:hey guys, i just damaged my 7 and was thinking about bringing it to Carstar. has anyone brought their cars there? it seems theyre one of the bigger companies out there. just wondering if anyone knows if they are any good or if anyone knows a good reputable autobody shop around the burlington area. i dont really want to travel too far. thanx

 

Well the one up here in Orangeville does not do very good quality work. I can't count how many time I've looked at a car they've fixed with overspray everywhere, defects in paint and just mistakes from laziness.

 

I painted my car in Burlington. Call Ryan @ Enfield Auto refinishing (905) 220-2332.
He will hook you up, we both patronize each others businesses. If you want a really good deal, PM you phone number and I will personally hook you up with him.

 

Good paint is all about prep (labour) and to some extent materials - I don't know Carstar, but it's been my observation over many years that places advertising on price don't produce good results. Good prep takes time, and good paint isn't cheap.

 

I also have used Carstar to paint panels on my racecar. They were fine when the location manager was taking a personal interest and the panel was a new one, but when that manager left, my panel came out worse than if I had done it myself.

I have found that if you base things on price only, you end up less than satisfied. Look for the better looking private shops, Enfield has also been recommended to me a couple of times as well, get some quotes and compare. Don't go to the hole in the wall places. Look at how they are maintained and ask yourself if you don't think that the laziness will be reflected in your paint job?

I once asked a local Maaco for a quote on painting my Cougar racecar even after I had done all the prep and would mostly mask it for them before I dropped it off. I just wanted a cheap and cheerful 10 foot paint job. They quoted me almost a grand, the local Carstar wanted $500 cash and for me to supply the paint and another better non-franchised private shop wanted close to $2000, all in.

I ended up getting a gun from Princess Auto, the paint from a paint supply place and did it myself for under $300. I learned as I was doing it and if I ever get the urge to do it again, I have learned a lot and the next time it will be far better.

Eric

 

No!

 

Quoted for truth.

The one in Hamilton did some insurance related paint work on my Z32 300ZX - they got overspray on the f*ckin' interior - black interior and the insides of my B and C pillars had pearl yellow paint on them, coooome on guys, make an effort would ya?