[billspreston]

Hey guys, my car was damaged - see: http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88879

Looks like I need a new hood and headlight housing. Looking for some recommendations for shops to get my stuff fixed in the West LA area, especially shops that would be willing to work with me on substituting an aftermarket hood in place of the oem replacement hood if I picked up the difference. Thanks much.

[lvlolvlo]

M's AutoBody on Lincoln Blvd.
http://www.msbodyshop.com/

it looks like it's not good but they do amazing work. When I was in LA I would take it down there. Ask for Medi tell him JJ sent ya he'll help ya out...

[samoe93]

Howard Brown & Sons
11758 W Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90064
(323) 879-5710

I had some repair work done there, and it was done fast and high quality - they're old school but do great work and the actual cost came in below estimate, which I'd never seen before. Also, at least one BMW dealer sends their customers there for body work, but the prices are still very fair.

[billspreston]

Thanks very much for the references guys, big help!

[samoe93]

No problem; not sure whether you're reporting this to your insurance (probably), but short cut the process and have the insurance adjustor go out to look at your car AT the body shop that you like. That way the body shop guy can be there to tell them what things are actually going to cost and what needs to be done, as opposed to an adjustor who will just low ball you and cause you to go round and round trying to get the right numbers approved. In CA you have the right to go to any body shop you want - it's not in West LA but I also have experience with Beverly Hills Auto Body when my car was hit by an uninsured driver and the damage was more significant than just replacing a panel/doing dent work. They are expensive as hell and it took 3.5 weeks, but I wanted it done RIGHT because I own the car. They took the adjustor to town and got it all approved (they even got me a new wheel to replace the "damaged" one, which really only had curb rash).

[lvlolvlo]

okay here's the thing my e46 went to beverly hills body shop to get repaired.... yes the owner (alex) he got the claim approved and all from my insurance but when the car came back it was it horrible shape. if i drove the car over 75 the back would start to wobble...every time you went over a speed bump or drain passage you would hear a clunk clunk noise!

so I just told my SA at to take a look into it for me, the minute my SA saw the problem I received a phone call telling me to come and pick up the car ASAP and it'll be explained later. well it turns out if the SA filled out the paper work right BMW NA would've voided the warranty dealing with the affected area because the repair job that was done on the car was shitty. so shitty that they didn't tighten the bolts enough and shredded them too so they couldn't be tightened any more!!!

So I call up Alex and he's like "oh yeah?! really? no...bring it in we'll take care of it..." and another 2 weeks go by and finally when i get it back the problem is there.... so i was like fawk it.. Ms here I come... took it there he fixed it...gave me a lecture about why I took it there when he would've taken care of me....

But yeah... 4 week drama (not including the original repair time) resolved in less than a week!

[samoe93]

Wow - that's not fun at all. I had better luck - no one who has ever looked at or driven my car has been able to tell that there were ever any repairs made, but I still wouldn't recommend them to the OP necessarily... just more of an example of the benefit to having the adjustor go directly to the shop.

Btw, when was your experience with BHAB? I was there in January 2006. Just curious if it was before or after. My big issue with them is how long it took to do the work but they did seem to have a ton of cars there.

[billspreston]

samoe93, I'm definitely planning on going to a different shop than my insurance company recommends. I'm going to go to SM BMW and try and get a super high quote and then go to M's and see what they say

[samoe93]

Cool - be sure to post a review of your experience wherever you end up... I think we all hope we never have to go to the shop but it's always good to know where to go when reality dictates otherwise.

[lvlolvlo]

SM BMW doesn't have a body shop they send it out to another shop.

This was end of 2001....They had the car in "repair" for 6 weeks if I remember correctly, then an additional 3 weeks which Alex said he'd pay for himself because of parts or whatever.... it was something like that. All I know is that for 1 week I was really pissed off when I had to drive around in a Beetle! lol

[samoe93]

Originally Posted by lvlolvlo

All I know is that for 1 week I was really pissed off when I had to drive around in a Beetle! lol

That would be enough to piss anyone off...

[billspreston]

Originally Posted by lvlolvlo

SM BMW doesn't have a body shop they send it out to another shop.

This was end of 2001....They had the car in "repair" for 6 weeks if I remember correctly, then an additional 3 weeks which Alex said he'd pay for himself because of parts or whatever.... it was something like that. All I know is that for 1 week I was really pissed off when I had to drive around in a Beetle! lol

Yeah SM BMW told me to go to Howard Brown, but the guy had a really bad attitude when I spoke to him over the phone so I will not be taking my car near that place.

Instead I took it over to M's and the insurance adjuster will be looking it over with Mehdi today. Mehdi is a super nice guy, I told him you sent me over

[samoe93]

I'm glad you found a good place... Strange about Howard Brown given my good experience with them, but I didn't go on the recommendation of SM BMW, just from a friend. I would actually probably do the opposite of anything SM BMW recommended.

[billspreston]

Originally Posted by samoe93

I would actually probably do the opposite of anything SM BMW recommended.

Haha exactly. Not sure what the guy @ Howard's deal was, it was strange to me as well. Perhaps there was something jammed far up his ass.

[2e9x's]

When my Mini got whacked a couple of years ago I tried to take it to Howard Brown and they refused. The guy there said it was not an expensive enough car...Seriously. While I suspect they do good work they will never get my business. I ended-up at a place called Avio Coach Craft (near Sepulveda and Olympic). They did an OK job but refused to acknowledge that the frame was bent so the doors/hood never closed right again and the car never really drove right.

Please report back on your experience at M's. I am desperate to find a good place locally...

[samoe93]

Originally Posted by White05X3

When my Mini got whacked a couple of years ago I tried to take it to Howard Brown and they refused. The guy there said it was not an expensive enough car...Seriously. While I suspect they do good work they will never get my business.

If you've been there, I think you'll agree that the ironic part is the place does not look like a million bucks to say the least. Some of the "high end" places are all stainless steel and glass; HB looks like my dad's home workshop.