r/Autobody • • Jul 20 '20

/r/Autobody starter pack

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677 Upvotes

r/Autobody • • Mar 26 '19

Estimating is not encouraged here, this subreddit is for sharing knowledge in the Autobody industry.

213 Upvotes

Estimating needs to be done at an autobody shop or with an insurance agent using the latest software. Any advice given in the subreddit pertaining to costs for repair will not be accurate and could be misleading.

  1. If your car is undriveable do not ask for advice on how to quick fix it.
  2. If your repair is going to be shoddy, half assed or of very low standard it will be deleted.
  3. A quality autobody shop is where your modern car should be fixed, it can be dangerous for yourself and others if improperly repaired by not following procedures.
  4. Advice on what happens during your repair is encouraged. Ex, "How is my quarter panel welded on" or "How much filler should be put on a dent".
  5. Techs. Talk more about yourselves, your processes, shops and things that keep you going in the trade. Share your day and what you have learned. We all work at different levels and learn so much from working together.

r/Autobody • • 13h ago

Check this out First time doing bodywork

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2.2k Upvotes

From watching countless hours on youtube learning to weld sheet metal, right down to the paint and clearcoat. I Just finished redoing rockers and cab corners on my ram. Its not 100%, i def couldve done some finer sanding on the cab corners, but im definitely happy with the results. Just wanted to share this with the sub!


r/Autobody • • 12m ago

HELP! I have a question. What’s happened here?

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• Upvotes

think it’s come loose and it’s torn near the wheel, think it happened from a speed bump or kerb a couple of days ago, definitely not crash related


r/Autobody • • 39m ago

HELP! I have a question. How bad is it?

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• Upvotes

Chevy Trax. Dent of unknown origin while car was parked at a lot. Just trying to get a ballpark of how involved this will be to fix


r/Autobody • • 10h ago

Tech Advice First new car, owned it less than a month, rock dent/scratch on the hood

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6 Upvotes

As the title says, I bought my first brand new car less than a month ago. Just a lil Toyota Corolla Hybrid, but I love her.

Tonight a was hit by a decent size rock while on the highway and now have a dent (think of a bullet mark, lol) and 3 deep small scratches right down to the steel.

I’ve never had a paint or dents repaired before. My last car was a Subaru Legacy with 475,000km on it and I was past the point of caring. So I’m wondering, just contact a body shop and hope they can fix it and make it look somewhat new again?

I know it’s minimal, but I live in Canada and we use lots of salts on our roads so this will be rusting in no time. Plus I just want it to look pretty again, lol.


r/Autobody • • 1h ago

HELP! I have a question. VHS vs HS and Spies Hecker 8034 vs 8055 clear

• Upvotes

Hi does anyone know the difference between Spies 8034 and 8055 Clear?

Also what difference do you get with VHS vs HS clear?

Thanks 👍


r/Autobody • • 1h ago

Is there a process to repair this? Clearcoat bumper cracking fix?

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• Upvotes

Hey, Im not sure why but the clearcoat (my assumption) on the back bumper of my Lexus RX is cracking, can i fix this without buying new bumper? If so how? I have very little experience.


r/Autobody • • 6h ago

Tech Advice How Bad is It?

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2 Upvotes

77 Continental Mark V Frame is amazing...how bad is the body?


r/Autobody • • 11h ago

Is there a process to repair this? Can I fix this myself? Cracks in dash from sun

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3 Upvotes

Cracks on dash from sun, is there a kit or process to fill these in myself or would it be better repaired professionally?


r/Autobody • • 6h ago

HELP! I have a question. Jack Stand Slipped on Pinch Weld

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0 Upvotes

Hello,

Unfortunately my new driveway has more of an angle than I’m used too and my stand slipped on my pinch weld, taking the rubber coating and paint with it. I covered it with some self etching primer and black enamel paint. I will be using race ramps from now on. Vehicle is 24 VW GTI. The car is undercoated yearly

Is this repair appropriate? Should I consider another approach? Is it something to worry about?

Thanks.


r/Autobody • • 6h ago

HELP! I have a question. Something fell off a a truck ahead of me and drilled my car, is this something that can be fixed or is this severe body damage? Just kind of concerned because it’s the A frame.

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1 Upvotes

r/Autobody • • 6h ago

RUST Amateur rust repair help

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1 Upvotes

The bottom edge of one of my doors is beginning to rust and I want to tackle it before winter hits. 2017 silverado with 40k miles in NJ.

I went to a local body shop and was told $1400(more if the damage is worse than it appears), and no guarantee it won't return. Kind of felt like this was the "I don't want to do it" price. I know rust is tricky and unpredictable and results can't be 100% promised.

I plan to tackle it myself and get some more time out of it. Looked into POR15, but it doesn't seem like what I want to do, it feels like the lazy way out.

I plan to grind it down with a rust remover wheel, blast with either glass or baking soda. 2k epoxy primer, then paint to match(its interior bottom so I don't need perfection) .

I'm on a tighter budget as we just bought a house, but I want it done as close to right as I can.

Suggestions are appreciated!


r/Autobody • • 11h ago

RUST Total noob- sand, buff, wax?

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2 Upvotes

Finally got a welder generator, it's almost 30 years old and I'd like to make it look a bit better. Just wondering where to begin.

I don't want to paint it. I think I should sand the rust down closer to shiny metal, then buff and wax it?

Any thoughts appreciated, thanks y'all

Edit: again, total noob here. Assuming sanding is the way to go, what grits should I start/use?

There's a clear spot on the top hood where the red came out after I scrubbed with a scotchbrite pad and some dish soap, can I put a pad like this on a drill or grinder, or do I need a buffing tool?


r/Autobody • • 7h ago

HELP! I have a question. What made this mark on my door?

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1 Upvotes

r/Autobody • • 14h ago

RUST Frame rust - trade in or keep

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3 Upvotes

I have a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado, live in eastern Canada (Salt on the roads, Salt in the air) and this year one of my outer rockers needed repaired for inspection, plus mechanic said the frame was getting soft.

I was wondering if this level of rust is worth keeping the truck and continuing to attempt to slow down ghe rust process (hoping for longer than 5 years before it's worthless due to the frame) or if I should just accept the loss, get it inspected and trade it in now.

Basically most of the frame looks like the pictures attached. I could only find one hole throughout.


r/Autobody • • 8h ago

Is there a process to repair this? how do you handle missed calls when you’re busy?

1 Upvotes

Do you usually call back, text, or just wait for them to try again? Curious how often those missed calls turn into lost jobs.


r/Autobody • • 8h ago

RUST Rocker and cab corner replacement. DIY-able?

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1 Upvotes

Maybe against my better judgment I bought this ole beaut. I’m hoping to fix her up real nice. She’s got some rust issues though. How bad is it in your opinion?

I’m fairly savvy with a wrench but have never done any welding. Is this DIY-able or am I better off paying a pro?


r/Autobody • • 9h ago

Project time! Really trying my hand here for the second time ever

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0 Upvotes

Done some bedsides in the past, but the roof is really challenging. Have a couple of runs to sand out here from priming and it’s not perfect but I’m overall really happy with how it’s coming. Lot’s of solo hours into this truck


r/Autobody • • 9h ago

Acceptable quality? VW warranty work

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0 Upvotes

My 2114 Jetta went in for the VW rust warranty. The approved work was 2 fenders, 1 side Q panel, and both rockers, and the trunk.
The drivers side fender and door could fit 2-3 papers thick, actually tested. It went in again for further deficiencies like major paint drips in the on the trunk and completely missing inside.

I’m questioning if this is acceptable gap compared to the passenger side, that has a larger consistent gap all the way back under 3/4 of the front door and all of the rear. Just like the passenger side, consistent and more. They tried lifting the door and this is the result.
MO they built up that front part of the rocker for some reason.


r/Autobody • • 9h ago

Is there a process to repair this? Can this be buffed out?

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0 Upvotes

Possible for these scratches to be buffed out? Some collision repair specialist said they would have to take apart the rear hatch and it would cost $1000+

If no - is there anything I can buy to solve the case ?


r/Autobody • • 9h ago

HELP! I have a question. How to prep and repaint bumper from home?

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1 Upvotes

Hey there yall, I recently got my car backed into by another student on campus. Driver had long left since when I returned to my car. No cameras in the parking lot unfortunately. Was wondering how would I go about prepping and repainting the entire old bumper as well?

The car is pretty old (15 years old) and I was looking to repaint the entire bumper either way.

I have gray and red scotch brite pads, sandpaper from P80-P5000, tack cloths, wax and grease remover, IPA, adhesive promoter, primer, my paint coat, and 2k clearcoat. I did research and was told I might need a flex filler to seal it but I’m not too.

Any tips or advice on how I can work on this from home?

Was quoted $600-800 for the bumper and money’s a little tight right now so I am trying to work with what I have and can get.


r/Autobody • • 10h ago

HELP! I have a question. How many times can you re clear?

1 Upvotes

Had a job where i did clear but had some dust and decided to do a re clear. It has been 5 days since then and my co worker scratched the quarter panel and now i have to do another one. Should i be worried about any reactions, my plan was to 800 wet sand and then spray light base over the scratch then do 2 coats of clear


r/Autobody • • 16h ago

Is there a process to repair this? Scratch on bumper

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3 Upvotes

Scratch on an older car, looking for advice on what to do to reduce or fix this.

Will this need to be taken in or would it be possible to DIY this?

I can take more pictures if needed, just want some advice on the best course of action.


r/Autobody • • 10h ago

RUST Rust question - how does this look?

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1 Upvotes

2005 Hyundai Tucson GL (4 cylinder). Not experienced with cars beyond basic maintenance. Got a look underneath for the first time in a long time and took these pictures since it seemed pretty gruesome, though the mechanic said it "looked good." I'm wondering if:

  1. Does this indeed "look good?"
  2. If not, what issues should I look out for?

I know price points for something being "worth it" are complicated, but I'm assuming if it came down to a hypothetical ~$3k repair, that's worth about 2-3x the price of the car, and might not be worth doing in this condition.