Where to get body/Paint work done

[suzye]

About a month ago my Vibe was dented while parked in front of my house. Its about a 6in in diameter dent in the rear of the car. The paint is chipped off on the edges of the dent. I have convered it with wax to prevent rust until warmer weather when I could touch up the paint, but now I am thinking of going to get some estimates on having the dent fixed and the paint touched up professionally. I'm looking for advice on the best type of place to go to either a national chain such as MAACO or just a local body shop. I am in Queens, New York if anyone knows of a particular shop in the area that is good, otherwise I am just looking for overall advice on what type of place to go to.Thanks.

[Stang2Vibe]

I can tell you that from personal experience going to a local body shop will be much better. The problem with that is that you will have to ask around for what is a good shop to go to. Dealerships usually have pretty good body shops and are generally a safe bet. But beware that not all dealerships charge the same rates for bodywork, so shop around for the best price. I suggest getting at least 3 estimates to make sure that someone isn't ripping you off. National chains like MAACO and Earl Scheib can do the job and they are usually pretty cheap, but they usually are notorious for substandard work. I suggest that you stick with a reputable local body shop or a dealership that has its' own body shop.

[red]

i second stang2vibe opinion....chain shops dont have a good rep...look to see if any of the body shop technicans are ASE/I-CAR/PPG/DuPont certified...these certificates mean that those individuals have taken special classes and testing in body repair/paint and are usually on top of the latest info on repairs/quality assurance...not every body shop has people trained like this, alot have people with no training at all!!