Auto Body Repair Isn't Easy

There are many different types of automobiles on today’s roads, and none of them are as similar as they may look. Today’s various types of cars, trucks and sport utility vehicles number in the hundreds and repairing one is never the same as fixing another, which is why you should always consider hiring a professional who knows the difference.

There is really only one constant when it comes to auto body repair, and that is that everyone wants it to turn out looking right in the end. Unfortunately that is often easier said than done, especially if you hope to do it yourself.

If you’ve had an accident or scratched up your vehicle and want to have it looking like new, you may have considered trying to fix it up yourself. You may also have gone out and gotten an auto body repair kit and some tools and the directions may look simple and straightforward.

Think again.

That’s not to say that by no means can you fix your vehicle’s ding or scratch at home - maybe you can. But in today’s world where every car is unique, getting your damaged ride back to looking like it did when you bought it is never likely to be as easy as it says on a box of scratch remover.

Consider a simple scratch. To the naked eye, an unsightly scrape across the clear coat on your car’s hood may look a lot worse than a very fine but deep gash down to the metal of the door frame. If you misjudge the severity and depth of such a blemish, it can mean sanding off the paint, filling it and then matching a new coat of paint with the existing one when you really only needed to wax it - or vice versa.

Dents and impressions in your vehicle may also seem to be an easy aspect of auto body repair, but they can be equally tricky to both diagnose and fix. In many cases, dents can be pulled out or pounded out using a number of techniques that require precise touch and finesse.

A commonly used technique is to insert a screw into the middle of a dent, grasp it with pliers and pull the metal indentation out until it retakes it’s normal shape. If done correctly this can work easily and effectively, but if even the smallest and shallowest dent has creases in the metal that are too sharp, attempting to pull or bang it out can result in the creation of a larger and more permanent hole or crease.

There are many other examples of what makes auto body repair a finicky and often difficult trade to master, but the point remains the same: In order to guarantee the results you are looking for, it is a much better decision to take your vehicle to a professional rather than attempt to fix it yourself.

Then again, if you find yourself to have mastered the art and touch of auto body repair, maybe it’s time to go look for work at a shop yourself.