[hvyeqpmech]

Question is what do you look for in a body shop?
I have never had a car painted before and don't know very much about what to look for. Have been out getting estimates,some are alot higher than others. Some I wouldn't go back in their door!
Some welcome questions and some don't-these I will stay away from. We are looking for what I call a good job but yet not a show car job. $$$ is the reason we don't want a show car job. Thanks

 

[jwcnj45]

If you are shopping for a paint job you should make a list of exactly what you want done as a guide for the estimate. Prices will vary widely for a paint job, but in general you get what you pay for. Look at the type of work that is in the shop when you go there. Are they working on high end vehicles or junkers? Will the car be sprayed in a Down Draft booth and then baked to cure the paint? What type and brand of paint will they use? Do they guarrantee their work? How long will it take? Look at the cleanliness of the shop this will give you an idea of their work habits. These are some of the things to get answers to. If you don't understand some of what you are told, post back on this site and there are several people here who will help guide you.

 

[collins motors co.]

I AM A BODY SHOP OWNER. THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT REASONS FOR PRICE DIFFERENCES IN ANY BODY SHOP ESTIMATE.THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT WAYS TO PREPARE A CAR FOR PAINT SOME GOOD SOME NOT SO GOOD.WHAT I WOULD LOOK FOR IS A BODY SHOP THAT DOES SOME OLD CARS AND SEEMS TO ENJOY OLD CARS.IF YOU HAVE A DOLLAR AMOUNT YOU CAN SPEND SEE WHAT THEY CAN DO FOR THAT .MAKE SURE THEY SEE YOUR CAR SO THEY SEE WHAT THEY HAVE TO START WITH.RELAY WHAT YOU WANT WHEN ITS DONE. GET IN WRITING WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO DO HOW THEY ARE GOING TO DO IT WHAT MATERIALS THEY ARE GOING TO USE. ONE BIG PROBLEM DOING OLD CARS FOR SHOPOWNERS IS COLLISION WORK IS WAY MORE PROFITABLE. WE GET BUSY FIXING CRASHES OLD CARS TEND TO SIT. SO DONT PAY A BUNCH OF MONEY UP FRONT ASK TO PAY AS THE WORK IS GETTING DONE THATS HOW I DO IT I CALL IT PROGRESS PMTS. ASK FOR A TIME FRAME TELL THEM YOU WANT A REAL TIME FRAME. IF THE CAR WORK STALLS WAY TO MUCH FOR YOU PULL THE CAR. WHEN THEY ARE DOING YOUR CAR STOP TO CHECK PROGRESS .

 

[1948PlymouthSpecDel]

i worked in a body shop for about 6 months. its the best body shop in the area. one of the things i looked at alot was backlog, this shop ALWAYS had someone waiting to get there car in. sometimes up to 3 months! to be that bouth good and bad. its good b/c it shows that this shop is worth the wait, but its bad if u want your vehicle done in a short time. id say the average car was in there 2-3 days depending on the ammount of work. while working there we did everything to redying the interior of a 77 corvette to replacing the roof of a late 90's dodge caravan.

i would suggest driving by the shop every few days if its possible to see if the same cars are there all the time or if there is a good flow of vehicles in and out. and make sure your shop uses a good brand of paint ie: dupomt, ppg house of kolor or what not. also, if the shop has several employees so if u can talk to them to see what they think about where they work. the owner can tell u anything he wants, but the guys doin the work could tell a completely diff story.

ok ill stop rambling.

 

[Kevin45]

Heavy,
Go to some local car shows and ask who did their work. Ask a lot of questions as to how the shop did there work. If rear quarters were put on a car ask how they were put on and look it over good. Nobody that takes pride in their ride at a car show will take offense to asking about their car and workmanship that was put into it. If they were screwed they will be the first to tell you. If they had excellent work done to their car they will be the first to tell you and will brag about the person that did the work. What you want is someone that knows how to put craftmanship into their work. If a car is just getting painted you can find numerous good shops. If there is a lot of metal work to be done then that narrows it down considerably. If there is a lot of metal work to be done, expect them to have it for awhile. Do not pay up front. A reputable shop might ask for some money down but get a ballpark estimate (estimated will change depending on what they get into) first and always remember that it is your money you are spending and you are only going to pay for what you get instead of getting what you pay for. Explain in detail what you expect out of the shop, tell them what kind of work you expect to have done on your car. Remember, it is YOUR car and money. AND get everything in writing. A lot of lawsuits could be avoided on both sides if everything was in writing. Shop around and don't feel intimidated by the owner wanting your money.

Kevin