Bodyshop / Franchise recommendations for stone-chips and dents

[Pabs]

Hey all,

I have of course done the usual search before posting this thread, but either the threads I've found are too old, or are not in the areas I can travel to.


I'm looking for a HIGHLY recommended bodyshop in the Portsmouth/Southampton/Basingstoke area.

I have lots of minor defects with my car bodywork that have been obtained over the 100k miles that my car has covered, and it's driving me nuts that I haven't yet got them sorted. So I think I might just get them all done in one go.


I have:

• Kerbed Alloys * 4 - varying degree of damaging depending on alloy (18")
• Stone chips gallore - primarily over the bonnet, bumper, left wing and roof edge
• Dents - crease in front left wing, (thanks mr postman!) central to bonnet (stone bounce), right wing & rear door lip.
• Couple of scratches in paintwork - mainly around one rear door handle, and one on rear bumper.

What should I do to get all resolved?

So far I've considered getting someone like Chips away to look at the stone-chips, and they also deal with minor dents, so might be able to pull them out. I've also considered full-on respray, but this will be expensive and I'm worried that it won't be as good as the factory finish. Obviously I can get a seperate company to refurb the alloys if needed.


So, who recommends who in my local area? And what sort of costs should I be expecting?

Thanks

 

[Pabs]

Oh, and I've got a rough idea that alloy wheels will be about £40-50 per wheel for a refurb, and I think Chips-away are about £60 per panel for chip repair?

 

[chubbs]

Pabs my Dad toke his Lexus Is250 to Colortech in Portsmouth for a mark on the bumper and two wheels refurb parking sensers front and back and even a camera on the back to see were you are going and my mum can still hit a curb ! must say very good and a fast turn around as well.

 

[Pabs]

Hmmm, ok - that's yet another recommendation for Colourtech then... Kings SEAT actually said they were very good!

I emailed them and the reply never got to me, but I expect I'll have to pop in and ask for someone to take a quick look at it and give a rough quote.

Cheers for your reply!

 

[Pabs]

Well I got a quote from Colourtech this weekend:

£60 + vat per wheel for a refurb.

£350+ vat for: Dent removal on bonnet, front wings, scratch on bumper, bonnet and wings respray, tidy stone-chips on leading edge of roof, tidy scratches on rear door handles.


I didn't think that price was too bad - also includes a hire-car while it's in for the work.

 

[swissrebel]

That's the same sort of price i'd pay here for wheel refurb, so i'd agree it's a decent enough price.

Never done any respray work on my car personally.. however the previous owner had it done and it was a shoddy job. Wing mirror, driver's side door and front bumper all show signs of poor colour matching (the wonderfully difficult silver) and even worse - flaking.

In the end, the price isn't going to be a deciding factor for ya if the cheapest one's gonna end up in a shoddy job - and seeing as colourtech's recommended...

 

[Willie]

Try some of the guys on www.detailingworld.co.uk they are very anal about their cars and I'm sure they could recommend someone suitable, might not be the cheapest but will def get very good advise. I'm a member if you want me to ask just PM me

 

[Deleted member 7729]

I've been recommended AVC in Romsey, but I'm still interested in Colourtech and JKM recommended them too.

 

[OFI]

£350+ vat for: Dent removal on bonnet, front wings, scratch on bumper, bonnet and wings respray, tidy stone-chips on leading edge of roof, tidy scratches on rear door handles.

That sounds bloody good! I would be requiring similar work and was thinking of getting someone like chips away to do it, but at that price...

 

[Pabs]

well I'm still not 100% sure about it yet - trying to get peoples opinions as to if that is too cheap, too expensive or just about right. I've not had any work like this done before, so I've no idea what it should cost.

I'm worried that the colour match won't be particularly good - but from peoples recommendations it seems like these people know what they are doing.

Another idea I'm toying with at the moment is to see if I should get the whole front bumper resprayed too, so at least the whole front end will look the same colour/finish.

They said it'd take 3-4 days to get completed.

 

[65coupe]

Colourworks in Gosport are very good and reasonably priced too! Phone Darren on 02392 502608 - he's got my '65 Mustang at the moment for a complete inside and outside bare metal respray.