Chips Away etc

[Speedmaster]

Does anyone have any experience with the franchise guys that come to house/office and sort out chips/scratches?

 

[television]

Does anyone have any experience with the franchise guys that come to house/office and sort out chips/scratches?

There are threads on this subject, in all, most here were not very impressed as it does not last and the finish not a good match as they have to use normal drying top coat, where as two pack is clear.

Malcolm

 

[Speedmaster]

Hmm, any suggestions as to a better alternative?

 

[television]

Hmm, any suggestions as to a better alternative?

What kind of damage do you have.

Malcolm

 

[Myros]

I scratched the SL ( yes I know it's stupid)

and the Chips away guy didn't want to do it. I'll fix it myself one sunny day, and probably do a better job. Weren't they up for sale on e-bay recently.

Someone mentioned a breakaway group of former chips-awayers setting up on their own. Can't remember who they were though.

 

[jberks]

As a tidy up they're not too bad. My dad has used them and to be fair, the results are pretty good. Up close you really can't tell. Under Sodium lights you can but that's fair enough really. They are particularly good for bumper scuffs. I am considering using them for one I just found on the front bumper of mine, and get them to rebuild the wheelarch on the jeep at the same time, I'm just not so eager for them to do a small scratch in the laquer on the driver's door or the stone chip on the front passenger's as I know it won't age well but if the damage was more visible I'd probably give them a go. Clearly the best solution is a proper respray but for the cost and if you accept it may need re-matching after a couple of years, they are probably worth a go.

 

[Speedmaster]

It is on the Sl, being black it shows the marks and has a few chips about the arches, doors etc. Nothing major but would be nice to get them sorted. Most of the scratches will polish out I guess

 

[Benzman]

The finish depends on the guy doing the job - they all work on a franchise basis and have their own areas. I have used them 3 times over the last 4 years for scuff repairs.
The first guy was good and did a perfect match on two occasions.
The next guy was not so good - OK on the repair and colour but poor finish. It looked dull even after much polishing.
Best advice is to contact the local man to you which can be done by contacting Chipsaway HQ. Ask the local guy for a last customer reference.

 

[jberks]

ouch

Ok - Anyone know a good one in the Leeds or Manchester areas?

The Mrs introduced my baby to the garage door frame last night. No dent fortunately, Just a series of paint scrapes - some down to the metal, probably 1" X 2" on the rear wheelarch. Depending on price I might get them to tidy up the front bumper at the same time, it's a bit speckled having spent the winter on the motorway.

I can't decide whether to use these guys or book her into the bodyshop but money is very tight at the moment so I'm erring towards the chippy boys.

Any idea what a full bodyshop would charge for such a thing?

 

[PaulJS]

Bad news jberks, i know how you feel. I've got one of these up and over garage doors, and 2 weeks ago i opened the garage door from the inside, not knowing i'd reversed the merc up the drive a little bit closer than normal, and you guessed it, as the garage door came up, bang!!! The corner of the garage door smacked into the tail gate of the merc. Put a nice big cut into the paint down to bare metal.

Took it straight to Merc dealer and booked it in for a full bodyshop repair. They had to re-spray the whole back rather than just the damaged bit. Cost: £246.00. It was an excellent finish and colour match.

 

[jberks]

Thanks Paul - painful.
I discussed the chips guy with my dad and he confirmed what I already knew really. The door on the C looks ok but you can tell it has been done. He advised me against and I'm inclined to take the advice. Even if it looks ok now, in 6 months or so, there will be a patch showing and that's really not acceptable.

So, like you, its a proper body shop for me. I was thinking about the dealer but I figure they will charge whatever the bodyshop charges plus their commission so I'm a bit reluctant. At the end of the day, whoever they use is just a normal bodyshop that I could visit directly. That got me thinking so I rang my MB specialist to see who they'd recommend and apparently they have a related bodyshop (round the back so I'd not seen them) owned by them (so they specialise in Mercs) so I'll be off down there tonight to get an estimate.

 

[psmart]

Merc-Care, their bodyshop, just behind them, did an excellent job when a lorry threw up a plastic wedge and it dented my bonnet. Refaced the 4 alloys as well, cant remember the total cost, only that the alloys part cost 250.

Ooops! Just read into the last paragraph of your post..... you are meaning Merc-Cares body shop!

 

[jberks]

Merc-Care, their bodyshop, just behind them, did an excellent job when a lorry threw up a plastic wedge and it dented my bonnet. Refaced the 4 alloys as well, cant remember the total cost, only that the alloys part cost 250.

Ooops! Just read into the last paragraph of your post..... you are meaning Merc-Cares body shop!

Indeed I am, and it's great to hear a recommendation, I'm nervous allowing anyone with a spray gun near my pride and joy so the reassurance is greatly appreciated!

 

[psmart]

Indeed I am, and it's great to hear a recommendation

That was 3.5 years ago when the car was 2 years young, bonnet now still A1 apart from the odd stone chip, but you can really see the thickness of paint. Just a dab of vaseline on the chips have prevented rust.

The alloys havent fared that well, because the Merc dealer who put 4 new winter tyres on used the bang on metal weights, thus breaking the lacquer and two dissimilar metals now mean they need re-facing again, but not the fault of Merc-Care, whom I'll ask to touch up the car shortly.

 

[jberks]

Well, popped in and saw them last night. £90 a panel and then £60 to blend in to the surrounding panels so £200 by the time the vat man and loan car insurance are taken into account. But he assures me that I'll not be able to tell it ever happened which is what I want so I've booked her in.

I also asked him about a scuff on the F N/S alloy. Apparently mine are laquered polished brushed metal rather than painted and he said he just couldn't get a good enough finish so would rather not do it.

It always adds confidence when they refuse to do something because they can't do it justice. Should mean what they do take on they will do well.

 

[Neil Plumridge]

where is this Merc body shop or are we talking Merc dealers generally. On the whole the paint on my car is Ok (but then it is only 3 years old) but it does have some stone chips (which you can see are bubbling up the paint !!!!!) and I'd like to get them sorted befor they become too unsightly.

Ta

 

[psmart]

where is this Merc body shop or are we talking Merc dealers generally. On the whole the paint on my car is Ok (but then it is only 3 years old) but it does have some stone chips (which you can see are bubbling up the paint !!!!!) and I'd like to get them sorted befor they become too unsightly.

Ta

Richardshaw Lane in Pudsey. You have Merc-Care, BMW-Care and back of them is the paintshop.

JBerks has got me scratching my marbles re:alloys. Mine are the painted type of alloys and I get the feeling Merc-Care painted over the stick on weights!!! Cant be sure now, too much time passed by, but what really counts is the bonnet, and that was a good job. Perhaps there on purposely saying 'nay to alloys now?

ps) Stone-chips... I was given some good advise a while back, as soon as you see a stone chip, put vaseline on it. Ive had some chips, 5 years old, no rust!

 

[davebox]

With a Grey colour, it's always going to be hard to match as a human eye can distinguish between hundreds of shades. Blue is generally a good colour to match, red is also a pig. White is easy and I've never failed to match a black. If you find a company that will blend to an edge then laq.the whole panel. (if its a met). this is the best method for hiding those differences in shade. The eye makes the brain believe its looking at a shadow.
Stone chips are always a problem. to be fair to the dent companies, the idea is always to tidy up the panel rather than make it perfect. This is reflected in the price so as usual, you get what you pay for.
Using a touch up pen on those dreaded stone chips is a great temp. It seals the paint and stops spidering, Ok it does not look terrific but you can address the looks every couple of years by having a nose job at the body shop.

 

[jberks]

Well, I thought I'd report back. Dropped it off 7.30 yesterday morning and picked it up 5.45 last night. True to his word, it's perfect. I haven't checked under sodium light yet, but in daylight, the match/fade is perfect. Completely invisible repair.

They were cutting it down prior to polish when I arrived and the car was still in the oven at the time. What impressed me was the care they took. I expected them to mask off the trim and go for it, but instead, they'd removed the rubbing strip, door handle etc to get a seamless finish.

Given the work involved, to be fair, a total bill of £174 inc the loan car (£15) and vat I thought it was very reasonable.

I even had to wait whilst they thoroughly washed it (down to scrubbing the alloys) and blew the dust out of the mats before I could drive away.

So, I can thoroughly recommend AutoBodyCare (MercCare's bodyshop) in Leeds.

 

[OmniCognateNeutronRangler]

I've just got a quote back from Tony Purslow in Guildford to do a "stone chip" that's started rusting on the Windscreen A-Pillar (the cars only 3 years old!!). They quoted £168 labour, £50 parts and then the good old VAT. So that is £256. The chip is only about 3 mm across so this seems quite expensive. They do say that as it's done by a Merc dealer it retains it's rust warrantee but given that I want it done because of rust and I am having to pay for it the warrantee doesn't seem to be of much value anyway.

The bit that concerns me the most is that as it is on such an obvious part of the car it needs to be a really good job otherwise it will stick out like a sore thumb. The car is brilliant sliver metallic. Anyone got any opinions?