how to find a good auto body shop in NY

[jump123]

Does anyone know if there's a good body shop for my Prius here in New York City area? Or is there an index somewhere to find such a thing?

[dpguest]

Ridgefield Autobody in Mahopac is very good ... the owner, a vietnam vet is incredibly honest ... I would go to them for any kind of repairs.

[jump123]

thanks for that. it's a bit far from me though. im in brooklyn.

[KayakerNC]

Originally Posted by jump123

Does anyone know if there's a good body shop for my Prius here in New York City area? Or is there an index somewhere to find such a thing?

Check with your auto insurance agent. They can tell you who does the most satisfactory work.

[Boo]

Hi Jump,

In my limited experience, I've found Kayaker's advice to be good.

The two times I've chosen a body shop from the insurance adjuster's recommendations, I've been very pleased with the work and the people.

The first time was a body shop on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The work was good, the facilities seemed top notch and the people were nice and helpful. But I've since forgotten the name of the place.

The second time was a body shop on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The facilities were not as nice as the first one, but the work was good and the owner was nice, helpful and honest. Since using him for that one piece of body work on my prior car (1995 Volvo 850), he's the only place I've gone to for mechanical work.

In any event, this mechanic/body shop guy is:

Sam's Auto Body Shop
424 East 10th Street (between Avenues C & D)
New York, NY 10009
(212) 254-4331

Please note that because my Prius is relatively new (2007 model year with 3300 miles on it now), I've only used Sam for two things so far on my Prius: (i) installation of my Philips X-Treme Power bulbs, and (ii) installation of my BT Tech Stiffening Plate.

However, Sam has said that he can work on the Prius. And I've been very pleased with the extensive work that he's done on my 1995 Volvo 850.

The things I like about Sam are:

1. He seems to do good work. I've had him do body, engine, brake, suspension, air conditioning and electrical work on my Volvo.

2. He seems honest. If he recommends and does work on my Volvo, he always shows me the original worn or damaged part. He'll also turn down work that he thinks is best performed by someone else. E.g., when I asked him to install a replacement seat bottom cover, he said no. That for any auto reupholstery work, I would be better served by a professional auto upholsterer.

3. He's relatively inexpensive. A lot less expensive than any dealer who will charge you at least $90 an hour for labor. And perhaps cheaper than other body shops/mechanics. For instance, he charged me only $100 to repaint my Volvo's rear bumper (I think that other places may charge $200-$300). I've also noticed that he charges less for Volvo OEM parts than either my Volvo dealer or the cheapest online Volvo OEM parts seller.

4. If you ask for it, he'll give you a discount for payments by cash.

* * * * * * *

Anyways, I think your insurance company adjuster will be able to recommend a good body shop near you in Brooklyn.

Good luck.