Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Timeline
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Israel Acosta

Chippewa Falls

Summary

Motivated Paint and Body Technician with extensive experience in automotive restoration, specializing in a comprehensive range of skills from metal finishing to clear coat application. Recognized for exceptional focus and meticulous attention to detail throughout all phases of body restoration, ensuring high-quality results. Proficient in executing rough bodywork, primer sanding, vehicle cleaning and masking, applying urethane-based paints, and performing wet sanding and buffing of clear coats. Committed to delivering excellence in every project while maintaining a safe and efficient work environment.

Overview

7
7
years of professional experience

Work History

Paint/Body Technician

Muscle Car Restorations
06.2023 - 08.2025
  • MCR has been my first full-time employment as a paint and body technician out of college, where I was tasked with performing everything from metal finishing panels to full cut and buffs. This includes rough bodywork, primer sanding, paint prep, and gun time with primers, base coats, and clear coats.
  • Most of my time consisted of rough bodywork on late ‘60s and early ‘70s American muscle cars, including a ‘73 Chevy Camaro, ‘70 Plymouth Cuda, ‘67 Ford Country Squire, ‘66 Plymouth Satellite, and a ‘70 Dodge Charger. This included the use of pneumatic sanding blocks for initial cutting of filler, hard blocks for finishing filler work and most of the primer sanding stages, soft blocks for high radius panels, and DA sanding for finishing primer to eliminate cross-hatching.
  • The second task I spent most of my time performing was wet sanding and buffing panels. This included simple nib sanding and full cuts, given that we would leave some cars with an OEM finish or do show car finishes. I spent time using rotary and orbital buffers, finding myself preferring orbital buffers.
  • Within my time at this company, I was frequently involved and included in conversations about project planning/direction, technician management, execution of bodywork and paint processes, and even assisting with managerial responsibilities when my managers were on vacation.

Sheet Metal/Paint Intern

KIP Motor Company
06.2021 - 08.2021
  • For half of this internship, I focused on helping get a Triumph TR1800 from bare metal to topcoat. This included doing filler work, cleaning and masking the entire car, and spraying two coats of PPG self-etching primer and three coats of PPG high-build primer. I also assisted with masking and panel prep for spraying the topcoat.
  • The other half of the internship was directed toward rust repair and preparing the body of a Triumph TR2 for epoxy primer. I installed the floor pan using MIG welding and created patch panels on the fenders and structure of the kicker panel using a combination of MIG and TIG. I also removed and corrected the passenger-side headlight bucket using an English wheel and a hammer and dolly.

Classic Vehicle Technician

Larson Auto Works
06.2018 - 08.2019
  • I gained most of my general mechanical knowledge here, as this was the job I maintained during my gap year following high school graduation.
  • I performed numerous services on drum and disc brakes, mostly on late 60s and early 70s American vehicles. I also replaced various suspension and steering components, including shocks, springs, sway bars, control arms, tie rods, idler arms, and steering gearboxes. General disassembly and labeling components was another responsibility I undertook as a young mechanic at Larson Auto Works.

Education

Bachelor of Science - Automotive Restoration Technology

McPherson College
McPherson, Kansas
05.2023

Skills

  • Auto body repair
  • Automotive painting
  • Welding
  • Spray gun operation
  • Surface sanding
  • Dent hammering
  • Power buffers

Timeline

Paint/Body Technician

Muscle Car Restorations
06.2023 - 08.2025

Sheet Metal/Paint Intern

KIP Motor Company
06.2021 - 08.2021

Classic Vehicle Technician

Larson Auto Works
06.2018 - 08.2019

Bachelor of Science - Automotive Restoration Technology

McPherson College

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