Dear Windy,
I cannot believe I am writing to a car, but here goes. I am a young driver and have a used car to drive. The paint is not at all desirable, so I am searching for a body shop to have my car painted. I see that some of the inexpensive body shops offer cheap pricing but I am not sure how well they do the job. So, I was wondering if you might shed some light on where might be the best place to go and what to look for in a body shop.
Melinda
Dearest Melinda,
You know what they say – Don’t judge a car by its cover! It just so happens that thanks to Teresa’s garage, people no longer faint when they see my paint! Painting me and other cars like me is right up their alley. Not to brag, but my paint is considered virtually flawless. Oh wait, I guess that was bragging. Unfortunately, many are not as lucky as I was. Not to worry. You, too, can be restored to your former glory with these important tips. When looking for a body shop, paying the cheap price is exactly what you get, a cheap paint job. (I haven’t been called cheap since Disco music was in vogue.) Prepping a cars body to be painted is extremely important, without the proper foundation, the paint will not stick and before long, of course after the warranty is up, the paint will begin to peel. You just wasted your hard earned money.
Ask questions, do they prep the car and if so how? Do they prime prior to painting, are they removing the moldings (for older classics like me) is the paint a one stage ( no clear to add over the paint) or two (apply base coat, then add a clear coat)? Will they be matching the color exactly? Check with the BBB on their customer rating. Ask friends and even Google the body shop to see if there are any reviews. What is the warranty and how long will the job take? If they tell you a week, plan on possible two. They never seem to get us out on time. You only want to do this once. I hope this helps. Next time you cruise the beach, you can be confident in shedding that car cover. Just make sure not to get sand in places where sand should never be. That’s a whole other column, Honey! Happy Motoring.
