Auto body repair... what to look for?

wonderyears · 03-19-09, 12:39

Hey fellow Autopians

The bumper of my car was hit the other day, and I need to get it fixed (paid for by the person who hit me).

If I was some Joe Schmo, I'd just go to the first repair shop I saw, but being that I am one of you, I take great care of my car.

I've been looking online and a place that I will check out has this from their site:

"Choose a repair center that has unibody repair equipment and certified (by I-CAR or ASE for example) technicians. All of our locations are I-CAR Gold Class centers and all of our technicians have continuing I-CAR and ASE training to ensure that they are skilled in the latest repair process and equipment."

So, being new to the whole accident thing, is I-CAR certification good enough, or is there some other criteria that the shop needs to meet?

Also from their site:

"Advanced Akzo Nobel – Sikkens polyurethane paint systems with color match ensure that you receive the highest quality refinishing and recapture the factory look of your vehicle."

Even if they were great at repairing the damage, paint is another thing, because you wouldn't want a mismatched hologramed area on your car. Since my paint looks basically new, can't they just get the paint code to match it?

Sorry if this was long, but thank you in advance for help.

OTG Signs · 03-19-09, 04:52

For what it's worth, there's an I-CAR-certified shop near us that is absolutely horrible. Overspray everywhere, trash in the paint, sloppy prep in general.

Sikkens is good paint, but it doesn't automatically mean the shop is good.

I'd look to see some of their work that just got out of the booth but hasn't been finalized. That would be a good indicator.

tom p. · 03-19-09, 05:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by OTG Vinyl

For what it's worth, there's an I-CAR-certified shop near us that is absolutely horrible. Overspray everywhere, trash in the paint, sloppy prep in general.

Yeah, the devil is in the detail. We just got our car back from a 14 day sleepover to correct a minor bambi hit. If these guys didn't do such exceptional paintwork, I'd never tolerate the hours of work I have ahead cleaning overspray, the interior, fogged glass, etc.

This seems to be status quo regardless of what shop is selected. It's really disappointing. In all honesty, I have no idea how they make such a mess. I'm convinced they open the sunroof and roll down all the windows and leave it that way while the car is in the shop. It happens everytime

Danase · 03-19-09, 05:12

Yeah, most shops are I-CAR certified. That just means they go to the classes, doesn't mean they are good at what they do.
Honestly, how I found a good bodyshop...I went to a ton of local car cruises, when I saw a really good paint job I asked who painted it. One shop kept coming up as the painter so I started using them. They did a custom paint on a truck I had and it was done correctly and perfectly.

You're best bet is going to see previous work first hand.

Setec Astronomy · 03-19-09, 05:22

+2 I don't think the certifications matter. There's almost zero shops that are going to do an Autopian buffout. One thing you might consider, if you're handy, and to avoid Tom P.'s problems, is to remove the bumper cover yourself and just bring that to the body shop...at least they can't mess up the rest of the car then. You might have to get some manuals, and quite possibly there is an absorber under the cover that needs to be replaced. (This is probably only a good idea to do yourself if the damage is really minimal; what did the adjuster say? How much is the estimate?).

Another way to go is to tell us where you are, perhaps someone knows of a good shop in your area.

weekendwarrior · 03-19-09, 05:58

I just had to use a body shop for one of my cars. I searched reviews on the internet, looked at facilities myself (for signs of cleanliness, and general professionalism), and asked around. Most reputable shops in my area had no problem letting me look around when I asked. You can also ask to look at cars they have just finished while you are there.

Yeah, it took a little time on my part, but it will probably save me time in terms of not having to take a car back after the job is done.

wagonproject · 03-19-09, 06:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by weekendwarrior

I just had to use a body shop for one of my cars. I searched reviews on the internet, looked at facilities myself (for signs of cleanliness, and general professionalism), and asked around. Most reputable shops in my area had no problem letting me look around when I asked. You can also ask to look at cars they have just finished while you are there.

Yeah, it took a little time on my part, but it will probably save me time in terms of not having to take a car back after the job is done.

Though we have few people who ask, were more then willing to show people around the shop. Most of the time they don't care, its all about how much its going to cost and not what the work will look like.

wonderyears · 03-19-09, 09:07

Thanks for all the input so far. I will go today to check out the shop I was thinking about just to see how their place looks and to ask to see a few cars that have the same problem as mine.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Setec Astronomy

+2 I don't think the certifications matter. There's almost zero shops that are going to do an Autopian buffout. One thing you might consider, if you're handy, and to avoid Tom P.'s problems, is to remove the bumper cover yourself and just bring that to the body shop...at least they can't mess up the rest of the car then. You might have to get some manuals, and quite possibly there is an absorber under the cover that needs to be replaced. (This is probably only a good idea to do yourself if the damage is really minimal; what did the adjuster say? How much is the estimate?).

Another way to go is to tell us where you are, perhaps someone knows of a good shop in your area.

The damage is minimal, because a girl back into my parked car, and luckily only hit the bumper. Since her insurance is paying for it, do you think they would allow me the option of getting a new bumper from Toyota or something and just using that? Instead of all the labor and painting, could a new bumper be a cheaper option? If it is, I could tell the at fault party's insurance, and we'd both be better off. Besides the bumper, I'd assume that only the absorber needs replacing.

I am from the Inland Empire. I will go to any shop in San Bernardino, Riverside, Fontana, Yucaipa, Redlands, Loma Linda, or even further, so if anyone knows a place, I'd love to know.

Setec Astronomy · 03-19-09, 09:14

Usually they do write for a new bumper cover, depending how bad it is (and I guess a bunch of other variables).

Accumulator · 03-19-09, 09:25

Tom P. & weekendwarrior- Gee, sorry to hear you guys had to have work done. Tom, I'm really glad the "bambi incident" apparently didn't involve any personal injury.

[Sigh..insert whine about my poor, deered, S8...the repairs *still* bug me...]

wonderyears- Welcome to Autopia! Sorry you're in this pickle.

IMO one of the best ways is to get a recommendation from somebody whose opinion you'd trust. You simply won't know for certain if you'll be satisfied until after they've done the work, but satisfied customers who are as demanding as you are should have some valuable opinions. Hard to find people who know good from mediocre though.

I've only recently found a shop that does work to my satisfaction, and I've been having cars painted since the mid-'70s! This shop was recommended by my Jag Club's chief concours judge, a high-level restoration expert who understands just how particular I am. FWIW, it's no fancy place and a walk-through might not make a great impression, but the work they do is *infinitely* better than what I've had done in fancy shops that look real "professional". Heh heh, their little shop, located out in the sticks, recently finished a R-R Silver Ghost that was shipped over from Europe just for their work, for which their temporary insurance coverage was in the millions.