If you are interested in a career as an automobile collision repair technician, then you will have to know the ins and outs of auto body repair panels. This is a specialized field, as these car body panels make up the entire vehicle. There is a lot involved in repairing and replacing them so having the proper education and training is important.

When thinking about pursuing a career that works with body panels, it’s as important that you get enough background information, as it is to get the proper training. Follow these steps when deciding your plan of action:

1. Look into the field of collision repair and specifically working with replacement body panels.

2. Join automobile trade organizations to network and continue your education.

3. Pursue the proper automotive body panels education and training program.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Pick up the basics of replacement auto body panels by doing some background research beforehand

When you are considering a career in which you work with automotive body panels, it is important to know the basics of what a career like that would entail. In most cases you would be entering into the collision repair or automobile restoration field, since these are the careers that use automobile body panels most often. Look into the different ways to use body panels to make sure that this is the direction you want to take for your long-term career plans. Getting to know some of the terminology will introduce you to the other aspects of collision repair as well.

I recommend: Check out iAutoBodyParts.com for many helpful articles and tips on auto body panels. Cascade Collision Services offers this helpful glossary of terms that are associated with repairing an auto body panel. Lansing Community College has some great career facts about collision repair technicians.

Become a member of a trade organization with other professionals who specialize in auto body panels

When you have completed all of your automotive body panels education and training, it is now a good idea to meet up with other professionals in that area. Joining a trade association is a great way to stay on top of what's going on in auto body panel innovation through seminars, conferences and continuing education courses. It is also a helpful way to network with your fellow professionals.

I recommend: The Society of Collision Repair Specialists holds many events throughout the year that can be used to network with other auto body panel professionals. Join the Automotive Service Association and take advantage of the trade conferences and seminars they attend every year.

Educate yourself with the proper classes and become an auto body panel specialist

Once you have decided that a career working with replacement auto body panels is for you, then it's time to take the appropriate classes in order to get the proper certifications. Most training programs are in-person only as this is a hands-on career and it is important that you get real-life experience in addition to learning from the books and manuals.

I recommend: The most respected skills certification in auto repair comes through the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and they have an extensive education and testing program for collission repair. Southwestern Illinois College will teach you what you need to know in order to be a successful technician who specializes in automotive body panels. Universal Technical Institute offers a collision certification that will give you in-depth knowledge about auto body repair panels.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When at networking events through the various trade organizations, get recommendations from other members regarding what kind of classes dealing with replacement auto body panels would be a good idea. You may get some suggestions that weren't in your training curriculum.

Like our body’s skin, auto body panels serve multiple functions for a car; they enhance the aesthetic appeal, they protect the interior from the elements and they help hold the structure together. Unlike our skin, a body panel can’t heal itself when acts of nature or accidents cause injury. Your repair shop grafts on the auto body repair panels, helping restore the car to its good old self.

Unlike hospitals, your shop is not meant to be non-profit. To help counter the forces squeezing your bottom line (raw material costs rising, hard-line insurance adjustments and tighter tolerances on higher-tech vehicles), there are three resources for wholesale body panels to help protect your bottom line:

1. Establish a nationwide source for original used auto body panels, or reliable aftermarket sheet metal.

2. Work with fiberglass body panels as a lightweight low-cost alternative.

3. Locate body panels via an electronic catalog with national reach.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Keep it real by locating used or restoration replacement auto body panels

You can refit your customers' cars with actual sheet metal, either from the OEM (via the used vehicle market) or an aftermarket manufacturer working with old forms, rather than paying top dollar for new OEM replacement body parts.

I recommend: Billing itself as a viable alternative to the junkyard, National Auto Part offers the advantage of a nationwide database to find and order original used parts that have been primered and ready to go, even color-keyed to match the OEM color. For hard-to-find parts or restoration projects, such as vintage cars, look up Wolf Steel.

Work with fiberglass car body panels as a light alternative

A low-cost alternative to sheet metal for older vehicles, especially in low-stress areas such as front fenders or hoods, is fiberglass. This can also allow the owner to get a customized look for their ride. Depending on the extent of usage, lower weight can save money on fuel costs over time.

I recommend: US Body Source supplies fiberglass body parts from hoods to entire body shells. Incorporated in 1986, Hannemann Fiberglass is now one of the largest manufacturers of fiberglass truck and auto parts.

E-shop around for the best price on replacement body panels

Use nationally-sourced distributors to find the best price for replacement parts, rather than just going along with the local suppliers' quoted price.

I recommend: Parts Train boasts an inventory of over one million parts, plus a lowest price guarantee. Auto Body Panels bills itself as a market leader in the wholesale distribution of aftermarket parts. They use an online "Factory Direct Outlet" program, with Partslink OEM lookup software.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Take advantage of multiple sources of automobile body panels, with low-price guarantees, for two reasons: to keep local parts suppliers honest with their prices, and to have multiple lines of supply in case one runs into difficulty meeting demand.

Knowing the key terms associated with automotive body panels helps mechanics to do their job. For example, it's important to know whether a car requires the use of OEM replacement body parts after an accident. Auto body specialists may need to know about lightweight racing parts or need to find special body panels for their restoration projects. Once auto body mechanics understand these types of industry-related words, they will have a much easier time finding what they're looking for.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Aftermarket

Aftermarket products in the auto industry are goods that consumers may need for their cars after the initial purchase. For example, auto body mechanics may use aftermarket sheet metal in order to repair the body after an accident. Aftermarket products also include wheels, oils and accessories.

I recommend: The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association describes what the aftermarket is.

OEM replacement body parts

OEM stands for 'Original Equipment Manufacturer' and is the original producer of a particular car part. The car manufacturers use these same parts when they build new cars.

I recommend: ThePartsBin.com discusses the difference between OEM replacement parts and aftermarket replacement parts.

Restoration projects

Restoration projects involve taking an old car and restoring it to like-new condition. These could be anything from muscle cars from the '60s and '70s to even older cars from the '20s and '30s. This often involves replacing parts of the auto body that have been damaged.

I recommend: A-1 Auto Restoration offers sample pictures of completed restoration projects.

Fiberglass body parts

Fiberglass is a composite material that body mechanics can use to repair cars. Fiberglass body parts are lightweight and inexpensive. They can be shaped into any form using a mold, which makes it ideal for custom cars where the owner wants it to have a unique shape.

I recommend: Diseno-art.com talks about fiberglass body parts and how they are used.

Vehicle color code

If an auto body mechanic wants to match the factory color of a car, he or she will need to know the vehicle color code. This is a code that is specific to the brand and make of the car, which allows for a perfect match.

I recommend: Paint Scratch describes how to find the vehicle color code for a car.

High volume low pressure (HVLP) paint sprayers

In order to get a professional look when repairing automotive body panels, most mechanics will use a high-volume, low-pressure paint sprayer. An HVLP paint sprayer is used to paint the car and produces a finer finish than painting by hand.

I recommend: Tools Online talks about HVLP paint sprayers.