Unfortunately, this morning I was in an accident in my '06 Cooper S on the way to work. Nitro took some good damage - the bonnet, front bumper, passenger's xenon headlight, and who knows what else will have to be replaced. Does anyone have any recommendations for good quality body shops in Richmond that can be trusted to do the job right? I always get extremely nervous when having to deal with a body shop, and with this amount of damage, I'm even more nervous. Thanks for any info you may have.

 

Sorry about your accident, but glad to see another RIC area person here! Did you call Crown MINI and ask their reccommendation? I was in the service area on Friday to get my HPFP replaced and overheard a conversation concerning body work. It sounded like they don't do the work but the referred that stuff to another shop.

If we can get enough interest in RIC MC owners, maybe we can get the RC Mini club reanimated. I know I see several MC's during my commute (even though most don't wave back!).

Good luck

 

Well, Nitro is back and in great shape! I ended up taking him to Baugh Auto Body and they did an excellent job. I'm really happy to finally have him back.

I'd like to see if we could something going again with RIC MINI owners.

 

Glad to hear he is back in tip-top condition! I keep casting lines out about reviving the RIC club, but I haven't gotten any bites as of yet.

 

Sorry to hear about your accident, that sucks, but glad you were able to get the car fixed and back on the road motoring again!

I took MINI #2 ('03 JCW) to Precision Body Works off Carousel Ln, near the intersection of Broad and Parham. They did a great job repairing minor damage to the front end that I sustained one day on 295 thanks to a dump truck . They replaced the windshield and repainted the bonnet and bumper. Great place, highly recommended .

I am game for a meet anytime , just let me know when and where. Cooper Vineyards on July 17 was a good time .

- Mike

 

Isn't this the second time you have had a fender bender?

 

Wow, it's been a while since I've been here!

I took my previous car to them for some minor work and wasn't happy with the outcome, so I was looking for someone new. I'm convinced that any body shop anymore is hit or miss, no matter their reputation.

Yep, you're right! I was rear-ended on 95 a couple weeks into ownership. Thankfully the damage was minor. I went to Fletcher's for that work and wasn't happy with them either.

Now I have a new issue - it seems someone tried to steal the S grills/side turn signals on both fenders. The driver's side grill is super loose and the paint is chipped and gouged around the edge of the hole in the fender. The passenger side isn't as bad, but there are still some paint chips. Lately it seems like there's always something...

 

^ Hey at least your car hasn't been in the dealer for a week. :laff:

Have you tried Bruce's yet? I've heard they do good work (though judging by the swankiness of the biulding they may be a bit pricey...)

 

Yep, I've dealt with Bruce's before as well. I would highly advise against them - they're a bunch of sheisters. Again, previous car, but they broke a part on my car that was unrelated to the repair. When I went back and told them it needed to be fixed, they said it would have broken eventually anyway, so they didn't need to fix it! I ended up getting into a verbal argument with the manager and calling Bruce himself. They only fixed it after Bruce got involved. So now I tell anyone I can to avoid them like the plague.