Collision Repair

A plasma cutter creates plasma by sending electricity through compressed air. The plasma arc is concentrated in the nozzle of the plasma torch, then directed toward a sheet of metal to perform the...

Filling body trim holes in thin gauged steel auto body panels requires the use of a MIG welder. To prepare the body panel for welding, clear the body trim hole and the area around the hole of...

It can happen to all of us--we come too close to an immovable object or someone else comes a little to close to you and off comes the mirror on your Grand Prix. The good news is that replacing a...

Miller plasma cutters use a combination of electricity and air pressure to create a stream of plasma that can cut through metal. There are two different categories of Miller plasma cutters: those...

The perfect MIG weld should not only look good, but it should also have good penetration into the base material to be structurally sound. Making a perfect MIG weld requires that all the elements...

Flux Cored Arc Welding uses a self-shielding continuous wire that can be coated or filled with flux. The flux melts and forms a protective barrier around the molten weld puddle, eliminating...

Painting plastic outside mirrors presents some special problems. The type of plastic used by most manufacturers is high in solvent and oil contents that prevent paint adhesion. That, along with...

The paint number is a code identifying the paint color originally painted on the body of an auto at the factory. If the car needs a new coat of paint, either for touch-ups or to finish off...

An automobile accident can be a traumatic and ultimately costly experience. Even if the accident is not your fault and the other driver has insurance, the loss of value on a collision-repaired...

A fillet weld rests between two perpendicular pieces of metal. The fillet weld should be the size of the thinnest metal thickness coming to the weld joint. Before measuring the fillet weld, you...

Oxy-acetylene torches are a common tool on jobs that require modification to steel. Torches are used to cut, notch, and braze thick steel beams and heavy metal plate. Unlike other methods of...

Fiberglass fenders can be an expensive fix if you have to order a brand new one. An easier route is to do the repair yourself. Almost all fiberglass fractures or even holes can be repaired in a...

Dents can be repaired in multiple ways, but the only sure way to repair any dent, no matter the depth or size, is to use a slide hammer. A slide hammer is also called a dent puller and is used by...

Paintless dent removal is the easiest and most expensive way to repair dents. No heavy equipment or special dent pulling tools are needed. Repairing a dent without having to sand, primer and paint...

Body side molding on a Nissan Xterra comes in a variety of colors. It comes in rolls with a sticky backing that quickly cures when the protective tape is removed and it comes in contact with the...

A wrecked car may cost thousands of dollars to repair at a collision shop. You can often perform the same repairs on your own for as little as a few hundred dollars. You will need a few basic...

The Neon was introduced in 1995 and sold until 2005 by Chrysler Corporation, under the Dodge brand. The Neon proved to be a popular vehicle for modifications, including body-kits and aftermarket...

Scratches can occur on the front or rear plastic bumper of your vehicle. Repairing these scratches isn't as difficult or as important as repairing scratches on sheet metal, since the plastic can't...

When an abundance of paint gathers in a specific area during the painting process, a run may develop. This article will explain how to repair an automotive paint run without repainting the entire...

Bringing your car to a collision repair shop can be costly and take several days. But you an learn how to fix a small dent by yourself and make all the repairs you need in your own garage. There...

Repairing any major body damage on a vehicle is time consuming and best left to a professional body technician. The skills it takes to make a flawless repair can seldom be learned on the first...

Car panels will become dented, scratched, faded or rusted, and sometimes require removal to be repainted properly. Varying types of paint and additives have been used by manufacturers over the...

Rust, body damage or the odd accident are all reasons to replace cab corners on your truck. It's not a fun process, but if you spend some quality time with a welder and some body filler, it can be...

After a major car accident or just a minor pebble hitting your windshield, you may choose to replace the windshield. Cracks in your windshield can reduce reaction time because of glares. Removing...

If your car gets a relatively small fender bender, you might be able to repair it yourself, saving yourself an expensive trip to the mechanic. The larger the dent, the harder the job will be....

If you have been involved in an auto accident or are a victim of a hit and run, then your car may be marred by the paint of another vehicle. Auto detailers and auto body shops have the equipment...

Body filler is used to fill small imperfections on vehicle body parts. Once a dent has been repaired there are still small imperfections that will need to be filled and smoothed to produce the...

Rebuilding damaged vehicles is not the easiest project to tackle. There are lots of legal things to consider when taking on a project. However, once you check out all aspects and have the correct...

Sometimes life can be overwhelming. You can't afford to repair something or replace it and now it's "busted!" But don't let it keep you down! When bad things happen, if you take...

Almost anyone who owns a car needs automotive bodywork done at some point. Bringing your car to a body shop can be very expensive, and often take days or even weeks to complete. But most of the...

Being in a car accident can be a devastating experience, especially if your car is considered a total loss. Totaled cars are ones in which the value to repair them exceeds the actual value of...

When you set the welding wire speed and voltage for a job, it can be the most frustrating part of welding. Setting the two that work together to find the proper characteristic of arc that you want...

If you have a large area to fill or need to do a surface weld to wearface a piece of equipment and extend its life, you need to use the welding technique for overlapping stringer beads. When you...

A MIG welder is a complicated machine, unlike the stick welder. You can lose a lot of time if you must wait for someone else to fix the MIG. If you know basic troubleshooting for your welding...

A deductible is a small payment you must pay in addition to whatever your insurance company is paying for collision repair. The amount of your deductible depends on many factors, including the...

If you had an accident and need to get your insurance company to pay for repairs, there are some basic steps you need to follow. How you approach the process depends on many factors, from the type...

Even if you followed all the required steps, you may not be satisfied with the final outcome of your collision repair. If you think you have a legitimate reason to be concerned, you can file a...

After filing an accident report with your insurance company, you will be directed to choose a repair shop. Selecting the right one can make a world of difference when it comes to speed, efficacy...

Sometimes you have an inevitable fender bender and it needs to get fixed. Well instead of paying a shop a lot of money to do this simple job do it yourself from now on.