Repair vs. Replacement: How the Body Shop Expert decides
Most mechanical parts are checked to see if they still function properly. Broken or cracked parts are frequently discarded.
Sheet metal body parts are a specialty area. They can suffer dents, punctures, and/or tearing damage. Of these, only some punctures and dents can be cost-effectively repaired at the body shop.
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Cost-effective repairs
The Body Shop Expert must evaluate the damage and determine which is less expensive – replacing the part or repairing it. Repairing sheet metal parts can be more difficult than it seems.
The reason is that sheet metal is formed by stretching and bending. If a large panel is damaged to the point of stretching part of the metal, it cannot be shrunk back to its original form easily.
Grinding
Minor imperfections can be ground (sanded) flat, but this thins and weakens the metal. They can also be filled
with body fillers and then sanded flat.
Punctures usually involve enough force to stretch the metal considerably. Utilizing labor intensive repair methods, they can be repaired, but it is usually difficult to justify.
Body fillers
You may have heard of poor repairs made with "body filler". "Body fillers" or body repair compounds, are not, in themselves, a problem. Used properly, they help make a strong, permanent repair by filling in irregularities in the sheet metal.
