Louisville is also for Tourists.

Our great city on the river is the largest in all of Kentucky.  You can watch a race at the famous Churchill Downs racetrack, visit the Kentucky Derby Museum, explore the Muhammad Ali Center, tour the Louisville Mega Cavern and more. Some of the best things to do in Louisville, with kids include the Kentucky Science Center, the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, the Frazier History Museum as well as the Louisville Zoo.

For example, The Kentucky Science Center on West Main Street was founded in 1871.  The 150,000 square foot main building was built in 1878 as a dry goods warehouse. The second building, the 37,000 square foot Alexander Building, was built in 1880.  These days, the center features a four-story digital theater, a Science Education Wing with hands-on workshop labs, and three floors of interactive exhibits.

Simply put, Louisville is for everyone…residents, neighbors, and visitors alike!  We here at The Don Embry Body Shop want to welcome friends and family who are visiting from out of town this holiday season.  Discover as much as you have time for during this holiday season and a very Merry Christmas to you and yours from our family at The Don Embry Body Shop.

Dealing with the Owner(s).

Wouldn’t that be refreshing?  How many times have we been on hold with companies both large and small while we are transferred from cubicle to cubicle?  It would sure be nice to talk to an owner (not just a supervisor) when you have important questions.  It doesn’t matter what the business or topic happens to be.

When it comes to auto body repair that is “your baby” in there being worked on for the purpose of returning it to the roads around Louisville looking as good as new.  Do you need a tow into the shop?  Perhaps you are in need of a rental car while your vehicle is being worked on.  Maybe you would just like to be reassured.

Meet Mike and Ryan Embry.  They are the co-owners of The Don Embry Body Shop (that was dad’s name) located at 8272 Dixie Highway in Louisville.  Do you have a question?  Mike or Ryan will answer it if you wish.  Whenever you need them, they are there serving the Louisville area for nearly six decades.  Call The Don Embry Body Shop at (502) 935-1373.

Dec 13 - 15, 2019 Louisville Christmas Gift and Decor Show Louisville, KY

2019 Louisville Christmas Gift and Decor Show Louisville, KY

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The Christmas Gift and Decor Show will be held on December 13-15, 2019. Start your Christmas shopping early. You'll find a unique collection of gifts, antiques, collectibles, jewelry, surplus, bath and body, crafts, candles, decor, clothes and much more. Kids could get a free picture with the Santa. Free admission. Hours: Fri 11am-8pm, Sat 10am-8pm, Sun 11am-5pm  

I Will Decide Where My Car Gets Repaired.

Contrary to what may be popular belief, you have no obligation to take your vehicle to be repaired at the auto body shop recommended by your insurance company…in most cases that is.  You may take your damaged vehicle to your preferred auto body repair shop and your insurance company is STILL obligated to pay for the repairs!

You may ask don’t insurance companies know what they’re doing when they recommend a repair shop to you?  No, not necessarily.  Many insurers have ongoing contracts with auto repair shops in a certain area, and they try to steer a significant percentage of their claims toward those shops.  The repair contracts allow insurance companies to meet claims at a lower cost to them.

To them, it’s just good business...to you, it may be the difference between the complete repair that your car needs and the one that it gets…courtesy of your insurance company.  Always get what you pay for in collision repair.  Trust the 50+ years of quality workmanship and care that you get in the Louisville area from Don Embry Body Shop at 8272 Dixie Highway.

How do Auto Body Frame Machines do their Job?

Now, there’s a topic of great national interest…NOT!  When you need your car’s frame straightened you must trust the frame machine to do its job.  Frame damage occurs in roughly 50 percent of all collisions.  If the frame of your vehicle gets damaged, you'll need the help of an  experienced auto body shop with the proper equipment to restore its shape.

Exactly what is an auto body frame machine?  A frame straightening machine consists of a platform large enough to hold a car, an SUV, or pickup truck.  It also has two or three upright posts that can be rotated 360-degrees and moved along the platform perimeter to work on different areas of a vehicle frame.

When a damaged vehicle is driven up onto the platform then bolted to the rigid clamps that hold it firmly in place so it can't move forward, backward or sideways.  We want you to know how The Don Embry Body Shop of Louisville is helping to get your car back on the road in like-new conditions.  Bring or have your vehicle towed into The Don Embry Body Shop located at 8272 Dixie Highway in Louisville.

Veterans Day 2019

Veterans Day 2019

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To honor those who are serving and who have served our country in military service, the Louisville Zoo is offering active and retired military and their dependents FREE general admission on Veterans Day, Monday, Nov. 11, 2019.  

These Days Dent Repair is a Whole New Game.

Here is a definition.  Paintless dent repair is also known as paintless dent removal.  It describes a method of removing minor dents from the body of your vehicle.  A wide range of damage can be repaired using paintless dent repair as long as the paint surface is intact.  Paintless dent repair may be used on both aluminum and steel panels.

Paintless dent repair was invented back in 1960.  We weren’t yet a flicker in Grandpa Embry’s eye!  The inventor Oskar Flaig used a hammer handle to push out a small dent, so he would need to apply less filler before painting.  These days the most common PDR techniques utilize metal rods and body picks to push out the dents from the underside of the body panel.

If your vehicle has dents, paintless dent repair may be just the answer for your vehicle.  For all of the latest techniques in body repair you can trust the half-century plus of experience that Don Embry Body Shop brings to the job.  When your car needs body work or painting call The Don Embry Body Shop at (502) 935-1373 and make an appointment at 8272 Dixie Highway in Louisville.  

“The World’s Largest Halloween Party!”

“The World’s Largest Halloween Party!”

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"If scary is no fun for your little ones, then don’t miss the sweetest party in town. Enjoy your Zoo magically transformed into a living storybook with costumed characters and trick-or-treating throughout the Zoo for kids 11 and under."

 

Knowing the Don’ts of our Industry.

We want you to be aware of both sides of the auto body repair industry.  Auto Body shops genuinely take pride in their work, but not every technician is the best in the business. Humans sometimes make mistakes. In some cases, technicians also get paid more if they can move cars through the shop faster. This incentivizes the less careful technicians to cut corners.

Here are some auto body repair mistakes of which to be aware –

1.  Sloppy paint work

2.  Colors that don’t match

3.  Not re-installing the equipment properly

4.  Neglecting to align the wheels

5.  Misaligned panels

Guess what?  Here at the Don Embry Body Shop we look for the same things…and more!  We haven’t been around for more than fifty-five years without paying attention to the smallest details.  If you want quality auto body work done in the Louisville area EVERY time, then let us work on your car.  We are the Don Embry Body Shop at 8272 Dixie Highway in Louisville.  Just call (502) 935-1373. 

Oktoberfest Louisville 2019

Oktoberfest Louisville 2019

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Oktoberfest season is the perfect time to enjoy all things beer. Celebrate Oktoberfest 2019 in Louisville through a variety of festivals, events, craft beer specials and more!

 

What to Do When Hiring a Body Shop.

Hiring the right body shop to repair your prized possession is a bit like hiring the right doctor.  After all, they will be healing your car and returning it to the road in like-new condition.  You want to make sure they have been around a long time with many satisfied customers.  May we turn your attention to donembrybodyshop.com and particularly the testimonials page?

Here are some of the comments of satisfied customers -”I want to thank you for the wonderful job you did on our car”.  “Thanks for the awesome job everyone did on the truck”.  “I can't put into words how grateful I am for your help”.  That is just a sampling of the gratitude expressed about the work of The Don Embry Body Shop.

If we shared comments of satisfied customers over the last 57 years we would be here for hours.  Suffice to say, if you hire The Don Embry Body Shop to repair or repaint your car here in the Louisville area, then you will probably be added to the long list of satisfied drivers.  The Don Embry Body Shop is located at 8272 Dixie Highway in Louisville.  Call (502) 935-1373. 

What are Airbags?

Did you know that when we began serving the Louisville area with the latest techniques in auto body repair there was no such thing as an air bag?  The reason we bring that up is that to stay ahead of the curve we must make sure that our techs are constantly being trained in the latest technology of our industry.

Here are some steps we must take to fix your car’s airbags after an accident –

1.  Resetting the light

2.  If they have been deployed, attempt to put them back in case they are needed again

3.  If necessary, being able to replace them with the same quality and efficiency

Replacing air bags is just on small aspect of the process that we follow in restoring your vehicle’s efficiency to where it was before this unfortunate mishap.  Here at Don Embry Body Shop we adhere to the same principles that our patriarch did well over 50 years ago.  The Don Embry Body Shop is located at 8272 Dixie Highway in Louisville.  Call (502) 935-1373.

"Bluegrass & Gold" IrishFest Pre-Game Party

"Bluegrass & Gold" IrishFest Pre-Game Party

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Mon, September 2, 2019

3:00 PM – 7:30 PM EDT

"The Notre Dame Club of Greater Louisville is proud to welcome the Fighting Irish football team to Louisville, Kentucky for the first time! We invite Notre Dame fans to join us before the football game for a party at the iconic Kentucky Derby Museum at Churchill Downs."

 

Water Lantern Festival Louisville, KY

Water Lantern Festival Louisville, KY

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"Water Lantern Festival is filled with fun, happiness, hope, and great memories that you'll cherish for a lifetime. This is a family friendly event that can be shared by everyone. Friends, families, neighbors, and lots of people that you haven't met can come together to create a peaceful, memorable experience." 

Straiten Up and Drive Right!

Maybe your parents used to say something similar (except the drive part).  Here, we are referring to frame straitening when your vehicle is damaged in an accident.  In case you didn’t know, the two types of automobile construction are body-on-frame and unibody.  Let us explore those two types if we may.

Body-on-frame is mostly used for trucks and SUVs.  Unibody is the construction used for most automobiles and smaller crossover SUVs.  There are even some vehicles out there that combine these two designs such as the Jeep Cherokee.  The frame is designed for an obvious reason…to provide safety in the event of a collision.

It is all about state-of-the-art workmanship and equipment.  That is what you will find at Don Embry Body Shop serving the Louisville area for more than five and half decades.  The crew at the shop takes great pride in returning your vehicle to the roadways of Louisville in like-new condition.  The Don Embry Body Shop is at 8272 Dixie Highway.  Call (502) 935-1373.

Aluminum Welding.

This is an integral part of what we do.  When we weld aluminum, we must take care to clean the base material and remove any aluminum oxide and hydrocarbon contamination from oils or solvents.  Aluminum oxide located on the surface melts at 3700 degrees while the base material underneath melts at about 1200 degrees.

Tungsten inert gas (or…TIG) welding is the primary method used to weld aluminum.  The aluminum work piece requires a lot of heat to get up to temperature.  Metal inert gas (or…MIG) welding can be successfully used to weld aluminum as well.  The welder must decide whether spray arc welding or pulse welding methods will be used.

It is a science and one that we have mastered at Don Embry Body Shop in Louisville.  When we opened under the name of our patriarch Don things were very different in the auto body repair business.  We have grown with the times and now employ the very best welders in the Louisville area.  When you need us just call (502) 935-1373 or stop by at 8272 Dixie Highway.

The Backbone of any Great Business.

What is it?  Longevity, for sure (well over a half-century) and counting.  Family owned…ditto.  And, above all, testimonials from satisfied customers.  If we listed all of the rave reviews we have received since 1962 you would be fatigued reading them all, so if you will indulge us, here are some of the recent testimonials.

“I have been thoroughly impressed with the repairs you made to the damaged floor…of my Volkswagen Jetta”.  “You went up and beyond of what anyone could expect”.  “Thanks for the awesome job everyone did on the truck.  I couldn’t be happier with the repairs”.  And the hits just keep on coming!.

We are The Don Embry Body Shop.  We are humbled by the response that we have received from three generations of customers in the Louisville area.  In the future, we will attempt to earn the respect of yet another generation.  For the very best in auto body repair in the Louisville area you can count on us…The Don Embry Body Shop at 8272 Dixie Highway.

What Body Shops Won’t Tell You.

I’ll bet you did not expect to see this coming from this post, but we want you to know some of the things you might hear when your vehicle is damaged in a collision.  They are not always the truth and nothing but the truth.  Read between the lines when an auto body repair shop tells you something that they want you to take at face value.

Here are some of those things –

1.  A fender bender is always a major expense

2.  Approved shops are beholden to the insurance company

3.  You don’t necessarily need OEM parts

4.  A due date means little or nothing

5.  A shop needs to know everything about the make and model of your car

We at The Don Embry Body Shop have heard most of the horror stories from our customers who have talked to others.  That is how we have stood the test of time.  For 57 years we have served the Louisville area with professionalism and integrity.  If you have a need for collision repair or auto painting please stop by 8272 Dixie Highway or call (502) 935-1373.

PDR…ASAP.

PDR…Paintless Dent Repair.  If done right, no one will know that your vehicle has ever been in an accident.  As far as body damage goes, shallow dents are not really a big deal. They affect the outermost layer of the car only and their negative repercussions are mostly aesthetic. That is, of course, assuming the impact was soft enough that the paint remained intact.

Like most car repairs, you have two options…bust out your toolbox or hire a pro.  This job will require special tools, of course.  And, who knows?   Maybe you'll get so good you can moonlight as a mobile paintless dent removal technician, showing off your newly-flawless ride to prospective customers.  Dare to dream!

There may be a better solution.  Call the paintless dent repair professionals at Don Embry Body Shop.  They have been removing dents and scratches from Louisville area vehicles for over 55 years.  That is even before anyone knew what paintless dent removal even was!  Call The Don Embry Body Shop at (502) 935-1373 or visit their shop at 8272 Dixie Highway in Louisville.

Aluminum Welding 101.

We wanted to address this again, because of its importance to the future of your car.  A sound weld is all about chemistry, reduction of hydrocarbons, and the proper technique by the body shop.  The characteristics of aluminum differ from steel in several ways.  For one thing, the melting point of aluminum is much lower than that of steel.

Hydrogen is very soluble in liquid aluminum.  As the filler material and aluminum base metal become liquid during the welding process, they absorb hydrogen and can hold it in solution.  A helium/argon shielding gas mixture can be used to combat any issues of porosity (the quality of being porous) if all other options have been tried.

At Don Embry Body Shop, we take extreme pride in our welding technicians whether it involves aluminum or steel.  People of Louisville, KY and the surrounding area have trusted Don Embry Body Shop for more than five decades for all of their vehicle’s body repairs.  Just call ahead for an appointment at their 8272 Dixie Highway location (502) 935-1373.  

Don’t Come Unhinged.

Especially after a minor car accident, you don’t want the driver’s side door to work any differently than it did before the collision.  Maybe the window won’t go down and it scrapes against the dent.  Maybe a body shop will just pull out the dent and repair the door.  Regardless, anything less than perfect is unacceptable!

Hopefully, it’s not likely any suspension damage or alignment problems occurred since the damage was not hard.  In minor collisions the police will not even show up at the scene, so whose fault it is will not factor into whether or not you need some repairs on your driver’s side door.  It just is what it is as the old saying goes.

We bring this to your attention for one simple reason.  At Don Embry Body Shop we have seen just about every type of collision damage since 1962.  If you live in the Louisville area, chances are you love your car maybe even more than horse racing.  We want your car to look and run like new, so give us a call at (502) 935-1373 and make an appointment at 8272 Dixie Highway. 

Will it Ever Look the Same Again?

After an auto accident the second thing on your mind (after the well-being of everyone involved) is will my vehicle ever look and drive the same way again?  That’s a question you hope you never have to ask.  With the way cars are manufactured today, about 50% of all traffic accidents result in some kind of damage to the core inner frame of your vehicle.

Blame that fact on enhanced safety standards.  The advent of “crumple zones” built into 21st-century cars, trucks and SUVs means your vehicle has many design elements that are intended to absorb the impact of a collision.  That’s a very good thing, but even in low-speed collisions new cars can suffer significant damage to the outer shell and frame.

Fear not, the Don Embry Body Shop is here to reduce your angst!  The Don Embry Body Shop located at 8272 Dixie Highway in Louisville has served the auto body repair needs of the Louisville area for more than 55 years.  They have stayed on top of the technology that made the ’64 Chevy a different type of repair than a 2019 Honda Civic.  Call them at (502) 935-1373.    

PDR…ASAP.

These are letters to live by if you have been in a car accident.   As far as body damage goes, shallow dents are basically no biggie.  They affect the outermost layer of the car only and their negative repercussions are mostly aesthetic.  Now, if your paint was chipped, then it is NOT a candidate for PDR…Paintless Dent Removal.

As with most car repairs, you have two options…bust out your toolbox or hire a pro.  This job will require special tools and you simply MUST use them correctly!  Now, you have reached a tipping point.  That is, how much auto body work do YOU want to do knowing that there will be a day of reckoning at trade-in time?

Why not avoid the hassle and the possible penalty of doing it wrong?  Drive over to The Don Embry Body Shop located at 8272 Dixie Highway in Louisville.  The Embry’s have proudly served the Louisville area with quality auto body repair for well over five decades.  You can make an appointment by calling (502) 935-1373.

How Much is on You?

If you ever have a car accident you may be faced with an interesting choice.  You probably have a deductible as high as $2500.  That’s right, some policies carry a $2500 deductible!  Whatever it might be you have to decide if you want to pay, maybe $500 when the entire repair job is estimated at around $1000.

Here are some important things to remember after an accident –

1.  If someone else is at fault you don’t necessarily have to go through YOUR insurance.

2.  Choose your own body shop.

3.  You might decide not to fix it at all.

4.  Both sides have to agree on the final check.

In Louisville it often boils down to going to the place where your father and his father before him went to have their cars repaired.  That is The Don Embry Body Shop serving this area for well over five-and-a-half decades.  The Don Embry Body Shop is located at 8272 Dixie Highway.  Get a quote by making an appointment at (502) 935-1373.

Where were You Hit?

It’s one of the questions that is asked after a car accident.  Where the impact occurred could have a great deal of “impact” as to what has been damaged on your vehicle.  Most late model cars on the market come with remote keyless entry capability.  When that gets damaged on your ride it can really paralyze your driving ability.

After an accident the shop that you take it to should use your keyless entry at close range, listening to your vehicle as they press the buttons.  They should be able to hear the vehicle make a "click" when it receives the information from the remote, which will tell them that the remote is working.  If this is the case, the issue is in the car rather than the remote.

That is where the experts at The Don Embry Body Shop go to work.  They are trained to troubleshoot a number of possible problems that may occur after a collision.  For over 50 years Louisville area residents have counted on The Don Embry Body Shop to get them back on the road as good as new.  Make an appointment at 8272 Dixie Highway by calling (502) 935-1373.

The Difference Between Aluminum and Steel Welding.

A great auto body repair shop is proficient at both.  Since aluminum is much lighter than steel the aluminum welds solidify much faster than a steel weld.  Aluminum welding is a little trickier, so the auto body repair expert must treat the metal a little differently because aluminum has different properties.

One of the pitfalls is that the welder uses the color of the heated metal to keep track of their progress when working with steel.  When it comes to aluminum, it doesn't show color quite as well, and the molten metal looks silvery but is less obvious.  If one is not careful, he can end up with a puddle of liquid metal dripping away leaving a hole in its wake.

We know that 99% of you out there are not concerned about the intricacies of aluminum vs. steel welding.  You can bet that WE are.  Here at The Don Embry Body Shop we have witnessed the advances in auto body repair for well over five decades.  We will be there at 8272 Dixie Highway in Louisville if you need us.  Just call (502) 935-1373.

It’s the Little Extras that Matter.

Isn’t that always the case in business?  So many times, it is the attention to every detail that makes you want to be a loyal customer of that firm.  For example, the bank gives the kids (we’re all kids in this case) a sucker.  The restaurant hands you a 15% off coupon good for your next visit to their establishment.

At The Don Embry Body Shop we have learned over the last half-century plus that people who live in Louisville and the surrounding area like thoughtful amenities.  We wish that were true at Churchill Downs when your horse loses by a nose!  Do you need a rental car?  Let us know.  Does your vehicle need to be picked up?

Maybe some body shops don’t bring up those Q&A’s when you need to know the answers, but we are always trying to make your experience more tolerable.  Nobody looks forward to auto body repair.    For the most painless experience you could possibly have after a car accident in the Louisville area please call us at The Don Embry Body Shop (402) 935-1373.

Mommy, Where Does Auto Paint Come From?

This is not likely to be a question that your wide-eyed daughter will ask you.  You may rarely need to even think about what is contained in auto paint and how it is administered.  Since you have trusted us with your vehicle (or intend to do so in the future) we want you to know more about our particular auto paint.

We specialize in Akzo Noble's Sikkens refinishing materials.  We believe it to be the best in the business of auto body repair.  Will it be necessary to use a clear-coat?  Almost certainly it will.  It makes the paint on your car shine.  The clear creates a chemical bond with the base color that makes it weather resistant.

When you have been around for more than 55 years as we have at The Don Embry Body Shop we have learned, retained, and grown.  We hire very, very carefully so that we can continue to provide the Louisville area with the best auto body repair.  Please give us a call at The Don Embry Body Shop.  That’s (502) 935-1373 or stop in at 8272 Dixie Highway in Louisville.

Black Ice = Danger.

Black ice in the Louisville area is a secret nemesis.  It is that thin, almost unnoticeable sheet of ice that forms when cold weather meets wet weather.  Even when the temperature is above freezing black ice can form.  The air suddenly warms after a prolonged warm spell, but the surface of the road is well below the freezing mark.

If you see black ice on the roadway as you are approaching you will probably run into it.  Your first reaction as a driver should be to remain calm.  DO NOT hit the brakes!  That means don’t even tap them.  Allow your vehicle to pass over the ice, and naturally try to reduce your speed before you hit the ice itself.

Even the most cautious among us may have a black ice related accident this winter.  If it requires auto body repair in the Louisville area, we understand.  We are The Don Embry Body Shop serving the Louisville area with auto body repair work for well over five decades.  Just give us a call at (502) 935-1373, or if you can, drive into our shop at 8272 Dixie Highway. 

16 Louisville Events & Happenings: January 2019

16 Louisville Events & Happenings: January 2019

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"January is a great time to hit the reset button in your life. It’s a time to be inspired and a time to try new things — especially new experiences! And Louisville is chock-full of unforgettable events this month."

 

The Importance of a Test Weld.

Within the auto body repair industry there has been a lot of discussion over the subject of “test welds”.  It is done prior to performing the actual task.  For example, there may be vehicle-specific variables that could increase or decrease the amount of welding machine set-up time and pre-weld preparation needed.

Paint departments in body shops for decades have been a perfect example of what has become a standard test procedure.  It is not normal practice to read a color code, go to the mix computer, type in the code, select the first variant that pops up, then mix the paint and paint the vehicle, expecting it to match perfectly.

Times change and when you have been in business for well over half a century you need to change with them.  That is what we do at Don Embry Body Shop.  From the beginning of the Mustang until now Don Embry Body Shop has served the auto body repair needs of the greater Louisville area.  Just give us a call and experience that for yourself at (502) 935-1373.