Trenholm State Community College

Automotive body repairers restore, refinish, and replace vehicle bodies, frames, windshields, and window glass.

Automotive body repairers typically do the following:

• Review damage reports, prepare cost estimates, and plan work
• Inspect cars for structural damage
• Remove damaged body parts, including bumpers, fenders, hoods, grilles, and trim
• Realign car frames and chassis to repair structural damage
• Hammer out or patch dents, dimples, and other minor body damage
• Fit, attach, and weld replacement parts into place
• Sand, buff, and prime refurbished and repaired surfaces
• Apply new finish to restored body parts

Automotive body repairers can repair most damage from vehicle collisions and make vehicles look and drive like new. Repairs may be minor, such as replacing a cracked windshield, or major, such as replacing an entire door panel. After a major collision the underlying frame of a car can become weakened or compromised. Body repairers restore the structural integrity of car frames to manufacturer specifications.

Body repairers use pneumatic tools and plasma cutters to remove damaged parts, such as bumpers and door panels. They also often use heavy-duty hydraulic jacks and hammers for major structural repairs, such as aligning the body. For some work, they use common hand tools, such as metal files, pliers, wrenches, hammers, and screwdrivers.

In some cases, body Repairers complete an entire job by themselves. In other cases, especially in large shops, they use an assembly line approach in which they work as a team each with individual performing a specialized task. (Source: Bureau of Labor and Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2017-2018 Edition.)

The Automotive Collision Repair program is designed to educate and train persons to become qualified to repair damaged vehicles.

Students enrolled in this program are provided with theory and hands-on experiences pertaining to personal safety rules and procedures, structural metal straightening, non-structural metal repair, paint and refinishing, welding, plastic repairs and vehicle estimating.

Awards Available

Certificate

• Automotive Collision Repair (53 Semester Hours)

Short-Term Certificate

• Automotive Collision Repair - Refinishing Concentration (28 Semester Hours)
• Automotive Collision Repair - Structural Repair Concentration (25 Semester Hours)

General Education Core Requirements

Curriculum Requirements