YACT: Share your auto body shop/collision repair experiences. Please!!!

[Psyber]

It really sucks... I rear-ended this truck (yes I'm an idiot) and since it was such a high hit, it messed up my grill and hood on my 97 civic ex. I'm paying out of pocket (instead of insurance) and I've gotten quotes ranging from $850-$1500. Some questions since there are some car experts here:

-Does it matter if I get an after-market part? Will that affect resale value?

-How do i know if an auto body shop is good other than references from other people? btw, if anyone lives inthe Philadelphia or Montgomery, PA area give me some references.

-I worried about matching colors, the $850 guy thinks that I don't need to blend the fenders, the other 2 think I do need to blend. Any experience on this?

-Should I just repaint my whole car. I was planning on getting a new car at the end of the year, but there really isn't anything wrong with this one. I'll probably be happy with just having it painted another color. Is there any issues with painting the entire car? Is the quality worse? same?

Thanks in advance,
Psyber

 

[Psyber]

bump

 

[NutBucket]

Use OEM parts. Usually I say stick to "dealer" body shops. They seem to be the most consistent IMHO. Yes, you'll need to blend the fenders. Unless you get a high quality paint job (more then $2k) it will not look as good as the original paint. You can paint the entire car but I don't think its necessary.

 

[Psyber]

Well the reason, I was thinking about painting the entire car was because I was looking into buying a new car. However, I might be happy with just having the same car with a different color (thus I don't have to buy a new car). What I'm worried about is the quality of the a repaint.

 

[NutBucket]

Right. A repaint doesn't look good unless the car is properly prepared and such. To get a job that looks as good as factory would cost upwards of $2k.

 

[ViperMagic]

Look for little shops, with the owner right in the sh!t with the other guys. I would definatly reccomend blending the fenders. I would talk to the bodymen, and see if you can provide your own parts. Then find a civic in a junkyard with a good hood and grill, pull them, and give them tot he shop. Itll save you a bunch of money.

As for painting the whole car, when we do one it costs $3k low end, and some ultra-sweet high end jobs can run up over 10k. There is a TON of labor involved. Anything for much less is going to get you a crappy job. If your selling it, it probably isnt worth it.

 

[ViperMagic]

dp

 

[Spencer278]

See if you can find a good hood that is the same color in a junk yard or something.

 

[stev0]

Originally posted by: NutBucket
Right. A repaint doesn't look good unless the car is properly prepared and such. To get a job that looks as good as factory would cost upwards of $2k.

for a factory type finish? more like 5K

 

[NutBucket]

Originally posted by: stev0

Originally posted by: NutBucket
Right. A repaint doesn't look good unless the car is properly prepared and such. To get a job that looks as good as factory would cost upwards of $2k.

for a factory type finish? more like 5K

Thanks for helping to make my point

 

[Psyber]

night bump. Any more input?

Has anyone had this done this and didn't blend the fenders? What determines whether a paint job is high quality or not?

 

[zCypher]

ummm... when you can tell that the fender/bumper/part is a different shade of the same color or looks newer/older, then you can tell that it's not high quality / wasn't properly blended/matched.

If you're keeping the car --> fix the parts the right way and repaint the whole car.

If you're selling it ... fix it and make sure when all the work is done, that it looks as good as it did before.

I guess it might end up costing the same thing ... you could just use your civic as a trade-in on a new car , if you currently own the car you have.

 

[Psyber]

Has anyone had this done this and didn't blend the fenders?

What determines whether a paint job is high quality or not? What I mean is before the fact (not after they are done), do I tell the guy to use a specific type of paint, process, etc? Should I ask him certain questions?

 

[NutBucket]

I'll tell you in a few weeks after I (finally) get my door fixed. They're blending for sure (have to, 14 years that paint has been on the car).

 

[Psyber]

bump.

Changed title. Hopefully, I'll get more people to comment on their experiences.

 

[Psyber]

weekend bump. don't want this thread to die yet.

 

[Ornery]

• Trashed mine (nearly totaled) :Q
• Took it here... :clock:
• ...came back like so!

 

[NutBucket]

Paint match pretty well Ornery?

 

[shuan24]

What about those Maaco paint jobs for 200-500? I mean, I'm not looking for super badarse paint job here, just something that will look good for a while.

 

[NutBucket]

Originally posted by: shuan24
What about those Maaco paint jobs for 200-500? I mean, I'm not looking for super badarse paint job here, just something that will look good for a while.

Define a while. My friend got an $800 paint job from one of those places and it chips like crazy. Painted about a year ago IIRC.

 

[Ornery]

Paint matched PRECISELY, and I doubt that 'amethyst' color is easy. The place that did the work is REALLY high priced. They do the very best work in the area. I took it there, hoping the quote would be so high, that the car would be totaled instead of repaired. Everybody I took it to was pretty certain they'd total it. The insurance adjuster managed to find a front clip with most of the necessary parts, which brought the price down. Total for repairs was $5,664.67. Page 1, Page 2

 

[shuan24]

I heard waxing your car is unhealthy for the paint...true?

 

[Thegonagle]

Get the real OEM parts. (Consumer Reports did a story about OEM vs. imitation parts, and the verdict was clear.)

Go with a shop that the new car dealer uses (pop in and ask the general manager) when they smash up one of their new cars. (Yes, it happens, but they generally must disclose damage that's more than some amount set by state law. For example, in MN, I believe it's $500, which covers most things more than a scratch, though I wish it was a lower limit, like $1.)

Originally posted by: shuan24
I heard waxing your car is unhealthy for the paint...true?

False. Excessive buffing with rubbing compounds can be unhealty, but regular wax is absolutely beneficial, and should be done twice a year (spring and fall). It will keep the paint looking like new for years and years.

 

[Psyber]

So experiences with Maaco are typically bad? I'm looking for the paint to last at least 2 years minimum.

 

[amdskip]

Originally posted by: shuan24
I heard waxing your car is unhealthy for the paint...true?

It protects your paint if you do it correctly.