Basic Body Work: Fixing a Deep Scratch in Your Car's Paint
Deep scratches are unsightly and a pain to repair, but anyone with the right tools and a bit of patience can make it look like it never happened. Here's how to go about it...
Body Work Tips and Tutorials Archive
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How to clean salt and grime off the car after winter
What's the best way to clean the car now that the worst of winter is (hopefully) done? Here are 10 tips for cleaning, and detailing your car the right way…...
Basic Body Work: Side Mirror Replacement
If you drive in urban environments, chances are sooner or later you are going to get a side view mirror broken off by another car getting too close, or a bicycle, or even a parking meter. Luckily, modern cars make replacing the glass of a broken mirror easy. In fact, in many cases you can do it in...
Basic Body Work: Minor Dent and Ding Repair Options
Over the years, no matter how careful you are, your car is going to collect minor parking lot dents and shopping cart dings. If you have ever had to pay a body shop to fix these seemingly insignificant blemishes, you know the bill is quite significant. But if you are handy, there is no reason you...
Basic Body Work: Repairing Rust Damage with Fiberglass Gel
Cars and trucks today are much less rust prone than they were just 20 years ago, but if you drive in an area that uses salt on the roads you can still get rust through long before the mechanical parts are worn out. Minor rust damage on non-structural parts of the car, like these bubbles on the...
Basic Body Work: Pulling Dents and Dings with a Stud Welder
In the past we have talked about rust repair, which has also gotten less common, and fixing deep scratches in the paint, but what if there is an actual dimple or crease?
The Jeep Patriot we tore down and reassembled for our recent repair manual had a dented front fender from a parking mishap. For...
What Is Primer Paint and How to Apply It to Your Car
What is primer paint when it comes to your vehicle? Primers are the most common undercoats used when refinishing car bodies. They’re used to build up and level feathered areas or rough surfaces and to provide a smooth surface for paint. Primers have several unique characteristics: