Process
ELITE & ELITE XPRESS BODY SHOPS

Most important...remain calm and ensure you are safe!

Assuming no emergency vehicles or tow truck are required, exchange information with other party. Contact your insurance company to make a claim.

In the Scheduling In stage, the customer has either phoned or dropped in to Elite Body Shop or Elite Xpress and spoken with any of our qualified Estimators. Customer information is collected which includes: Name, Address, Phone Number, E-mail address and Claim Number. At this time, digital photos of the damage will be taken, parts will be sourced to determine availability, and alternative transportation will be arranged if required.

In the Vehicle Arrived stage, the vehicle has been dropped off to Elite either by the customer or if it is not drivable, it will be towed to our facility. If the vehicle is delivered by a tow truck the registered owner will be contacted at this point. The vehicle is stored in a secure area pending the next step.

In the On Hold stage, no repairs are being performed. Some examples for a vehicle being in this stage could include: pending insurance approval, pending customer authorization, possible total loss, or back ordered parts. Once the above steps have been met, the vehicle will be moved to the next stage of the repair process.

In the Approved Stage, authorization has been given by both the insurance company and the owner. The vehicle is given a green light and the repairs will begin.

A vehicle in the Disassemble stage will undergo a complete tear down on the damaged area to reveal any possible hidden damages. All necessary parts or components of the car that need to be accessed will also be removed. All the damaged parts or structural damages will be digitally photographed and sent to the proper party for approval. At this stage, the entire repair process will be blue printed to show the total extend of the repair

A vehicle in the Framework stage will be put on frame straightening equipment to perform structural repair. State-of-the-art computerized frame diagnosis equipment will be used to create a three dimensional digital read out of the vehicle. The measurements will then be compared to the specification from the central data repository provided by the original manufactures. The comparison will create a damage analysis to show if the frame or the body of the vehicle is twisted from the accident. Repairs will then be performed on the damaged area using frame straightening equipment. After the repair, another three dimensional digital read out will be performed to ensure that all of the vehicle's frame or body now conforms to factory specifications

A vehicle at the Mechanical stage is undergoing mechanical repairs. Mechanical repairs deal with any mechanical component that is not of the outer surface of the vehicle or of the frame structure. Possible mechanical repairs are brakes and suspensions, exhaust, engine fluids, electrical, air condition system and wheel alignment.

A vehicle in the Bodywork stage is undergoing body surface repair. Body repair involves any outer body surface of the vehicle. It includes sheet metal repair, plastic repair, polyester surface treatment, trim repair, and glass repair. All surfaces are repaired to meet factory specifications. The repaired panels are treated for rust proofing. In the case that the panel is too damage to repair, a replacement panel will be used instead. All body surface repairs are backed by Elite's limited lifetime warrantee.

A vehicle in the Refinishing stage is getting painted. All repaired areas will be prepped and chemically washed down to remove all surface contaminates. The repaired areas are sanded and primered to create a proper surface adhesion for the paint. The vehicle is then masked and prepped for painting. Colors are mixed on an electronic scale based on the factory color code. It will then be sprayed out on a test card and compare with the actual vehicle to ensure color accuracy. All vehicles are sprayed with base coat/clear coat water born product. If the repaired area is very close to an adjacent panel, the panel will be blended. Blending means partial coloring of a panel to create a fade-in effect to the original color which will enhance the visual effect of an invisible repair. All paint jobs performed by Elite are backed by Elite's limited lifetime warrantee.

A vehicle in the Reassembly stage is being reassembled. All of the undamaged parts that were previously removed as well as any replacement parts will be reinstalled onto the vehicle. All installed components will be checked for functionality. Fluids are checked and topped up as needed. The vehicle is now brought back to pre-accident condition.

A vehicle in the Sublet repair stage has either been sent out to a specialty shop or a specialist has been called in onsite to perform a repair. Sublet repairs are done when highly specialized repairs are needed. All the sublet vendors that Elite work with have the highest degree of qualifications in their specific field of repairs. Examples of such specialty repairs are: windshield replacement, interior vinyl and leather repair, convertible top replacement, original dealership-only electronic diagnosis, aluminum rim repair, and bio-clean up for bodily fluids.

A vehicle in the Detailing stage is getting detailed. To remove any dust that may have resulted from the repair process, the vehicle's interior is thoroughly cleaned. A polish is applied to enhance the shine of the paint. The vehicle's exterior is power washed and cleaned. It is now returned to the pre-accident condition. A final quality check will also be performed at this point to ensure that all accident related components of the car are in proper working order. Quality checks are also done all throughout the repair process.

A vehicle in the Vehicle Ready stage is ready to be picked up. All repairs are completed and inspected. The paperwork is ready to be signed. Deductibles or repair costs can be paid with Visa, M/C, Debit or cash.

A vehicle in the Vehicle Delivered stage has been returned to the customer. It is either picked up by the customer or by any appointed personnel.