Bradan Joins as m3 post sponsor

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RTI Air filter system installed between our compressor and dryer to remove oil and dirt from the air supply.

[Bradan]

Bradan is proud to announce that we have invested in the SDX Diagnostic Computer to better serve our clients. Ferrari's require this special diagnostic computer to gain access to all electronic systems in the vehicle. This will allow us to perform diagnostic analysis of any problematic systems, and to correctly and efficiently diagnose issues. This computer gains access to vehicles from pre OBD2 via an "octopus” integration cord and newer vehicles up to the 430 Scuderia. This computer is a combination of the SD1, SD2, and SD3 computer - all in one stand alone unit, with all adapter cables, making it a user friendly package compared to previous models with no technical support offered.

[Bradan]

Bradan is proud to announce we have been sponsored for BMW collision repair training. This will give us direct access to BMW's collision repair training centers and programs. Our frame jig bench, measuring system, welders and paint are already OEM approved by BMW. BMW is a brand we have always been enthusiasts and long term customers of, making it a natural choice for us in addition to a few other OEM programs we will announce when finalized. This means accident damaged BMWs will be brought back to pre accident condition using strictly OEM parts and procedures that directly comply and follow BMW's engineer's strict standards. You have a choice to which collision repair facility you allow to fix your vehicle; don’t let insurance companies steer you to one of their direct repair shops, or tell you how it should be fixed. The adjuster's job is to minimize the claim payout, which often means pushing to use recycled or aftermarket parts. This leaves your car worse off then it was originally and possibly a diminished value claim. We guarentee our repairs as long as you own or lease your vehicle and will even cover your rental car if it exceeds your policy limit.

Our first day of training was held at BMW of North Americas Woodcliff Lake, NJ which is home of not only their headquarters; but also their repair and collision center. The building is divided into smaller workshops that teach everything from the BMW step apprentice program, motorcycle repair, Rolls Royce, paint, and structural repairs. BMW uses their own brand of paint manufactured by Axalta in water based form. Notice the additional fans for air movement in the corners of their Global spray booths. Their mixing room is similar to ours in that it's directly linked to the side of the spray booth; allowing paint to be mixed and then move into the spray booth without passing through the workshop (avoiding contamination). For structural repairs they use a combination of Cellete, Car-o-liner, and Carbench which is the same frame jig bench we use.

The first training class I attended and was certified in is “High Voltage Vehicle Body Repair." This applies to their hybrid vehicles that show how to correctly disarm the electrical system. This avoids a possible fatal shock in an accident, or damaging the vehicle's electronic systems during repair. We look forward to continuing our education and training. If you have any specific questions please don’t hesitate to email us at Bradangroup@gmail.com or call 631 585 8600.

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More.

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We upgraded to a Featherlite aluminum enclosed trailer. We had to cut the wheel tubes to clear wider cars. The trailer will get wrapped once we slow down a bit.

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Installing an RTI perfect air filter system to supply the air guns in the booth.

[Bradan]

My friend gave me a vintage Glasurit gun case as a gift.

[Bradan]

After a few snap on AC machines I switched over to a Robinair. Very nice and easy to use.

[Bradan]

Solvent parts cleaner beats hand cleaning all the oily service parts.

[Bradan]

The backbone to our paint department, our Glasurit 55 line paint mixing system.

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We switched over to Motul engine oil from redline.

[Bradan]

Bradan is proud to announce we have invested in the best tire equipment on the market made by Hunter engineering. Our Hunter Road force balancer is unique to the market and considering a Diagnostic wheel balancer. The diagnostic roller solves vibration problems, identifies vehicle pulls and provides that “new car ride” If your tire is defective, rim is bent, or even just have the tire incorrectly install the computer will identify the fault. This really helps for guys that race there cars on the track to help solve high speed vibrations that go un noticed on public roads. Our Hunter tire machine features polymer mount head that resist marring your rims. Together we feel Hunter engineering makes the best combinations of tire mount and balancers on the market.

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We're often asked what paint guns we use to achieve our concours winning paint jobs. We use Sanitaria ("Sata") spray guns which are manufactured in Germany for all sprayable finishes. Originally, it came from the recommendation of our paint supplier Glasurit; since most of their finishes are designed to be sprayed with specific Sata guns. After trying out a few different brands the difference was tremendous. In today's modern body shop we must always work to a level of perfection while being mindful of our environmental impact. HLVP paint guns and RP are the only legal paint guns to use in a body shop. HVLP stands for High-Volume/Low-Pressure, and spray guns with this type of material transfer give you better, more consistent coverage than conventional spray guns, with minimal overspray. Rp is a Sata specific acronym for “Reduced Pressure” which is rated at a minimum of 65% transfer efficiency. The origins of Sanitaria go back to the firm Gretsch & Cie. GmbH in Stuttgart-Feuerbach, which was established in 1863 by Friedrich Carl Bauer and now operates in Kitzingen, under the name of Gretsch-Unitas. In 1914 “Sata” was registered as a trademark. In 2007 Sata celebrated a century in business. We're proud to use their spray guns in our paint department and will continue to work with them with advanced materials in years to come.

For base coat finishes we use the Sata Jet 5000 HVLP Digital. This was designed by Porsche Design Studio in collaboration with Sata to produce a gun thats functional, aesthetically pleasing and comfortable for the operator to use. Painters are able to fine tune the spray fan control, material flow control, as well as the air micrometer. When spraying clear coat we switch to a Satajet 5000 RP which is similar but sprays slower using lower air consumption which is better for us when spraying clear coat.

When spraying primer we use a Satajet 100 B F HVLP gun. Most body shops use cheap guns and don't really care about the primer stages, but the paint jobs base is really what determines the longevity and quality of the overall paint job. When spraying with a HVLP primer gun it's not only environmentally friendly, but also saves a lot of material which reduces required sanding effort. The air micrometer with graduations allow us to adjust the air atomisation. For polyester coatings normally sprayed over Fiberglass to do Gel coat repairs we us the Satajet 100 BF P polyester gun. To truly get a perfect finish, each stage from bare metal - to a finished surface must be fine tuned and analyzed for perfection. Otherwise, it will tumble from one weak link in the chain.

[Bradan]

At Bradan, we exclusively use Glasurit paint in our body shop. We are factory trained and certified, giving customers Galsurit's lifetime finish warranty. Our main paint system is Glasurit's 55 line solvent paint, which was used by most exotic vehicle manufacturers for decades. Glasurit is considered the best paint manufacturer in the world and has been in business since 1888. Their paint systems and processes which we strictly follow, are approved for refinishing by all leading vehicle manufacturers worldwide. They have the world's largest color data base, going back to the very first production cars. This allows us to convert absolute laquare colors into modern materials for a perfect paint match.

We flew to Münster, Germany to visit the Glasurit/BASF factory in person, touring their center of production, research/developmant and marketing. It's a mini-city inside the gates, filled with scientists passionate about manufacturing the world's best refinishing products.

Glasurit's history began in 1888 with Max Winkelmann founding a lacquers and paints company in Hamburg, Germany. The first paint was marketed under the name “Crystal White”. It was originally used for ocean liners and quickly expanded to customers in major shipyards and the German Kaiser. After being in business for 10 years, Mr. Wikelmann was making so many different products, he wanted to consolidate it under one brand name. The chosen name “Glasurit” was first trade registered over 100 years ago. The name “Glasur” means glaze or enamel, It reflects the enamel like glaze. In 1925 the parrot is registered as a protected trademark. The parrot's colors are the primary colors found in mixing paint.

In 1964, Glasurit lead the market with the introduction of the first metallic base coat paint for the automotive market. Then followed in 1992 with one of the first waterborne basecoat systems on the market. In 2018 Glasurit Celebrates 130 years in business - a true testament of a market leader.

[Bradan]

RTI perfect air setup installed. We have 7 stages of air filtration before its actually sprayed in the booth.

[Bradan]

Anti static nitrile air hose with HVLP air fittings. The air hose is a often overlooked source of dirt in the paint booth. A traditional air hose break down internally from bake cycles and starts to have rubber blowing out into the paint.