Tips and Advice

For the first 30 days after receiving your newly restored vehicle we recommend the following:

• • Wash the vehicle by hand with cool water and a mild soap solution using a soft, clean cloth or sponge. Always use clean fresh water. Wash your vehicle in the shade
  • Do not take the vehicle through a commercial car wash. Stiff brushes or sponges could damage the new finish.
  • Do not “dry wipe” your vehicle, as it can scratch the finish.
  • If possible, do not drive on gravel roads. The finish is more vulnerable to chipping in the first 30 days.
  • Avoid parking under trees and utility lines which are likely to attract birds. Bird droppings and tree sap are acidic and will damage a freshly painted surface.
  • Take care not to spill gasoline, oil, antifreeze, transmission fluid, or windshield solvent on the new finish.
  • Do not scrape ice or snow from the newly painted surface.

The recommendations listed above are especially important within the first 30 days, but to ensure a long lasting superior finish, you should try to adhere to these steps whenever possible for the life of your vehicle.
During the first 90 days after receiving your newly restored vehicle you should not wax or polish the vehicle. Waxing or polishing your vehicle may prevent the finish from drying and hardening completely.

According to the National Safety Council, one in every eight drivers will be involved in a motor vehicle accident this year. That may mean you! Are you prepared? Would you know what to do and what questions to ask?

Be Prepared

Always keep your insurance company’s claim service card with your agent’s name and phone number, and your policy identification number in your glove box. Also store the name and number of a trusted towing and collision repair company in your vehicle.

Steps to Remember

If you are involved in a motor vehicle accident you’ll want to do the following if possible:

• • Stop your vehicle if it is clear, safe and legal.
  • Move the vehicle out of the roadway, if it is clear, safe and legal. (In some states it is against the law to move the vehicle from the place where the accident occurred.)
  • Turn off the ignitions of the cars involved.
  • Make a first aid check of all persons involved in the accident.
  • Call the police and, if necessary, emergency medical services.
  • Mark the scene of the accident with flares or reflector triangles.
  • Make notes describing the accident, the vehicles involved, their approximate speeds, the setting, the weather, traffic signs and signals, and the road conditions.
  • Take photographs if possible or draw a simple diagram of the roads and the accident.
  • Make sure you get the name of the other driver and his or her address, work and home telephone numbers, license plate number and state, license number, insurance company name and policy number and the telephone number of his or her insurance agent.
  • Do not discuss “fault” or make statements about the accident to anyone but the police.
  • Don’t tell others involved in the accident how much liability insurance you carry.
  • Gather the names of all persons in the motor vehicles and people who witnessed the accident.
  • Notify your insurance company or agent. Do it as soon as possible even if you’re far from home and even if someone else caused the accident. Ask your agent how to proceed and what forms or documents will be needed to support your claim. Be familiar with your insurance company’s policy regarding pre-inspections.
  • Get a copy of the police report of the accident from the local precinct.
  • Whatever you send to the Insurance Company, make sure that you send it Certified/Return Receipt Requested. Make copies of everything for yourself. If the Insurance Company sends you forms to complete, do it in a timely manner.
  • Don’t accept offers to settle for payment on the spot without thinking about it carefully. You may be held liable later for the same damages.
  • Call a reputable towing and auto collision repair company.

You always have the right to select the collision repair center that will be repairing your vehicle. With today’s sophisticated vehicles, it is important to consider the following when choosing a repair shop:

• • Shop should provide a written warranty and should not use “economy” parts
  • Technicians should have “I-CAR” training certification
  • Shop should have a paint spray booth and should use “weld-through” primer
  • Shop should have MIG welders, a “dedicated bench” and a computerized measuring system

Not all collision repair shops operate the same way. When you are deciding where to bring your vehicle, a few more questions are worth asking:

• • Does the shop use modern equipment, including precision measuring systems and a spray bake paint booth?
  • Does someone review every line of the estimate before the vehicle is returned?
  • Does the shop work directly with insurance companies, or leave that to you?
  • What does the quality control process look like before pickup?

At Marty’s, the answer to each of those questions reflects 30 years of refining how quality collision repair gets done. Our technicians average 14 years of industry experience, and every vehicle we repair is backed by a lifetime warranty.

For most people, a vehicle ranks second only to a home when it comes to the money they have invested. Between purchase price, financing, insurance, and the cost of daily use, your car represents real financial value, and it is worth protecting.
After an accident, many drivers focus on the most convenient or fastest repair option. But when quality matters, convenience should come second. The shop you choose, and the standards they hold themselves to, can directly affect your vehicle’s value, appearance, safety, and long-term condition.
At Marty’s Auto Service Inc. in Bellingham, MA, we built our reputation on one straightforward standard: do the work right the first time, every time.

Quality auto body repair involves far more than swapping out damaged parts. When a panel is repaired rather than replaced, a skilled technician has to reshape, sand, sculpt, and restore that surface back to its original factory body lines. The goal is a finish so precise that you cannot tell where the damage was.
This level of work takes experience, patience, and a trained eye. It is closer to craftsmanship than it is to general mechanical repair, and the difference shows in the finished result.
We have had customers pick up their vehicles and look at the wrong side of the car because the repaired side was restored so well. That is the standard we aim for on every job.

Before any vehicle is returned, we conduct a thorough final inspection that goes well beyond the cosmetic finish. We review the estimate line by line, sometimes 20 or more pages, to verify that every paid procedure was completed. That review covers:

• • Structural and panel repairs
  • Replaced parts and hardware
  • Panel alignment and body line accuracy
  • Paint quality and color match
  • All vehicle functions: AC, heat, headlights, low and high beams, fog lights, horn, taillights, windshield washers, door locks, windows, mirrors, dashboard warning lights, park-tronics and computer calibrations, and test drive

This is how we prevent problems after the fact, and make sure you are not coming back a week later with an issue that should have been caught at the shop.

This is one of the most common questions we hear, and the honest answer is: not necessarily. When your repairs are covered by insurance, you are generally not paying out of pocket for the difference between an average shop and a quality one.
What does differ is the standard of work. The choice is not about price. It is about which shop is going to take the time to do the work properly, check everything before it leaves, and stand behind the result.
You also have the legal right in Massachusetts to choose your own repair shop. Insurance companies may suggest a preferred provider, but they cannot require you to use one. Marty’s works directly with all major insurance carriers from estimate through completion.

Quality collision repair matters because a vehicle is one of the largest financial investments most people make. After an accident, the way repairs are completed can affect your car’s structural integrity, resale value, paint longevity, and safety system performance. Choosing a shop that takes the time to do the work correctly helps protect that investment and ensures the vehicle is returned to its pre-accident condition.

Look for a shop that uses modern equipment, such as a precision measuring system and spray bake booth, and has a documented quality control process before vehicle delivery. Reviews, a lifetime warranty on repairs, and a shop that communicates clearly with your insurance company are also strong indicators. In Massachusetts, you are legally entitled to choose your own shop regardless of insurer recommendations.

Yes. Incomplete repairs, mismatched paint, panel misalignment, and unaddressed structural damage can all reduce a vehicle’s resale or trade-in value. Problems not visible at first may also cause issues down the road, including rust, fit gaps, water leaks, or important electronic systems that do not perform correctly, possibly resulting in another accident. Quality repair completed by experienced technicians helps maintain the vehicle’s value and long-term condition.

Check that body lines and panels align correctly, that paint color and finish match surrounding areas, and that all lights, controls, and mechanical functions that were affected in the loss work properly. A reputable shop will complete this check before you arrive. At Marty’s Auto Service, we review every estimate line by line, verify all completed procedures, and confirm that vehicle functions are working before your car leaves. This may include AC, heat, headlights, low and high beams, fog lights, horn, taillights, windshield washers, door locks, windows, mirrors, dashboard warning lights, park-tronics and computer calibrations, and a test drive.

Unlike many mechanical repairs, auto body work, especially panel repair, requires technicians to reshape, sand, sculpt, and refinish surfaces to match original factory specifications. When done well, a repaired panel is indistinguishable from the original. At Marty’s, our technicians average 14 years of experience and are skilled craftsmen able to restore vehicles to the condition they were in before the accident.

In most cases, insurance coverage is not tied to a specific shop’s quality level; it covers the cost of restoring a vehicle to pre-accident condition. This means you can choose a quality-focused shop without paying more out of pocket. In Massachusetts, you have the right to select your own repair facility. Marty’s works directly with all major insurance carriers and manages the full process on your behalf.

Before any vehicle leaves, we go through the repair estimate line by line, sometimes 20 or more pages, to verify every approved procedure was completed and every replaced part was installed correctly. We also inspect panel alignment, body lines, paint quality, and color match, and confirm vehicle systems are functioning. This may include AC, heat, headlights, low and high beams, fog lights, horn, taillights, windshield washers, door locks, windows, mirrors, dashboard warning lights, park-tronics and computer calibrations, and a test drive.