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How not to get suckered at the auto body shopMay 26 '00 Write an essay on this topic.Introduction So you were backing out of a parking space and found the only light pole in the entire lot? Just a little dent and it should be no problem to fix. Now the autobody shop wants $1,300 to fix it? Obviously ridiculous, you can't afford that and if you put it on your insurance it is going to skyrocket. Where to start There is most definitely more than one autobody place in your area. Check all of them, a bit time consuming, but you may be able to save a couple hundred dollars to make it worth it. Pricing Some of these little incidents can be expensive, but they shouldn't break the bank. Ask them why they are charging you so much, find out what needs to be done. Sometimes it may be cheaper to replace the quarter panel than to have it repaired. Check with your dealer and JCWhitney. How to choose Every autobody shop has a different way of painting. Some use the popular Orange Peel texture, while others leave a really nice gloss. Its important to look into what will match your paint the best. Ask to see some of their work. Usually they'll have a couple of cars that have been freshly painted and they should have some before pictures for insurance reasons. Make sure the area they fixed is immaculate, you aren't paying them to do a good job, you are paying for a perfect job. If you can, reach on the inside of what has been painted and feel for dents there. If there is a huge dent on the inside, they don't know what they are doing, and the body filler has a high chance of failing. Little or no body ripple should be detected on the inside. Ask how they fix dents. Is it with Bondo, Lead fill or Fiberglass fill. Lead fill will cost you more, but is much more permanent. Opt for lead fill whenever possible. Ask what kind of paint they are using. Some will go with a cheap paint made by pPg or DuPont. You want to make sure they are using the best right? If your car came with a clear coat, to match they will need to put a clear coat on. I recommend you ask for Imron if you have the choice. It does not require a clear coat so it won't be best for all applications. Before you decide anything, make sure they have a pigment analyzer. Your paint probably has faded and they can't put a factory color on it. They will probably have to mix. This won't cost very much and it will save your car from a multi-colored exterior. Ask to see the paint booth. There should be at least two exhaust fans on either side of the room.(Covered by fresh white filters) Without two exhaust fans you will be disappointed to see lots of little dirt specks permanently imbedded in your paint. There should be lights everywhere! These help to get the gloss just right. Overhead lamps do not work for the bottom of the car. Besides lights in the walls, there should be a few on the floor. If you don't see two exhaust fans and lights everywhere, this is not the paint booth for you. How long Make sure your car is going to be done in a time period that fits your schedule. Let the body shop know that you'll pay what they ask if it is done on time, after that every day will lose them $50. Have them sign a contract a lawyer has looked over and be certain to have a witness sign. Some auto body shops finish at their leisure, my friends 454SS wasn't done for four months, my Blazer wasn't done for five. Payment Never pay them before their have done the work. Not only will this insure it is worth it, it will also inspire them to finish sooner. Your insurance company should cut a check for the exact amount. Overall This is not going to be painless, it is going to cost you lots of money in the long run if you don't do it right and your car may not be perfect. Check the credibility of the shop, this is by far the most important thing. Make sure the cars they are producing look as good as new. If you are painting your entire vehicle, anything more than $2,000 is too much, no matter how much body work is required. After painting my Blazer, if I had charged myself $40 an hour, it would have cost me $1,502 and that was with a lot of body work. I even had to replace a rust ravaged quarter panel. I recommend one of the places you price is your local Maaco or Earl Sheibs. They do good work at low prices. Competitive with anything else you may find. Don't get their lowest priced paint job, as you'll get what you paid for, but some of their $500 and $600 paint jobs turn out pretty nice. My friend got his Camaro painted there and it looks like my other friends $4,000 paint job on his 454SS. Good luck.  |
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