[F48_Driver]

I see a lot of regional recommendations for Body Shops but I wanted to get the community's suggestion on how to pick a good one other than yelpviews.

I called a few places and the price range is about 500 - 600 to paint remove and respray and reclear a bumper.

One place said that it would take 3 days and another said it was take a day if I dropped it off in the morning.

I'd rather have my car back within a day but are they taking any short cuts here? The one day service mentioned that they have a state of the art painting room then they take the bumper to an oven room to bake the paint and it is reinstalled.

Is there something up with this guy's model? other shops take a over a day but this guy is sure he can get it to me in a day because as he puts it; his shop is organized efficiently. I know nothing about the autobody painting process can anyone chime in?

[nicknaz]

I would personally only take my car to a shop with BMW collision repair certification. Typically a franchise dealer or a well know indy.

Or, you could ask around the dealerships in your area that don't have a certified collision repair shop of their own to see who they outsource to and go there.

[iconoclast]

^if you do that make sure the certification is current. many shops do not continue but keep the old certifications for advertisement.

get three recommendations in your area. go there and speak with the owner. ask to see some cars that are in the shop. explain that you are a "car guy" and that you're not eager to leave your vehicle with just anyone and that you're very particular about your paint. if they don't let you see the work or start giving you push back that you're asking a lot then that's not the shop for you. on the flip side if they yes you to do without understanding completely what you're saying then the answer is the same.

$550 to paint a bumper is fair if they're the ones removing it and installing. if you're bringing it in you should be around $300-350. half hour to load paint, half hour to clean the gun, material and actual labor.

lastly, if at all possible have them match the paint to the fenders and use the correct materials. flex agent, primer, etc. otherwise it's going to look worse than it does now. when i had the euro bumper and csl bits on my m3 painted the shop made 9 swatches. they picked the best two and asked me to pick as well. we both wound up with the same choices. that is the kind of shop you want. you'll pay top dollar but you'll get near factory results.

[F48_Driver]

Thanks for both of your responses!

Originally Posted by nicknaz

I would personally only take my car to a shop with BMW collision repair certification. Typically a franchise dealer or a well know indy.

Or, you could ask around the dealerships in your area that don't have a certified collision repair shop of their own to see who they outsource to and go there.

I will call my SA to see what options he recommends.

I have called around and it seems as though $550 is around the average price.

Originally Posted by iconoclast

lastly, if at all possible have them match the paint to the fenders and use the correct materials. flex agent, primer, etc. otherwise it's going to look worse than it does now

I am not sure how the paint shop is planning to match my paint. I am thinking they are going to use the paint code. Is it better to ask them to get a paint match instead? I was going to visit the shops and see what their finished projects looked like.

Any input on the turnaround days? Any idea why this one place only takes one day while others need 2 - 3 days.

[rolltidef32]

Originally Posted by Garmz

Thanks for both of your responses!

I will call my SA to see what options he recommends.

I have called around and it seems as though $550 is around the average price.

I am not sure how the paint shop is planning to match my paint. I am thinking they are going to use the paint code. Is it better to ask them to get a paint match instead? I was going to visit the shops and see what their finished projects looked like.

Any input on the turnaround days? Any idea why this one place only takes one day while others need 2 - 3 days.

Matching the paint code is just one consideration. The clear coat and all will need to be done well also.

There is no way to paint and set a car panel or part within 1 day. All paint shops bake parts in that "oven" so to speak. 2-3 days is normal and should be expected.

$500 is nothing, so as others said. Please, for God's sake, don't cut corners with parts or a paint job on a BMW.

[iconoclast]

a baked and cured bumper project can be turned over in one day in this area and is oven done. drop it off monday and tuesday evening it will be ready providing you had an appointment and were not a walk-in on standby.

since we are getting very technically also look for a proper spray booth with exhaust vents. if they're painting panels in the shop or behind curtains walk away.

Originally Posted by Garmz

Thanks for both of your responses!

I have called around and it seems as though $550 is around the average price.

I am not sure how the paint shop is planning to match my paint. I am thinking they are going to use the paint code. Is it better to ask them to get a paint match instead? I was going to visit the shops and see what their finished projects looked like.

Any input on the turnaround days? Any idea why this one place only takes one day while others need 2 - 3 days.

even just by using the paint code it could be off... especially with two different material panels. how old is your vehicle and which color? typically red, grey and silver are the most difficult to color match.

size of the shop and current workload is the main reason. make an appointment and you'll see turnaround would be much lower if they're dedicating work on your bumper or squeezing you in as a standby.

[Thumper333]

Originally Posted by Garmz

I am not sure how the paint shop is planning to match my paint. I am thinking they are going to use the paint code. Is it better to ask them to get a paint match instead? I was going to visit the shops and see what their finished projects looked like.

Any input on the turnaround days? Any idea why this one place only takes one day while others need 2 - 3 days.

I work in a body shop, and have been in the industry on the shop and insurance side for well over 10 years.

First, paint match. The paint code is a starting point, there are probably 30 or more different "colors" associated with that one paint code. Various environmental conditions affect paint color by changing the dry time (humidity, temperature, etc). A F30 painted at 10:32 Friday in Germany will not be the same exact color as one painted at 4:15PM on Monday in South Africa. Heck, the same color sprayed in the same plant will be different from morning to afternoon.

All shops will start with the base color from the code and then do what's called a "spray out" panel which is a small square panel on a stick they hold up to the car. From this the painter makes adjustments to the paint mix to achieve color match. Even doing this, the color can not be replicated 'perfectly', they still need to fade in or blend the new paint into the old with around 12" of space. This is why when you replace a panel you need to paint the panels next to it. However, this is not done on bumper covers as they are plastic, and paint drys differently on plastic than metal, so the color is always a little off. They should be able to match the existing color on the bumper so any mismatch to the adjoining panels is the same as it was.


Turn around time.

1 day. Can it be done? Sure. Should it be? No.

If your shop is waiting at the door for your part when they open and immediately hand it off to the body tech who will strip the damaged areas and give it immediately to the painter who was doing his paint match operations while the body man was working on it and then immediately preps and primes the bumper and then as soon as it flashes prep it and paint it, rushes the bake and then clear's it and then bakes the clear fast and hot........sure, it can be handed back to you at the end of the day.

And hopefully the paint which is just baked, not cured, will not scrape or warp on the trip home in your car and while you handle it in and out of the car.

Unless you are shooting waterborn paint, everyone bakes their painted panels, that's not special. And you still use chemical clear and bake that even with waterborn. The issue is that when a painted part comes out of the booth after baking it's 'dry', but it's still not firmly set and cured. It is easy to scratch and chip and firm pressure over small areas can cause depressions. Handling of these parts should be careful and minimal. 2 days is the minimum with 3 days being reasonable.

[iconoclast]

^thumper just nailed it. that should be the thread. well done.

the swatches i was referring is what thumper referred to as a spray out panel you can see one which was used for some csl bits on of my cars:



my friend owned a body shop for many years before closing up shop and moving florida to do continue his business and since then i had to find a another body shop that i trusted and did work the level i have grown accustom to. it took me years to find one and they have been in business over thirty years. you pay top dollar but like i said before you get near factory quality. i hope the same can be done for you in a reasonable amount of time.

[fusion0389]

Originally Posted by nicknaz

I would personally only take my car to a shop with BMW collision repair certification. Typically a franchise dealer or a well know indy.

Or, you could ask around the dealerships in your area that don't have a certified collision repair shop of their own to see who they outsource to and go there.

^what this guy said... go somewhere with a current bmw certification

[claykin]

BMW certified is a good place to start. However, just because the shop is BMW certified doesn't guarantee a good job. I've seen some BMW Certified repairs first hand and the finish did not impress me.

That said, the good thing about going BMW Certified is that you won't have to worry about aftermarket parts, non OEM refinish paint, your car's warranty, etc..

Best bet is to ask to see a repaired car and have them show you the area they repaired. Check for yourself. Open doors, etc. and look to see how they finished the inside edges, door jambs, etc.. Most shops, OEM certified or not, tend to focus on the exterior only and fail to address the underside of the panel, door jambs, etc.. This is where used car appraisers look first to see if a car has been repainted.

[tturedraider]

www.bmwusa.com has a listing of dealers with Certified Collision Repair Centers. The only BMWNA certified shops are ones associated with Authorized BMW Centers.

[rolltidef32]

Originally Posted by claykin

BMW certified is a good place to start. However, just because the shop is BMW certified doesn't guarantee a good job. I've seen some BMW Certified repairs first hand and the finish did not impress me.

That said, the good thing about going BMW Certified is that you won't have to worry about aftermarket parts, non OEM refinish paint, your car's warranty, etc..

Best bet is to ask to see a repaired car and have them show you the area they repaired. Check for yourself. Open doors, etc. and look to see how they finished the inside edges, door jambs, etc.. Most shops, OEM certified or not, tend to focus on the exterior only and fail to address the underside of the panel, door jambs, etc.. This is where used car appraisers look first to see if a car has been repainted.

Although Thumper just laid down one of the absolute classic fucking posts in the history of this forum, I'll have to debate you here claykin just a tad, so please humor me a bit.

A certified shop can't do a poor job if given the resources that they need. Their business depends on being basically flawless in execution. Usually, if they don't receive these resources, its due to the customer's ignorance or lack of concern. Customer either being the driver/owner or an insurance company. If you let an insurance company dictate the terms of a repair and repaint, you're stupid and deserve what you'll have coming to you.

I had a collision last summer in my old F30, and Global BMWs Collision Center in Atlanta (yes, I'm calling their name because they deserve it), did an excellent job.

First, I took over all dictated terms from the lady who hit me's insurance company. I let them know I knew what's what, and they laid down as expected. I don't play nicely.

For the shop, I was extremely friendly and told those guys that I knew they were busy as hell with the way Atlanta's poor drivers love to play bumper cars, so please take all the time they needed to get the job done right. Also asked them to communicate any insurance tricks to me, which they did, and yes, the company tried a little. I even asked them to make sure I got an alignment for a rear end collision, the shop said they wouldn't pay for it, but in the end, they did.

The shop took their time, I let them know that I knew the process and really didn't say anything to the guys, but thank you. My car was perfect. They even found some damage behind the bumper that needed to be replaced, they took care of it all and the car was factory new. They said most owners are very pushy and like to rush them, they thanked me for being understanding. I made new friends who will always look after me.

My point is, these guys are experts. Best thing to do is empower them to do their jobs, then shut the f--k up and get out of their way; they'll call you when it's done and your car will be better for it. Stop being pushy people, whether its the car shop or the next restaurant you go to.

Everyone hates a jerk.

[F48_Driver]

Wow - great responses from everyone! Thank you Thumper for chiming in with your industry knowledge!!

Originally Posted by rolltidef32

A certified shop can't do a poor job if given the resources that they need. Their business depends on being basically flawless in execution.
..
..
Everyone hates a jerk.

^This is assuming they have all of the resources. From all of the BMW dealerships I have called in SD, they all have their own body shop. One of them does business with a separate body shop but it is still owned by the same group i.e. Penske Auto Body.

With dealerships owning and running these body shops, I am not sure if they need to be certified. From what I am seeing, Penseke Auto Body isn't getting very good reviews on Yelp.

The shop with the best rating ( on yelp and google ) ended up to be the cheapest too i.e. $450. They use PPG paint, have a professional spray booth and cure station. I guess I will just head down to their shop one day and check out their work with metallic paint and see if is up to par.