How do I find a reliable body shop? Iv'e asked my friends but they only have horror stories to tell. Is there an Association of Trustworthy Filler Wielders?
Clare.
|
|
That is a tough one.I've just had an insurance repair done by Hendys in Southampton,and if you ever wondered what Stevie Wonder is up to these days,wonder no more,he now works in a body shop in Southampton.Over the years i have been appalled by the very low standards turned out by body shops,all they seem to want to do is the least amount of work for the most amount of insurance money.Then they get the excuse book out,all 550 pages of 'faded paint'or 'damaged before' or 'its not brand new' never i'm sorry i'm just a lazy,useless,sight impaired tosser.So to find a good paint shop local to you,i'm sorry i have not got a clue.Do they exist?
|
I can recommend Collins and White of Petersfield. I've dealt with the firm for 20+ years and have had excellent service. ( My wife's Honda had a new wheel arch fitted and sprayed only a week ago) A family business with mechanics and body shop craftsmen who have been there for years.
Please email me if you'd like more details.
Regards,
Peter.
|
|
|
|
Looks like I went to a similar bodyshop to Tony-my brand new car got rear ended by an HGV in 1994 with just 2000 miles on the clock.
It went back to the supplying garage that deal with "the car in front" mentioning no names here of course :0)
The car came back in a state-they hadnt sealed the bumper properly and left the drain holes unplugged so everytime it rained the car had an on board swimming pool in the boot.
It went back no less than 6 times to be done properly-in the end they sealed it but the paint match was rubbish and as for the panel fit-well lets just say it didnt keep up with the rest of the original ones.
Their head office didnt give a damn,wouldn't compensate me for 6 trips back and forth and refused to do anything about it.
It was only after raising my voice somewhat to the sales manager at the garage did I get a free interim service. (wow)
It was appalling service from that garage based in Redhill.
Hope you find a proper one that will do the job for you properly first time.
John
|
|
|
Clare
If in the North of England there is an excellent one at South Kilvington, nr Thirsk. RW Body repairs. Did SHMBO's XR3i roof hinges and roof sprayed. First class job.
Good ones exist it's just a matter of finding them.
***
0 0
6
(----)
|
|
|
Clare,
I use a superb chap in North Cambs who will do a metallic panel that is impossible to tell from the rest. Nice chap too.
Word of mouth is the way to get a contact.
David
|
|
|
Clare,
David W is right. Word of mouth is the best way. Associations are sometimes just hiding places for cowboys.
Peter.
|
|
What a complete load of utter tosh.
|
|
In the trade by any chance? Got an axe to grind?
|
|
|
|
|
i have been recommended in the local paper, one of my customers wrote to the paper, and it was in the letters page, i even have the clippet taking pride of place on the cork pin board, i charge good prices (good for you, not me), but i am in newcastle upon tyne, email me on watson-fam@ic24.net if you are interested. i try not to use filler if a proper weld will do the job, and i am not a bodger, i take pride in my body repairs.
|
Unfilled welded repairs??
After spraying bet that looks like something off Wallace and Grommits spaceship.
David
|
|
what i meant to say is that some people just put alot of filler into a large hole, what i do is weld a panel in and then fill around it. last week somebody came to me, and the car had a 2inch by 8inch long gap which had been filled, the filler had fallen out, so i had to weld some metal in. I DONT BODGE.
|
|
|
|
|
No, David L, LAC is right. If you are dealing with rust holes, the only way to get a repair which lasts is to chop out all the rot, weld in new metal, then use a skim of filler to restore the original body contour. Classic car restorers (good ones) do it all the time. I learned that the hard way years ago with a Hillman Avenger which I 'rebuilt' using body filler over rust. It looked immaculate for a week, then broke out in brown bubbles all over.
|
|
thanks, i am glad someone agrees with me. i have been restoring cars since i was 11, and i have been welding since i was 14, so i do know what i am talking about.
|
nobody agrees with you about anything ,Independant Observer sums you up completley.Do you think anybody actually believes anything you say ,they laugh at you take the micky out of you but believe NO.It is a sorry iditement
on your short life
|
|
|
|
are you serious
i agree with dw david lacey has a responsible position in the garage and tells his experience by helping others on this site and he may not claim expert bodyshop skills but he knows how they repair a door :-O
lac is a troll who claims a new job most weeks.
daft kid, hopeless DIYer, garage customer, mechanic, garage owner, two garage owner, mot tester, classic car owner, classic bike rider, a bodyshop man......i've seen them all over the past few months. his own age would have needed to be from eighten to 45 to fit lots of the stories.
u never get actual advice in any of these tales. posts are I once owned a ##### and it was good/bad. it used to belong to a man with a wooden leg/whippet then i sold it/gave it away/had it pinched/the rubber band snapped.
>the truth is out there ~ somewhere ~ is this it
|
|
|
|
custom cars of coventry used to be great
me and lots of friends used them and work was a million percent better than anywhere else ive been
was in coventry a few weeks ago and couldnt find them...
anyone know where they are now?
|
|
|
DBS Coachworks of Uxbridge, excellent service and they really know their onions. They're insurance approved by pratically every insurance company and been in business for over 70 years. I took a keyed door there on a pearlescent green car and they did an absolutely perfect match !
C&B in Uxbridge are good as well. They did a door post repair for 300 quid when the dealership wanted nearly 1000! Absolutely first class and have a paint oven as well.
|
|
|
|
The blame lies with the Insurance Companies. The approved repairer scheme was devised by them to ensure that they could screw the bodyshop into the ground in respect of costs. The time they allow for repairs is ridiculously low and consequently the repair rushed. False economy for the bodyshop as they invariably end up doing the job again. SWMBO had a crunch in her ZX a couple of years ago, her Insurers, who shall remain nameless (the ones with the red phone in the ads) directed her to her local Citroen dealer as their authorised repairer which produced cries of protest as she had a very poor repair done by them when the car was broken into. Insurers were adamant and car was duly delivered. Estimated repair time 4 days. Car finally reluctantly accepted 13 weeks and 4 attempts later. During that time the car was broken into twice in their compound resulting in 2 broken windows, wrecked dash and destroyed stereo all of which dealer had to replace. The bodyshop manager was a complete pratt with no idea of customer service or satisfaction. He even suggested that the reason the new bumper did not fit was because the car had obviously been involved in a front end shunt before and had not been repaired properly. Utter crap. Best thing is to source a repairer by recomendation and insist on them as your chosen repairer. Having checked them out I would recommend Peter Leung at Paint & Trim in Little Stanney near Chester.
|
|
|
|
HJ, how about a bodywork recommendations section in the same vein as the good garages elsewhere on the site? Given the comments on this thread, it'd be welcome. Incidently, if anyone knows of a good 'un in the Woking area I'd appreciate a heads up.
|
Paul,
.....heads up....
??
David
|
|
|
|
Paul
HJ recommended Sunbury Coachworks somewhere. They should be close enough for you. Tel 01932 254057.
Anyone remember Grimshaw & Wake? Didn't one of the partners buy a dairy farm in Devon and take early retirement?
Colin
|
|
|
