The first step is preparing the estimate. Whenever a motorist brings his or her car into the shop, the body specialist examines it carefully and notes all the parts that have to be fixed or replaced. He or she then figures the time it should take to do the job. After determining the price of the parts and labor, he or she presents the customer with the estimate. Most body shops have special books and catalogs to help calculate the estimate.
NATURE OF THE WORK
Automobile body specialists use a variety of equipment in their job. To restore bent frames to their original shape, the specialist uses hydraulic machines that are chained to the vehicle in order to twist it back into its original shape.
Once the frame is straightened the damaged body parts are repaired. The body repairer uses a pneumatic cutter, saw, or acetylene torch to remove the sections of the body that are badly damaged. He or she then welds or brazes new sections into place. If a section is only dented, a slide hammer or a variety of specially designed body hammers may be used to return the dent as nearly as possible to its original contour. Sometimes the specialist corrects small dents or creases by hammering on one side of the panel while holding an anvil on the other. Body repairers use special pick hammers and punches to remove tiny dents and pin holes.
Once the sheet metal is restored as nearly as possible to the original shape, the body repair person fills the remaining dents with plastic body filler or sol-der. The filler material then is filed or sanded before it is painted. In some of the smaller shops the body repair specialist also may do the painting, but often this is done by the painting specialist.
If variety is the spice of life, then body repair must be a pretty spicy job. Each damaged car presents a new challenge, and there are usually many different problems. The specialist typically develops special methods to handle the variety of different problems. The occupation of body repair specialist is one that offers both challenge and pride. The body repairer is a skilled artisan-not unlike a sculptor in many ways.
WORKING CONDITIONS
Most body repair persons work by themselves and get only general instructions from their supervisor. In some shops they may have an assistant or a helper or apprentice. In some of the larger shops the repair technician may specialize in one area, such as fenders or frame straightening.
Almost all the work is done indoors. However, it is not an easy job. Many times the body repairer has to work in an awkward position or in tight areas. The work is both strenuous and dirty. Although most of the shops are very well ventilated, the conditions are usually dusty, and there is often a heavy odor of paint in the air. The automobile body repair shop can be a very noisy place. The whir of power tools for grinding and sanding is almost constant, and there are plenty of hammers banging most of the time.
There are also numerous chances to get injured. Cuts from jagged sheet metal are common. There is the potential for burns from torches and heated metal, and the power tools pose an additional threat. Respiratory problems can develop if the worker does not use a protective breathing mask over the nose and mouth.
PLACES OF EMPLOYMENT
There were about 240,000 persons employed in the automobile body repair trade in 1999. The industry association I-CAR puts the number of technicians at 208,000, working in about 52,700 shops, which generate more than $20 billion in annual sales and repairs by census estimates. Most of them worked in shops that specialize in collision repair service or at automobile dealerships. Some fleets, such as trucking companies and taxi companies, have their own staff of body repair specialists. A large portion of the body specialists works for the vehicle manufacturers on assembly lines. Fit and finish is becoming increasingly important in new cars as the buying public demands better products.
Automobile body repair specialists work everywhere in the country. The opportunities are distributed about the same as the vehicle population.
QUALIFICATIONS
There are not many special qualifications to becoming an auto body specialist. The most important thing is good health, since it is a strenuous occupation. Most employers prefer high school graduates. The body repair specialist needs a keen sense of shape and must be able to work well with his or her hands. Good coordination is a must.
The ability to use tools is also important. Auto body repair persons are usually required to buy their own hand tools as well as the basic power tools that are used every day. The shop, however, usually supplies the large power tools like frame straighteners. The average body repair person spends more than $2,000 for tools over a period of time. Persons usually accumulate their tools as they gain experience. In a few cases the shop will supply the necessary hand tools.
TRAINING
Many body repair specialists learn their trade on the job. They usually enter the field as helpers and will at first do many of the repetitive tasks such as sanding. They then advance to removing damaged parts and replacing them with new or repaired parts. Gradually they are assigned to repair small dents and scratches, and finally they learn to straighten frames.
It takes about three to four years of experience and on-the-job training to become skilled. Most places of employment require three to four years of apprenticeship. Unfortunately, there are not enough places to get this necessary apprenticeship training. There are a few programs available. Apprenticeship includes both on the job learning and classroom instruction where safety procedures, mathematics, and business practices are covered.
Courses in auto body repair are offered in some fourteen hundred high schools and colleges. Many of them are certified by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF). The I-CAR Educational Foundation promotes education programs. Top dollar in the field usually goes to formally trained technicians.
ADVANCEMENT
There are not many avenues for advancement in this occupation, which is pretty much a singular craft. Body repair specialists with supervisory ability may be promoted to shop foreman or shop manager. Many of the body specialists go on to open their own shops, and the percentage of auto body specialists who are self-employed is quite high.
Some automobile body repair specialists find excitement in customizing cars, but the market is not very large. Mostly, these persons make custom cars for themselves and a small, select group of customers. Another possible avenue is building special bodies for racing cars. In this case the body specialist may design and build the race car body from scratch. It takes a lot of mathematics and understanding of physics to design a car body for an Indy type car. Air-flow and ground effects principles must be calculated into the design. The United States Automobile Club (USAC) and other racing organizations all have specific rules and guidelines that must be strictly followed for safety and performance. An understanding of stress and the ability to design proper reinforcements into the body are critical.
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK
According to the United States Department of Labor, employment of automobile body repairers is expected to grow as fast as most professions through 2008, as a result of increase in the number of motor vehicles that will be damaged in traffic and the total number of cars on the roads. Most people who enter the occupation should expect rather steady employment, since the automobile repair business is not very sensitive to changing economic conditions, according to the Department of Labor. However, when the economy is slow, many car owners are reluctant to spend money on cosmetic repairs to their cars.
According to the I-CAR Education Foundation, the skills you need to be a body technician include the ability to:
- remove and replace bolt-on parts
- remove and install exterior trim
- align bolt-on panels
- repair and install interior trim
- apply corrosion protection
- replace moveable glass
- disassemble major parts
- repair large dents
- finish body filler with 180 grit
- use MIG welder
- use MIG welder
- measure/analyze structure damage
- remove structural parts
- disassemble major bolt-on parts
- fit and weld structural parts
- assemble major bolt-on parts
- fit and weld cosmetic parts
- remove welded cosmetic parts
- repair major structure damage
