White's Bodyworks provides car body repairs from our workshop in West Sussex, covering everything from localised dents and damaged panels to corrosion, larger bodywork repairs and refinishing.
Not every damaged car needs accident-repair work or a full respray. In many cases, the right approach is to repair the affected area, preserve sound original material and refinish only what is necessary.
We assess the condition of the panel, the extent of the damage and any previous repairs before recommending the most appropriate repair.
Body damage can range from a small parking dent to a badly distorted or split panel.
Depending on the condition of the metal and paint, the repair may involve reshaping the original panel, removing damaged sections, replacing a panel or carrying out local preparation and refinishing.
We aim to retain sound original material where practical rather than replacing entire panels unnecessarily.
For smaller dents and scratches, see our dedicated dent and scratch repair service.
Where the paint remains intact and the dent is suitable, paintless dent removal may be an option.
Corrosion can spread beyond the small area visible on the surface.
Once paint, filler or underseal is removed, it is sometimes necessary to repair a larger section than first expected.
Where rust or damage has affected the metal itself, we can cut back to sound material and carry out suitable welding, fabricated repairs or panel replacement before the bodywork is refinished.
For jobs where welding is the main requirement, see our automotive welding service.
A body repair is only complete when the repaired area has been properly prepared and refinished.
That may involve filling and shaping where appropriate, priming, colour matching, blending and clear coat depending on the vehicle and paint system.
The aim is not simply to hide the damage, but to produce a repair that is stable, properly prepared and visually consistent with the surrounding panels.
For vehicles requiring more extensive refinishing, see our car respray service.
Some body damage is localised and straightforward. Other damage involves several panels, mounting points or structural areas and is better treated as an accident-repair job.
If the damage was caused by a collision, the repair may need a wider assessment to establish whether alignment, suspension mounting areas or other structural sections have been affected.
For collision-specific work, insurer involvement or larger accident repairs, see our accident repair service.
View more of our recent projects.
