Sometimes it is important to answer the simplest of questions first. What auto body shops do is about the simplest and a good place to learn about the industry.
Basically, an auto body shop repairs a damaged automobile. This is different from fixing a car that is not operating properly mechanically. The damage to the car is not related to a mechanical failure, but is caused by either a collision or by neglect. The most common cause is collision. Old and abandoned cars may suffer body damage due to rust, but it is the accident that causes a collision that is the main source of work for an auto body shop.
The automobile repairer working in a body shop will be called on to straighten bent bodies and frames. They will also remove dents and replace crumbled parts that can't be fixed. They will restore damaged metal frames and body sections. In short, if it is possible to restore the damaged car to an acceptable condition, the auto body shop will do the work. In the case of neglected cars or classic cars that are being restored to their original look, the body shop will cut away rusted metal. If the rust spots are not too large, filler will be used to patch the holes. If they are too large, the panels will need to be replaced.
Technically, there are three other aspects to the complete restoration of the damaged automobile. The first is glass replacement. Broken windows are usually the standard in a major collision. The second factor is repainting of the auto. The areas damaged, and holes filled must be sanded and primed and a new paint job applied to the car. Finally, mechanical damage must be repaired to return the car to running condition.
These three things, glass replacement, repainting, and mechanical repair are often done in the auto body shop. In some cases, they may be done in separate shops that specialize in one of the areas. This will depend on the size of the shop, and the expertise of the employees. In the past, smaller shops that were often one man operations were more common. The current trend has been toward integrated shops that provide complete service under one roof.
Sometimes the purpose of the auto body shop is not to perform the actual work. Auto body shops can be used by insurance adjusters to determine a monetary value to damage. This estimated cost of repair can be used in the settlement of an insurance claim. Estimates are sometimes used as loss value in law suits resulting from accidents.
