A guide to mobile bodywork repairs
Kwik Fit | Wednesday 3rd April 2019 10:43am
As if getting a bump or scratch on your car isn’t frustrating enough, organising repairs to your car can be a lengthy and inconvenient process – from finding a quote you’re happy with to losing your vehicle to a bodyshop for a few days.However, a traditional bodyshop isn’t the only available solution these days. For light to medium damage there are a variety of more convenient mobile options (that come to you to deliver a bodyshop quality repair in a fraction of the time expected.
What type of damage can be repaired by a mobile service?
Wings, doors, bumpers and wheels – whether it’s scuffed, scraped, scratched or dented it can be repaired on a mobile basis. As long as the damage hasn’t affected the vehicle mechanically or compromised the framework, a mobile repairer can restore most metalwork and plastic on your vehicle. If your vehicle was stationary or moving at a low speed when the damage happened there’s a good chance they will be able to repair it.
Often they can even replace damaged lights, grilles, wings and bumpers – anything that can be attached to the vehicle without the need for heavy bodyshop machinery or welding can be achieved ‘on the road’.
People who use the mobile repair service typically have damage caused by things like:
- Car door dents and trolley dings from a car park
- Hitting an inanimate object such as a gatepost or wheelie bin
- Low speed road traffic collisions
- Kerb damage on standard or diamond cut alloy wheels
- Reversing into a car park bollard
- Vandalism such as ‘keying’
Objects falling against the vehicle in a garage or whilst parked
How does a mobile repair work?
The work that needs to be done will depend on the damage to your car – mobile repairers use a variety of techniques to repair steel, aluminium and plastic on both conventional, hybrid and electric vehicles. If you have light scratches in the paintwork these might polish out with professional tools and materials. Heavier scratches will need repainting – this includes sanding back the affected area to remove the damage and repainting to create a seamless finish. A special lamp is used to cure the paintwork meaning you can drive the car shortly after the repair and wash as usual from the following day, so you can be back on the road in no time.
If your vehicle has been dented then it’s possible that filler will be needed. In this case, the damaged area is sanded right back and if necessary, a special tool is used to pull the panel back into the right shape. Then filler is applied to smooth the area back to perfection and dried. Next, the whole panel is rubbed down ready to be repainted and finally polished to match the rest of the vehicle again. Mobile repairers use manufacturer paints mixed to the colour code of your vehicle meaning there’s no need to repaint multiple panels on the vehicle, as a small area can be perfectly matched to the original colour.
Where are mobile repairs carried out?
Mobile repairers will have a special mobile unit to enclose your vehicle – this structure will include special extraction and filter systems to minimise the environmental impact of the gases released during the painting and drying process, and to create a bodyshop environment for your repairs.
These structures are spacious enough to enclose your vehicle but convenient enough to be set up at your home or work address within a couple of car parking spaces – as long as it is safe and legal to set up, a mobile repair can be carried out virtually anywhere.
Think you would like a mobile repair for your vehicle?
If you have damage on your vehicle, you can speak to an experienced mobile repairer like Autoglass® BodyRepair. By taking a few photos of the bodywork you can get a fixed quote for your repairs. Once agreed, you’ll be told how long your repairs will take (between 4 and 8 hours depending on the amount of damage that needs repairing) and you’ll be able to choose a convenient time and date for your repairs to be completed.
For more information and to get your free, no-obligation quote visit www.autoglassbodyrepair.co.uk.
Any facts, figures and prices shown in our blog articles are correct at time of publication.
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