Alsa Automotive - What we do

Our services include back to metal resprays and body repairs to modern sports & prestige cars, including Alloy bodies, GRP, Kevlar etc.

Below is an example of a typical bare metal repaint & some of (what we think) makes us a bit more specialist than most I've marked with a '*'

Pictures of the progress are emailed at least twice a week & most repaints usually end up with around 250 to 300 pictures as a permanent record of the work undertaken.

Stage 1	All items including glass removed & catalogued, client is then given a list of advisory items for replacement (usually window seals, door lock gaskets etc).
Stage 2	*All panels correctly aligned & levelled & hinges shimmed & marked where necessary.
Stage 3	Panels & catches removed.
Stage 4	*Interior, engine bay & luggage areas masked off to prevent dust ingress.
Stage 5	Any welding repairs required are carried out - all affected areas cut out, new metal cut & shaped to size & but-welded (*i.e no internal seams) into place.
Stage 6	*Body stripped of paint with 80 grade sandpaper on a random orbital sander. (The reason I don't use chemical strippers is that they are highly corrossive and unless every single bit of residue is cleaned off it will begin to corrode the metal within hours).
Stage 7	Any previous repairs found beneath the paint are panel beaten & dolleyed into shape.
Stage 8	Filler & shaping work, all blocked down with a *440mm body plane by hand with no recourse to machine sanding as this is the only way to get a die straight panel & finished in 180 grade sandpaper.
Stage 9	All filled areas stoppered up (an ultra fine filler) and sanded with same process as the filler.
Stage 10	Masking removed & body thoroughly cleaned out & re-masked.
Stage 11	Any bare metal showing through is wash-etch primed, then the whole body is primed with a high solid 2k primer.
Stage 12	A dark guide coat is then applied to highlight any remaining imperfections during the finishing of the primer.
Stage 13	All removed panels are prepared & primed in the same process at this point to allow the primer on the body to fully cure.
Stage 14	*Any plastic, glassfibre kevlar etc panels (eg bumpers, targa tops, spoilers etc) are stripped with 180 grade sandpaper on the random orbital with a soft interface pad to prevent 'digging' into the original shape or altering the profiles of the panel.
Stage 15	*The body is then blocked down dry (I am not a fan of wet-sanding prior to paint as this can allow water to be absorbed into the primer) with 400 grade sandpaper on the body plane & any imperfections or low spots showing with the guide coat are stoppered & blocked out, then the body is lightly sanded with 800 grade sandpaper.
Stage 16	*Occassionally (typically on a body restoration rather than a straightforward re-paint) the body is re-primed with a 'wet on wet' primer which is a thinner material which has a satin sheen to it, basically it gives a fail safe over extensive body repairs.
Stage 17	*The panels are trial fitted & correctly aligned, then removed.
Stage 18	The body is painted the required colour.
Stage 19	The panels are then prepared & painted in the same process.
Stage 20	*The painted body is then blocked down wet with a 440mm sanding block, beginning with 800 grade and finishing with 2000.
Stage 21	The paint is then machine polished to a finish.
Stage 22	The panels are machined polished to a finish..
Stage 23	*The panels are re-fitted with new stainless steel fixings where available, screw & bolt heads correctly aligned.
Stage 23	The remaining trims, glass etc are re-fitted & all electrical items removed are checked for operation & alignment.
Stage 24	*Clients are given the option to have the car professionally detailed & waxed prior to collection (at extra cost of course).