Burbank Body Shop is moving and changing its name October 31st.

Burbank Body Shop is moving and changing its name October 31^st.

Why are we moving? Because a developer is building a hotel in its place and the City of Burbank officials were happy to approve the project.

Where are we moving? We are moving to Pasadena. Our new address will be

1501 E. Walnut Street, Pasadena, Ca 91106. Our new phone number will be

626 793-5838.

Why are we changing our name? Because Burbank Body Shop would not work in Pasadena. Our new name will be Hilton Auto Collision Center. We would like to thank you for your loyal patronage and we hope to hear from you if you need our services in the future. Meanwhile if you have any questions or concerns please call me directly on my cell.

Igor Frank

818 731-2753

Ten things to do to keep your car in top shape during summer of 2013

   1)    Get your vehicle detailed with rubbing compound to keep paint at maximum

shine for this summer           

   2)   Change oil every three to five thousand miles depending on manufacturer’s recommendations

   3)    Rubber in your tires expands during hot months. Make sure your tire pressure is set as recommended by manufacturer.

   4) To keep your tires from wearing out ask your mechanic to rotate them as well as perform a front end alignment.

   5)    Check your air conditioning system to make sure you do not get stuck in a hundred degree weather without AC.

   6)   Check you radiator fluid. Your vehicle is 90 percent more likely to overheat in hot weather.

   7)   Check your windshield wiper fluid and replace windshield wipers which tend to crack in heat.

   8)   Ask your mechanic to check your battery charge and replace it if it is running low. You need to avoid not being able to get your vehicle started in heat in the unknown places.

   9)   Please keep your gas tank full and do not experiment on how far you can go on an empty gas tank.

   10)                       Obey first nine and do not text and drive which would keep your car in top shape for this summer.

More on texting and driving

Have you seen this sign on a freeway?

 It is plastered all over south land Freeways lately. Texting and driving could become a very expensive hobby. Los Angeles Police Department  has vowed to enforce the law and to concentrate  on punishing texting/driving violators. Why so much fuss? Why not concentrate on catching serious criminals?

 Some say Los Angeles girls make texting look sexy. And it is sexy, on the beach while parked.

What is not sexy is texting while driving; it is dangerous and against the law.

According to the latest polls thirty seven percent of drivers openly admit to sending or receiving text messages while driving. One might say this trend has reached epidemic proportions and is largely responsible for increased amount of serious accidents on our roads. Do you remember a horrendous train crash in Chatsworth several years ago that was caused by a train engineer distracted by texting?

Or may be you remember twenty one year old Ani Voksanian from Glendale who took a life of eighty year old man in 2011 while driving and texting. Voksanian was charged with one count of felony gross vehicular manslaughter. Last year I repaired City of Burbank's  Honda  that was hit by a teenager who was texting and  driving. The vehicle looked like an accordion. I can site examples for hours. May be Los Angeles Police department does have a point enforcing no texting while driving law. It is their job to protect and to serve and they are trying really hard to serve our community by protecting  us from ourselves and our terrible driving habits. May be it is time for us to take personal responsibility for ourselves and our children and stop texting while driving. What do you think ?

How far would you go to get your car fixed?

 My friend Eddie Fender would drive a hundred miles in search of a good deal. Sometimes the price of gas would be more than a discount, but Eddie just needs to feel like he got a good bargain.

“Yes I would,” replies Eddie when I ask him about it:” And who wouldn’t like a good bargain?” True enough, sophisticated consumers of twenty first Century are serious bargain hunters; coupons, discounts, internet, newspaper’s special deal clippings, nothing is out of bounds. But how far would you go to get your car fixed? Fifty miles, a hundred… two hundred miles?

 Barbara Newton drove all the way from Arizona to get her prized Cadillac repaired at Burbank Body Shop. We met by accident, no pun intended, when her husband ended up at our door steps few months earlier while visiting his daughters in Burbank. Mr Newton had his mirror knocked off and a scratch on the hood on his shiny pearl white Escalade. Time was of the essence, as a trip back home to Arizona was already scheduled.” I need to get back on the road. Can you get my car done by Friday?” inquired Mr. Newton while dropping off his vehicle.

“Yes I can and I will,” I replied. Newtons were back on the road on Friday as promised. Few months later Barbara was on the phone with me:” You did such a great job and on time last time, we decided to give you more business. Will you be at the shop at 2:00 pm next Wednesday?”

“Yes I will,” I replied. This time Barbara brought her Cadillac XLR-V for bumper repair. “This is my baby,” exclaimed Mrs. Newton when she arrived for her Wednesday appointment:” Do you know what it’s got under the hood?”

“It’s a muscle car disguised as a Cadillac,” I replied smiling.

“Well, make sure you don’t lock the key inside my baby, or there will be trouble,” roared Barbara. “Yes ma'am,” I replied. Despite the rainy weather there was no trouble when Barbara picked up her car; only smiles and thank yous and a real feeling of satisfaction for me.

The new Stingray is much more than a nostalgia thirst quencher

General Motors Corporation recently announced they are bringing back iconic Corvette Stingray to be sold everywhere this fall.” It’s probably about six months away from being in our showroom,” said Fred Bell, owner of Community Chevrolet in Burbank:” And it’s going to be amazing.”

Just how amazing is it going to be? The new Stingray is built on aluminum frame which makes the car lighter and stiffer and features carbon fiber hood and roof panels as well as lightweight compounds for the fenders and doors. If looks are important the new generation Stingray is for you; with the rear end reminiscent of Ferrari it is designed with the nose that seems to be more integrated or wrapped around the frame than the last one. It looks like a rocket ready to be launched.

As a kid I remember dreaming about once owning a 1967 Stingray 427 convertible, but as a young adult I recall being less than impressed with 1980 T Top stingray’s suspension performance.

The new generation Stingray aims to distinguish itself with a new engine, a 6.2  V-8, which includes direct injection, continuously variable valve timing and a combustion system GM says will deliver more power while using less fuel.

To rate the new and improved suspension I would need to drive the vehicle, but so far there are only two 2014 new generation Stingrays in existence, both hand- made and for display only. So stay tune for more information…

Ten things to be outlawed while behind a wheel.

Texting and driving is illegal in California, yet almost every day I see a driver at the stop light looking down, most likely trying to send a quick text to someone. The question that comes to my mind is how did we used to get by without texting and smart phones?

While it is fairly obvious why texting and driving is distracting, dangerous and now illegal there are a few other things that drivers do today that should be outlawed. Here is my top ten list of things we do behind the wheel that should be banned.

11)   Putting on makeup while driving

Have you ever passed by a gorgeous blond in a BMW only to notice her applying mascara and holding up traffic

22) Eating and driving

Have you ever eaten a taco and drank a soda while driving with your leg and have a half of taco spill out on your white shirt?

33)   Watching DVD’s, Netflix on I phone or I pad while driving

I do not know whose bright idea was it to install DVD players in our vehicles. I can understand it installed in the back of a minivan or SUV for our kids to watch, but I have seen on more than one occasion drivers watching their DVD’s in bumper to bumper traffic on a freeway.

44)    Getting directions on your GPS while Driving

Have you ever thought why your navigation system search shuts down as you start moving? That’s right they don’t want you to get directions while you drive.

55)    Shaving and driving

Driven to succeed providers, men have been known to multitask to save time. Beware shaving smoking and driving at the same time could be hazardous to your health.

66)   Listening to music with headphones on

Listening to music while driving is widely acceptable recreation. However listening to music through headphones will prevent you from hearing other drivers blowing their horns and could cause an accident.

77)  Blow-drying your hair with a car heater while driving

Have you ever seen a lady using her car heater as a blow dryer?

88)  Arguing with your spouse

My wife is a back seat driver. It could be very annoying, but more than that it has a potential to create a road hazard argument

99)   Feeding your toddler on a back seat while driving

Believe it or not I have even seen a lady breast feed her baby while driving.                  Having your dog in your lap while driving

10) Having your little puddle named Rex in your lap while driving to the store might seem cute to you, but it has a potential to cause a fatal accident.

Do you have anything to add to my list? I would really like your input.

How many estimates do I need anyways?

“My insurance agent told me to get three estimates. You will be my second one,” was a greeting I got yesterday from a proud Chevy Tahoe owner, Dave Fenderbender.

“I didn’t know you were working for your insurance agent,” I replied:” I thought you were paying him.”

These kinds of conversations happen at Burbank Body Shop on regular basis. Even sophisticated and educated consumers of 21 Century feel inclined to follow instructions of their agents or insurance adjustors.

The fact is that the law does not require you to get more than one estimate. That same law states clearly that you are not required to use any particular shop suggested by anybody. You, the consumer have the right to choose a facility to perform repairs on your car. So unless you are shopping around for a cheaper price, you are simply wasting your time getting three estimates. You would be better served interviewing body shop manager and or getting the tour of the repair facility and observing if the shop is clean and organized. Ask yourself: “Would I feel comfortable getting my vehicle repaired here?” If the answer is no, do not waste your time getting an estimate. Just keep searching, but if the answer is yes let the shop write an estimate and explain to you what they plan to do. If you feel satisfied with the explanation let the shop handle your insurance claim. They know how to do it.

Remember, there is a difference in body shops. A lower estimate may overlook details like removing parts, aligning front end or aiming headlights etc. It is your vehicle… makes sure it is repaired to your satisfaction. You are the only one who can authorize repairs on your car.So how many estimates do you really need? One, just make sure it addresses all your concerns.