Welcome to Hollywood, California, the home of the stars. Hollywood is a popular tourist destination that attracts a microcosm of travelers. With all the hustle and bustle of this metropolitan hub of the entertainment industry, there are certain liabilities.
A lot of collision damage to vehicles occurs when drivers who are in a hurry to get through the gridlock or who distract themselves with cellphones inevitably smash into other vehicles. Many of these customers are likely pooling into Hollywood from Los Angeles. Los Angeles is just a short 6.2-mile drive away and is notorious for its bad traffic.
The reasonable guess as to why there are so many auto body shops in Hollywood, in particular, is simply a theory that the overhead was less expensive, at least at some point in time. Since supply and demand principles of capitalism apply, it makes sense that the open space required for collision repair shops to operate efficiently is an expensive commodity in Los Angeles.
Specialization
Due to the specialization of collision repair, different shops are required to perform different types of repairs on various makes and models. German autos, for example, are often made with special steel or hybrid steel and aluminum composites that require sophisticated tools and sensitive contamination prophylactics to repair. Merely contaminating a tool with steel can cause rust to break out if the same tool is used to repair aluminum.
Welding the premium aluminum and steel alloys in newer automobiles also requires special tools and processes. Understanding the properties of the metals being welded and the complexity of the shapes in late-model vehicles contributes to the conundrum.
Furthermore, the engineering and special tools used to repair the mechanical and technological aspects of vehicles requires investment in a limited set. Every year, Mercedes-Benz, for example, comes out with computer diagnostic systems that cost $10,000 or more.
Therefore, the best shops will be specialized to work on only certain makes. Taking a vehicle apart and being able to restore functionality in all mechanical aspects is part of the collision repair process. What good is a Mercedes with a new front end and seamless collision repair if the vehicle doesn’t run and the customer cannot drive it home?
Insurance Coverage
The higher cost of living also guarantees that more drivers are fully insured and driving newer vehicles in the Hollywood/Los Angeles area. Insurance contracts remove the haggling and obstacles that occur when coaxing customers to pay premium prices out of pocket for repairs. This feature creates steady workflow with no customer service headaches and fuels the expansive auto collision repair industry.
There are also different types of collision repair. Some auto body shops specialize in paintless dent removal, for example, a process that uses long tools to gently ease soft dents back into their original form by relying upon the metal’s memory. These repairs can be quick and easy and are usually much cheaper than traditional Bondo and paint processes.
Other shops may specialize on pulling bent frames straight or welding. Just consider the fact that it may cost more money to repair a new Mercedes-Benz than it costs to write the vehicle off as totaled, and it is easy to see why this industry exists and continues to grow. Crumple zone technology ensures that your new vehicle will look totaled even if you are involved in a mere fender bender.
In conclusion, a variety of factors are contributing to the expansive growth of collision repair shops in Hollywood. The most important factors are proximity to Los Angeles and the specialization of automobile repair.