ChipsAway, Halfords 'Shine', AutoRestore, etc?
Discussion
Someone's scuffed the side of my black Alfa by the wheel arch and it's not that bad, but it's annoying after only 250 miles!
I popped into Halfords to see what they would quote and they use some compnay called Shine that come round to your house/work and do a SMART repair (or so it seems) They quoted £115, which does not seem too bad. However I don't know anyone who has used this service...have you?
Also, I have heard good and bad reports of ChipsAway in varous places and thought I would put it out there to see if anyone has experience of these companies around the East London areas as it's obviously all franchised, so it's not that they're ALL rubbish, but certain individuals may not be that good...thoughts?
Cheers,
blujez
I popped into Halfords to see what they would quote and they use some compnay called Shine that come round to your house/work and do a SMART repair (or so it seems) They quoted £115, which does not seem too bad. However I don't know anyone who has used this service...have you?
Also, I have heard good and bad reports of ChipsAway in varous places and thought I would put it out there to see if anyone has experience of these companies around the East London areas as it's obviously all franchised, so it's not that they're ALL rubbish, but certain individuals may not be that good...thoughts?
Cheers,
blujez
I'm very biased. 
My understanding is that the Halfords quote is provisional, and Shine can quote a new price when they see the repair?
Shine is an paintwork offshoot from a company whose specialism is valeting. Their website is the unusually-named http://www.taketheweekendoff.com/
The price guide on that site would suggest that if they considered your damage a scratched body panel it would be £145 and if it is dented, £165.
Shine is also a franchise: http://www.taketheweekendoff.com/franchise.htm
Rather than try and learn anything from branding, I would ask after personal recommendation from people who have used a particular individual. One of the detailers who covers your area might be able to name someone they trust. Alternatively, asking in the local regional forum might get more hits?
I don't know any SMART repairer in the East London area's work well enough to make a recommendation, sorry.
Tol
ETA - AutoRestore tend to get very good results, although logistically they can be tough to get hold of. They are part of the same group as AutoGlass - but our local AutoGlass won't use them due to wait times. They are also focussed on business-to-business work by their own admission, and charge £50 to even come and quote for retail work.
My understanding is that the Halfords quote is provisional, and Shine can quote a new price when they see the repair?
Shine is an paintwork offshoot from a company whose specialism is valeting. Their website is the unusually-named http://www.taketheweekendoff.com/
The price guide on that site would suggest that if they considered your damage a scratched body panel it would be £145 and if it is dented, £165.
Shine is also a franchise: http://www.taketheweekendoff.com/franchise.htm
Rather than try and learn anything from branding, I would ask after personal recommendation from people who have used a particular individual. One of the detailers who covers your area might be able to name someone they trust. Alternatively, asking in the local regional forum might get more hits?
I don't know any SMART repairer in the East London area's work well enough to make a recommendation, sorry.
Tol
ETA - AutoRestore tend to get very good results, although logistically they can be tough to get hold of. They are part of the same group as AutoGlass - but our local AutoGlass won't use them due to wait times. They are also focussed on business-to-business work by their own admission, and charge £50 to even come and quote for retail work.
Edited by Anatol on Tuesday 8th December 12:56
Make sure they replace the damaged stone chip film as well.
Tol is a master of the craft, but he is pure evidence that it is simply down to the individual involved. Some are very good, some are terrible - whether bodyshop or smart repair franchisee.
Make sure they do a professional and thorough job. I am guessing the true pro would not even put the stone chip film on immediately, and either come back when they're passing in a few weeks time, or get you to do it at a later date after giving instructions. The paint will be a little soft for a few days.
I have seen some bodyshops spray over stuff like that, LOL.
Tol is a master of the craft, but he is pure evidence that it is simply down to the individual involved. Some are very good, some are terrible - whether bodyshop or smart repair franchisee.
Make sure they do a professional and thorough job. I am guessing the true pro would not even put the stone chip film on immediately, and either come back when they're passing in a few weeks time, or get you to do it at a later date after giving instructions. The paint will be a little soft for a few days.
I have seen some bodyshops spray over stuff like that, LOL.
I wouldn't use any of them, I'd go to a proper body shop.
Am I correct in thinking they work outside / come to you? If that was the best way to do the job why do bodyshops paint in ovens?
I've seen a few repairs of this type and they've all been quite obvious with a matt finish, I'm sure some are better than others though.
Am I correct in thinking they work outside / come to you? If that was the best way to do the job why do bodyshops paint in ovens?
I've seen a few repairs of this type and they've all been quite obvious with a matt finish, I'm sure some are better than others though.
Andy, this is an old issue.
Bodyshops doing larger repairs can't afford any contamination because flatting and polishing is vastly labour-intensive. They want an out-of-the gun finish.
A small repair can be hand flatted and polished in a few minutes - this removes any contamination nibs and actually leaves a better finish than out-of-the gun. But it isn't viable on full resprays and multiple panel repairs - big stuff - and you need the right paint, training and spray equipment to do small repairs to a high standard.
In our business we do both uncontrolled-environment repairs, and booth repairs, so I've no particular bias either way. Each has its own strengths, provided it is used on the right sort of repair.
Also, what is the ratio of bad localised repairs you noticed, to good ones you didn't spot? It's impossible to say. Only bad ones get noticed. You may have walked past hundreds of good localised repairs without ever noticing them. Making a judgment call on what the ratio of good to bad is is never a wise move, as a result.
The assumption that bodyshop repairs are somehow innately superior to localised repairs has been conclusively rebutted many, many times.
HTH
Tol
Bodyshops doing larger repairs can't afford any contamination because flatting and polishing is vastly labour-intensive. They want an out-of-the gun finish.
A small repair can be hand flatted and polished in a few minutes - this removes any contamination nibs and actually leaves a better finish than out-of-the gun. But it isn't viable on full resprays and multiple panel repairs - big stuff - and you need the right paint, training and spray equipment to do small repairs to a high standard.
In our business we do both uncontrolled-environment repairs, and booth repairs, so I've no particular bias either way. Each has its own strengths, provided it is used on the right sort of repair.
Also, what is the ratio of bad localised repairs you noticed, to good ones you didn't spot? It's impossible to say. Only bad ones get noticed. You may have walked past hundreds of good localised repairs without ever noticing them. Making a judgment call on what the ratio of good to bad is is never a wise move, as a result.
The assumption that bodyshop repairs are somehow innately superior to localised repairs has been conclusively rebutted many, many times.
HTH
Tol
A lot of the bodyshop stuff gets flatted/mopped anyway. Many of the booths and ovens aren't exactly controlled environments at some of these places... there's normally a bit of dust or crud that gets stuck somewhere and that's before you get into the orange peel, runs or whatever other crime the sprayer may have accidentally committed. Flatting helps make poor work, or a poor work environment, acceptable/presentable afterwards, although it isn't an efficient process for a bodyshop and costs/wastes time.
Tol - what about mini-tents and the like... air chamber type stuff... could you erect a portable booth do you think???
Tol - what about mini-tents and the like... air chamber type stuff... could you erect a portable booth do you think???
The technology exists. AutoRestore use a variant on it.
CarCoon, the car cover people, make a positive pressure spraybooth cocoon thingy. Downside is if the power trips, it deflates onto the car you're repairing and the wet paint on it...! Also to put it up you have to unroll it onto the car, which could do lots of trace damage to good panels.
The cry of "Won't someone *please* think of the dust nibs?" always goes up when you talk about mobile repairs. With small repairs, they're applied so quickly that only the very top surface stays wet and exposed for any length of time, so and any nibs that land in it are right on the top, and easily cut out during polishing.
If you were trying to paint full or multiple panels, you'd have the problem of an unacceptable amount of contamination landing and settling in wet film build *under* the top coat of lacquer. This would be a real problem. Hence why uncontrolled environment repairs have a natural cap on the size that it's sensible to attempt them at...
Tol
CarCoon, the car cover people, make a positive pressure spraybooth cocoon thingy. Downside is if the power trips, it deflates onto the car you're repairing and the wet paint on it...! Also to put it up you have to unroll it onto the car, which could do lots of trace damage to good panels.
The cry of "Won't someone *please* think of the dust nibs?" always goes up when you talk about mobile repairs. With small repairs, they're applied so quickly that only the very top surface stays wet and exposed for any length of time, so and any nibs that land in it are right on the top, and easily cut out during polishing.
If you were trying to paint full or multiple panels, you'd have the problem of an unacceptable amount of contamination landing and settling in wet film build *under* the top coat of lacquer. This would be a real problem. Hence why uncontrolled environment repairs have a natural cap on the size that it's sensible to attempt them at...
Tol
I'm with Tol on this one (I'm a SMART repairer too). As he says, we use different materials which reduce the issue of contamination - fast curing lacquer for example that would be impossible to use on large areas. I have done many repairs on cars with previous bodyshop work and I have sometimes had to point out to the customer how poor the bodyshop repair is, so they don't think it's something I've done!
Whether it's a bodyshop or a SMART repair, it all comes down to the skill of the person. Get recommendations and you shouldn't go wrong. The repair you need is an ideal candidate for SMART service.
Good Luck!
David
Whether it's a bodyshop or a SMART repair, it all comes down to the skill of the person. Get recommendations and you shouldn't go wrong. The repair you need is an ideal candidate for SMART service.
Good Luck!
David
I'd have to agree with the two above here as well.
I'd a pro detailer and the number of very bad body repairs I see is crazy.
Get a good recommendation from someone you trust (a good detailer in your area amongst others will be able to do this).
If possible, view some of their work before you let them touch your car.
James
I'd a pro detailer and the number of very bad body repairs I see is crazy.
Get a good recommendation from someone you trust (a good detailer in your area amongst others will be able to do this).
If possible, view some of their work before you let them touch your car.
James
slightly off topic but do the smart repairers on here ever remove parts from a car.
I ask as a friend has started doing this for a living and has been told never to remove anything from a car and to just mask round everything such as door locks, handles etc, I was under the impression this wasn't best practise but it would seam to be his companies policy.
I agree that a lot comes down to who's doing the repair and what the customer is prepared to pay, Some of the worse work I've seen come out of a bodyshop has been by a bodyshop who are recommended by a member on here. But both the awful jobs I've seen them do have been for people who didn't want to spend the money to do it properly.
I ask as a friend has started doing this for a living and has been told never to remove anything from a car and to just mask round everything such as door locks, handles etc, I was under the impression this wasn't best practise but it would seam to be his companies policy.
I agree that a lot comes down to who's doing the repair and what the customer is prepared to pay, Some of the worse work I've seen come out of a bodyshop has been by a bodyshop who are recommended by a member on here. But both the awful jobs I've seen them do have been for people who didn't want to spend the money to do it properly.
Depends on complexity of the strip-and-fit and what price the customer wants to pay.
We'll regularly remove light clusters, trim strips etc as a matter of course.
If taking a door handle off involves stripping out the door card, disassembling the lock etc, and adding strip and fit would turn a 2 hour repair job into a 3 hour job, many customers will prefer not to pay 50% extra in labour costs for what is usually a very minor difference in final finish that you have to go looking for.
Horses for courses.
HTH
Tol
We'll regularly remove light clusters, trim strips etc as a matter of course.
If taking a door handle off involves stripping out the door card, disassembling the lock etc, and adding strip and fit would turn a 2 hour repair job into a 3 hour job, many customers will prefer not to pay 50% extra in labour costs for what is usually a very minor difference in final finish that you have to go looking for.
Horses for courses.
HTH
Tol
Anatol said:
ETA - AutoRestore tend to get very good results, although logistically they can be tough to get hold of. They are part of the same group as AutoGlass - but our local AutoGlass won't use them due to wait times. They are also focussed on business-to-business work by their own admission, and charge £50 to even come and quote for retail work
My colleage just found this post while messing about on the internet, so I thought I'd best come and correct the misinfo - we used to charge for viewings when we didn't have many inspectors but that's not been the case now for about 3 years As for the "tough to get hold of", we've had an 0800 number since the very beginning so I don't know where that came from.
Edited by realitycheque on Thursday 21st January 13:11
realitycheque said:
...we used to charge for viewings when we didn't have many inspectors (and people were just using us to get a quote to try and fleece their insurance company) but that's not been the case now for about 3 years
I'd have a word with whoever is responsible for keeping your web content current then!AutoRestore Website a few seconds ago said:
Our current focus is to provide a business-to-business service... Currently retail requests carry a £50 + VAT inspection and assessment charge.
at http://www.autorestore.uk.com/owners.htmHTH
Tol
Edited by Anatol on Wednesday 20th January 12:09
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