Auto Body Repair Career Guide and Counseling

Question: What is the best auto body repair school in Washington state? I am interested in auto body repair as a career and i want to make sure i get the best training that i can. If anybody can tell me which school is best that would be great. The scools that I know of that offer this program are South Seattle community College, Bellingham Tecnical College, and Lake Washington Tecnical College. Thanks

Answer: SSCC is a good one!

Question: How long will it take to rebuild a smashed '07 Chevy Cobalt? Help from auto body repair person please!? I'm looking into buying an '07 Chevy Cobalt that has been in an accident. The driver side head light, hood, front bumper cover, passenger side fender, driver airbag, and upper tie bar were all damaged. If I was to buy the car and have it repaired how long would that take? I would like to have my new car as soon as possible, and am hoping that it will not take a terribly long time. Answers from anyone who works in auto body repair would be greatly appreciated! =]

Answer: I do auto body repair.No one can really give you a good answer without looking at it carefully.Depending on several things,like whether the new parts are on hand,how much structural damage it suffered,how well the paint work goes,and most importantly the repair people.Without insurance you are surely trying to save money so please understand that the better paying jobs come first.If this Cobalt was written off by the insurance and given salvage paper it's damaged more than it looks like and you might be careful about getting in to this.Even professionals like myself often don't profit by doing this.Expect to leave it for a month most places and also expect higher charges than anticipated.

Question: Do most auto-body repair shops have original paint colors? My car has a chunk missing out of the passenger side mirror, and I want to buy a new one, but they only sell it in white. Would most auto-body repair shops have in stock or have access to the original 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix colors?

Answer: I had similar problems last winter and was glad I got my repairs covered under my extended warranty. extended warranties are cheaper if you don't buy them from the manufacturer. http://www.americaschoicetoday.com/Auto-Warranty.html

Question: Where/what is a good auto body repair shop in Houston? I hit the fron bumper of a 95 IZUZU SUV going about 15 miles/hour. Neither the owner nor do I know of a cheap auto body repair shop. The metal portion of the bumper is bent slightly & the plastic portion of the bumper is cracked 3 inches. We've gone to 3 shops in Southwest Houston and they all told us the ENTIRE bumper needs to be replaced and cant be repaired because the metal is bent. They gave us estimates around $400.00, which I can't afford. And I had an altercation with my father and he took me off his insurance 5 days before the accident so I no longer have insurance to pay. So, can anyone tell me where to find a reliable, honest, but cheap auto body repair shop in Houston?

Answer: When it comes to body work you get what you pay for. You could try mako but they suck balls. I don't think you're going to find anything cheaper than $400 but good luck.

Question: How much does it cost to get a car estimate at an auto body repair shop? Do auto body shops usually charge for estimates of damages? And how long do they usually take? Thanks!

Answer: its free to get an estimate,, if they want a charge before they give you an estimate, walk away, try another bodyshop

Question: I need to know about mig welders I want to do some auto body repair and need to find out what I need? Could someone suggest to me, who has no experience with welding auto body material,what would be the best for me to purchase? All I hear is Mig welders but how big and are there machines with both gas and electric? All I'm planning to do is some body work on cars, could be major jobs or minor jobs. Can someone help out here?

Answer: Seriously save your money. If you need to ask this you do not need to be welding, the welds will be poorly done and you will get somebody hurt eventually.

Question: How do I find a good auto body repair shop? They seem to vary so widely in their prices. I am in Fresno, California in case you know anything about local repair shops, but general info is welcome.

Answer: Usually you get what you pay. If you go with the cheapest shop you may get a crappy job, not always though. Do a little research and ask around with people that you know that have had body work done.

Question: Is going to school for auto body repair really worth it? My husband and I are trying to decide if he should go to school for body work, it isnt neccessary to have a degree to work in the field but is the education really something employers look for? I just dont want to waste the time and money to go to school if he will graduate and have the same job as if he would have never went. So if you are or know any body shop owners please let me know how you hire! Or any advice is appreciated.

Answer: Has he ever had any training in auto body? In that case, it definitely would be a good idea. There are certain aspects of auto body repair that need to be practiced and perfected, and such experience can be learned at trade schools. I went to a vo-tech in high school and knew some of the auto body students. Many of them afterwards were able to find a good paying job and have it lined up for right after they graduated.

Question: What do you think of a woman working in auto body repair? Not under the hood, just doing body work...Do you the industry is still too sexist to let a talented female into the business? My dad was into mechanics and I spent my childhood in a garage with him. But he's no longer around to ask his opinion. What does the public say about a girl working on cars?

Answer: the name of the game is what you like doing and the heck with what anybody thinks, I don't see a thing wrong with it if thats what you enjoy, just do your thing.

Question: Auto body repair - scratches and a little paint removal - cost to repair? ? I scraped the rear side of my car against another's and took the only damage. Plus I have a few scratches that appear white instead of the car's color. Any suggestions for a downtown/midtown auto body shop, guess on price, and have you heard about the mobile places that repair onsite - are they trustworthy? I scraped the rear side of my car against another's and took the only damage. Plus I have a few scratches that appear white instead of the car's color. Any suggestions for a downtown/midtown Sacramento auto body shop, guess on price, and have you heard about the mobile places that repair onsite - are they trustworthy?

Answer: I had similar problems last week and was glad I got my repairs covered under my extended warranty. They are if you don't buy them from the manufacturer. http://www.goodinternetdeals.com/Auto-Warranty.html