Monterey Collision & Auto Repair

from the website This first Monday of this September is better known as Labor Day! This holiday serves as a symbol of the progress and achievement of the working people. There is also a second meaning to Labor Day in which most Americans consider Labor Day to mark the end of summer!    This labor day, we want to acknowledge our hard-working employees who contribute directly towards the amazing work done here at CARSTAR Robert's Collision in Monterey. Without the dedication and commitment of our employees, we would not be able to provide the exceptional service in which we take pride in ourselves.    We encourage you to check out our reviews which highlight the fantastic work done by the leading auto repair team in the Monterey peninsula! We would also like to invite you to check out this video about our customer service!  If you have any questions regarding ... read more

Sunburnt paint. We've all seen it. That beautiful brightly colored car paint fades and chips away when exposed to the elements for too long. Most people would say that this is a process everybody goes through sooner or later. However, it should not be like that! If we just followed a couple of simple steps, we could prevent ourselves from the headaches of repairing the car paint of a sun-damaged car. Here's what to do. Park under trees.  In most cases, wherever you go, there's usually a tree or two by the parking lot. The trees help shade your car, which keeps your car cooler. But watch out for tree sap getting on your paint job!  But what if there are no trees?  Whenever possible, seek out covered parking lots or garages that block out the sun's UV rays. These covered parking places may not be offered for free. However, most stores allow you to park for free for 2 hours. This is more than enough time to conduct your business and keep your car fresh ... read more

This month, CARSTAR Robert’s Collision wants to highlight and celebrate one of our partners: Permit General Insurance.    Permit General works with CARSTAR Robert’s Collision as a direct repair shop. Permit General Insurance offers automotive insurance that has a variety of coverage plans that help clients find the best auto insurance for their needs.   At CARSTAR Robert’s Collision, we work closely with insurance providers to provide easy, convenient service and communication to our mutual clients. Our combined goal is to make your auto body repairs seamless and hassle-free, with high-quality customer service. Here are some videos showing the entire customer service experience and repair process when you work with CARSTAR Robert’s Collision:   If your vehicle needs auto body repair and you have questions for our tea ... read more

Lucky for us on the Monterey Peninsula, we can take a road trip to Big Sur in less than an hour. Photo by Spencer Davis on Unsplash   Now that the pandemic appears to be under control for the moment and it’s summertime, so many folks are itching to travel. We can’t blame them, for we like to travel, too.    Lucky for us, we live here in paradise on the Monterey Peninsula and there’s no real need for us to get out of town. But when we do travel, we like to have our favorite road trip playlists on tap for summertime fun.    Here are some of our fave road trip playlists on Spotify:   Summer Road Trip 2021 on Spotify, a playlist created by Hugo Deroussent ... read more

Photo by Denin Lawley on Unsplash   Have you ever seen how a car’s paint job can fade and peel over time? What causes the paint on an automobile to lose its brightness and start to flake off? Can it be prevented?   The short answer is yes, you can protect your truck’s paint from fading, cracking, peeling, and oxidizing. But first, let’s explain why car paint peels and fades over time.   Exposure to the sun and salt water will make the color -- especially red, which is the fastest of all colors to fade -- lose its shine and reduce the saturation of the paint color. This is caused by oxidation. Over time, oxidation will cause the paint to peel and chip away.   Dings, scratches, and dents ... read more

*UPDATED 10/16/23* Zoom Calls and Road Safety: CARSTAR Robert's Collision's Updated Perspective At CARSTAR Robert's Collision, your safety on the road is our top priority. In a world where technology has become an integral part of our lives, we understand the challenges that come with it. In a world that's constantly evolving, we've adapted too. We've narrowed our focus to become the go-to experts for collision repair and bodywork, and we're now known as CARSTAR Robert's Collision. Our commitment to your safety remains unwavering. In a previous blog post, we discussed the "Zoom Zombie" effect, a term coined to describe the challenges people face when transitioning from a video conference call to driving. The data showed that many individuals have trouble concentrating on the road after being engrossed in a virtual meeting. Studies conducted in various metropolitan areas across the country revealed some intriguing findings, and the statistics ... read more

Throughout the pandemic, we have seen quite a bit of cruising around the Monterey Peninsula. Even though Monterey County has not left the purple tier of shelter in place restrictions, many visitors from outside the area visit us and cruise around in their classic, souped-up, exotic, or everyday cars.  Cruising is a relatively safe, socially distanced activity that has regained popularity among people who need to get out of the house. We cannot blame them for wanting to drive their beautiful vehicles to see the breathtaking beauty of Monterey Bay. Here are a few photos of some exceptional cruising cars that were parked along Cannery Row in 2020. If you want to go on an adventure, here's our advice. Hop in the car and head out for some cruising along the Monterey Peninsula. However, we ask you to please be considerate of our COVID restrictions, social distancing requirements, outdoor dining restrictions, limited access to public restrooms, and -- most importantly -- wear your ... read more

This month, CARSTAR Robert’s Collision wants to highlight and celebrate one of our partners: Progressive Insurance.  Unless you’ve been living under a rock somewhere, you probably know Flo, the spokeswoman for Progressive Insurance. She’s quite a character, as you can see from this commercial compilation: Together, we do our part to provide easy, convenient service and communication to our mutual clients. Our combined goal is to make your auto body repairs seamless and hassle-free, with high-quality customer service. Here are some videos showing the entire customer service experience and repair process when you work with CARSTAR Robert’s Collision: For additional information about Progressive Insurance and how to place a claim after you suffer an auto accident, you’ll find a wealth of material here: https://www.progressive.com/c ... read more

One of the biggest reasons why people get into car accidents is because of poor visibility.  “I didn’t see it/him/her/them coming!” is a common statement uttered by the wayward driver who caused the accident.  To lower your risk of an unwanted collision, the auto body repair team at CARSTAR Robert’s Collision has 5 helpful tips to improve your visibility so you can have an easier time avoiding accidents. Keep your windows clean, inside and out. Change your windshield wipers when they get worn out. Adjust your mirrors to reduce blindspots. Wear the appropriate eyewear. Put on your sunglasses and lower your visors when facing direct sunlight. Wear anti-glare corrective lenses while driving at night. Prevent your passengers and cargo from blocking your view. Of course, weather can greatly contribute to poor visibility. To reduce your chances of not seeing what is in front of your while driving in fog, rain, snow, fleet, and more, check out this vid ... read more

When it’s time for Spring Break, we like to go and explore. Of course, we’re not out of the woods with the COVID pandemic, so California is not completely open yet. However, it’s still possible for us to hop in the car and take a day trip or a camping trip for a week. When traveling in the car for a few hours each day, we like to play songs that make us reflect, get into the road trip groove, and create new memories. To help you with your own Spring Break road trip planning, here are a few of our favorite road trip music playlists for Spring. If you like Indie, Pop, Folk, and Rock, try this YouTube playlist from alexrainbirdMusic: If you prefer a relaxing, downtempo, deep house, chill music, check out this YouTube playlist from ChillYourMind: If you have a Spotify account, here is a popular Spring Break road trip playlist:  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4LdOTo2Wrw9a ... read more

As we March into Spring, dirt, and pollen tends to dust our cars, inside and out. At CARSTAR Robert's Collision in Monterey, we have a detailing center that can help you Spring Clean the interior and exterior of your vehicle. Our goal is to make every vehicle sparkle and shine like they did before an accident scuffed them up at our auto body shop. That is why the CARSTAR Robert's Collision team are experts in cleaning a vehicle inside and out so we can prepare it for a fresh coat of paint. After the paint dries, our detailing team uses their tools and equipment to make your vehicle appear as good as new. But we realize that not everyone on the Monterey Peninsula is currently in need of auto body repair and complete auto detailing, inside and out. That is why we are sharing some videos teaching you how to Spring Clean both your vehicle's interior and exterior. If you want your engine compartment to be car-show ready, watch this video:   If you want to deep clean the ... read more

Have you ever noticed on a colder-than-average morning here in Monterey County, your vehicle notifies you that your tires are under-inflated?  If you have experienced that, it is a function of your car’s TPMS, which is the Tire Pressure Monitoring System. Cool, huh? Modern vehicles are pretty darned smart. There are numerous computer modules and sensors throughout your car, and the TPMS is one of them. But what exactly does your TPMS do, and what is it trying to tell you? To break it down to its essence, the Tire Pressure Monitoring System senses if your tires are under-inflated, over-inflated, or just right. Before the TPMS became a standard dashboard light feature in modern vehicles, drivers were taught to inspect their tires each time before they got in the car. That is why you hear colloquialisms like “tire kicking” and “kicking tires”. A visual inspection before each trip would give the driver an idea if the tires had a flat or if they were sa ... read more

Years ago, our auto body repair shop was the first of all auto repair shops to receive Green certification from the Monterey Bay Area Green Business Program. To obtain this green certification, we had to employ various procedures that prove to be environmentally friendly. One of the major things that helped us earn that certification was our use of waterborne paint. CARSTAR Robert’s Collision was the first and only Green shop in the area using waterborne paint. This type of paint is water-based and the leading auto body paints in the industry that is eco-friendly. Using waterborne paint instead of more harmful kinds is better for the environment and your vehicle for several reasons:   First of all, we don’t have to sacrifice quality. This technology reduces hazardous waste that negatively impacts the environment as well as our employees. When waterborne paint is used, it serves an effective solution for lowering volatile organic compound emissions.  Waterbor ... read more

While trick-or-treating may not be an option this year, there’s no reason you can’t still show off your Halloween spirit! From dressing up throughout the month of October, decorating your house and front yard, and even getting a costume for your car, there’s no end to the fun you can have this Halloween season. Keep reading to see some great Halloween ideas to dress up your car! Halloween Window Paint For those who like to keep things low key but still enjoy showing off their festive spirit in a more artistic fashion, Halloween window paint is a great option. Paint on spooky ghosts, jack-o-lanterns, bats, or even a whole Halloween-themed masterpiece! There’s no end to the fun designs you could come up with, and it’s a great way to get the kids involved with a fun, creative, and simple Halloween activity.  Halloween Decals and Magnets If you aren’t the artsy type, but are still into the easy Halloween decor, th ... read more

Photo by Luca Peng on Unsplash At CARSTAR Robert's Collision and Repair, we know that traveling with your beloved pets can be a constant struggle. To help you make the most of your driving time with your pets and keep your family's smaller extensions safe and happy, take a look at this list of tips and tricks to traveling with pets! Before any extended travel, you should always make sure your pets are healthy to do so. Take them to the veterinarian for a checkup, make sure all their vaccinations are up-to-date and copy those records with you. If you're planning on flying with an airline, these records are required. Making sure your pets stay healthy means you also need to bring along enough of their regular food, medication, and water for them to last the duration of the trip. Traveling for humans and pets is a little different depending on what kind of a ... read more

This COVID-19 pandemic has really changed our “normal” way of life here on the Monterey Peninsula, hasn’t it? Since March, we have been encouraged to Shelter In Place, stay at home, only travel for essential business, and stay in our neighborhoods. Multiple events have been canceled, and one of them is our beloved Monterey Car Week. Monterey Car Week is an annual event that many of us -- especially die-hard auto enthusiasts -- look forward to every year. We have made it an annual tradition of sending our marketing gal out to the various open-to-the-public car shows to take photos and share them with our car buddies. We are truly going to miss celebrating Monterey Car Week, for it is an event that brings in approximately $50 Million in annual revenue for the hotels, restaurants, venues, and supporting industries on the Monterey Peninsula. With deep respect, we honor the intention of reducing the risk of exposure to the COVID-19 virus, and we do encourage everyone to ... read more

Window tint - Pros and Cons Tinted windows are great for a number of reasons. They can block dangerous UV rays, they look good, and also offer some privacy, so you don't feel like you are driving in a fishbowl when on the road. Keep in mind; there is such a thing as too dark of tint.   Is It Legal? In the south, we encounter many cars with really dark tinted windows. The advantage of dark tint is heat repellant and UV ray reduction. The intense heat of the south does tend to tax your air conditioner, so it is an advantage. As we move to the northern states, dark tint tends to signal that whoever is inside may have reason to hide. Many states have laws in place to limit the tinting of vehicle windows.   Vision Limitation Yes, tinted windows can keep your eyes from sun damage, on darker days, that same tint can impede your vision. Missing an animal crossing the road, a car without headlights, or worse yet, a child running into the way could mean ultimate disaster. It ... read more

  At CARSTAR Robert’s Collision and Repair, we know you love your car as much as we do, so we put together a list of car cleaning hacks with handy items already in your home. We hope these hacks are helpful!   Toothbrush cleaning tools Use an old toothbrush to scrub your dash, vents, and console. Toothbrushes are very handy when getting into tight spaces that need a scrub.   Toothpaste your headlights It might sound funny, but headlight lenses get cloudy over time after being exposed to the sun. One way to clear your headlamps and brighten the road is to take some toothpaste and a towel and get scrubbing. It may take an application or two, but the results you will see are impressive!   Q-tip cleaning When nooks and crannies are challenging to get into, grab a Q-tip, and get to rubbing. Q-tips are especially great for cleaning your vent corners and between the shifting lever.   Magic Eraser on vinyl and leather stains Are you finding dirt and ... read more

  Knowing you can safely stop at a short distance is vital to safety on the road. Your brakes are one of the most essential and critical safety features on your vehicle.  Braking systems made up of a series of mechanical parts and sensors on modern cars, each piece plays an important role, and all work together to ensure sufficient stopping power.    You are most likely familiar with some of the parts of your braking system. There are several components, such as a brake pedal, and lesser-known parts such as the master cylinder, brake lines, fluid, pads, rotors, or drums. Older vehicles came with drum brakes; however, these days, vehicles are equipped with rotors, which reduces stress and stopping distance. All of these parts within your braking system work together as a team. They are activated by the brake pedal to slow or stop your vehicle. Driving a car with bad brakes can be a harrowing white-knuckle experience, especially when driving on our freeway system ... read more

  Accelerating and decelerating should be a smooth, uneventful process. If you feel your car shifting hard, be sure to bring it to the auto mechanics at CARSTAR Robert's Collision and Repair in Monterey, your one-stop repair shop. Catching your shifting issues early can save you a lot of money and be as easy as an adjustment.   Some folks say a clutch is the foot pedal to the left of your brake on the floor of your manual transmission vehicle. Yes, they are half right, the far-left foot pedal is the actual switch which activated the clutch assembly. However, the location of the clutch itself is in your transmission. Does your automatic have a clutch? The answer is yes. An automatic transmission does have a clutch in addition to having sensors automating the activation process, so no foot pedal is needed when driving.   There are five main parts in your clutch that, together, work to sync your engine and wheels, allowing your engine to rev at full speed while you ... read more

Spring is here, and that means it’s time for some good old fashioned spring cleaning. That’s why April is perfect for National Car Care Month and if you can create the habit of regular maintenance for your car, you’ll help extend its life as well as maximize performance. We should all have cars that look as good as this classic Mercedes-Benz! Keeping your clean will also help to get the most out of your paint job and your interior. Extending the life of all parts of your vehicle is within your grasp! So much you can do on your own, but when you need help, Robert’s Collision & Repair is here to help with the more significant issues as well as being able to provide you with the very best in detailing service that you just cannot do on your own! When you are ready to start a routine for your car, begin with your owner’s manual! Funny how it hides behind all of the things you’ve shoved in there when making room for someone to sit in the passenger ... read more

Apparently, there are PLENTY of people around the globe who will pay that and more! For more than 99% of the world’s population, however, that’s an event that is difficult to even begin to conceive. Bugatti, Lamborghini, Aston Martin… those are just a few in the million-dollar club. McLaren stands among (in not above) them and brings its own uniqueness to the lineup.   In 1953, at the age of 15, Bruce McLaren retrofitted an Austin 7 Ulster (all on his own!) into a racing spec and won his first ever race. By the time he hit 22, he became the youngest race car driver to ever win a formula one race in history. In 1963 he began his own company; Bruce McLaren Motor Racing, LTD. At the time, it was all about the racetrack, but Bruce had a vision of bringing racing technology to street cars. He was a dreamer and a visionary. In 1970 when the first street McLaren was in the prototyping stage, he died in a crash while testing a new race car. The McLaren M6GT prototype wa ... read more

Americans love cars. To us, they are a symbol of freedom, independence and even if the make is foreign, part of the American dream. Also, there’s nothing better than spending an afternoon, or sometimes even a week, checking out the cars that are part of our history and heritage, or getting a glimpse at what the future holds. If you are a car-show enthusiast, these 10 should be on your bucket list. Some you can even squeeze in this summer and then put the rest on your calendar for next year.  This first one is right in our backyard and is coming up next month, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. This show is part of an entire week of car shows, also worthing of your time. This is a vintage show with around 200 collector vehicles on display, and they usually reveal a surprise upcoming product from one of the auto industry leaders.  The largest and longest running car show in the U.S. is the Chicago Auto Show. This event boasts over one million square feet of sho ... read more

  By now, just about everyone on Earth knows that Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk chose to launch his red Tesla Roadster into space on February 2, 2018, atop the maiden flight of that company’s Falcon Heavy rocket. It carried a mannequin named “Starman” dressed in a space suit and the car’s dashboard screen displayed the message “Don’t Panic” while David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” played on the car’s sound system. Hmm. Some might find this a bit odd…others think it’s kind of intriguing while others still think it’s a monumental waste of a cool car. Whatever the public opinion, one thing is absolutely true: the stunt generated a huge amount of interest in SpaceX and its new generation of a launch vehicle, a rocket that is now the most powerful rocket now operational. For its first flight, a weighted payload was necessary, and typically, NASA would have used concrete blocks to simulate the weight of car ... read more

  Doc Brown would be proud. Nooka was an American company that designed and produced lifestyle merchandise from, 2004 to 2016. Initially, they were known for avant-garde watches. Founded in New York, NY by artist Matthew Waldman, the company’s products explored the intersection of design and technology. In 2012, Nooka decided to repurpose a few Delorean sports cars as New York City taxicabs. The stunt was intended as promotion for the company. the automobiles have ‘come to symbolize the future’ and communicate the brand’s ‘futuristic philosophy.’ According to Nick Lubrano, the Nooka designer who carried out the concept, “The automobiles have come to symbolize the future and communicate the brand’s futuristic philosophy.” Building the cars in Ireland between 1981 and 1983, the Delorean company eventually folded, due in part to some shady business practices perpetrated by its eponymous founder, John Delorean. But the car&rs ... read more

  When the now-completed roundabout project was first announced, it was met with skepticism. But since its completion, the newly-designed intersection has significantly reduced the bottleneck of traffic that was a daily nuisance on the Holman Highway/Highway 1 merge.   Experienced drivers are having no trouble navigating the feature, and even first-time drivers seem to get the hang of the technique quickly. For those who have not driven through a roundabout before, the City of Monterey and The Transportation Agency for Monterey County produced a fun video demonstrating how it’s done. Click on the photo below to watch it:     There are now roundabouts in other areas of the Monterey Peninsula, including Marina and some Monterey neighborhoods. And transportation officials are considering more--most notably on the always congested Highway 68 corridor between Monterey and ... read more

Car week in Monterey takes place August 11 - 20, and it just so happens to be one of our favorite events here on the Monterey Peninsula! This year’s events will be scattered across Seaside, Monterey, Carmel, Pacific Grove, and Pebble Beach. Monterey Car Week has become one of the most popular car shows in the world. Considering the week-long festivities and famous cars and car designs, it’s no wonder why! The show starts off on Alvarado Street in downtown Monterey with a car show that has over 30 classic cars lining the roads. The events later on in the week at Pebble Beach are so revered that many sponsors and car makers use the stage to introduce new car models and even offer test drives! The sponsors are not only car companies, they are also sponsored by Rolex and a handful of yacht and private jet representatives. It’s certainly a high mark for the attendants to meet, but the great thing about Car Week is that as long as you have a love for cars and make some tim ... read more

Auto Week is action-packed with a variety of activities for participants and spectators, alike. No matter the event or activity, we are all brought together over one singular passion: cars. Auto Week is an excellent way for us to share our enthusiasm for cars. With such a fun and exciting week ahead, we think it is important to be prepared. Robert’s Collision & Repair has compiled a helpful list of auto week preparation tips:   We recommend dressing for comfort, instead of for style. Don’t forget to take a look at the weather report, before deciding on your outfit. Check each event’s policies and procedures ahead of time. Look to see if the event has any restrictive policies, such as no pets or large bags. Thoroughly plan your day ahead of time. Before the event, decide where you should park, or if there is shuttle service. Bring a camera! This is a fun week, and of course, a photograph will make the moment last just a bit longer. Go as early as p ... read more

Auto Week is almost here. It is time to start getting your car looking fabulous for the upcoming shows on the Monterey Peninsula. It doesn’t matter if you are entering a car show or just going to watch, but you should have your car look its best. Here are a few tips and tricks to make sure your vehicle is show ready:   Don’t forget to clean the engine compartment and undercarriage of your engine. After a wash, we recommend drying it with a chamois or a microfiber towel. Only apply tire dressing, after the tires are completely dry. Make sure to clean surface impurities. You can use a certain type of polish to clean your car and ultimately, restore its shine. Don’t forget to clean your car’s windows. Try not to use Windex, as this is not designed specifically for cars and may damage your car’s interior. You can use newspapers and hot water or cleaner developed specifically for vehicles. Carefully inspect your car for organization and neatnes ... read more

This year’s car show and festival season are just around the corner. Is your car in tip-top shape, both exteriorly and interiorly? Our team would be delighted to answer that question. When you bring your vehicle in Robert’s Collision and Repair, our team will:   Detail and wash your car to perfection. At our 26,000 square foot facility, we will thoroughly detail your vehicle. Your car’s paint will sparkle. Your wheels and tires will shine. Your car’s carpet will smell and look fresh. Our detailing service is the ultimate facial for your beloved vehicle. We boast the latest and most advanced technology in the industry to service and repair your vehicle. From digital photo imaging to computerized paint mixing, we have it all, and we are not afraid to use it. Your car will in pristine condition for the upcoming show and festival season. Does your vehicle need new tires? Look no further than Robert’s Collision & Repair. Our tire center is here t ... read more

It’s time, and we’re off to a “good start”. Get ready for Auto Week on the Monterey Peninsula! This blog is designed to direct you to the scheduled events throughout the week of August 11th through the 17th. Tuesday, 8/12/14
* Automobilia Monterey
Tuesday, August 12, 2014: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Location: The Embassy Suites - 1441 Canyon Del Rey
Admission: Check website for prices * Concours on the Avenue
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Location: Ocean Avenue, Carmel-By-The-Sea
Admission: Free Wednesday, 8/13/14
* Automobilia Monterey
Wednesday, August 13, 2014: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Location: The Embassy Suites - 1441 Canyon Del Rey
Admission: Check website for prices * Gordon McCall's Motorworks Revival 2014
Wednesday, August 13, 2014: 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Location: Monterey Jet Center Admission: Check website for prices * Monterey Car Week Rally
Wednesday, August 13, 2014: 11:30 am
Location: Shoreline Community














... read more

Many who love to celebrate the automobile equally love to attend the Concours d'Elegance in Pebble Beach every year in August. This year's event will be held on August 15, 2010. "First conducted in 1950, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is often said to be the world’s premier celebration of the automobile. Only the most beautiful and rare automobiles are invited to appear on the famed eighteenth fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links each year, and connoisseurs of art and technology congregate to see them.' 'The annual affair, which has raised over $12 million for charity, includes a series of related events, such as the Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance presented by Rolex, Pebble Beach RetroAuto, Pebble Beach Motoring Classic and the Pebble Beach Auction pr ... read more