Cheap respray?

[GarryM]

Q to the wise:

I have been offered a front respray on my Griff (BMW Oxford Green metallic) for £250 plus VAT. It will not include the bonnet, just the nose and wings ie the front "panel" that runs all the way around from door to door.

This seems very cheap to me when I see "front end resprays" usually quoted at £600 and more plus VAT. Am I asking for trouble? Do other resprays include much more than just the nose?

For background, I live in the wilds of Devon and this is a local bodyshop to me, the man running it has taught how to do this sort of thing in tech colleges around the South West and is thought of quite highly by locals. He is happy with GRP so it's not a case of a spotty youff learning how to spray on my P&J.

What do you think?

[Edt]

If he'll guarantee satisfaction then go for it. It's probably only £100 on paint and rest to him anyhow (though someone on here like the BodyMan would know the accurate paint costs)

Ed

[Podie]

If you've seen work from the place before, that's the way to judge it.

I had some stone chips seen too on my Fiesta (imperial blue).. and took it to a spotty youf garage... as the work he did was way above the "proper" garages...

[bridgdav]

I'm having the front of my S completely re-done at the moment from Tom Horsburgh in Hants (TVR specialist), following vandalism. Nitromors injected. Insurance is paying in full...Hoooraaarrrgghh...

Total cost is in the region of £1000 just for the respray, this does not include all the prep...

Tom is a really nice chap and I'm sure he can give you some advice....[phone]
I should be picking up the car Saturday, I will post B4 and After pics next week.

Your offer does sound pretty cheap...

Edited by PetrolTed on Friday 2nd February 12:26

[Julian64]

bridgdav said:

I'm having the front of my S completely re-done at the moment from Tom Horsburgh in Hants (TVR specialist), following vandalism. Nitromors injected. Insurance is paying in full...Hoooraaarrrgghh...

Total cost is in the region of £1000 just for the respray, this does not include all the prep...

Tom is a really nice chap and I'm sure he can give you some advice...[phone]
I should be picking up the car Saturday, I will post B4 and After pics next week.

Your offer does sound pretty cheap...

You'll be paying for it in your next couple of years insurance premiums, so don't be too happy

Edited by PetrolTed on Friday 2nd February 12:26

[p7ulg]

Got the front end of my Alfa done for £400 + VAT at a local bodyshop and they did a superb job.The thing to ask is £250 underpriced or are the higher quotes overpriced.£250 does seem low but saying that there are still some people about prepared to do a job for a decent rate and not take your eyes out.Would be better if you could see some examples of his work.

[burriana500]

GarryM said:

Q to the wise: For background, I live in the wilds of Devon and this is a local bodyshop to me, the man running it has taught how to do this sort of thing in tech colleges around the South West and is thought of quite highly by locals.

Sounds like he's doing it cos it's something he loves doing and it's extra beer money. See his previous work, and if it's OK ask him how much he'll do a colour change on mine for me

[bridgdav]

Julian64 said:

You'll be paying for it in your next couple of years insurance premiums, so don't be too happy

Thanks for that! There was I all happy about getting my car back this weekend, not having the S for 3 weeks has been worse than a nightmare as my tin-top is shagged as well.

[FALL] Back down to reality [/BUMP]

[Julian64]

Sorry, just had an arguement with my insurance company because despite a protected no claims and a no fault accident last year my premium has gone up. When I rang them they said it was because of the accident!!!

Then they quoted lots of guff about no claims insurance not really meaning what it said, and no fault not really meaning what it says.

Long story short insurance companies alway make a profit.

[trefor]

So your policy is £500 and you get say 50% discount and pay £250. Protected. Have a claim. Policy goes up to £700 and you keep your NCB at 50% ... costs you £350 next time.

They get us every time.

b'stards.

[steve_l]

Gary,
I recently had a small amount of touching up done on my car at a local bodyshop - Excellent job! Fully guaranteed.
Out of interest, I aked for quote to respray the bonnet and nose cone (stone chips) and was told £250. His reason for the "high" price was that those beautiful curves are very hard to machine finish!
Stone chips seem to be the one down side of TVR ownership - plenty of good things to make up for it though.
I chose the garage after looking at their setup and the obvious large amount of customers,
Steve

[GarryM]

Thank you all for your replies.

I'm calling in to the spray shop this afternoon so will hopefully see some recently completed work and work in progress on other cars.

[Plastic pig]

Have a peek under the work bench, see if they are using vinyl silk or matt.

[GarryM]

Well it seems there is no such thing as a free lunch Asked around a bit more and I’ve been put off. Received a quote from another local garage at £529 plus VAT (£620 inc VAT). I’m confident this would be a very good job but for that price it ought to be. I can’t help feeling though that as soon as a garage sees a TVR the price for anything gets inflated by 50%. They tell me the paint alone costs £185 plus VAT (green metallic) which would mean the first quote only included £65 for labour! Something doesn’t add up.

[M@H]

With paint-jobs almost without exception you get what you pay for...


Cheers,
Matt.

[imagination]
"..well what do you expect for two hunderd and fifty quid.. a perfect finish..??!"
[/imagination]

[Incorrigible]

GarryM said:

They tell me the paint alone costs £185 plus VAT (green metallic)

If that's what they charge for paint, ask them what they charge for some old rope

A decent paint shop should have their own mixer, and even starmist (prpbably the most expensive (because of the pearl content) until you get into pearl proper and chameleon colours) should only cost £20 a litre (only one litre required) that and another score for laquer etc and you're sorted

[agent006]

Don't take the cheapest quote. I did about 2 months ago. Sheister didn't bother taking the spoiler off to spray it, missed a bit of masking on the boot and sisn't bother to rub, cut and polish the under side of the spoiler, hoping i wouldn't notice.
Best to go for somewhere that is used by a few insurance companies.

[snorky]

mine's Avus blue pearl and the 2-pack is £26 per litre for the base coat and £16 per litre for the laquer...

[Incorrigible]

snorky said:

mine's Avus blue pearl and the 2-pack is £26 per litre for the base coat and £16 per litre for the laquer...

[pedantic]the base coat isn't 2 pack, I guess you mean the basecoat to go with the 2 pack laquer, you'll need hardner for the clear coat (and some fast thinenr) up to the same price as the base coat then[/pedantic]


But broadly

[GarryM]

Actually I see they refer to "materials". Apart from the paint is there anything expensive involved? (lots of old rope )