auto body paint shops - CEG Archives

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anyone have a place that they would recommend? looking to get my car repainted. Would prefer recommendations in the Enfield/Springfield or Monroe/Bridgeport areas

Rick's Auto Body has always been very good. They are off of Boston Road in Springfield. I forget the actual street they are on, but it is pretty close to the mall there.

I can only recommend who I use near me. Crowley Auto Body here in Bristol. Part of the Crowley Auto group who sell pretty much everything from Hummer to Nissan.

They have done work for me 3 times already. Once from my big accident, another when my neighbor hit my car with his motorcycle and then again gettin my bumper and oval painted for SZ. Prices are a little high but far superior work than I've seen come out of some smaller shops like my friends have used.

that is great information, keep it coming, trying to get a list of places together to go check out

Well, if don't want to pay tax

, you can try Henry's in Manch. That's where Kim had her hood done. I was impressed with their work, and I'm picky!!

Funny thing is I want to have the GL re-painted, but no $$!! Maybe we'll do the Maccoo thing. Some people say they do better than their reputation has been.

Originally posted by Cobra:
Well, if don't want to pay tax ...

hmmm, little far to go but ...

Maaco did alright with my mother-in-law's car. It's a flat paint job, but, they did an ok job for what she paid.

Originally posted by bishop375:
Maaco did alright with my mother-in-law's car. It's a flat paint job, but, they did an ok job for what she paid.

already decided I am not going to Maaco, I am willing to pay to get the job done right, have a good surface prep done, and two stage paint ...

I have definitely noticed in our dealings with paint shops that the saying "you get what you pay for" applies 100%.

Originally posted by SVT4STD:
I can only recommend who I use near me. Crowley Auto Body here in Bristol. Part of the Crowley Auto group who sell pretty much everything from Hummer to Nissan.

They have done work for me 3 times already. Once from my big accident, another when my neighbor hit my car with his motorcycle and then again gettin my bumper and oval painted for SZ. Prices are a little high but far superior work than I've seen come out of some smaller shops like my friends have used.

tony as I remember you saying that the whole car hasn't been painted right? just the rear and front not the roof, as I recall from SZ, so you are really happy with the final product?

i know his fenders havent been painted...hehe

Originally posted by BrApple:

Originally posted by SVT4STD:
I can only recommend who I use near me. Crowley Auto Body here in Bristol. Part of the Crowley Auto group who sell pretty much everything from Hummer to Nissan.

They have done work for me 3 times already. Once from my big accident, another when my neighbor hit my car with his motorcycle and then again gettin my bumper and oval painted for SZ. Prices are a little high but far superior work than I've seen come out of some smaller shops like my friends have used.

tony as I remember you saying that the whole car hasn't been painted right? just the rear and front not the roof, as I recall from SZ, so you are really happy with the final product?

The only areas repainted on my car were: hood, front bumper, oval, rear panels, rear bumper, trunk lid (now on my friends car). My doors, roof, fenders and side skirts are still original paint.

The final product is amazing. My bumper which I damaged the bottom of messing around in the winter in a parking lot, I thought would never look new again. They prepped it so good, I could never tell it was scratched up at the bottom. My oval was a mess from paint, sand, repaint, sand, repaint so many times from me messing up. It looks like they took a brand new oval and painted it. No more deep sandpaper marks were left behind like when I gave it to them.

This time I got my bumper done, I asked them about making the front bumper paint more durable than the paint from 2 years ago. With my daily driving and it being my only car for all year round, the 2 winters I drove it in really killed my front bumper. They told me they have since added a new flex additive to make the front end paint much more durable. He said they use just the right amount to strengthen it up. Too much of it causes less of a shine.

tony thanks for the information, thay will be a shop that I look into

Also, when I'm ready for new paint, they are the ones I am going to. I'm willing to pay alot for a good paint job.

are the svt plastics getting painted in this as well?

Originally posted by Goonz SVT:
are the svt plastics getting painted in this as well?

NO!!!

Brian is gonna do it ghetto fab and cruise around primered with the Civics on the Pike yo!!

Originally posted by SVT4STD:

Originally posted by Goonz SVT:
are the svt plastics getting painted in this as well?

NO!!!

Brian is gonna do it ghetto fab and cruise around primered with the Civics on the Pike yo!!

yes that is why I am asking about places, duh

I get said items this weekend after visiting with GTOPete.

Plan is to mount everything up the following weekend then take the car to a few selected places to check the facilities out and get estimates. So I will be ghetto fab for a few weeks at most.

and I echo what Tony is saying, I am willing to pay what it takes to get a well done paint job

Originally posted by BrApple:

Originally posted by SVT4STD:

Originally posted by Goonz SVT:
are the svt plastics getting painted in this as well?

NO!!!

Brian is gonna do it ghetto fab and cruise around primered with the Civics on the Pike yo!!

yes that is why I am asking about places, duh

you stated you wanted ur car painted which is why i asked...

Originally posted by Goonz SVT:

Originally posted by BrApple:

Originally posted by SVT4STD:

Originally posted by Goonz SVT:
are the svt plastics getting painted in this as well?

NO!!!

Brian is gonna do it ghetto fab and cruise around primered with the Civics on the Pike yo!!

yes that is why I am asking about places, duh

you stated you wanted ur car painted which is why i asked...

but why would I paint the car without or before the SVT parts, the bumpers and side skirts are part of the car arn't they

MASTERCRAFT on Spring Street in Windsor Locks. I had my car fixed there when my neighbor's daughter pretty much turned the driver's side quarter panel inside out. When they were done I looked for a long time to find flaws. I couldn't find any.

Well, the absolute best place I can even think of is where I plan on taking the Cobra whenever I actually get it and finish it. Its called Classic Chassis in Hooksett, NH. I expect to pay close to $10G for the Cobra's paint. They specialize in restorations and classic cars. Lots of wet sanding by hand between coats. They also do everyday cars. My buddy had a Dodge Avenger that was backed into by a full size van and the car came out in better condition than it was on the dealer's lot. That was one of their quickie jobs too!! I took the SVT there for an estimate to have some stuff done, including the side skirts that where sand blasted from the 1 winter I drove it and they where very thorough, but expensive!!

I would have to say Connecticut Custom Car is the best place to go(only if you have deep pockets), they quoted my buddy 4300 to do his celica. It's even in Enfield (Enfield Street across from Russo's Bakery) so you wont drive far, and they are pretty much the best I have ever seen. I intend to have them at least give me a quote for the cougar since its right in town.

I looked at the Connecticut Custom Car website and I think they are alittle beyond what I need but I will still check them out, can't hurt.

So my list so far is

Connecticut Custom Car in Enfield
Crowley Auto Body in Bristol
Mastercraft in Windsor Locks

http://66.51.169.160/best.cfm?pid=196&plid=6

Voted best by readers at least 3 years running. You should call them or go check the place out. My mom had some work done there a while back and it was flawless.

So my list so far is

Connecticut Custom Car in Enfield
Crowley Auto Body in Bristol
Mastercraft in Windsor Locks
Rick's Auto Body in Springfield

I think one more will do ... then time to look around

I got my car painted at Maaco. Yes, I know what some of you are gonna say. But, they ahve different levels of paint jobs and I got the highest one. They gave me a tour of the facility and since I know what I am looking for with bodywork and prep I liked it and they painted it. No one can tell the differance. yes it is a cheaper paint job, but why spend a fortune if it is not a 100,000 showcar.

I recommend Maaco

Do whatever you want to do and what you like, not what someone else says. Get a good tour of the place and ask a lot of questions. It took me two months to find a place that i liked and the were very nice to me.

Dan

Macco? enough said, there is another place in springfield its st. james autobody, http://www.stjamesautobody.com/index.shtml
i have seen some of the work they have done and its pretty good, but i have no idea on what they charge

there is an old NECO member that worked for MAACO and he did an unbelievable paintjob on both his ride and others.
Like Dan said, they have different packages, and you can pay them to do a high level job on your car.
MAACO just has a reputation for cheap paintjobs because that's what customers pay for.

im sure you get what you pay for but i have never seen a car painted by macco where they didnt paint the tires exhaust you name it at least they wipe the windows off most of the time

well both Crowely and Mastercraft gave me a ruff estimate of $4k to paint the whole car, but they will do it right, take everything off the car, lights, door handles, trim, etc so that it can be painted and sanded, etc correctly

sounds about right to me.
that's awesome that you're going to repaint the whole thing and not just the pieces.

Do you still have dings that need fixing?

Originally posted by frenchblueC2:
sounds about right to me.
that's awesome that you're going to repaint the whole thing and not just the pieces.

Do you still have dings that need fixing?

no real dings to get fixed. I am starting to think for now just get the new peices painted and go for the rest later.

I am thinking of having the whole car painted because there are various pine sap and bird crap marks that have eaten through the paint to the metal below ... only way to have stuff like that fixed is to have the whole panel painted and that is the roof, hood and trunk lid. on the flip side they said may paint was in pretty good shape, just the normal wear and tear on it.