All: We all know the great paint shops in the Chicago area who paint most of the area's the big dollar cars. My question is...can anyone recommend some exceptional auto painters in the Chicago area without the Neiman Marcus price tag. Feel free to respond to the thread or send me a PM. I have a few cars that need everything from some minor repairs to a full strip and respray (not all are Ferraris). You would think this economy would have some talented people looking for work. Thanks. jts
InterPro in Lake Bluff, Il the Ferrari dealer there uses them a lot because they dont kill you on the price and the do really good work. JB should be the guy that you talk to. interproauto.com 847-295-1222.
Skip McCabe at McCabe Auto Restoration in Mundelein. As honest as they come & his cars have been at Pebble Beach. He has done done 3 cars for me. 847 949 8340
Don't use Interpro. JB has the ethics of a used car salesman. I took my Mondial there to get painted and they ended up braking my sunroof. Every time I went to save a little in service and such it bit me in the butt. Do yourself a favor, pay the money if it's important to you.
ABU (Auto Body Unlimited) in Downers Grove did a hell of a job repairing my car after the accident. I had $16k in damages to the front end, but you couldn't tell once I got it back from them
I don't visit FChat much anymore - I sold my 308 (which i see is for sale again on Race-Cars.com) in favor of a race car in 2005. While Joe's thread has been hi-jacked by Skip and Jay's antics, I must say boys, it's pretty funny and some light relief from the financial misery all around. Thanks for the entertainment.
I'm sorry if you or anyone else thinks that my opinion was out of line. The matter at hand was a discussion about local paint shops. I gave my advise and actually never went off topic. The bottom line is that I took my car to x shop and when x shop returned my vehicle items were broken. My advise is to ask if a shop manual is used when disassembly is necessary. If they aren't willing to invest in a basic manual than I'd say your investing in the wrong shop. The best advise that I ever got was to go to the dealer. Then if something goes wrong there's no one going off topic in a forum topic that really makes no difference to them anyway. Oh, one more thing, when I finally did get the car painted I took it to Macco. They took care of it and I think they did a pretty good job. Nothing was missing, broken, or damaged. Some of the guys got to see it before I opted for more speed. A paint job is a big thing and it's easy to get lost in the difference between what you want to spend and what you want. Be realistic in your needs and the price will drop into where you want it to be.
The x shop you mention does have the manuals. The problem you had was repaired at a nominal cost which would have cost you much more at the dealer, even if they were able find the problem which I highly doubt. The repairs you had done at x shop had nothing to do with your headlight problem. You stated that you and your wife tried to jump-start the Mondial. It wouldn't start so you had it towed to x shop, where it started right up when they jumped the battery. Then, when you found out the headlights wouldn't pop up, you tried to blame them for improper jumping of the battery. After you realized you had a problem with the headlights, you took your car to LFSC and they told you the diodes burned out due to improper jumping of the battery. What you fail to admit is that you, when trying to jump-start your car, probably caused the headlight problem because you connected the jumper battery incorrectly. I stand nothing to gain, but I do become vehement when someone claims that someone else caused their problems rather than admitting their own guilt. I suggest you make an apology to said x shop, and say I'm sorry for making false and unfounded accusations! That's my 2 cents.
Let us all call it what it is. You have a business that has been called to question and your trying to plead your side. Your not some angel of reason or revolutionary for a cause. We have two people with two different outlooks on the same event. I don't even own the car anymore so I really don't care either way. I say we should both be happy. Me, because I'll never bring even a lawnmower to you again. And you, because I'll never bring even a lawnmower to you again. I think we should just leave it at that because the whole thing is just stupid at this point. And I do apologize. I apologize to the forum for putting up with our mess. This forum is suppose to be a fun place to express our passion and help others. At some point we both lost sight of that and for that I am sorry. I'm no angel either.
Jay, You are right and the matter is dropped. Just to clarify though, I don't own the shop in question nor do I have any financial interest in it. Like you, I'm just a customer of the shop and have been for about 20 years. I was just trying to stick up for what I know to be an honest and reputable business. Case is closed.
Jay, I would like to know which Maaco did a good paint job and how long ago they did the work. Unlike some of the other posts I am not asking as an attack I am asking because I am currently thinking about having my 71 Mustang repainted. If you know which person at Maaco painted your car that would also be appreciated. While the Mustang has a ton of sentimental value (my Grandmother's bought it new as a left over in 1972), I can't justify spending $2,000 on a car worth maybe $4,000. FWIW if anyone has the name of a place that does good work in the sub $2,000 level (I'd actually like to spend no more than $1,000) let me know.
Hey Guys, I joined the forum because I am thinking of a 550 for my next toy and just came across this thread. Yesterday I picked my 2006 Lotus Elise back up from Countryside Customs in Warrenville. They did an excellent job replacing the front clamshell and matching the Starlight Black paint and the clear bra is way better than factory. Being a British car that might actually be such a shock, but I recommend them highly. Ryan was very helpful and kept me well informed about the car's progress. I will attach pics of the work ASAP. Jim
I went to the Macco in Palatine. If you check there website they'll be able to direct you. I can't remember the guy that did my work, sorry. You best bet is to speak with someone there concerning your project. The main thing that you need to know is what you want out of your project and what you expect to be delivered. As far as price goes I paid about $2000 at Macco. Everyone else wanted twice to four times that amount. Not to keep repeating myself but, spend a fair amount of time speaking with the manager or whom ever so that everyone is on the same page. Macco paints more cars than most custom shops ever could. Painting is all about the prep so remember not to skemp there. There are a few different plans they have and they also can do additional work on the side. If you want a fair paint job at a fair price then give them a try. If you want something a bit more trick or show you'd do best going somewhere else. I hope this helps.
Another interesting thread that got ruined by off track banter. I cleaned it, but I won't be the judge. I'll leave that to a fellow mod.
As promised I got the car out today and took a couple of pictures. I tried to get a good shot of the Starlight Black paint and the edge of the Starshield. I would say that they do top notch work and I know I have seen a Ferrari 330 there for work as well. Jim Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Pete Sanchez and Skip McCabe do FANTASTIC work but would be the uber expensive shops I was originally referring to....
