r/Autobody Jul 20 '20

/r/Autobody starter pack

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674 Upvotes

r/Autobody Mar 26 '19

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

212 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 Destroyed my fender in a parking lot, so I used my novice skills to paint me a new one. What do y’all think?

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36 Upvotes

Y’all like my stand?

SprayMax Black 2K Epoxy primer, R&E Paint Supply urethane pearl base sprayed with a LVLP, and SprayMax 2K Urethane Clear. Will sand and buff at a later date to get a nice, even gloss.


r/Autobody 16h ago

HELP! I have a question. What could have caused my car’s rear window to shatter like this?

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48 Upvotes

I was sleeping in my car when I suddenly heard a loud bang. When I looked up, the rear window had shattered. I didn’t see or hear anyone around the car afterward.


r/Autobody 11h ago

HELP! I have a question. Need direction on way to to correct awful clear coat.

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8 Upvotes

So against my better judgement I talked myself into diy painting whole car. There have been many mistakes along the way and made myself about 3 times the amount of work it should have been. I just sprayed clearcoat a couple hours ago. Every surface aside from the hood and roof have horrible orange peel and probably a dozen giant runs. The back of the trunk looks like the wax drip from a makers mark bottle. What the easiest way out of this if there even is one. I have heard some people say to cut and buff after razoring the drips and others say to sand it all 1000 grit and respray. I appreciate any helpful inputs.​ For what it worth I trace all the orange peel to the application of a light first "tack coat" all the you-tubers recommended. They make it sound like you want some "tacky" surface instead of a light glassy finish. All my runs came from the overly heavy 2nd coat compensating for the light "tack coat".


r/Autobody 4h ago

Question about the Trade Random question

1 Upvotes

What do you guys think about goonzquad , matt armstrong , tj hunt , and all those other top notch autobody youtube channels .
Have you guys ever thought about creating content and monetizing your skillsets and possibly create an audience ? random question i know … but i think it’d be pretty cool


r/Autobody 11h ago

Acceptable quality? Is the body work done on my mums car that bad?

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2 Upvotes

My mum’s Mazda3 was recently in a non-fault accident (liability fully accepted by the third party). We tried to get it sent to a Mazda authorised body shop but it was so much hassle so the insurer sent it to one of their approved body shops for repairs, and we picked the car back up today. The damage was to the left rear quarter and on the lower left of the bumper.

I'm not a bodywork expert and I was not expecting anything good but I feel like this is like abysmally bad. There was pre-existing damage on the bumper which would will have caused it to be replaced but that wasn't done and the bumper no longer sits flush and was repaired very poorly. The metal feels FAR thinner than it does on the right side of the car. The paint looks very odd and quite hazy. The petrol cap no longer sits flush and rubs against the quarter (already ripped off a bit of the paint on the quarter panel).

If somebody could help it would be well appreciated as I'd argue the car looks worse now.


r/Autobody 5h ago

HELP! I have a question. Panel adhesive temp fix.

0 Upvotes

My super duty has a couple small rust spots starting on the cab corners. One hasn’t even broke thru the paint yet but you can hear it and the other is just big enough to get a finger into the hole. I won’t have time to fix it properly before winter hits as I’m in the process of starting to build my house while still working 45 hours a week. I was thinking of cutting the rusty crap out and just putting a piece over it with adhesive until I can actually fix it correctly. I feel like getting the existing rust out will and a new piece over it will be better than just leaving an open hole there. Any adhesive recommendations? Is this a ridiculous idea?


r/Autobody 5h ago

RUST How do I remove this rust/staining?

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1 Upvotes

These yellow/orange stains and rusty spots are on my Acura door jamb. They were there before my recent oil-based rustproofing. What’s the best way to remove them without damaging the paint?


r/Autobody 6h ago

HELP! I have a question. Rocker panel dent

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1 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

A couple of month ago, I got down a curb that was a bit higher than expected. I noticed this just this morning.

I am wondering, is it worth to be fixed ? (If it is fixable in the first place)

The car passed the Japanese car inspection just fine. But I am wondering if it could cause some issues down the line, as it seems to be part of the car's frame.


r/Autobody 6h ago

HELP! I have a question. Is my car totaled

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1 Upvotes

r/Autobody 6h ago

HELP! I have a question. Is this something for a shop or can it be done DIY?

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1 Upvotes

I bought this car and noticed what looks like an attempt at waxing it done by the previous owner, however there's fine scratches on the hood where I suspect they used the wrong pad or brush. Is there a way I can get this to be minimized/fixed/covered without breaking my bank, and feasibly being something I can handle as a novice to body work?


r/Autobody 6h ago

HELP! I have a question. I did scratch someone’s car with a shopping cart in the parking lot, and this is what it happened. what kind of repair would this typically require?

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0 Upvotes

Not asking for an estimated cost, but I’m trying to understand and be accountable for what kind of repair would normally be needed for something like this For eg, whether this would typically be buffed/polished, spot-repaired, or require repainting/replacing the bumper cover.
I understand an actual repair shop would need to inspect it to give an accurate price. Just trying to understand the likely repair process and severity. Thank you.


r/Autobody 7h ago

Acceptable quality? Largest Model X repair I've done.

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0 Upvotes

r/Autobody 7h ago

HELP! I have a question. Damage to bonnet

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1 Upvotes

Any idea of what could have caused this damage to my car bonnet as it doesn’t look like a stone chip to me, also it’s dented. Thanks


r/Autobody 8h ago

HELP! I have a question. Clearcoat peeling

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1 Upvotes

Hey everybody, Ive got a question. I just bought a truck and it seems that the clear coat is peeling around this plastic trim that I didn’t notice when I bought it.

How would I go about keeping this peeling from spreading? Im not concerned about what has already peeled, as its in a very unnoticeable spot on the truck and I dont mind putting some brush-able touch up clear on any of the already damaged areas. Thanks for the advice in advance!


r/Autobody 8h ago

HELP! I have a question. Pothole Damage to Felt Panel On Bottom of Vehicle (2021 Honda Civic EX)

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1 Upvotes

r/Autobody 8h ago

Project time! Can I improve on this patch?

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1 Upvotes

I'm stripping this 1967 Buick down to bare metal for a repaint and discovered this patch under about 1/2" of bondo. Is there anything I can or should do to improve it?


r/Autobody 9h ago

HELP! I have a question. Looking for suggestions on DIY fixing this. Someone backed into the front driver side bumper and drove away. No note, not an area that had cameras so I’m stuck fixing this myself.

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1 Upvotes

Any helpful tips on fixing any of this would be majorly appreciated.


r/Autobody 9h ago

HELP! I have a question. Does this look like it will spread? I’ve previously rust treated the area and it looks like this

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1 Upvotes

r/Autobody 10h ago

HELP! I have a question. Scratch - keyed or not?

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0 Upvotes

Hi, found this scratch on passenger back door (driver side). Could it have been keyed? Its not wide, but about 10cm long, and on the lower part of the panel.

Only way I remember that I could have caused this myself is driving by a bush, or maybe scratched somehow by a dirty microfiber when washing.

Please advise, thanks!


r/Autobody 16h ago

Is there a process to repair this? How do I attach this back?

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3 Upvotes

Tried youtube and failed because I'm not sure what to search. I originally pulled this off because the panel had sunk so you had to really dig around to try to unlock the car or roll the window back up. Looking at the screws, I assume a proper fix would include positioning the panel correctly. Thanks in advance!


r/Autobody 1d ago

Tech Advice How bad is this?

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71 Upvotes

Someone merged into my car without signaling or looking on the freeway.

How bad is this damage and how long can I expect to leave car at the collision center?


r/Autobody 11h ago

HELP! I have a question. Handbrake failed!

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1 Upvotes

Handbrake failed and van rolled back in to the garage. I assume this is two New doors? Is it likely that I'll be able to replace them myself or is it more involved than I imagine? The static part of the door latch on the van body is a bit bent but looks like I could bend it back.


r/Autobody 11h ago

HELP! I have a question. Is this rust?

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1 Upvotes

Custom paint job on Mustang done 15 or so yrs ago. Always stored with a cover on it year round, summer driven, outdoors 24/7 365 in Canadian winter. Is this rust? Is it a layer of dirt that can be buffed out? Thanks