Some of you might remember that I had a little accident in my MINI a few weeks ago. I need to get the body work done, but I have a problem getting up to the place my dealer sends their body work because I work really long days and they're only open til 5. I'm not seeing any holes in my schedule so I'm thinking I'm going to have to go to another body shop. Would you guys trust just anyone to do body work on your MINI? CAN anyone do body work on the MINI? My insurance company doesn't care who does the body work, they just care that I send them the 500 bucks. So what do you guys think? Should I try to work something out with a place I know deals with MINIs (Ashburn Collision in Sterling, VA or MINI of Towson) or should I just look for a good body shop near me?

 

There is no such thing as a good body shop. Some are better than others, but you are never going to get the car back the way it was. If they can match the paint, which is doubtful, it will not age like the original and will look terrible in just a few years. Metallic paint with clearcoat can never really be matched - the sprayers at the body shop just can not do the job that the machines do in England. You can insist on new panels with lead filler, but don't count on your insurance paying for it. They want the cheapest option. Take a magnet with you when its done. If the magnet won't stick everwhere you put it on the repair - reject it. Don't count on reimbursement for all the time you will have to spend making it right.

Lotsa luck. In 40 years, no one has ever made it right again.

 

You might want to check with some nearby dealers like Mercedes and Porsche and see where they send their work. If you're lucky, you'll hear the same shop mentioned by several dealers.

But finding a reliably good body shop is almost as difficult as finding a reliably good restaurant...

 

Have the MINI dealership do it even though they send it out. That way, you will have a real MINI dealership to deal with if there are future problems or if the work is not done correctly. The dealership would have more clout with the body shop than you as an individual will if there are any problems down the road.

 

Relax, do a little research and not to worry. I have an '04 and was concerned how to avoid hack shops as well. Call auto paint distributors in your town and ask who does the best paint. You may be surprised it's not a national name they usually point you toward a private shop. PPG brand paint is excellent and computer spectrum analysis makes color matching perfect. The factory paint is applied with an electrolytic process and dried at very high temp. This is claimed to adhere better than a spray re-paint and lower temp dry process.



Wrong, the factory paint quality of our little cars is known to be “soft” and chip easily, read paint posts. Current auto paint technology is awesome and will lie down, look precise and have the same life or exceed factory finishes.



As far as lead used as filler that is way old school. Yeah, you can hope for new factory panels but the best shops use killer plastic filler products that never shrink, crack or fail. The shop I used has a lifetime warrantee on both paint and bodywork.

 

>Wrong, the factory paint quality of our little cars is known to be “soft” and chip easily, read paint posts. Current auto paint technology is awesome and will lie down, look precise and have the same life or exceed factory finishes.

I wonder why my aftermarket paint that the dealer did on the Aero kit
chips easier than the factory paint. hummmmmm....

 

I've had my bumpers repainted more times than I'd like to recount (very long story). One body shop, recommended by my insurance company, did a lousy job of matching the color. They used PPG paint. Didn't like it a bit.

The best shop, and the one I now go to and recommend highly, uses OEM paint and guarantees their work for the life of the car. Sorry they can't help you; it's a long commute from VA to SoCali...

Definitely follow the advice of 911fan and check out where the luxury car dealers send their cars for body work. That's how I found my place - they do a lot of high-end cars and exotics. You probably can't go too wrong with a place that caters to picky clientele like enthusiasts.

 

My MINI dealer claims OEM paint codes are valuable for aftermarket matching but they have no way to order genuine OEM paint or duplicate the process. The dealer and several picky owners recommend PPG it looks perfect to my eye but I have the Chili red flavor which may be easy to match.

Perhaps the reason it didn't hold up on the aero kit is the application, primer used or the fact the material is plastic.

Good advice to pursue snotty shops but watch high end dealer bodyshops like our local BMW dealer who is notorius for sorry work.

 

Hey There,

Like you, I work a bit from my dealership, so I had the local Ford Dealership do some body repair on my 02'. In fact, they did more than just the damage (Passenger Door), they repainted the roof and mirrors of the car. I had always wanted a black top instead of white, and since the car had to be worked on, I chose to change the colors.

I was satisfied with the work. Good luck!

Coop.

 

Due to accident repair 9 years ago on a virtually brand new 1995 Acura Integra, Body Shops in general have left a terrible taste in my mouth. I know that there are good apples outthere but generally to me these businesses are owned and managed by weasels that have no concern or even understanding what quality work is all about.

Body Shops exist for the sole reason to keep Insurance Companies profitable and viceversa. Body Shops have very little or almost none regulatory oversight for the type of work they perform in cars. I have seen cars with severe damage that should have never been repaired (Like mine) but the insurance company sees it fit fixing the unfixable because they save money over declaring a total loss.

In a country where Real Estate transactions of any type, home repairs and improvements are heavely regulated and inspected by local goverments, I wonder why Auto Body Shops are not put under the same type of heavy scrutiny when they do absolutely shitty work on accident damaged vehicles? Why repaired cars are never inspected for quality and soundness of repairs?

Because it is all about the Almighty Dollar and screwing the unsuspecting consumer time and time again.

 

Thanks for the help guys. I might take it to a dealer or something or call MINI of Towson and see if I can bring it in on a weekend. I know their service center isn't open on saturdays, but the dealership is.

Would anyone in here happen to be in the Northern Virginia area, say around Quantico or Stafford and have a good place they'd recommend? Its probably a long shot but I thought I'd ask.

 

Hey Wrk, you might try posting the same question in the appropriate regional thread...

 

What a novel idea :D