Need your opinion on a body shop

[Zero102]

Hey, my car was hit today (and I caught the fucker that did it after chasing him for 20 minutes), and after talking to my insurance company they want me to take it to these guys:
http://www.yellowpages.ca/bus/Alberta/Calgary/Carstar/4188551.html

Carstar on 40 ave N.E. if the link gets pulled

To have it fixed. It is really hard to judge a shop by the appearance when you go in to get a quote and I was wondering what you think of these guys?

My original plan was to take it to Screamin' to have them look it over (and so far I would prefer to have them fix it), but at the very least I am required to get a quote from a shop that Meloche Monnex approves so that they can put a dollar value on it, and if this shop also does very good work then maybe I will just take it there since Meloche Monnex said they will direct bill while no other shops can (so they say).

So, has anybody had work done here? If so, how was your experience with them during the process? Was the work done to your satisfaction? On time? If it was more than a couple months ago, how is it holding up?

[Deetz]

Carstar body shops are actually pretty good, and i know they use oem parts

[artieg30]

screamin' paintworks ftw, just took my car in for a bumper re-finish and they did an outstanding job!

[theken]

He's not asking for opinions on screamin. He already mentioned he wants to go there. Carstar is a decent chain from what I have seen

[Zero102]

I stopped in at Screamin' last night and they gave me a quote for ~$7k, I figured it would be between $5k and $7k so they were on the high end but still reasonable. They were super nice and very reasonable about what would or would not be included in the estimate. They still get my vote :thumbsup:

I have to go to Carstar on September 7 as my insurance has requested that I visit them, but I am also getting an independent damage appraisal (paid for by my insurance company) to see if they would agree with Screamin's estimate. This means I may still be forced to go with Carstar depending on how the independent appraisal comes back, so it would really help to hear some reviews of the place (and what specific location / people if you know).

I am concerned about things such as:
Color matching: the car has metal flake paint which I hear is quite difficult to match.
Durability: Both the front and back bumpers have to be painted, and I have seen so many cars on the road with the paint just peeling off the front bumper after it has been repainted
No use of bondo: The car has no bondo on it now, and I don't want any on it. Damaged panels are to be replaced if they can not be hammered straight again.
Panel gaps: I was very meticulous when I picked up this car, I know every panel gap is just right. After the crash the gaps between and around the doors are pretty wacky and the bumpers don't line up right. These need to be perfect again
Masking: I want all parts removed so the panels can be properly painted. No seams around door handles or lights are acceptable.

So far Screamin' has satisfied me on all of these fronts, but I need opinions from you guys about Carstar. Will I be happy with their work?

[Shlade]

lol speaking of bondo..

Avoid southgate chevrolet for ANYTHING... I worked there for about 2 weeks before quitting... they use bodo on EVERYTHING! all of their cars that come in get a shit ton of bondo slapped on then shaved, barley put in any effort for putting the cars on a frame machine or cutting the damn panel out and replacing it!

[Zero102]

Any more opinions on carstar? They apparently guarantee their work for life, and my insurance company is pushing hard to get me to go with them.

[ricosuave]

I am in the same boat as Zero 102 and would also like to know

[msommers]

My mom's CRV is coming back from carstar Tuesday resolving the hail damage. If you haven't made a choice by then I'll update on my impressions of the work. But service wise, keeping in communction etc, they've been fantastic thus far.

[lee88]

When it comes down to insurance you can pick any body shop you want. You are the one thats paying for the insurance so you have the right to pick the place to get it repaired.

[realazy]

We took our CR-V to Contemporary Coachworks south to get our hail damage fixed. It came out perfect.

You can see my other thread to see how they went to great lengths to get our car properly repaired.

[gyu]

Anybody know the hours for Contemporary and/or Screamin Paint?

I know screamin paint is M-F and closes at around 5 but not sure when they open

[tom_9109]

That Carstar location is really good. You'll be happy with their work.

Keep in mind though that the may use non-OEM parts and body filler 'bondo' is SOP in the body repair industry.

Even when putting on new panels body filler is used at times.

If the shop follows industry practices and uses the filler correctly then there is no concerns with its use.

And yes you can choose your shop, however the insurance company can decide what its going to pay and the insurance company won't back you up if you're unhappy with repairs at a shop outside of their direct repair programs.