A new way to cheat: why thickness gauges no longer detect broken cars
- July 13, 2023
- 0
The era of new cars “from the saloon” is over – the era of “used” cars, outbids and car pickers has arrived. You can hardly miss the latter,
The era of new cars “from the saloon” is over – the era of “used” cars, outbids and car pickers has arrived. You can hardly miss the latter, because it is extremely difficult to find a used car that can withstand criticism and travel more than a thousand kilometers on its own. But even experienced experts are sometimes seriously mistaken, since the cunning in the “bitcoin” recovery workshops does not sleep.
After talking with a pickup, you can learn about the main needs of today’s motorists: mileage up to 150,000 km, no more than 2-3 owners, always without serious accidents. The first two points can be checked in different services, but in the story with the last, eyes and diagnostic equipment are needed. At a minimum, a thickness gauge is a device that measures the thickness of a layer of putty, paint and varnish applied to the metal.
Anyone who has ever sold a car and met a picker has seen that the first thing the master does is run around the car and poke at it with a little keychain-sized tester that displays numbers on the screen. This is the thickness gauge and the readings are the verdict. He can reveal not only the fact of repair, but also tell about the quality of work. Numbers too high? This means that the part has not changed, but only “putty” has been piled up, which can burst and fall to pieces at any time.
As a rule, pickup trucks go to inspect cars in the “above average” price segment – not everyone is ready to pay for their services. Especially when it comes to Renault Logan for 300,000 rubles or LADA Priora “brotherly” for 250,000: in these cases, knowledgeable acquaintances are usually persuaded. Professionals, on the other hand, work with more expensive machines – with those whose shortcomings cost a lot of money. And since the off-scale thickness gauge is a reason to refuse the deal, the “paint shop” has already learned how to trick it. And “thank you” should of course be said to the Chinese.
In the Middle Kingdom, they came up with an extremely interesting composition: putty with a metal filler – the thickness gauge “counts” for iron, that is, for the base of the part, and does not take it into account. Roughly speaking, the device displays only the thickness of the primer, paint and varnish, which for an experienced craftsman, if they differ from the factory indicators, only slightly. Like, there were chips, scratches, tinted for beauty. No accidents – so the cart from the supermarket “arrived”.
The profession of a pick-up truck, which at first glance is very attractive, requires that a specialist be a specialist first and foremost, and not the owner of a set of devices. This is also important, but secondary. The expert must determine, without any gadgets, non-factory seams, interference with the structure, local paint and other aspects of repairs. And you can only learn this in practice through many years of real work. So if you decide to order a selection, look for specialists only on recommendations, without chasing low prices for services.
Photo: www.helmut-fischer.com
After talking with a pickup, you can learn about the main needs of today’s motorists: mileage up to 150,000 km, no more than 2-3 owners, always without serious accidents. The first two points can be checked in different services, but in the story with the last, eyes and diagnostic equipment are needed. At a minimum, a thickness gauge is a device that measures the thickness of a layer of putty, paint and varnish applied to the metal.
Anyone who has ever sold a car and met a picker has seen that the first thing the master does is run around the car and poke at it with a little keychain-sized tester that displays numbers on the screen. This is the thickness gauge and the readings are the verdict. He can reveal not only the fact of repair, but also tell about the quality of work. Numbers too high? This means that the part has not changed, but only “putty” has been piled up, which can burst and fall to pieces at any time.
As a rule, pickup trucks go to inspect cars in the “above average” price segment – not everyone is ready to pay for their services. Especially when it comes to Renault Logan for 300,000 rubles or LADA Priora “brotherly” for 250,000: in these cases, knowledgeable acquaintances are usually persuaded. Professionals, on the other hand, work with more expensive machines – with those whose shortcomings cost a lot of money. And since the off-scale thickness gauge is a reason to refuse the deal, the “paint shop” has already learned how to trick it. And “thank you” should of course be said to the Chinese.
In the Middle Kingdom, they came up with an extremely interesting composition: putty with a metal filler – the thickness gauge “counts” for iron, that is, for the base of the part, and does not take it into account. Roughly speaking, the device displays only the thickness of the primer, paint and varnish, which for an experienced craftsman, if they differ from the factory indicators, only slightly. Like, there were chips, scratches, tinted for beauty. No accidents – so the cart from the supermarket “arrived”.
The profession of a pick-up truck, which at first glance is very attractive, requires that a specialist be a specialist first and foremost, and not the owner of a set of devices. This is also important, but secondary. The expert must determine, without any gadgets, non-factory seams, interference with the structure, local paint and other aspects of repairs. And you can only learn this in practice through many years of real work. So if you decide to order a selection, look for specialists only on recommendations, without chasing low prices for services.
Source: Avto Vzglyad
Donald Salinas is an experienced automobile journalist and writer for Div Bracket. He brings his readers the latest news and developments from the world of automobiles, offering a unique and knowledgeable perspective on the latest trends and innovations in the automotive industry.
