TEN THINGS I'VE LEARNED AFTER 20 YEARS WORKING IN AUTOBODY REPAIR

Automotive Painter and Autobody Technician (plus writer and TV host) Kevin Tetz offers his top 10 lessons gleaned from many years of working in the field.

- KEVIN TETZ

Doing your own bodywork on a project is one of those hoodoo-voodoo subjects that polarizes people: to some, it's wiring, some it's EFI and programming. Everyone has their jam, and for me, it's paint and body. One of the things I love is the fact that the autobody repair industry is constantly improving and evolving, mostly due to innovations in collision repair that eventually make their way over to the restoration and custom side. As an instructor, I see the need for more training and education as new techniques and products come along, and it's very inspiring knowing that, with a few tips, we can nudge someone on their way to a more successful experience either fixing their daily driver or doing better on their restoration or custom paint & body job. Here's a few things about the autobody industry that stand out as marked improvements that have a huge benefit to the DIY guys.