TomP

The pictures show why I need an auto body shop. Driving on a highway (495 on Long Island), the car in front of us ran over what I can only describe as a spear! Probably a wooden broom handle about 4 ft long, but whatever it was it bounced up, tumbled once or twice before hitting the bumper and skittering across the hood. We actually consider ourselves lucky considering it was right in line with me! (For the rest of the 7 hr ride I kept thinking of the headline "Brides brother killed on way to wedding").

Now that I've stopped trying to figure out what I could have done to avoid it (Nothing. No time to react & no where to go. Typical morning rush traffic) I need to figure out a good auto body shop to take it to. But how do I know they are the right ones?

Geico has already agreed to pay for it, but they want me to go to one of their Auto Repair Xpress places. I'm not too sure about that, although I did check them out today and they seem to know what they are doing. But I don't get a warm-and-fuzzy from them.

The best place (my feelings) was the most expensive, but they said they could repair the bumper & hood without replacing either. Another place claimed that both should be replaced (but quoted a ridiculously low price). I don't think Geico would pay for replacements anyway. The cheapest quote came from a guy who didn't even mention the need to feather the hood to match the side panel. I found out that one of the Porsche Certified repair facilities (Mid Island Collision) is not too far from me so I think I'll go there tomorrow and see what they say.

Almost all the dents in the hood are accessible from the bottom, and I'm told that the bumper can be patched with special material that will flex with the rest of it. But what do you guys think? Should the hood, bumper or both be replaced?

And if anyone in the LI area has body shop suggestions, let me know. Otherwise, how do you go about picking an auto body shop ?

tom

ps Words of advice: Don't get it detailed before going on a 1000 mile trip. It's a waste of money (who was I trying to impress???) and it might anger the universes' karma.

Van

No pictures...

But something like a body shop, try to go by recommendations. The more people that are happy with their work, the more likely you'll be happy, too.

Pac996

Looking at body and paint shops the paint booth is a big feature that can't be skimped on. A good location will have a seperate clean room with heat to get the paint cured. At least that's what I'd prefer. The dry on the run leaves you with paint fabric can even make a pattern on. Also the paint drying in a clean room prevents the particles from sanding and other things flying around from getting on the paint. Sure there are fancy additives for paint to get it to dry faster but I don't feel it lets the molicules settle and harden ito a good protective surface. Then the shop being good at polishing paint after the paint dries is another factor. There has to some good rep from porsche around you.....or you are screwed.

An insurance company exactly like the one typed hint after a guy tail ended me offered what you got. Latter on after the repair stretching the tail end out due to a fool in a big truck so big he couldn't see he was going to tail end the old toyota at a red light..........gripe gripe they left a hole the size of rebar under the trunk lining. Screw their speedy I love you salesmanship offer.

redridge

call your local indies and ask who usually use for body repair....

Divot

Sorry to hear this.

If Mid Island isn't too far from you, you're close to me. I have used them, but only on a couple of minivans. They were nice guys and did OK work. I have used a couple of other places in Nassau for Porsches. None great, none horrible. I don't have a "go to" guy. I have asked the dealers and indies who they recommend.

Someone else can let you know about new parts v. patch, but they would kiss my butt before I let them put some glop on to fix my front bumper and tell me it was OK.

beentherebaby

Bummer...

I'd try a web or forum(s) search for high end body shops in your area that specialize in M-B, Porsche, etc. then check out work at their shops to see if it meets with your expectations.

reynwerkes

If you really want the best for your car I'd suggest checking around as much as possible and see the work that's actually done. Is there any overspray? Is the paint finish completely smooth? Or do you see slight imperfections due to body work?
Another thing to look out for is what kind of paint they shoot. While it isn't a guarantee most shops shooting the European paints are the ones that do quality work. A crappy shop isn't going to use an expensive paint for a cheap job. Paints to look for are Sikkens, Glasurit, Speisecker (sp?).
In the end, when it comes to painting and body work, you get what you pay for.

Shark Attack

eanny-meany-miney-moe?

TomP

I did that and they still recommended a shop that I tried once before. Went by there and the name had changed. I take that as a bad sign...

tom

(Edited 1st post to add pics. Don't know why they didn't take first time?)

TomP

Nobody has any comments or experience on replace vs repair?

Maybe the pics will generate more comments!

tom

Randyg308

hy-tone in mineola or martino auto concepts in glen cove,both first rate!

rpm's S2

Two sure-fire solutions:

1. Check with the local PCA region.
2. Check with the closest Ferrari/Lambo/RR/Bentley/Maserati dealership and find out who they use... if none are close enough call the service department at the closest Porsche dealership.

This is when PCA membership and/or a good relationship with a independent mechanic really pays off.

Macster

When I needed a body shop I asked my local Porsche dealer which shop was qualified to body/paint repair these cars. Dealers have cars repaired once in a while and must have a shop they use.

Next time I have to deal with getting a Porsche repaired I'm going to send a letter to several dealers in the area and ask for what shops are recommended in writing that are qualified and can do the best job to restore the car to its pre-collision condition.

Be careful about a shop that claims to be a Porsche certified collision repair center. My info is while Porsche started a program to certified qualified shops the program was halted and months ago shops told me they had had their names on a sign up sheet awaiting the final training classes necessary to gain certification.

This doesn't mean a shop that claims to be a Porsche certified repair shop is not qualified to repair your car, just that you need to get additional confirmation.

My body shop advisor tells me a repair shop that at least has the proper equipment to repair these cars has a Celette Bench (and one that is not all dusty and used for storing junk in the dirtiest further corner of the shop). It also has to have at least one of 3 paint systems: Standox, Spies-Hecker or Glasurit.

In my opinion the proper repair of your car requires a new trunk lid and new bumper cover be used. Factory. Aftermarket, reconditioned, etc. just don't cut it, if they're available and many times they are not. The few times a shop has tried to use one on my car -- due to pressure from the insurance company -- it has had to reject the panels due to poor fit and just general overall poor condition.

For instance, the panels off you car might be sold for reconditioning and ultimately end up on another car.

The body shop will be able to match the paint and if the shop knows this is a paint that requires adjacent panels be sprayed a ways back from where they adjoin the new body panels it will do so. Insist all under trunk labels/stickers be steamed off the orignal panel and placed on the new panel. Take pics to have before pics to compare to the after pics.

Be sure you stress the after repair paint thickness must match the pre-repair paint thickness. The shop should use a paint thickness gage to get the existing paint thickness topology and then match this on both sides. Hint for you: Generally body panels do not have uniform paint thickness. The up facing surface when the panel painted will have a thicker layer of paint than a veritical surface.

Lastly, regardless of the shop's equipment, paint systems, etc., you should seek to get word of mouth feedback on the quality of the repair. Ideally you should try to inspect one or more cars that have been repaired by a shop and really check out the paint work quality. Check along edges of panels for paint roughness. Check under the rubber body seals for signs of paint tape. Of course, check the panel smoothness and look closely at the paint surface for blemishes. Then in various lights view the newly painted body panels to see how closely their paint matches adjacent panels.

Sincerely,

Macster.

nick49

I've learned the hard way. I went to THE shop that the Porsche, MB, and BMW dealers recommend. I've also heard from a very good friend that used to work for one of the owners that this was the place to go. I was offered a tour of the shop, was impressed, and also impressed by the imported tile, granite counters, signed prints in the customer waiting and entry area.

I used them, what a disappointment. In the right light DA sanding swirls stood out horribly, a few runs in the clear down low, flex agent was not added to ABS parts and the paint was way too hard and brittle and chipped very easily. Worse was the classic broken door panel clips and missing screw hole plugs that were lost or damaged and not relpaced. I'm not a body man, but could be, I do know a substandard job from a good one. I'm not **** or anywhere close to it, but I do expect quality work when I pay the big bux. I would rate the shop that everyone recommends so highly about a C-. Most of their clientel must be clueless. And BTW when I went there in the shop, most all the workers were most likely illegals, not that they do bad work, but I'm certain they work cheap and don't take the time to learn or understand the importance or removing and replacing hardware in the proper manner.

So, there is only one way to properly choose a shop. That is to see work that they have already completed, talk to the owners weeks or months later and look and touch what was repaired.

achtung911

dont settle for goop! and dont settle for any bondo crap either, your paint needs to be blended into surrounding panels or you WILL see a difference in paint color. find a porsche approved shop or bmw, mercedes... i think you get the point. autobody is what i do. and if you want to have it "perfect" please uses the advice i have given you.