Mobile Bodywork Repair: How Does It Work + What's Entailed?

If your car receives body damage, then your best choice is to drive it to a nearby auto centre, turn it in for servicing, and wait for it to be fixed. This can take the better part of the day, if not several days.

What if you can't reach your local auto centre? What if you need your car immediately, so you can't wait for the shop to return your vehicle?

In this case, mobile bodywork repair is ideal for you. For light to medium damage, you can benefit from a skilled expert coming right to your door and performing the necessary work on your car. This is both convenient and time-saving.

But what qualifies as light or medium repair? How long will it take? Read on to find out:

What Damage Can Be Repaired By A Mobile Service?

So long as the damage hasn't affected the vehicle mechanically or compromised the framework, a mobile repairer can fix most issues. This includes plastic and metalwork on your vehicle, as well as 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 mobile repair services typically have damage 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?

As a rule of thumb, if your vehicle was stationary or moving at a low speed when the damage occurred, there's a good chance it can be repaired by a mobile service. Mobile repairers use a variety of techniques to repair steel, aluminium, and plastic on conventional, hybrid, and electric vehicles.

As an example, if you have light scratches in the paintwork, these might polish out with professional tools and materials. Heavier scratches will need repainting, like sanding back the affected area to remove the damage and repainting to create a seamless finish. Here a special lamp is used to cure the paintwork. That allows you to drive the car shortly after the repair and wash it as usual the following day.

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 a special tool is used to tug the panel back into the right shape. Filler is then 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. As such, there's no need to repaint multiple panels on the vehicle. A small area can be perfectly matched to the original colour.

Where Are Mobile Repairs Carried Out?

So long as it is safe and legal to set up, a mobile repair can be carried out virtually anywhere. In particular, 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 any gases released during the painting and drying process
• 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 inside of a couple of car parking spaces.

Need Mobile Repair For Your Vehicle?

If you have damage on your vehicle, you can speak to an experienced mobile mechanic at Autofusion. By taking a few photos of the bodywork, you can get a fixed quote for your repairs on the spot.

Once agreed, we provide a quote on how long your repairs will take (between 4-8 hours, depending on the amount of damage) and you can pick a convenient time and date for your repairs to be carried out.