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Repairing Hail Damage

Feb. 22, 2005 4:34 p.m.

A Shoals business is cleaning up thanks to hundreds of customers who now need their cars repaired. Golf-ball size hail pelted many parts of downtown Florence Monday.

Dingmasters is a business that specializes in damage caused by severe weather. For them, business couldn't be better even though their customers say their cars have seen better days.

Jason Halloway was on his way home in his new car. He was heading down Savanah highway, almost to Florence, when hail as big as golf-balls came raining down.

"It really just kind of sounded like someone was on top of my car, beating it with a large type hammer," Halloway said.

The storm stretched from Mississippi all the way down to Atlanta.

Andy Terry said he doesn't mind hail. That's because he's made it his business. Over the last 24 hours, Dingmasters in Muscle Shoals has turned into one of the busiest places in town.

"The phones been going crazy since last night. The first cars are already arriving for their work," Terry said.

Between jobs in the garage, Terry and his crews have been giving estimates all day. Using a special tool and precise leverage, these specialists delicately massage out hail-dings. The advantage to the technique it it's paintless. Dents like little miniature craters left by the hail-stones can be removed without having the car re-painted.

Terry says some of his labor force has just left town. They're in Atlanta where 2 car dealerships have requested repairs for at least a thousand cars all damaged yesterday by hail.

Not all hail damage is visible at first glance, but it could be there. Andy terry says the best thing to do is take your car into a garage and scan a florescent light over it. If you have even minor hail damage, it should show-up.