Respray shop recommendations in Sacramento or near by

[PJmak]

I would imagine there arent many 500e drivers in Sacramento but I figured id try.

I have developed a sense of fear towards body shops or any business that deal with anything car related around here. No matter what you aways get screwed over in one way or another and if you go to a really good shop, you get over charged.....and something still ends up bad.

Im restoring a rare color(imperial red) w202 c43 and I plan on having it repainted in the near future. I am looking for a shop that cares and knows about older mercs. Ive put a lot of time and sweat into bringinging this car to where it is and I have high standards for where I want it to go. I want a good quality paint job. It doesnt have to be sema show ready type of paintjob but I dont want to be able to notice.

I went and saw a c43 a guy was selling recently and it was beautiful and the paint job at first glance was amazing. It took me a few minutes upon closer inspection to find sanding marks hiding behind shiny paint and it wasnt long before I realized that 80% of the car was repainted. I dont want that kind of shit especially if Im gonna be paying 5k for it.

Ill even disasemble the whole thing and deliver it in parts just to avoid damages to anything.

It can be within an hour or two from my area as well. It shouldnt be a huge deal.

 

[tomer]

PJmak, I am near San Jose, and recently discovered a shop in Auburn owned by the husband of a co-worker. I don't have direct experience with their work, but I understand they always bring cars to the good guys show in Pleasanton, and do meticulous work.

Since this is not a first hand reference, I will DM you and you can check them out and let me know...

My E500 came from Sacto, 7-8 years ago...

Thomas..

 

[PJmak]

PJmak, I am near San Jose, and recently discovered a shop in Auburn owned by the husband of a co-worker. I don't have direct experience with their work, but I understand they always bring cars to the good guys show in Pleasanton, and do meticulous work.

Since this is not a first hand reference, I will DM you and you can check them out and let me know...

My E500 came from Sacto, 7-8 years ago...

Thomas..

Awesome. Auburn as in by Foresthill up here?

Send over the details and ill swing by and take a loot or at least call them.

 

[JDMPsean]

I would give the a United Auto Body (916) 944-4500 in Citrus Heights a shot. The Body Shop owner Name is Kareem and the Manger on site is Steve (Make sure to let them know Sean sent you trust me) The Owner knows a lot about Mercedes and he used to work in Mercedes certified Body shop in Germany for 14 years, and he speak german better and english in fact.

He does the paint/body work on pretty much every car I own. He is a true body guy and great in metal work and more importantly knows how to work with Aluminum/FRP body panels.

BTW, I would love to meet up at some point, I used to live in Folsom for 18 years and moved to SoCal 4 years ago but my toys are still up in NorCal.

 

[PJmak]

I would give the a United Auto Body (916) 944-4500 in Citrus Heights a shot. The Body Shop owner Name is Kareem and the Manger on site is Steve (Make sure to let them know Sean sent you trust me) The Owner knows a lot about Mercedes and he used to work in Mercedes certified Body shop in Germany for 14 years, and he speak german better and english in fact.

He does the paint/body work on pretty much every car I own. He is a true body guy and great in metal work and more importantly knows how to work with Aluminum/FRP body panels.

BTW, I would love to meet up at some point, I used to live in Folsom for 18 years and moved to SoCal 4 years ago but my toys are still up in NorCal.

Hey I heard of that shop.

I used to work for a small business that sold supplies and paint for body shops and that was one of the shops we worked with frequently.

Ill definitely give them a call and Id love to meet up as well. Let me know when you are in the area. Im close to Folsom

 

[gsxr]

I'd see if you can find a shop that uses Sikkens or Glasurit. Might be hard to find. Don't use entry-level paint from other brands...

 

[PJmak]

I'd see if you can find a shop that uses Sikkens or Glasurit. Might be hard to find. Don't use entry-level paint from other brands...

What are the advantages of those paints? Is this what Mercedes used back in the day?

 

[PJmak]

All door jambs on my car are immaculate. Should I have those repainted?

My understanding is this will save quite a bit of money if I keep those.

 

[gsxr]

What are the advantages of those paints? Is this what Mercedes used back in the day?

Yes. And, I've personally had bad experiences with some other brands of paint, and I know other people have as well. Specifically, the lower-end paints chip very easily and are simply not durable. Nothing will piss you off more than shelling out $5k for a paint job and having dozens of small chips after a few years (or few thousand miles).

All door jambs on my car are immaculate. Should I have those repainted? My understanding is this will save quite a bit of money if I keep those.

Personally, I'd skip the door jambs. Usually you only need to paint those if doing a color change.

 

[JDMPsean]

All door jambs on my car are immaculate. Should I have those repainted?

My understanding is this will save quite a bit of money if I keep those.

If you are going for same color and they are in good shape I wouldn't ! As you said you would save a lot since they don't have to take the car into pieces. You want to take the windows out for sure for a good paint job, For front/rear it means either new glass or new seals so you have to decide on that since you can't save both taking them off the car. I would replace all outside seals, new ones make the car pop for sure.

When I restored my G36 I wanted to change the color so we took the car in pieces (not suggesting this to anyone I'm not sure how they built these) but then decided to go back to factory so we did full paint job but I still didn't do the engine bay and inside the car since it was in a good shape and rust free!

 

[skikrazey]

I concur if door jambs are good save the money, put it towards glass out respray. That makes the best job. Avoid changing the color.
Had a 1976 Porsche 914 2.0 that was originally Viper Green (I called it Mountain Dew Green). A PO resprayed it 040 black. Paint was soft and the paint job was not the best. Chased green showing through chips for the 30 years I owned it. GSXR is spot on as always on using high end paint. Sikkens or Glasurit are excellent. Very good friends of mine are in the auto body business and use high end PPG. They have done body work on all my MB's and other Euro cars over the past 35 years with superb results. The 91 300E 4-matic (888 loved that color) I had back in the day, had the entire passenger side repainted and the dealer could not even tell!

 

[gerryvz]

Glasurit was one of the paint OEMs that MB sprayed back in the day. Glasurit is part of the German chemical company BASF.

Sikkens is a Dutch company known for quality paints. They are owned by the Dutch conglomerate AkzoNobel.

The main thing for both of these companies is that they have a "system" of paints and equipment, that controls mixing and formulas and is very integrated together.

Also, the European paints are very different chemically than American paints such as PPG or Ditzler (part of PPG). Interestingly, in 2017 PPG tried a hostile takeover of AkzoNobel, but was unsuccessful.

 

[Jlaa]

I'd see if you can find a shop that uses Sikkens or Glasurit. Might be hard to find. Don't use entry-level paint from other brands...

How about Spies Hecker? The last time I had a car repainted was 20 years ago. I vaguely remember doing research in Glasurit and Spies Hecker and PPG and Sikkens and ultimately going with a shop that was familiar with Spies Hecker. I don't remember why, but I do remember obsessing over the research....

 

[gerryvz]

I think Spies Hecker is also quite good. I’d use it over American paints. But knowledgeable folks have told me in the past that Sikkens and Glasurit systems are the best way to go.

 

[dionphaneuf]

Where did this end up? I might need a front end respray not too far down the road myself.

 

[PJmak]

Where did this end up? I might need a front end respray not too far down the road myself.

No progress yet. Im in absolutely no rush so the search continues.

I did have my front bumper done because it was repaired and I needed the car in one piece.

I used a painter I had used before and he did an ok job.

 

[kegmankipp]

I’m in Sacramento but the best guy I know, Don of Fabrication Specialties, retired and closed his shop sadly.

 

[PJmak]

I’m in Sacramento but the best guy I know, Don of Fabrication Specialties, retired and closed his shop sadly.

Oh cool. What part of Sac are you in?

 

[kegmankipp]

Oh cool. What part of Sac are you in?

Actually Elk Grove

 

[PJmak]

Actually Elk Grove

Ah I see. Im on the other side towards Roseville.

 

[gsxr]

Small world. I used to work in both Elk Grove and Roseville...

 

[PJmak]

Small world. I used to work in both Elk Grove and Roseville...

Indeed

You moved out of Sacramento or?

 

[kegmankipp]

Indeed

You moved out of Sacramento or?

I believe he moved to Boise all because the local dealer here was too expensive

 

[gsxr]

You moved out of Sacramento or?

Yup! I lived in the Sacto area for about 8 years. I still keep in touch with AJ, who worked at Von Housen parts department for years - great guy. I learned a lot from him when I got my first MB's. This was before the internet. I bought my first paper manuals from AJ.

I've been in Boise for nearly 2 decades now. And it's reminding me of Roseville in the 90's... was nice at first, then got overcrowded. Same thing happening in Boise.

 

[PJmak]

Yup! I lived in the Sacto area for about 8 years. I still keep in touch with AJ, who worked at Von Housen parts department for years - great guy. I learned a lot from him when I got my first MB's. This was before the internet. I bought my first paper manuals from AJ.

I've been in Boise for nearly 2 decades now. And it's reminding me of Roseville in the 90's... was nice at first, then got overcrowded. Same thing happening in Boise.

I am in Antelope on the border of Roseville but you are right. It used to be crowded only on the weekends when people would all storm to the mall but now its constant. The whole area is taking off, new neighborhoods popping up everywhere.

Which dealer did your friend AJ work at? Does he still work there?

 

[gerryvz]

I believe he moved to Boise all because the local dealer here was too expensive

The @gsxr was a pioneer of the first wave of Californian exodus to the Pacific Northwest. He did it long before it was cool.

The migrations are interesting. Lots of folks from the Mid-Atlantic states going south to North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. Cheaper but hotter climes. I'm starting to scout land in coastal Maine for my "exodus," but that will be ~7-8 years from now.

 

[kegmankipp]

AJ is sorely missed. He was a great help over the years.

I heard he’s working at Honda now?

 

[LWB250]

The @gsxr was a pioneer of the first wave of Californian exodus to the Pacific Northwest. He did it long before it was cool.

The migrations are interesting. Lots of folks from the Mid-Atlantic states going south to North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. Cheaper but hotter climes. I'm starting to scout land in coastal Maine for my "exodus," but that will be ~7-8 years from now.

With HR policies becoming far less restrictive in this environment, I inquired in a recent director's meeting when updates to our "remote worker" policy came up if there was anything keeping an employee from living outside the area. This created a full stop on the part of our HR director, as they had not considered this. I asked because I want to find a seasonal retreat in the Midwest so we can escape the withering heat and humidity of Florida summers.

That's my semiannual exodus, I'm hoping.

Dan

 

[gerryvz]

I recommend Utah or Colorado, @LWB250.

Re: exodus .... When everyone else goes low, I'm going high !!

 

[PJmak]

AJ is sorely missed. He was a great help over the years.

I heard he’s working at Honda now?

I friend f mine worked at MB of Rocklin for a while. I wonder if they knew each other.

 

[gsxr]

I am in Antelope on the border of Roseville but you are right. It used to be crowded only on the weekends when people would all storm to the mall but now its constant. The whole area is taking off, new neighborhoods popping up everywhere.

The world just got smaller. I lived in Antelope off Don Julio & North Loop. And I drove to Roseville for work, up Foothills Blvd, back when it was all open fields.

Which dealer did your friend AJ work at? Does he still work there?

He was at Von Housen Motors, the MB dealer on Howe Ave, for many years. He left something like 5 years ago?

AJ is sorely missed. He was a great help over the years. I heard he’s working at Honda now?

Don't laugh, but he's over at Hyundai in South Sac, if you want to pop in and say hello! Near Florin Rd and Stockton Blvd.

With HR policies becoming far less restrictive in this environment, I inquired in a recent director's meeting when updates to our "remote worker" policy came up if there was anything keeping an employee from living outside the area. This created a full stop on the part of our HR director, as they had not considered this.

This came up in an all-employee meeting last week, at my job . The HR Catbert was quick to set expectations that employees who have been working from home full time for months, could NOT just move wherever they wanted. For now, we still have to live near whatever office we had been driving to daily. But they're at least considering allowing more working from home (previously verboten). In time they might loosen the apron strings and let us move further away.

 

[PJmak]

The world just got smaller. I lived in Antelope off Don Julio & North Loop. And I drove to Roseville for work, up Foothills Blvd, back when it was all open fields.

Ha Im off of Don Julio/Poker and Palmerson. Theres a new 500 home project on Don Julio and poker being built for the last few years. It will be interesting to see it when its done. Its supposed to have a few spots for commercial use as well as a few small parks.

 

[LWB250]

This came up in an all-employee meeting last week, at my job . The HR Catbert was quick to set expectations that employees who have been working from home full time for months, could NOT just move wherever they wanted. For now, we still have to live near whatever office we had been driving to daily. But they're at least considering allowing more working from home (previously verboten). In time they might loosen the apron strings and let us move further away.

I totally befuddled my HR director. "The policy states that you have to be available for a face to face meeting at any time."

"So how is that different from what we're doing right now with Microsoft Teams and WebEx?"

I could hear the gears grinding to a halt in her brain. Full retreat to reconsider how the policy is going to be written. Hopefully I didn't munge things up for everyone. Do understand that some municipalities and counties require employees to live within the confines of the county or city. We don't.

Dan, maker of trouble and sower of dissent

 

[PJmak]

Is the guys full name Andrew AJ Hedlund?

 

[gsxr]

I could hear the gears grinding to a halt in her brain. Full retreat to reconsider how the policy is going to be written.

Dan, maker of trouble and sower of dissent

You are my hero, Dan.

 

[gsxr]

Is the guys full name Andrew AJ Hedlund?

Nope, different guy. Not an Andrew.

 

[LWB250]

You are my hero, Dan.

Well, since I'm a D-level employee now, at least an acting one, I'm going to use it to my advantage. More on this subject can be found here, since I didn't want to hijack the thread:


Covid 19 | Off-Topic Discussions

Dan