?

Do not hesitate to look into a prospective collision repair shop further by requesting references. These references should be current, and should be given freely. Gauging how past customers have been treated is a good barometer for how you might be treated. Pay attention to things like whether the work was performed in a timely fashion, and if the customer was informed of all changes or scheduling.

How Comfortable Is The Body Shop With Handling Insurance Claims?

An experienced body shop will be able to handle your insurance claims effortlessly. If they have been around for any length of time, they know the insurance procedures, and will happily assist you. Failure to be able to expedite the insurance process correctly might be a warning sign about a collision repair shop.

If you are looking for your repair to be less stressful than the accident, look no further than Wrecktify. Contact us if you want your car to be repaired by experienced professionals that care about their work.