Long story short... my Z was keyed in the Wal-Mart parking lot. The entire car has been keyed on both sides, top, hood, front bumper and rear, "0" in the 350Z emblem is gone and the Z is broken. The Nissan emblem is broken and they took my antenna.

I go Thursday to let Allstate assess the damage and then after that I have the challenge of trying to find a good "professional" shop to fix the Z. What should I look for when choosing a shop. I am not asking for a show car paint job i just want it to look good and like a factory job.

I did have a guy I was interested in that works for a good shop and was going to fix the car for me until he said he would do it on the side in his backyard garage.

 

People are dicks. This is why at work I park my car over on the edge with my friend so customers don't put their shopping carts an them selves near it. Probably some kids that drives a ******* that was jealous.

 

I just have a worry. I had the hood repainted on my WRX last summer and the paint looks great its just who ever buffed it left buffer marks and swirled the paint. My Z is Redline and I don't wanna have a shop paint it and then come to pick it up with the same swirls it had on it before the paint job.

 

Go to shops, and ask to see their work. They shouldn't have a problem with letting you look around, or even going in with you to look at their work.

 

Has anyone had this happen before? How much should it cost to paint the whole car? Like I said Allstate is looking at it Thursday and when I get the check for the repair do I cash that check and pay the body shop or what? I have never done this before I dont know what to do.

 

Just a note for future reference: regional posts are best answered in the appropriate regional forum.

 

I'm not asking where to get it done, just what to look for in a shop and general questions.

 

 

Sorry to push this a bit off-topic, but was your 350z vandalized during the day or was it at night? Also, did you file a police report? Most Wal-marts have security cameras in their parking lots.

When I had to have some body work done to one of my other vehicles, I took it to a Cadillac dealership that's also well known for their body shop. I imagine they charged the insurance company a crazy amount; however, it wasn't my insurance company and I wanted it done right. I'm not saying that the most expensive body shop will do the best job but rather, look for a shop in your area that is well known. Maybe ask a local dealership for a recommendation?

 

Well Wal-mart said they saw someone around my car and it was at night during some snow but there is no clear view of them since the parking lot lights were off due to a power outage... even Wal-mart was running on generator power. I called Allstate and I don't need a police report since I don't have any enemies and wal-mart said what they said.

I may have found a shop near me that does custom work and work on factory cars too. Illusions Paint and Body in Bristol TN right down the parkway from the Bristol race track (now I guess my post is regional lol)... www.koolpaint.com

I appreciate the help here since I have really never dealt with this before. I will let you all know what happens tomorrow and possibly get some pic's up and the estimate Allstate gives me.

 

sorry to hear about your car

 

i paint cars daily where i work and if you go and ask to see the inside of the spray booth and see if its really clean in their,floor,ceiling ,walls.if the booth is spotless than you know they take the time to maintain it properly.ask if theres is a warranty on the paint job,any quality shop will have life time warranty on it.find out what brand paint they use.if its done right they shouldnt have to buff the car,they have to do a few spots but not the whole car if they are good,you wont have to worry about about swirl marks to much if they dont buff whole panels.look for a general clean shop inside,shows they take care of the place and the way it looks.not sure exactly what nissan is spraying their cars with?glassurite,sikkens,speis hecker,top quality brands in my opinion.kinda bias to those cause thats what ive noticed costs the most and never had any comebacks..make sure they have matching brands inall stages of paint.primer,sealer,paint and clear work best together when they are all made by same brand.when you do pick a shop,let him know that your a picky person and are gonna have your ''make believe''friend thats a paint rep inspect it after...and see what kind of cars they are currently working on,nice cars are a plus

 

4100.00 in damages and will be repaired out of the shop the adjuster works in (she is a very, very strict woman). I was told the entire car will be taken apart and painted and she will be there the entire time to watch the progress and if the shop needs anything for the job she will be there to approve it anything. The shop manager will be fixing all the dings and my cracked (previous owner hit a dog) front bumper for free since I chose his shop. The adjuster told me I could stop in anytime to see the car and when it's done she wants me there before she approves the repairs in case there is something I don't like. So after Feb 9th I will not see the car again (unless I go to see it) until March.

This shop offers the lifetime warranty.

 

Thank god for full cover insurance! I would be furious if that happened to my Z but at the same time I would see it as an opportunity for a new body kit. I hope it turns out well for you.

 

I just hope they do a really good job on it. I was assured it would look better than it did when it came out of the factory in Japan... lol

 

where im from its against the law to have an ins appraiser to have an office or work out a shop.thats weird.hope it works out for you.

 

what do you mean they are taking the car apart?handles, mirrors,mouldings,bumpers ?sounds like a decent shop

 

When my gf had her car painted due to being keyed, the shop took all the panels off the car to repaint them.

 

Yes... I was told all trim would be removed and any trim that broke would be replaced and not rigged back together, door handles, front and rear bumpers, lights and some other things will be removed to prevent tape lines (I was told tape lines will cause paint peeling). The shop guy also stated he may take out the windows just to keep from having to tape around them... yet again to prevent tape lines. He said that once painted it may need buffing only in a few places since his painter is very good.

gmic350z - You mentioned the above about not having to buff the entire car if they are good. I thought about what you said when the shop was telling me the exact same thing. So I really think I can trust these guys!