Would any of you guys/gals trust a dealership to paint your fbody. I can get a 25% discount on all labor at a dealership (chevy). they do have a down draft spray booth. Just looking for opinions.

 

how are they/have they been in reguards to getting parts/service? if they have been to your liking then go in and get an estimate(if you havent already) then look at some of the cars they have already done and that way you can determine the type of work they do..

i was going to get my car painted at a dealer but they want like 2 times the amount of a regular guy..

good luck though

iroc2nv

 

It depends. See if you can check out some of their work, and decide after that. Dealerships usually employ the better paint and body men than MAACO, but not as good as a nice ROD or RESTO shop.

 

First of all - damn TTA155 - nice car for sale!!!

Secondly - i wouldnt trust a dealership with paint work. It may cost you more to take it to the "real" pros. But it will be worth it in the end. Paint is not something you wanna take "lightly!!!"

Jay

 

I paint for a Chevy dealer. The dealership is where the "real" pro's, like myself work. Why do you think it usually costs more? Because they have to pay me. I could go to an independant shop or a resto shop for a substantial pay cut. But, after 10 years with GM, all the GM training that GM requires i have, why would I?

There are some REALLY good resto shops out there, there are some REALLY bad dealership shops. But in general, the cream rises to the top.

 

Dealership ??...real pro's .....don't buy that one ......It all depends on who you are dealing with . Check around ,find out who has a good reputation first. I had my car painted by the dealership i bought mine from 6 months after i bought it , both fenders and passenger side door turned from white to yellow for some reason. The body shop had to paint it three times !!! Painted over door handle , major runs , orange peal , fish eyes ,didn't remove trim or mirrors, i could have done a better job with a can of spry paint myself. So check around in your area, that's your best bet.

 

it cost more at a dealer due to 1 thing. dealer inflation, on everything from parts, to paint to labor. but yes good painters can work at dealerships, but the certianly dont have pros at all of em.

 

Sorry to hear that David.

But like i said.......
I guess i can only speak for my area. Dealerships, MOST of them, strive to get the best people. And they can, because of money and benifits. I get called on average about once a month with a job offer. There's not many of us out there. Some dealerships have so-so painter(s) because they can't attract anyone decent because of their shop, volume, location, ect.. I just got called today with an offer to run a Saturn shop. I ran my shop for six months, but i was painting too because i could'nt find a decent painter. It was easier to get someone to run the shop (a talking head if you will) than a painter.

My best advice for ALL is to talk to the people at the body supply stores. It's usually a short vine and these are the people who know everyone in town. They can reccomend the best shop for your needs. Cost, car, look, ect.. Dealerships are usually set up for speed. Collision jobs that the customers want back yesterday.

But i stand by my original post. In general, the best, most experienced people, are going to be found at dealerships. But, because they are mostly collision shops, you need to ask for a job that's not done like a collision job. For example, i rarely work on any car older than four years. I have to match the orange peel of a new Cavilier when the side has been ripped off. I match it and away it goes. It's not the look you want on your baby. In fact, most new cars look horrible. A lot of painters are "programed" by this and put out the same look everytime. Factory look is far away from show look. And thousands of dollars away too.

Make sure you ask for what you want. Don't assume it's going to be ready for show duty. I've won shows with my paint jobs. But i can make it look like it just came from GM and never been in a collision too. There's a big difference.

 

A Chevy dealer repainted my 86 years ago when the original paint started to flake. GM did not recall the original paint jobs, but if you were the original owner of a GM car, and complained about the paint flaking, GM would paint it over.
The Chevy Dealer did a very good job, and gave me a 5 year guarantee.