Should I ask a body shop for references?

[HersheyPAGreg]

I'm hoping to get my Spider painted this winter. I got estimates at a few different shops and have pretty much decided on which one to use. My wife suggested that I ask them for references, to see other cars that they've painted to be sure that they do quality work especially since this shop is the low bidder. I never thought to do that and frankly, feel kinda weird asking the shop for this. What do you folks think? I guess it's a good idea but like I said, I feel weird asking. Is this routine and pretty acceptable to do?

Thanks,

Greg

[baltobernie]

Rule #1: Do what the wife says.

Rule#2: Paint finish is easily the most subjective aspect of automobile restoration. It's important that you and your body shop agree on what is acceptable. Of course, the paint is only the last step in re-finishing. Is this shop repairing any collision or rust damage? Who is doing the prep, you or they? Only if the panels are as straight as you deem satisfactory can you have a chance of an acceptable result.

Modern robotic factories yield fantastic results on even the most basic economy car nowadays. Many newbies expect the same sort of finish on a restoration, and that's not possible .... or rather, that's not practical on a Fiat Spider. A show-quality or Lexus-type finish on your car can easily exceed the total book value of the entire automobile.

So the question becomes, "What level of imperfection is acceptable?" The only way to determine this is for you to look at the results on other cars. Yes, there are instruments that can quantify the most common imperfections (I once worked for a company that made them), but your eye is the only one that matters when it comes to your Spider.

[chrisg]

being the one thing you can't remove & re-use on another car, this is the part I have always hesitated on with cars. I'd say the advice of following the wife's advice is wise on so many levels! I would expect a good shop would have no issues at all offering references. if so, references for jobs similar to yours (ie, not production insurance work on a new car, maybe some body repair to be done, maybe some accepted imperfections, etc.) are what would be of value. If I were doing this same (thankfully, if I am to farm such work out, I do know some people who I would trust with the painting) work and didn't already have someone in mind, what I would pay attention to was how the communication worked between the car owner & the shop. I see a lot of hired out work going to hell because of that...and the expectations on either side...rather than the work itself.

[mscafide]

Go to the shop and look at the work they are currently doing. You will see the kinds of repairs they do and their work.

[Funcar]

I always ask for references and have never felt like I was insulting someone or that it was an awkward request. Most will have a photo album with pictures of their work. I hope they do a great job for you and ask you to be a future reference.

[HersheyPAGreg]

Re: Rule #1: Yeah, I kinda knew somebody would say that

Re: Rule #2: There is no collision damage to repair and just a bit of surface rust here and there. There are a couple dents to fix as well. The shop would be doing all the prep work. As to the level of imperfection, I guess I’m just looking for a decent paint job at a low cost. When I first saw the car advertised for sale on the Greensboro NC Craigslist, it looked red in the photos. I later found out that it was actually orange in color and had been repainted. It was originally brown.

The estimate I got was for about $2,500 to do the car. Other estimates were double that amount and more. Spending $5,000-$9,000 for a paint job isn’t something I can do at this time, so for my $2,500, I’m just looking for a decent paint job, realizing it won’t be show quality.

I’ve decided to have it painted red and would like to go with the same color and brand of paint (pure red - Sikkens 394) that Kevin McMullen used on his Spider. http://www.fiatspider.com/f15/viewtopic ... 86&p=84506 Could I reasonably expect mine to look anywhere near as good as his, or am I asking for trouble there by not knowing how much prep etc. was done on his car?

Thanks for the replies and advice guys.

Greg

[mscafide]

The prep work is the most important part of the job, that is what makes all of the difference.