Many of our regular customers are actually people that practice auto body at home. They see auto restoration as a hobby and focus more on bringing classic cars back to life. The people who practice auto body and vehicle restoration at home are also known as DIY (do it yourself) auto body enthusiasts. We have seen a large increase in DIY auto body customers coming into our store since the pandemic started. We wanted to list some of the issues that these customers bring up when practicing auto body at home. Our article this week is on common DIY auto body problems.

AUTO BODY PAINTING PROBLEMS

Painting a car can actually be one of the hardest parts of DIY auto body. People who have never painted a car often run into using too much or too little paint. Too much paint can run and sag, too little and you will end up with uneven paint patches. Cleaning the car’s exterior before painting is also often overlooked as well. Any dust or debris that is left over can cause the finished paint job to look textured. It can also cause the paint to peel up. There is one last tip for painting a vehicle. Always cover your vehicle’s windows and trim from paint overspray.

YOU ARE USING THE INCORRECT TOOLS FOR THE AUTO BODY WORK

Using the incorrect tools for auto body can not only compromise your progress, it can also compromise safety. Auto body parts that are applied incorrectly have the potential to break loose and cause an accident. You can also save yourself some work buy using the correct tools. For example, if you are sanding the vehicle, it will pay off to use a power sanding tool as opposed to your hands. Using a sanding tool will also lessen the chance of grooves and errors in your sanding job. Using the correct tools is especially important for when you are working with aluminum auto body parts.

YOU AREN’T WEARING THE CORRECT PERSONAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT

Auto body work comes with a variety of dangerous fumes, airborne particles, fiberglass resin, and more. You should always invest in a good quality respirator, eye protection, and gloves. If the proper personal protection isn’t in your budget, you should probably put the project off. You should never compromise your health for an auto restoration!