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What do
Auto body technicians do?
Auto body
technicians are the artists who turn dented, battered
and rusted wrecks into a celebration of style, form and
color. They repair, refinish, and customize car and
truck bodies, lovingly repairing everything from minor
dents and nicks to badly damaged frames and body
sections. If you’ve ever been in a collision requiring
the repair of your car’s body, you’ve likely witnessed
firsthand the amazing feats performed by these artists. |
A typical day finds an auto body technician (also referred to
as a collision repair specialist) estimating damage,
straightening bent bodies, removing dents, replacing crumpled
parts that are beyond repair, mixing and matching paint colors,
and spray-painting and refinishing cars to a lustrous sheen.
Though they can repair all types of vehicles, auto body
technicians usually work on cars, small trucks and sport utility
vehicles.
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Every car presents a new challenge,
since each damaged vehicle is likely to have its own
peculiarities but must always be repaired to factory
specifications. In addition, many cars today are made of
high-strength steel, aluminum and plastic. It’s up to
auto body technicians to decide the most appropriate
repair methods for each job, using their broad knowledge
of automotive construction and repair techniques. The
job is becoming increasingly high-tech. |
Most technicians, in fact, now use the computer and other
high-tech equipment as a regular part of the job. With advances
in technology and higher repair standards, auto body technicians
have become much more than artists--they are highly-skilled
professionals.
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