If you prefer to handle car repairs on your own, you might want to note some important tips when it comes to smash repairs.You may assume that smash repairs only affect the overall look of your car, or you may be so eager to handle your own repairs that you're overlooking some important ways of making quality repairs. But note that the car's body is very important for your overall safety. Poor repairs to a dented area can mean compromising the car body's overall strength so that you're more likely to be injured in a future collision. Note some quick but important tips when it comes to smash repairs.

Start with an internal inspection

Before you start fixing the body of your car, take the time to crawl under it or use a flashlight to look on the top and sides of it for a thorough internal inspection. If the body has been dented or dinged, this can mean that hoses are crimped or pulled away from their connectors or that wiring has been torn from certain parts. It's especially important to do this inspection if your car is older and rusted, as rust already compromises the strength of certain parts. Your tire's tie rods could be bent, or a collision may have put a hole in any number of rusted parts. Start with this inspection before you do any DIY repairs so you know your car is safe and not just looking good.

Don't be afraid to make the damage bigger

When handling a dent in your car, you may not want to sand or grind it down, thinking that making the hole or dent bigger will just cause more damage. However, trying to add any type of filler material over a rusted spot can mean that the material simply won't stick as it should, and that rust may allow it to fall off or otherwise compromise your repair. An smash repair shop will usually sand or grind down a dented spot to get to strong metal that can hold filler or putty, so don't be afraid to do the same.

Don't get too cheap on the repair materials

In some cases, you can find off-brand paints or fillers that work as well as name brands, but don't get too cheap when it comes to repair materials. Some off-brand paints, if they're very poor quality, won't be close to the original paint color. Very cheap bonding materials may simply crack and actually fall off after a short time. Invest in quality materials for quality repairs that will last instead.