Auto Body Repair Guide

Like any high demand career these days, positions in the auto body repair field require extensive training. Don’t be fooled by people telling you that you do not need to go to college or a trade school excel in this field. Yes it is true that you can probably find a job being a lot attendant and sweeping the floors, but to land the highest paying jobs in this field you need experience. Experience is not easy to get if you have never worked in the field so there is really only one other option: The Auto Body Repair School.

Lucky for us auto body repair schools can be found nationwide with little effort. They range from 2 year programs at community colleges that incorporate a traditional college curriculum into the trade to dedicated trade schools that teach only auto body repair. My personal preference is the dedicated trade school route. Most schools will divide time equally between theory in the classroom and hands on training in the shop. Some people may argue that hands on training is the only training needed, but that is simply not true anymore. In fact not learning the theory behind some of today’s complex automobile systems can be downright dangerous! Complex circuits, high voltage hybrids, and air bag components are just some of the systems that a auto body repair technician will have to encounter in the field that the old “learn from your mistakes” mentality will NOT help you with! The solution to this is simple, learn the information in books first, then apply the new found knowledge in the shop. Here are a few options for you to consider in choosing a Auto Body Repair School
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• Lincoln Technical Institute: Lincoln Tech is my first choice for a school, and I am biased because I am a LTI Alumni. Lincoln Tech is a nationwide school with a excellent collision repair program. They teach a systems approach breaking down different parts of repair and then apply the book knowledge in the shop. They are a affiliated with many major auto manufacturers and can provide training specific to a given make or model. They also have promotions with major tool companies to provide tools to students at a discounted rate. They also go by Lincoln College of Technology, and Nashville Auto-Diesel College.

• Wyotech:  Wyotech’s Collision refinishing technology program is also widely known. Branded as the official school tech school of the NHRA this school has no shortages in ties to the motor sports industry.  Among others former Xtreme 4×4 host Jessi Combs was a Wyotech grad in their collision repair program.  In addition to taking the core curriculum students are allowed to major in specialty areas including trim and upholstery, applied service management, motor sports chassis fabrication, and street rod and custom fabrication.

In addition to the trade school route, you should also look into community colleges offering auto body repair or collision repair courses. Many can be found in your local area. Find Automotive Schools Near You!

Auto Body Repair is a industry that has more variation in quality than almost any other out there. Most people have a loyal body shop that they  bring their vehicle to for repair whenever there has been a accident, or they are in need of a new paint job. Custom cars and hot rod lovers have shops that they favor that may never do any collision work, but do only restoration and paint work. When the work of any one shop is compared to another, there is always a difference, some good and some bad. This is true with every auto body repair business in the world, however for years much criticism and bad press has been given to nationwide auto body repair chains.

Aside from the thousands of independently owned auto body shops worldwide, there are a few corporate owned auto body repair chains. The most famous of these chains are probably Maaco and Earl Sheib, both which have been in business for decades. These body shops, often dubbed “Home of the $200 dollar paint job” are often given bad reviews and frowned upon by the car enthusiast communities. The truth however is quite the contrary and here is why:

• Value Auto Body Repair chains are able to produce quality work at a cost that a local, independent body shop can usually not come any close to matching. This comes from the sheer buying power of a large corporation and the savings are often passed onto you, the consumer.  A typical paint job, without any body repair can cost anywhere from just a couple hundred bucks on the low end, and over a thousand dollars on the high end. This is perfect to freshen up a daily driver, prepare a car for a quick sale, or even fix damage to a lease vehicle before it is returned. Dollar for dollar, it cant be beat.
• Quality This is where most people find a problem with chain auto body facilities. Everyone has heard a horror story from someone about how a paint job went horribly wrong at a budget paint shop, or how the car looked worse after the body work was done then before it came in. Some people even claim that the paint just “flys off” the car as they drive! Most people who have made these claims have never even been to a chain auto body repair facility.  The simple fact is that almost all of the corporate auto body repair chains are franchises, owned and operated by a independent business man. The quality of one chain shop is completely different then the next, just like ANY other auto body repair shop.  I personally had my previous car, a 1989 Pontiac Trans Am painted by a local Maaco. I paid a little over $900 fix a few dents, strip and prep the car, then paint it. The results were amazing! I may not be able to say anything for other chain body shops, or even independent ones, my experience with this one in particular was great, and that’s not the best part yet!
• Warranty The best part of the whole deal is a warranty that a independent auto body repair facility simply can not offer! Most auto body repair chains offer a multi-year warranty that is valid nationwide. You can have your vehicle painted on the east coast, move out west, and if something happens to your paint in the warranty period, you can have it taken care of by a local branch of the chain. It can not be beat!

Sometimes there are certain things that you can not avoid while driving your car every day. Door dings from crowded parking lots, rogue shopping carts that seem to seek out your car over any other, debris blowing around from a storm, or just careless people can all lead to small dings, dents, and scratches on your ride.  All these imperfections can add up fast and can sometimes add up to a huge bill at the auto body repair shop. Sometimes its just not worth the hassle and with today’s economy how it is, DIY auto body repair is a very budget friendly choice. With some very common tools that you may already have, determination, some elbow grease, and some not so expensive materials the dings and dents will disappear in no time.

The most important part of any auto body repair job is proper preparation. Extra time spent here will show in the end result of the work. A clean, organized, and well lit work area is crucial. The more lights the better as this will show off any imperfections in the work. The vehicle being worked on must be clean in the are requiring repair. This does not mean running the car through the car wash. In fact, this will make it worse. First clear the area of any loose debris by blowing it off with compressed air, or rinsing with clean water. Next wash the area with common household dish soap. You will not want to wash your vehicle with dish soap any other times, as the degreasers in it will strip the cars wax finish, however while doing auto body repair work we want to get down to the bare finish, and dish soap is the cheap way to do it. You can alternatively use a bug & tar remover product available at most auto part stores. Either let the vehicle air dry, or use a lint free towel to dry the paint. You do not want to cover the paint with fuzz from a cheap rag.

Once the vehicle is clean you should mask off the area you are planning to work in with masking tape. The rest of the vehicle can be covered in old sheets or blankets. This step is not required however it helps prevent unwanted over spray or accidental spillage of chemicals onto a part of the vehicle that does not need work. A special blue masking tape is designed for paint work, and will not leave a sticky residue on the cars finish. This can easily be purchased at any auto parts store, auto body repair supply house, or home improvement store.

Once we have the vehicle cleaned and prepped, we can move on to more specific jobs like fixing dents and scratches.