Bob, I was shocked recently to learn from a panel beater that the art of automobile panel beating is now one of those skills that will very probably disappear within a few years.
Apparently, in the district where I live there are only one or two gentlemen of advanced years who possess good quality panel beating skills. The younger "panel beaters" have skills that relate to removing and replacing complete panels, not reshaping deformed metal to its original shape.
To a degree this loss of skills relates to economic benefit. It is considerably more cost effective to replace a damaged panel with a new one, than it is to reshape a damaged panel.
So now we have apparently vintage automobiles with the entire body made from fibreglass. My vintage automobile is still 100% original, rust & all.
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