But can you really trust an insurance company to give a good body shop or just a cheap one?

 

That's a good question, but insurance companies aren't going to want to deal with shops that perform slip-shod work, which then creates an irate (or possibly a lost) customer.

 

When checking with insurance companies, I only trust local agents who represent major companies (Farmers, State Farm, Geico, All State, etc).

They represent companies big enough to pay for the repair to be done right, but local and want to maintain a decent reputation to keep business coming through the door.

I have pulled my business from more than one insurance agency because I didn't like how their agent or company treated me.

If you just go to Joe's Local Strip Mall Auto Insurance Company and ask Joe to recommend a shop, then you run the very real risk of being sent to his cousin Billy who runs the local discount auto repair and collision express paint shop. Who, since his cousin is sending him all this work, cuts every corner and kicks back a couple bucks on each job to Joe. We have that exact situation here where I live. The only folks who take their cars to the local "body shop" are companies getting deer damage repaired.

 

Does anyone know what is a better paint ppg or Dupont (said it was called spees or something from dupont). Also do they make new quarter panels or do they normally take them off of salvage camaros?

 

Dupont or PPG will both provide you with a good quality long lasting finish. Sherman Williams is kinda a middle of the road paint and AKZO/Nobel (also known as Sikkens) is also top quality.

Depending on the availability of the qtr and the cost it could go either way. The cost of a wrecking yard qtr is sometimes off set by the fact that you have to still cut it off the old structure. I have done them both. Look at it this way... New QTR may cost $500 and a used one will cost $300+ the labor to strip it off the old structure = $600... you are gonna get the new one. Now if the new was $800 and the other was the same price you get the other. There is nothing wrong with getting a wrecking yard qtr, I am actually gonna do a qtr this summer for my friend and we bought his new qtr and rocker from a wrecking yard.

Massey

 

Ive been told by the body shop that they will not replace the quarter and that it is not sold by the dealer anymore. They say the dent is not bad enough to require that. But I will judge the work after they straigthen it before the bondo.

 

Was ppg used at the factory?

 

GM has used PPG or Dupont at various times. I am not sure what was used on the 4th gens. I have used PPG in the past and it is good stuff.

Massey

 

I got to see it today after I was told they were finished. The fuel door is sticking out a bit it isnt as smooth as it used to be. It doesnt contour to the same body lines it sticks out. Inside the car where the metal was mended was really wavy and had several spot welds that I could see. To top it off the new paint had line cut in it and they oversprayed a section on the bumper so the paint was gathered there in a running look. Then they broke the sail panel tab. Had white stuff they said was filler on top of the paint in the crease. Im afraid to see what they did to the driver door because they had to remove the panel to blend it. But is the fuel door suppose to stick out some are is it suppose to be flush with the rest of the body line? Im not sure but i think it used to be flush. The guys at the shop are doing everything from accusing me of breaking things to acting like Im not there. Any one have any suggestions? Or can let me know for sure if the fule door should be flush with the body? Thanks for the help.

 

O and they had it outside and someone had cut grass and it was all over the new paint and my car.