BenceJ

Hello all,

got sideswiped by a 17 year old girl just after moving here. Can anyone recommend a good body shop in the area? i am also going to install a rsr widebody while i'm at it, so the shop needs to be comfortable doing custom work as well as collision repair. I have read many recommendations for A&L, but they do not seem to want to take on the job right now, so i'd appreciate any other recs.

Thanks!

pp000830

Body shop recommendations are usually based on customer's immediate impression when they get their car back. A big issue is when the paint job is five years old, how durable it is. This has less to do with the skill of the guy shooting the paint and more with what they are shooting. Something you need to control as the customer:

Why Paint Matters – Having your car painted is a big deal as properly applied paint will last the life of your vehicle. Here is my rundown on the subject based on both working with paint shops and having personally painted both new and used bumper covers using commercial methods and materials:
 One stage paint uses a primer and one or more top coats that carry the color. Two stage paints involve a primer, color layer(s) and a clear-coat top coat that provides the gloss. Contrary to Porsche’s own marketing literature, solid color 993 are in many cases painted in single stage


paint, my 96’ Speed Yellow car is. If your car is painted with single stage paint any repainting should be done the same way. This will require finding a restoration quality shop that is willing to do this as most shops will just use a two stage paint on what is now just part of your car.
Shops like to use two stage paint as all newer cars are painted this way, it is simpler to apply and when their paint system can’t produce a color match between panels they can feather the color layer of the paint when applying it to merge the dissimilar color of body panels. Once feathered they can overspray the job with clear coat. With single stage paint where the color and final finish layer are one and the same getting a good color match up front is how it is done requiring skill and the flexibility in selecting a paint system that can produce a good color match.
 Most higher volume modern shops will only use their in-house paint systems as it keeps their cost down and meets EPA requirements. Usually, these shops use acrylic paint or in some cases water solvent based paints. These paints and this form of application are significantly inferior to the paint that came on your car and can fail in just a few years. Smaller restoration paint shops do not maintain in-house paint systems. Due to their lower volume of work they are not required to meet the same EPA rules so they can select from multiple paint system suppliers paint specifically for your car that will color match very closely and not exhibit adhesion issues as it ages and gasses out.
 All acrylic paints, the most commonly used, are somewhat brittle. This can cause things such as clear coat peeling around edges, failing from UV exposure or paint cracking or flaking off a bumper cover with minor flexing. The most durable and flexible paint is a two part urethane sometimes called 2K, used with a catalyst. Once it hardens it is much less susceptible to damage from chemicals, weather, or UV rays. It retains its flexibility/adhesion and if applied with a proper compatible primer will outlast the car. It is available as both one and two stage paint.

Andy

BenceJ

Thats a good point, my car is guards red single stage. So should i insist on having a single stage repair? I was under the impression that those old paints are no longer allowed and the ones that are aren't as good...so anyone have any suggestions in the chicago area? i'm willing to go 100+ miles for the repair.

pp000830

Yes I would specify single stage . A good restoration grade shop can get and use single stage from any number of automotive paint suppler through their paint dealer. Interview prospective shops, the little botique shops are flexible if you specify.

pp000830

Single stage is superior from the same suppliers as two stage. Shops are resistant to using single stage as it requires color matching up front in some cases test panels. It is purchased by job so it adds $100 to the job if they go outside their in house paint system
All issues at larger shops.

fineito

Give the Ultimate Paint Shop, Lake Bluff, IL a call. Ask for Joe, the owner. I had a rear quarter panel repainted due to a dent from a roller blade ramp that fell on the car 10+ years ago. The repaint still looks normal to my eyes. I've had other work done there, too, on my Lexus, also a long time ago (pearl white). At one time, maybe still, they were the preferred vendor to The Porsche Exchange and LFSC.

NoRush993/951

Back in 2000 I had the Ultimate Paint Shop fill the front license plate tabs and repaint the front bumper. They did it the right way and they are still in business. They were the paint shop for the Exchange back then.

Check out the Chicago section at Ferrarichat.com and search the paint shop recommendations. The Ferrari guys are very meticulous about their paint shops and there are several good threads to read.

BenceJ

Thanks for the recs. I called them today and may go with them. Couple issues however; They do not match single stage paint, apparently the paint is NLA. Also, they will not do custom work so no RSR widebody. I may have them do the repair and then find another shop to do the WB. If anyone has any suggestions for that please let me know.

pp000830

The how come I can get my car painted this way. Maybe they are saying they are not willing to do it. Find a boutique shop who will.

I just went to the PPG Automotive paint web site, just one of the many suppliers to this industry, the list single stage for their 2K products and in several of their other product lines. I really get annoyed at the misinformation parading around as fact in the industry because a shop wants to steer customers to whatever in-house products they use.

The reflection densitometer used to match single stage paint is a standard tool the counter man at the automotive paint dealer has to come up with a color match formula. I also ask for small quantities of the tint used in the formula as well just in case of when spraying out a test panel where I want to make a small adjustment to the match. I am not a professional shop guy. I have just painted a few bumper covers including ones for my 993 and was able to do this. I would think a professional shop could do the same if they really wanted to. That is the issue, why work with a finicky car owner who wants the job done right when there are lots of lease cars out there where no one cares what the quality or durability of the paint is.

Andy

delfi87

Vehicle body repair is a very important event. To conduct quality work it is better to find an experienced master with recommendations.
QUOTE=BenceJ;14356799]Hello all,

got sideswiped by a 17 year old girl just after moving here. Can anyone recommend a good body shop in the area? i am also going to install a rsr widebody while i'm at it, so the shop needs to be comfortable doing custom work as well as collision repair. I have read many recommendations for A&L, but they do not seem to want to take on the job right now, so i'd appreciate any other recs.

Thanks![/QUOTE]

clib

Check out The Last Detail. Its been awhile since i have dealt with them but they did excellent work

INTMD8

I had the nose of my 355 painted at Custom Cars Unlimited in LaGrange. It is single stage as well so had to be panel painted (no blending) Kevin is the guy to talk to.

Expensive but excellent work.

steve g

A & L in Palatine did a great job on my Accord. I did a search here and there were a few folks who had their Pcars done there.

07C4S

Check with Andy at Midwest Performance or Perfect Power and ask who they would recommend for the body mods.