Paintless Collision Repair. The Future of Body Repair.
The auto body repair scene is changing. Who is leading the charge?
Being in and out of auto body-shops for years, I have come to know the woes of the trade. Amidst part shortages, factory worker strikes, rising paint costs, and increasingly technical repairs, body-shops trudge along wading through the limbo of turn-around time. With customers becoming more impatient, insurance getting more difficult to deal with, and part backorders stacking up, it is certainly no small feat to manage a body-shop these days. The fires these owners, managers, and employees put out on the daily certainly comes with its fair share of stress.
As long as we have gas to put in our cars, body-shops will continue to be an integral gear in the machine that is the auto industry. But there is a new kid on the block, relatively speaking.
Paintless Dent Repair has been around for decades. Some claim its inception stemmed in the early 70s. A quick wiki search reveals that the concept has been around since even the 30s. While Paintless Collision Repair has been around for just a few short years. What is paintless collision repair?
This new term, coined by industry professionals, boasts a new level in high quality PDR repairs. While traditionally, PDR was believed to be only for small to medium dents, uncomplex in nature, PCR is achieved with industry tech advancements and deep understanding of metal properties. Highest quality technicians are taking crumpled panels and returning them to flawless condition. To the likes that even fellow high quality techs are blown away by the results, and strive to mimic the pristine repairs. This has grown into a PDR niche that has invaluable implications. You may be familiar with the rivian repair quoted at $41,000 by the EV certified body-shop. Vehicles these days aren’t exactly becoming easier to work on. If damages can be repaired to as close to factory condition as possible, that will be an every growing and needed service.
Using techniques such as tension pulling, glue pulling, blending, and clean methodical pushing, PCR technicians are stamping their place in the Auto Body Repair Industry.