Body shop dust

porschenut · 02-19-2013, 08:38 PM

A couple years ago I built a 73 RS clone out of my 86 Carrera. I did all the work myself except the body work, paint and glass reinstallation. While all of the body and paint work was being done, most of the interior remained in the car, including the dash and also some of the HVAC components in the back of the trunk.

The car spent a few months in the body shop, which is unbelievably dusty. When they were done and I got the car back, the exterior was fine but there was an unbelievable amount of dust throughout that I had to clean up myself. Thick dust that coated every square inch of the car in all the areas that are difficult to get to or to clean without major disassembly. I spent many hours trying to clean as much as I could but it never was as clean as it was when it went in.

Is this typical? This place is a collision center. Do shops like this deliver all of their repaired cars back to the owners with dust hidden everywhere?

I just bought a car that will likely need to go in for a repaint. I'm afraid to go through this again because I like my cars to be spotless and I can't abide having it filled with dust when I get it back. Any advice? Was that shop one bad apple or are they all like that?

962porsche · 02-20-2013, 01:43 PM

no this is not at all typical !
in my shop we 1st cover all the interior with things like paper seat cover and floor mats .
then when the car comes in the body shop part of the shop the hole interior gets covered with plactic sheeting when we are doing any plastic bodyfiller work . if things like the dor is off the car we also cover that with plastic .

porschenut · 02-20-2013, 04:14 PM

Thanks. I had a feeling it was unusual. I hope my next paint adventure goes better.

962porsche · 02-20-2013, 04:52 PM

we do tend to go over board with customers cars but it is for two reasons .
the 1st is it's not our car to turn into a pig pen and the other is it takes time to clean a car and time is money .
when you give a customer there car back it should be as clean if not cleaner than they dropped it off to us .
i will have to say that if a customer drops there car off and it's a **** hole to start with with crap all over the car the many shops do not and will not take pride in some thing you don't .
in your case it does not sound like that at all .

David McLaughlin · David McLaughlin's Garage

As 962porsche said, this is not typical. The shop I work for delivers the car cleaner than when it came in, even the crappy ones. We also make sure the car is sealed so as little shop dust gets in there in the first place. That daid, I still can't believe the amount of crap people leave in their cars. If your car has rear end damage, why take the var to a shop with the trunk packed to the gills? And make sure to take your drugs, pipes and porn orut of the car too.

porschenut · 02-20-2013, 06:31 PM

Thanks for all the advice. I'm considering a different shop next time, and it's good to know I shouldn't have any issues like that again. I'll be sure to discuss it with them before I drop off the car.

To be honest, it's amazing to me how you can manage that much dust. Not to mention the obvious ill effects all that nasty crap can have on your long term health.

porschetub · porschetub's Garage

Best to cover everything your self then you won't be paying them to do it or paying them to groom it later.
Not all paintshops are alike its a cost thing also,you pay less $$$ and you get painted underbody,wheels and overspray thats a fact of life.
Have a friend with a paint and panelshop,you walk in the door the floors are clean ,has workers have clean coveralls on,thats what its all about.