Chipsaway on a Tiv???

[BERGS2]

I've been searching for a solution to the badly keyed panels on my S2 for a while now and have seen a few reports on the other forums on the 'Chipsaway' franchise -

I have also heard that they would not be too hot on working on GRP...

- before I get in contact with my local guy - can I just ask if anyone here has used them in the past and if the results were any good?

I filled the scratch with a wax chipstick as a short term fix - though this is a good colour match and takes away the visual bulk (you can no longer see the white GRP shining through...) i need to get a more permanent fix sorted.

[snorky]

I used ChipsAway on the Chim for painting the door mirrors and a few bits near the rear hinges. No problems at all , good match ( there are 3 Avus blues and he mixed up all 3 so we could decide which one it was ). Only thing he said he couldn't do was spray down onto flat surfaces like the bonnet - I'd use them again and cheap too - did all the work on the driveway and had his own heat lamps to bake the paint etc - took 3 hours....

Snorky

[chim_girl]

I've used them but not on the Tiv, overall impression was that they were a professional company and knew what they were doing. I was told by the Chips-away guy that they couldn't do large flat surfaces and that deep scratches on GRP may be too difficult for a mobile repair.

Their HQ is in Worcester on Hoo Farm Ind Est (I think), perhaps give them a call, they will give you the name of your local franchise owner. A quick should tell you if it is something they're prepared to do.

[siwes]

Never used them on my tvr but I did get them to do my Volvo T5R and was really impressed , though I have to say they are not too sucessful on a deep scratch on a bonnet , in fairness he did warn me but for all other repairs he did on the path the results were excellent he was at the car for a total of 5 hrs cost 110 pounds so very pleased indeed I recommend them.
regards Simon

[TheHobbit]

I've not used them on a tiv, but I've always been happy with the quality of the work they've done on my other cars... scuffs and parking nudges etc (you know the ones.... when you get back to your car and it has the piece of paper under the wiper that says "people looking think I'm writing my name and address on this bit of paper")

[RUSSELLM]

Are they that much cheaper than a paint job ?
My local dealer sprayed my front lower bumper, complete door & 1 lower sill, metallic cosmos blue for under £500.
They sent it to land Rover, Didn't come back with bull bars or camaouflaged green/brown

[chim_girl]

I had a 10in square graze on the bumper repaired for £65.00

(Before anyone makes any women driver remarks - I didn't cause the graze )

>> Edited by chim_girl on Monday 12th January 11:39

[TheHobbit]

When some kind person left a small scuff and ding in the front wing from using my Omega to gauge where the front of their car was, Chipsaway did it for ~£150 IIRC and without removing the wing. The local Vauxhall body shop wanted loads of money to do it.... 2 or 3 times that IIRC. The Chipsaway job is perfectly good enough to my eyes.

[snorky]

I agree - I'd had quotes for £400-500 for my work and they wanted to dissassemble the door mirrors and keep it all week - bugger that - ChipsAway did it for £110 all in and did it on the car - did 3 base coats and 5 top coats ! Perfect - I'd use them again...

[trooper1212]

I used them for the results of a vicious concrete post attack on my NSX. £110 for a wheelarch respray and touch up of a few stonchips, as opposed to £800 for just the wheelarch at Honda.

The end result was very good and the match to a 12 year old, red, aluminium panel was very impressive.

They can't do much with large flat areas, deep scratches or stonechips. Localised light to medium scratching is their game.

[BERGS2]

Does anyone know if you can suppy them with the paint? - I got a pot from the TVR bodyshop (codes matched) - or should I just save this for stone chips?

Tim

[chim_girl]

They make the paint for each job, if you're lucky they'll give you any that is leftover. My advice is to keep yours as touch-up paint.

[Quicksilver]

Have used them twice now - both times due to idiots reversing their tow bars onto my Griffs bonnet - both times the results have been excellent and the colour match perfect.
Above comments about 'directly onto flat surfaces' are correct to some extent, but even then, they can do an excellent job which is impossible to detect with the naked eye.
They have left me with a small pot of 'quicksilver' to touch up stone chips though for some reason my Griff seems almost immune to stone chips !!
Highly recommended and even prepared to come out on Saturday mornings !.

[BigBazza]

I've used chips away on the cerb, keying on my door and usual stone chips all over the front...he quoted £180 it took him 2 days outside my office just to get colour right (turns out theres a bit of brown in starmist grey) then all sunday morning at the house actually doing it so I gots my moneys worth and the car looks fantastic

[T88CAN]

Chipsaway are Franshised so get a good guy and it will turn out perfect in most case`s go for some one who has been recommended and been doing it longer than 2 weeks,believe you me it`s a fine art that needs a bit of practise

[No 1]

On that last note then, anyone recommend anyone (got any numbers for) a good chipsaway franchise north of Birmingham. I'm having the whole front end re-done at next service by Christopher Neil, but couldn't justify the extra £1,500.00(!) to have the rest of the car done.

[B19GRR]

No 1 said:

On that last note then, anyone recommend anyone (got any numbers for) a good chipsaway franchise north of Birmingham. I'm having the whole front end re-done at next service by Christopher Neil, but couldn't justify the extra £1,500.00(!) to have the rest of the car done.

Guy you want is Dave Hemmings, he's based in Stoke but will get around. Here's his numbers:
01782 577933
07952 523012

I had him do some work on my Elise, fibre glass repair, a few stone chips, a scuff on rear arch and chips on alloys. All in £200, looks perfect. He's an Elise owner so likes his motors.

Cheers,
Rob

[chutmun]

After reading this thread I thought that I'd find out who our local franchise chap was - for a quote for some keying on the wife's Renault Scenic.

Apparently he turned up today and Mrs chutmun reported that there's "nowt they can do"

'Vandal damage' is on their website FFS!

If the guy won't touch a keyed driver's door, what 'vandal damage' might he take on?..The results of some scrote repeatedly throwing a chipping at your bonnet ??

[T88CAN]

chutmun said:

After reading this thread I thought that I'd find out who our local franchise chap was - for a quote for some keying on the wife's Renault Scenic. Apparently he turned up today and Mrs chutmun reported that there's "nowt they can do" 'Vandal damage' is on their website FFS! If the guy won't touch a keyed driver's door, what 'vandal damage' might he take on?..The results of some scrote repeatedly throwing a chipping at your bonnet ??

Sorry to here that, It really depends on were abouts on the panel the damage is,It has to be on part of the panel he can"loose" the paint repair, It really is a fine art, i had the offer of going in to business with a mate of mine when we were both in the motor trade,I felt it was to much of a risk He now has moved away from a franchise and has his own premises near Portsmouth FC and doing rather well

[chutmun]

I take it all back!

I over-reacted to the 'executive summary' from the wife. Actually he said that the keying was rather too deep and long (no sniggering at the back!) and he didn't want to attempt it as you might be able to see the repair afterwards.

So, my apologies to him, Chipsaway in general, and y'all for previous rant!



However, the wife also showed him the 'grazing'? (see www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=76539&f=13&h=0) on my V8S and he said that he wouldn't touch that either, but (paraphrase) "nobody can do anything about that - some bloke I know has got a Jag with the same material body and he's got to have a new body every 3 or 4 years"