05MineralGrayV6

ok guys I hit a deer a month ago and filed a claim the estimator was fair and cut a check for repairs. Where I take it to get it fixed is up to me. The damage to the hood is repaiable but im not going that route Im getting a new trufiber cobra roadster hood so I never again have to worry about corrosion and I like the fact that the scoop is functional moving cold air to the Intake. The damage to my front bumper was significant.detroyed my fascia and air dam luckily found a new unused Roush fascia on craigslist for 100 bucks. Insurance cut the check for $1,950. The new hood cost 500 already have the Roush fascia so I close to 1500 for paint and labor.
Here is my delima the ford garage quoted me 1,300 for painting the hood and bumper including painting dual shelby stripes on the hood and bumper and an additional 800 for painting and clearing stripes on rest of the car add the 500 for the hood for agrand total of $2,600. Thats $600 over my budget. I also went to a local paint shop and their quote was much more resonable 700 for the hood and bumper 400 for the stripes on the rest of the car.
So do you think that I should take my car to the Ford garage where I know they will do a professional job and just put on vynal stripes myself or take chance on the local shop and have enough left over to buy hood pins and have my sideskirts painted?

mustang0672

It depends.
Is this non-ford body shop reputable? Have you seen any of their work? Heard any feedback? If they are a reputable business and host a good painter, then they are just like the Ford body shop just a tad bit cheaper.

We either take my car to the local Ford body shop and a friends shop. They both do equal work...to tell ya the truth...I prefer the non-ford shop because of the better quality, even if it does take him longer to paint than the local Ford body shop.

BigDinTexas

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say it... How do you KNOW that the Ford paint and body shop will do a professional job? I promise you that I would trust a reputable body shop that wasn't a dealership shop over a dealership shop that I presume would be professional just because they are a dealership shop.

Ask around to the people in your area who they trust and would take their car to if it was their money and not insurance's. This would yield you more relevant opinions than from a bunch of strangers on a website posting from Lord knows where...

Good luck, no matter your decision.
Don

05MineralGrayV6

I actually had the Ford garage do some work for me a few months ago they did an excelent job but I had a friend recomend the local shop. go with what I know or go out on a limb? I wanna get a deal but dont wanna regret my decision

BigDinTexas

I guess you should contact the local shop and ask the hard question of whether they will stand behind their work and what guarantee do they provide with their work.

Don

alkemist

I'd say go to a reputable independent body shop, especially if they specialize or work on a regular basis with mustangs. Not all Ford dealerships do their jobs, they contract their work out to other body shops.

Vinyl can be a real PITA, unless you have clean space and the time. Something as big as stripes, I would probably pay the shop to do it right. Last things you want is crooked stripes or dust under the vinyl.

And make sure they put the vent covers on the Roush fascia right.. it goes in from the back/inside. It doesn't attach from the outside.

Derf00

Whether or not it's a Ford shop is irrelevant. What is relevant is, is the shop reputable and are they competent?

There are three ford shops around where I live, Two suck and i would never even trust my car to them for an oil change let alone body work. Another one (the one I frequent) is top notch and I've seen their body shops work, it too is top notch.

pascal

Very few dealers have a clue about body work, so it's a bad idea to take your car to them.
(I can't think of any dealer worth a damn here in Orlando, and it's a big town.)
On top of it, they use low grade paints that looks good only a couple of years.
An independent shop is your best bet...

REDBOSS1

I had the Ford shop here redo the driver side rear quarter panel last year, they did an outstanding job but it was $1100, the car looked as if it had never been touched.

09cs

I trust my friends shop more than ford to do my body work. He does that for a living, and only body work.

About the hood pins, from my experience buy the hood pins and get them installed BEFORE you get the hood painted