A Guide to Bodywork Repairs

Sometimes, scratches and scuffs are unavoidable, no matter how cautious a driver you are. It can be frustrating when your car sustains damage, whether it's from everyday wear and tear or an accident, but the good news is that bodywork repair techniques are better than ever.

This guide covers different types of damage and how they can be fixed.

Types of bodywork damage

Before you work out what type of repair your car needs, it helps to understand the different damage categories.

Dents

Dents tend to happen due to a forceful impact, such as two cars colliding, which bends the bodywork out of shape. You can sometimes fix small dents using a toilet plunger. However, for a high-quality repair job, it's best to contact an expert.

Scrapes and scratches

A few scratches are inevitable throughout a car's life. However, that doesn't make them any less annoying, and if they are numerous or deep, they could lower the value of your vehicle when you try to sell it. Minor scratches can sometimes be buffed out or touched up, but for scrapes and other sizeable damage, you'll need to book a specialist repair.

Smashes

Car accidents often lead to more severe damage that requires a range of repair techniques. Whole panels may need replacing, which is why jobs like this are best left to the professionals.

Rust

Rust is produced when metal and water react. It's corrosive and worsens with time, so getting it repaired at an early stage is important. This guide discusses the process of repairing rust in detail.

Repair techniques

Below are some different repair techniques and the types of damage they can be used on.

Panel beating

Panel beating involves repairing car panels after they have sustained damage, often by reshaping them to get rid of dents. The process might look something like this:

• Shrinking/stretching. Heat is applied to the damaged area, and a special hammer is used to reshape the metal.

• Planishing. A planishing hammer is used to finely shape the panel's surface.

• Welding. This technique is used to join two pieces of metal.

• Filling. Putty filler is put into small holes to achieve the original shape and contours.

• Sanding. Sanding is used to smooth the panel, ready for painting.

SMART repair

SMART stands for small, medium area repair technology. It's a technique that can fix small areas of damage without needing to replace the whole panel. You can learn more about how it works in this guide.

Paintless dent removal

Painless dent removal, commonly abbreviated to PDR, is a method of reshaping a car panel without needing to repaint it. Tools are used to press and massage the dent from behind, keeping the original paintwork in tact. It is a much quicker process that can often be completed in a few hours.

Respraying

If a car has sustained significant damage, it may need respraying after the repair. A respray can cover a single panel or the whole vehicle.

Welding

Warped or damaged panels can sometimes be repaired using welding, which fixes two pieces of metal together using extreme heat.

Mobile car bodywork repairs

Some car bodywork repairs can be done by a mobile mechanic. Often, mobile repairs are used for damage caused by things like:

• Low speed collisions

• Door dents and scrapes from car parks

• Hitting kerbs

• Reversing into a parking bollard or other object

• Vandalism

• Hitting a non-moving object

Mobile repairers can restore most of the metalwork and plastic on your vehicle. In addition to fixing those components, they can often fix lights, grilles, wings and bumpers too.

Essential bodywork repairs

Some body damage is purely cosmetic, such as minor scratches and dents, so there is no need for an urgent repair. You could decide to live with the damage, rather than fixing it.

However, some repairs are essential, including:

• A missing or broken number plate

• A smashed passenger window or windscreen

• Wing mirrors that have fallen off

• If the bonnet won’t open or securely close

• Light fixture damage

• Sharp edges on your car that could injure pedestrians

DIY bodywork tips

You can do some minor bodywork repairs at home, such as touching up small areas of paint and filling in scratches. Here are a few top tips if you decide to follow the DIY route:

• Preparation is key. Give your car a thorough clean before you get started.

• Check you've got all the tools and equipment you need before you start.

• Make sure you find the right paint colour for your car.

• Use primer and a final coat of lacquer to ensure a high-quality finish.

• Use a sanding tool rather than your hands.

• The better the filler you use, the better your results will be.

Car bodywork repairs can be difficult to get right. That's why we recommend using a specialist for all but the most basic of jobs. Whether your car has serious damage that needs fixing or a minor dent, FixMyCar can help you find the right garage at the right price.

If you found this guide helpful, you might also like:

• What is a SMART repair?

• How much does it cost to respray a car?

• What is vinyl car wrapping & how much does it cost?

• The ultimate guide to car windscreens

• How can you remove scratches from a car?

• How to repair car rust

• The benefits of using a mobile mechanic

• Do I need a vehicle inspection?

• What to do after a car accident