[khan_sultan]

My 5 years old Santro Xing has scracthes I got from the pillar in my parking area -- scratches in all 4 corners [bad & impatient driver ] + 1 left rear door also. [The scratches are 2 minor , 2 medium]


I now want to get it repaired and asked the Hyundai service center on the budget. They are quoting 20K+ for the job. My question is:

• Is this price reasonable?

Also, should one get this kind of stuff done at A.S.S or local mechanic?

[manikjeet]

i think you should get it done from some outside shop

you will find many shop doing much better work at half the price

but before choosing some shop see the work done by them

and these days is all computer matched paint so all is required is a good skilled painter

[vasudeva]

Local shops can do a decent job at low cost if they are skilled enough. My personal opinion: bumpers are OK, but door panels require more matching (1 door paint means matching it to the entire body).

So find a skilled local painter or stick to the A.S.S (No guarantee that they shall do a better job, but much higher probability).

[theMAG]

The main sales/service stations should ideally be reserved only for engine/electrical services with body-related works taken to Tier-2 service stations with an in-house paint facility

[Hemanth]

I got my Sntro toched up for some minor scratches and the quality of work done was worst than a outside workshop. I feel if you find a reputed workshop with your contacts the same quality of work can be got done with less money.

[ajmat]

If you have a crash - go to the After SS for repair.

For a scratch, look at good local mechanics, again some After sale service folks for Maruti are reasonable.

[vasudeva]

For A.S.S, there may cost difference between what they charge if you take an insurance claim and if you are getting it done at your expense. If you negotiate, they may charge lower. But that may not be for 1 door jobs. Lower price may be given if you are getting 2-4 panels done.

[vasudeva]

Sorry, I have now read your post in detail only now. Since you have a lot of work, better go to A.S.S. If you are not taking a claim, shop around and negotiate. I think they will definitely cut the price.

[khan_sultan]

Friends,

Thanks for the advice. The scratches are NOT dents/crashes, but the irritating scratches that ruin the look of the car. One of the scratch is a deep scratch [on the door].

I am not planning to claim insurance as I have never done before and this would amount to losing my no claim bonus. I asked the Hyundai A.S.S person and he said that only 1 scratch out of the 5 can be considered for claim [max 4000/-].

Based on the above suggestions, I would prefer to go with a local mechanic. Any suggestions in Bangalore South -- Hosur road?

[GTO]

For a car thats 5 years old, it probably doesn't make sense to fork out the kind of premium money that an authorised center would charge. When I wanted to freshen up my Vtec, I looked at value-priced after market options.

Look out for a competent body shop in your area. I think you should be all set.

[gandolf_thewise]

hey guys ,
i agree . After sales service do charge a mint for any denting painting work . Hey does anybody know of a good body shop in mumbai . I have an azure grey swift and i need factory colour match and finish. Any help is highly appreciated .

cheers

[appuchan]

I too have some similar body works pending for my 7 yr old Santro. I got some recommendations for RAC in Koramangala for body works. Could anybody provide me the address and contact details?

[Zappo]

There are no fixed answers to these questions. It all depends on a lot many factors. The age of the car, the period for which you wish to retain it after the work, the kind of work needed, skill of the garage etc.

Most of the local garages are good for dry denting work. In other words if you find that a small area has acquired a dent and just needs to be rectified without any paint work the local garage can be fabulously cheap with equally good quality work.

If you need to get some part painted then of course you need to find out the place where they will do this. A good paint booth can make a world of difference in the final finish and lustre. And yet there are such paint shops available which use latest state of the art imported booths.

If you are planning to sell the car off and the damages are minor ones it is better to not go for such extensive work at all. Your spending a mini fortune may not get you much added valuation in the final price, particularly if the car is 4+ years old, but if the work is botched then you may find that the valuation will go down much more than otherwise. People do not like bad touch up jobs besides being jittery about a car when they can see that it has undergone body work. They will presume the worst to begin with.

[dadu]

IMo, goto an outside bodyshop based on feedback, check this link out for more details.

Let me reiterate, with synthetic PU paints its possible to touch up a small area with matching shades than the whole door or bumper which was not possible with earlier NC paints.

Only the A.S.S will not tell you this and will want to paint the whole piece.

Originally Posted by khan_sultan

My 5 years old Santro Xing has scracthes I got from the pillar in my parking area -- scratches in all 4 corners [bad & impatient driver ] + 1 left rear door also. [The scratches are 2 minor , 2 medium]


I now want to get it repaired and asked the Hyundai service center on the budget. They are quoting 20K+ for the job. My question is:

• Is this price reasonable?

Also, should one get this kind of stuff done at A.S.S or local mechanic?

[khan_sultan]

Friends,

Has anyone tried the fastcars workshop in bangalore for denting & painting work?

I visited the fastcars workshop and the quote I got from them was approx 50% less than Advaith Hyundai. They have a proper paintbooth also.

Need advice.