Bodyshop diseases

[d9103365]

In getting estimates for my car's paint job, I've documented the following diseases that often afflict body shop owners and techs. If you spot any symptoms of this disease, RUN!

1. Sandophobia - fear of doing any kind of prep work. This is caused by doing too much insurance claim work that only requires shops to replace parts and spray.
2. Restorationitis - Constant use of the "R" word. if your body shop estimator or tech refers to your paint job as a "restoration", be prepared to blow what little retirement you have, or go elsewhere.
3. Junkophobia - The idea that any old car will simply crumble to dust when touched. This is caused by body shop owners actually believing their techs that the part they just busted was rotten or brittle, when in fact they man-handled it and didn't use common sense care. Beware of a body shop owner that tells you he's going to bust up half the parts in your car. The damn thing is made of steel and metal - no less than any modern car. If they don't bust up a plastic-mobile hyundai, then they shouldn't be busting up your detroit steel classic.
4. Crook's syndrome - characterized by asking for up front money and then disappearing.
5. Half-asser's disease - symptoms include leaving body shop dust all over the inside and outside of your finished car when they deliver it.
6. Slack-asser's syndrome - Your car is not delivered on time and languishes for days in the shop.
8. Trimophobia - fear of removing trim. Your body shop owner will have a million excuses why they can't remove the trim on your car.
7. Sudden death syndrome - Happens to some body shop owners unexpectedly. Characterized by severe bruising, scratches, to the face/upper torso, broken/brittle bones, loss of eyes, teeth, or ear lobes, and sometimes in severe cases patients may develop growths coming out of their rectum that resemble aluminum trim.

 

[BeeKool]

Very true.

I've been noticing that the paint jobs on new vehicles look like the prep work was done poorly.
My uncle was out to my farm in his '17 RAM Longhorn ECO Diesel and I couldn't help but notice the orange peel in the sunlight. Kinda sad. I'm Sure he paid at least 50k for it.
I was with my brother looking at trucks. In the showroom of a delearship was a brand new $80k Lincoln Navigator. Black..
Look at it close and same thing. Apparently assembly line work no longer includes prepping the body before painting.

 

[flypaper]

Restoration work isn't for every average joe body guy.
these days glue replaces welding
Too bad many don't grasp this
As going to a collision shop for a estimate shows the lack of knowledge
Of what is involved
I would fully expect the diseases you listed and more myself..

 

[texas69bee]

There's not much for prep work that will change the way the clear lays down. They come from the body shop as bare steal, go into an Elpo phosphate tank where they get cleaned, etched and coated. Then they go through the prime booth, baked and then minor wet sanding for larger pieces of dirt. Then they go in the color booth and painted with a water base, flash baked then clear coated. Then they go in the main oven for a while. It's all automated. All that orange peel is only in the clear coat. And yes it looks like ****. I've heard every excuse there is why it lays that way but no changes.

 

[747mopar]

Very true.

I've been noticing that the paint jobs on new vehicles look like the prep work was done poorly.
My uncle was out to my farm in his '17 RAM Longhorn ECO Diesel and I couldn't help but notice the orange peel in the sunlight. Kinda sad. I'm Sure he paid at least 50k for it.
I was with my brother looking at trucks. In the showroom of a delearship was a brand new $80k Lincoln Navigator. Black..
Look at it close and same thing. Apparently assembly line work no longer includes prepping the body before painting.

I've noticed that on almost all new cars, look on the bright side ours look even better now.

 

[747mopar]

Restoration work isn't for every average joe body guy.
these days glue replaces welding
Too bad many don't grasp this
As going to a collision shop for a estimate shows the lack of knowledge
Of what is involved
I would fully expect the diseases you listed and more myself..

Your right about that and me doing my own bodywork I won't touch anybody else's car, way more work then most can even imagine. I always hear "Just shoot some paint on.... I'm not picky", yeah but everytime someone ask who laid down that turd paint job you'll tell them? Nope, my cars and that's it!

 

[747mopar]

I buy salvage cars for our daily drivers so I see both sides and totally understand why shops avoid these old cars like a plaque. New cars in and out with little to no surprises or bodywork vs old cars with poor repairs, hidden rust, dings from front to back with the added liability of hard to replace parts???

 

[BeeKool]

I buy salvage cars for

Me too. You can get a damn good vehicle for a fair price.
If you plan on driving it for 200k then this is the way to go

 

[cryplydog]

If you want it done to perfection like most do you just damn near have to do it yourself.

 

[slimt]

If you want it done to perfection like most do you just damn near have to do it yourself.

I agree ..

 

[Bladecutter]

" way more work than most can even imagine."

Bingo!!

 

[kiwigtx]

I've documented the following diseases that often afflict body shop owners and techs. If you spot any symptoms of this disease, RUN!

Love that list Here is another popular disease that a lot of body & paint guys suffer from....

Cantbefuckenarseditis - this presents as a very poor finish under the rockers (or sills) - in that one can easily find the following items at the end of a very slow and expensive restoration;
1. Poo Worms - otherwise known as squiggly bits of bondo that were forgotten after the spreader forced it through the slide hammer holes,
2. Bondo ripple effect - where the finish prior to painting was considered acceptable with a surform treatment,
3. Speckle finish - this is where multiple layers and coats of different colours of primer, etch and top coat converge in a random fashion,
4. Waxeyes - the painter forgot to wipe everything down clean prior to aimlessly shooting subsequent coats of random liquids.

These and many more conditions can be found easily at any car show. I've seen "Prize-winning" cars that had holes in them big enough to poke fingers through. Not many shops will take as much pride and joy in your ride as you would yourself.

 

[Matthew Maloney]

Thats why i do all my own bodywork and paint