Went to that big auto body supply shop in Denver and noticed half the guys were buying aluminum repair kits now

Seems like every third person in line had a box of aluminum-specific welding rods and panel patches, wonder if steel work is starting to fade out or if it's just a regional thing.

3 comments

3 Comments

logan6581mo ago

Buddy of mine runs a small collision shop out in Arvada, told me last month he had to turn away three classic Porsche 911s because he couldn't get the hang of welding the aluminum body panels. Said the metal just warps different and the repair costs are nuts with the special filler rods. He's been doing steel work for twenty years and now he's basically learning from scratch with these newer cars. It's not just Denver either, he says the dealerships are pushing more aluminum frames on their lease returns.

nancyjones1mo ago

Man, tell me about it. I feel like I'm gonna need a whole new set of tools just to keep up. It's like @logan658's buddy said, you spend twenty years getting good at one thing and then the industry just pulls the rug out from under you. I'm half expecting to show up to work one day and find out they're making car panels out of cardboard and hope.

emery2901mo ago

Buddy of mine spent three grand on a die grinder just for carbon fiber dust control.