Do all body shops act this way? | FerrariChat

Do all body shops act this way?

Discussion in 'Ferrari Discussion (not model specific)' started by Husker, Feb 2, 2005.

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  1. Husker

    Husker F1 World Champ

    Dec 31, 2003
    11,788
    western hemisphere
    In preparation for a car show, I am having the hood of my 348 re-sprayed, along with a small area on the bottom of the door where the paint has lifted slightly.

    I took my car to the very best body shop in town last Monday the 24th, and they said they would have it out by that Friday. Well, I called them at lunch on Friday and he said "My best painter has been out sick for two days...should be middle of next week..." Well, TODAY is the "middle of next week". I went by the shop at lunch, and he said "we're starting on it today...should have it by Friday". I'm saying to myself "Do what"?

    Well, certainly not wanting them to now do a "hurry up" job on my Ferrari, I told him "don't hurry...but if you need to keep it through the weekend, you might start the car and let the fluids circulate some."

    Is this fairly common for body shops? I have had this exact same thing happen to me before with other shops. What's up?
     
  2. GrigioGuy

    GrigioGuy Splenda Daddy
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Nov 26, 2001
    29,385
    E ' ' '/ F
    Full Name:
    Trailer Swift
    #2 GrigioGuy, Feb 2, 2005
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Hey look, it's the same rant again.

    Bottom line, no, they don't. The body guy I use rocks, and treats the customer right. You need to do a better job picking shops.

    Or, you could bring it to Lewisville and have it done right. Want the number?
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  3. 208 GT4

    208 GT4 Formula 3

    Dec 27, 2003
    1,763
    Brighton (UK)
    Full Name:
    Dan
    If after a week, they still haven't started on the car then I would politely take the car back and take it somewhere else.

    Your relationship with this bodyshop has already got off on the wrong foot.
     
  4. senna21

    senna21 F1 Rookie

    Jul 2, 2004
    3,334
    Los Angeles, CA
    Full Name:
    Charles W
    Maybe their too busy driving it around to paint it... you did write down the odometer reading right?


    I’m kidding of course. I’m sure it’s in good hands. But, if they haven’t started on it yet, I’d agree with the individuals above. Time to take it someplace else.
     
  5. F328 BobD

    F328 BobD Formula 3

    Mar 17, 2001
    2,327
    Southlake, TX
    Full Name:
    BobD
    I had the same problems when I had my 328 bumbers painted (road rash). A one week job turned into 2 1/2 weeks. I got a relatively decent price and the guy did an outstanding job. I picked up my car on a Saturday when things had slowed down a bit and had a chance to talk and get to know the owner... he admitted when he sees F-cars or any high end cars, his estimates often go up by double. Not because the job is any more difficult, just because most owners can afford it and equate a higher price with a better paint job.
     
  6. robert biscan

    robert biscan F1 Veteran

    Jan 17, 2003
    5,066
    Nashville and Palm b
    Full Name:
    robert s biscan
    I think a delay is to be expected . Painters are artists and always slow. I never found a fast one.
     
  7. Muteki

    Muteki Formula Junior

    Jan 14, 2004
    269
    Guam
    I always have the same experience. I have rebuilt and painted numerous vehicles with the same exact results from at least 50 body shops. I have not found a fast one yet, but I have found quality. So you have to weigh quality with speed. I'll take quality.
     
  8. UroTrash

    UroTrash Three Time F1 World Champ
    Consultant Owner

    Jan 20, 2004
    38,860
    Purgatory
    Full Name:
    Clifford Gunboat
    Can you imagine the business opportunity if someone could figure how to run a bunch of these like, you know, a business?
     
  9. F328 BobD

    F328 BobD Formula 3

    Mar 17, 2001
    2,327
    Southlake, TX
    Full Name:
    BobD
    A good friend of mine is CFO for a chain of very successful collision repair shops based in the Dallas area (not Maaco or anything like that). They're close to 20 locations now. Apparently there is very good money to be made in this business if you're successful. And these shops, like you suggest above Uro, are based around customer service and are truly run as a business. But the key is to perform quality work and most importantly... get 'em in and get 'em out.



    .
     
  10. Exoticbro

    Exoticbro Karting

    Nov 1, 2003
    203
    St.Louis, MO
    Full Name:
    Chuck Ligon
    The main business of most body shops is collision work, their main customers are really the insurance companies. They need to get the cars in and out in a hurry to keep car rental costs and so forth down, if they don't the ins. cos. will not use them.
    So if they get a few wrecks in while your car is there, it will sit.
    Didn't you get some snow in Amarillo a few weeks ago?
    In any case I wouldn't rush them.
     
  11. FarmerDave

    FarmerDave F1 World Champ
    Consultant

    Jul 26, 2004
    15,774
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    IgnoranteWest
    Is it Caliber Collision by chance? Those guys run a first-rate operation. I went to a continuing-education class for my insurance license that they hosted. Spending an afternoon touring a body shop was better than any field trip I ever took in school. :) I would have taken my truck to them, if I hadn't met Jano.

    Also, Exoticbro is exactly right, Customer #1 for most body shops are insurance companies.
     
  12. patpong

    patpong Formula 3

    Jul 6, 2004
    2,274
    Bangkok, Thailand
    Full Name:
    Patpong Thanavisuth
    From my experience, many machnic shops or paint shops treat you right the first few times. Then as you become their usual customers, the job begin to take a little longer. They still talk nice but a two day job may be five days or more. The main reason that I found out is because they take the time that they suppose to work on your car to work on a new customers. So that the new customers will be impressed with their fast and reasonable price. You are no longer their new customers. They know they can be a little late, talk nice and give decent excuse, you will come back anyway....
     
  13. F328 BobD

    F328 BobD Formula 3

    Mar 17, 2001
    2,327
    Southlake, TX
    Full Name:
    BobD
    It's actually Service King. I wouldn't take a high end car to one of these places but we took my wife's minivan there several yrs ago and they did a great job.
     
  14. rob lay

    rob lay Administrator
    Staff Member Admin Miami 2018 Owner

    Dec 1, 2000
    59,404
    Southlake, TX
    Full Name:
    Rob Lay
    I'm with Tillman. 4M has been the greatest for our local club. Jano (348 Spider) and Raffi (328) are members of the FCA and very active in the club. I dropped the 328 off earlier this week to fix my rocker panel problems and touch up the front bumper chips. There are two other Ferraris there at the shop right now too.

    Also, price wise? Sometimes we have to beg them to take more money.

    http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44733
     
  15. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 6, 2002
    79,143
    Houston, Texas
    Full Name:
    Bubba
    I agree it takes time to do quality, but it is frustrating to know they didn't start it on time.

    I've used the same guy for 30 years........and he knows when I can wait for it and when I need it overnight! Communication is the key.

    I had to snatch one back the other day for an appearance Downtown, and when I called he said it was 15 minutes away from having grinder marks!

    So sometimes the delays work out.....
     
  16. jimpo1

    jimpo1 Two Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Jul 30, 2001
    24,510
    Dallas, TX
    Full Name:
    Jim E
    And they have a DOORMAN!!!
     
  17. wcelliot

    wcelliot Formula Junior

    May 7, 2004
    577
    Maryland, USA
    Full Name:
    Bill
    Body shops are a sore point with me. The real money is in insurance work... so few shops are interested in restoration work. And fewer yet can do it right.

    I got frustrated and actually bought into a restoration body shop...thinking that if I was part owner, I could at least get my own stuff done.

    Bad move. The problem is body men. I finally realized these guys are artists, not mechanics... and they have all of the stereotypical issues that come along with artists.

    Either they are no good, they are so slow you can never turn a profit, they are mentally unstable (the stories I could tell...), or they are good, reasonably fast, and stable... so they go to crash shops where the money is better and the work easier.

    In my experience, it's easy to find a shop that will give you a decent $10-15,000 paint job. Of course, this may take a while...

    And it's easy to find a shop that will give you a $500 paint job.

    What's difficult is finding a shop that will only charge, say $2000-5000 AND give you a $2000-5000 job. The last $5000 jobs I've paid for got $500 results...

    I can do a $1000-$2000 level paint job myself for just the cost of materiels. But I rarely have the time to do it... and am just frustrated that you just can't find "driver quality" work at a reasonable price...

    Of the two best shops I had dealt with, one turned out to be a money laundering operation and the other was apparently being run by an illegal alien (undocumented worker?). Neither is still in business. Nor is the shop that I got out of while I still could without losing my shirt...

    Bill
     
  18. Spyder

    Spyder Rookie

    Nov 18, 2003
    39
    Lake Seminole, GA
    Full Name:
    Mark
    In my experience:
    Take the time they say it will take,
    and multiply it by two.

    They say two weeks, this means a month.
    If they finish it in three weeks, yippee!

    This includes engine work and other custom work. :)
     

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