I have always had a few general questions about body work in production shops. You guys get insurance jobs in and out pretty fast so I always wonder what methods are used. Here are some..

when doing a body repair on a damaged panel, how do you get the panel back to the shape it was; that is how do you know what is correct? If a panel has a factory bulge like a chevelle quarter and gets banged in over a large area how do you know where to bring it out to? I saw a tool in the eastwood catalogue that you could put against a panel and take a model of it so you could bring it to the other side of the car to compare your repair..is something like this used?

I have had cars that were given a color change without removing the nose from the car, the paint was shot in the jams without removing any panels. Paint was just sprayed into the door hinge areas with the nose still on. How are the jams prepped where you cant really get in there with sandpaper? Spray on product or something else?

how would you handle a complete color change on a newer vehicle that needed no body repair or work. Factory BC/CC is fine but just want a different color. Total disassembly of the car or do you try and do it with the panels on?

when you repair a panel and paint just the panel, how do you blend the new paint into the old if there isnt an easy place to hide a seam? Do you mask off so that you have a "line" where the new paint meets the old and then wetsand the area smooth? Or do you fog the new paint into the old? Do you prefer to always paint the whole panel to minimize seams? I have more, these are just some things I have wondered about.

Outstanding Body techs. are both Artists and Craftsman.
They can build, create and duplicate.

Repairing Panels.

Good eye, good hands, and a creative mind.
Approach to each repair is different.

Color changes

Very rare in a production shop these days. Haven't done one in at least ten (10) years. Except my own Elky.
Right way--- Take it apart.
Cheaper way-- Leave it together, pull weatherstrips and trim. Clean with solvent, scuff it up, blown the paint wherever it will go.

Blending

Tint color as well as is reasonable, blend into adjacent panel, clearcoat entire primary panel and blended panel.

Hope this helps.

Karl

Off Topic, but... Karl, thanks for taking the time last Fri. with my wife's ride. It was a real eye opener to her about just how much time and labor can go into something to get it back to "as new" condition. I'll take your advise and do the scratch fill on the door, leave the dents, and she's happy.

Thanks again - you run an honest and quality outfit! See you at the next Northstar event!

John D.

I agree with Karl 100%.
One thing he didnt mention on repairing damage is???

Look at the other side smile.gif
Sometimes Ill even look at another car. This winter did a 02 dodge stratus RT 2dr coupe, both fenders damaged, had no idea what shape they needed to be in. Went over to the Dodge dealership just down the road. Looked at the fenders and felt how they flowed, then went back and fixed from what I remember seeing and feeling.

And yes painting an entire panel is most often preffered
For example if you just cleared half the fender and blended the last of clear into the old, later down the road that blended area will show back up. The uv rays will finally get to that blended area as it doesnt have the needed film build to fight the sun.