The best panel beaters & smash repairers in Canberra

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Canberra is a city that has come to rely heavily on cars – according to a survey of household travel in the ACT and Queanbeyan region, around 95% of households have at least one car, and each day just under a million car journeys are made across our city. With the roads full of traffic and more and more cars appearing all the time, plus the new traffic conditions imposed by the light rails, accidents are likely to occur – and in the event that your car is damaged, you’ll want to think about taking it to a panel beater or smash repair service ASAP.

A panel beater or smash repairer repairs vehicle bodies after they have been damaged by the impact, and many also offer painting services. If you’ve recently been in a car accident, you’ll want to take your car to a service who you can trust completely, not only to get you your car back in fine shape in a timely manner, but also to make this aspect of a potentially distressing event easy and comfortable for you. So, how can you decide which smash repair company is best for you?

In this article, we’ll run through some of the most important qualities to look for in a smash repair business, as well as a helpful guide to some of Canberra’s top businesses who can help get your car back to its factory state.

What makes a great panel beater & smash repairer?

If you’re unsure of what to look for in the best panel beater in Canberra, we suggest starting with the following traits:

  • Experienced. The best smash repair services are conducted by experienced panel beaters that know the ins and outs of the process. They have all the right knowledge and equipment to return your car to its factory state.
  • Expertise. If possible, you may want to send your vehicle to a panel beater that is certified by the brand of your car. That means they have specialist expertise in the various makes and models of that particular brand, often resulting in superior results.
  • Prompt. You probably need your car returned as soon as possible. With that in mind, seek out a panel beater that can guarantee a fast turnaround.
  • Fairly priced. You don’t want to be ripped off. The best in the business charge a fair price for the services they offer, and are transparent with you about it throughout the process.

The best panel beaters & smash repairers in Canberra

RiotACT’s editorial team has combed through 20 years of on-site comments to compile a list of the most recommended businesses according to you.

To be listed in our Best of Canberra series, each business needs to have consistently received positive feedback on RiotACT and maintain a minimum average of 4/5 stars on both Google and Facebook reviews.

AutoCo

AutoCo has been servicing Canberra’s cars for over 30 years, and now boasts three locations across town. Among the wide range of services offered by their team of highly skilled mechanics across 3 locations in Canberra, AutoCo’s qualified panel beaters and painters can repair your car to the manufacturers’ standards, as well as arrange a tow and hire car if you need. With a workshop fitted out with the latest in painting, welding and frame adjustment equipment, and the capacity to repair up to 60 vehicles a week, not only will you not have to wait long for your car to be returned, you can rest assured that it will be returned to you in perfect, factory-standard condition.

Facebook user Jacqui Myers highly recommends AutoCo, writing this their review, “Professional, friendly service. Was able to book at short notice & had confidence in the expertise of the team.”

Tony Farrugia Bodyworks

Established in 1983, Tony Farrugia Bodyworks is the only Mercedes-Benz authorised body repairer in the ACT and Southern regions. Their team of European car specialists work with a number of additional brands. The experienced panel beaters at Tony Farrugia Bodyworks aim to deliver exceptional customer service and unbeatable results. They are committed to continued learning and keep up with the latest repair technologies.

As Google reviewer and ‘Local Guide’ Chris Banham writes, “Great team to deal with so far. Explained the process and the outcomes. Very professional team, hope the end result is as good.”

Menzies Autocraft

Menzies Autocraft, established in 2008, is a smash repair facility located in Fyshwick, whose team strongly believes in keeping up to date with current vehicle technology and investing heavily in the necessary training and equipment required to repair all makes of late model vehicles. As the authorised repairer for all insurance companies and offering a 24-hour towing service if you’re in an accident, your car is in safe and capable hands with Menzies Autocraft.

Happy customer Clinton Sheehan wrote the following review for Menzies Autocraft on Facebook, “Highly recommend this place so much I’ve had a few of my cars repaired here every time the job is perfect, and the staff are wonderful.”

David Hand Smash Repairs

Family-owned and operated, David Hand Smash Repairs has delivered high-quality vehicle body repairs to the Canberra region for almost 40 years. Committed to outstanding workmanship, innovation, and good old-fashioned customer service, the team at DHS offer both panel beating and painting services. Your vehicle will look good as new!

‘Local Guide’ Brendan Clark wrote the following review for DHS on Google, “Josh Hand and his team went to great lengths to make sure that work done to my car was of the highest standard. I would definitely use these guys again.”

Marko Smash Repairs Canberra

Marko Smash Repairs Canberra is a family-owned and run business with three generations of panel beating experience. Passionate about all things cars, the team behind Marko Smash Repairs offer a fast turn around and an affordable yet effective service. You can rest easy knowing your vehicle is in safe and capable hands.

As Facebook user Pat Maiuto writes in their review, “Highly recommend Marko Body Repairs, I just took my 1987 Holden VL commodore in for some repairs and I couldn’t be happier with the results. Their customer service is amazing made me feel really welcomed as well.”

Are you in need of assistance with your vehicle? Check out our articles on the best car servicing, the best car detailers, and the best mechanics in Canberra for some useful information. Or if you’re looking for insurance cover for your car, our article on the best insurance brokers in Canberra may be of help to you.

Your experience with panel beaters & smash repairers in Canberra

Thanks to our commenters who have provided insightful feedback, if you believe we have got it wrong, please let us know.

Have you worked with a panel beater in the Canberra region? Did they do a good job? How was the service? Share your experiences in the comments section below.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between smash repair and panel beating?

There is no major difference between smash repairers and panel beaters. Both services are concerned with repairing your car's body after an accident and getting it back to a sound, roadworthy and factory-standard condition.

What does a panel beater do?

Panel beaters repair body work using skills such as metalworking techniques, welding and other skills. Some panel beaters also work exclusively on vehicle restorations, and do not repair smash work at all.

Do panel beaters match paint?

Car body repairers work closely with car manufacturers and are provided with paint samples for each model in each colour. This way, a professional repairer can accurately match the colour of your vehicle, no matter how old or weather-affected.

Does my insurance cover smash repairs?

You'll have to check with your provider. Usually, if you call your insurance provider about the damage, they will conduct an assessment and appoint one of their insured smash repair services. Additionally, some insurance providers allow you to nominate your own repair service - just make sure that your policy covers this!

How long does smash repair take?

This depends entirely on the extent of the damage. It can take days, it can take weeks - a good smash repair service will keep you regularly up to date on how the process is going, as well as keep you informed of any costs you may incur as they repair your car.

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Do not use Fuller Bros Bodyworks in Belconnen

Fuller Brothers Bodyworks in Belconnen – very impressed.

Excellent workmanship – very fair pricing and responsive customer service to the point you feel comfortable and happy dealing with this team.

Maree Guthrie6:53 pm 25 Mar 19

I had amazing experience wi Hume body works act. They were so professional and their price was a quarter of price from a large company in Phillip. Just look around especially if you are a women

Margaret Makeham-Kirchner11:37 am 13 Jan 18

I just had a great experience with ACT Auto Body Works in Mitchell. Mick arranged to quote within days, booked it in to be fixed within days, and his quote was cheaper than several others I went to. The job was done perfectly and cost me less than he had quoted (how often does that happen!!!!) A practical, fast, no upsell experience, unlike my experience with several of those recommended here that I went to. Highly recommended!

Sheikh Faisal9:02 am 05 Jun 17

Don’t consider Fuller Brothers, my car came back with a new dent and the boys were not taking any responsibility. I am 100% certain that it occurred while my car was under repair at their workshop.

Never Ever use Fuller bros in Belconnen

I highly recommend Tony Farrugia Bodyworks in Fyshwick. I have had two jobs done by them and both came back perfect and unable to fault. Sometimes it takes a little time to get in there but it’s worth the wait.

A place not to go to? Hume Smash repairs, I tried getting them to do a respray on a car for me, lets just say 18 months went by and long story short I took my car back from them and have never been able to get my deposit back. They didn’t do any work to it and left it out for long periods in the open weather with no protection even though I asked them on several occasions to cover it up. Thankfully when I got it back the electrics were still ok and no rust. I have also seen other peoples cars who have had work done there and the paint match was not very good and overspray on adjacent areas.

So in less than two days my daughter’s car was repaired by Kelley Body Works (full front bumper replacement with a new supporting bracket). The price came in at $1500 (what was quoted) and the car was given a clean inside and out.

I can highly recommend seeing Greg and his team there, he’s not one of these ‘preferred repairer’ places and cares about the quality of the work. I found them professional and reasonable priced.

cranky said :

Geez, I hope the ATO have never heard of this site.:-)

It’s not cheaper for cash because they aren’t declaring it to the ATO. I mean that might happen but it’s certainly not the only reason. Using the card machine costs them money. Isn’t it sometimes 3% of the sale? Plus they then don’t receive the cash for several days at times. So I’d definitely prefer cash. Even at The Good Guys and other large chains they give you cheaper prices for cash for this reason. It’s not that they aren’t declaring it to the ATO.

Geez, I hope the ATO have never heard of this site.:-)

If you aren’t going through insurance, go to the smaller shops and ask for quotes and tell them it’s not through insurance and that you can pay cash to get the best price. In terms of lowest prices, I’ve found Hume Smash Repairs to be very good. Sometimes they can get busy and be a bit disorganised and end up taking a while to get your car back, but Cris is the owner and he will look after you for price, especially if you don’t need the car back in a hurry.

The only panel-beater factoid I have is that as soon as they know it’s an insurance job, the price doubles. Maybe triples.

Unlike generic retailer catch-cries, with these guys you can pay cash and save.
(this is not based on direct personal experience; rather, first-hand reports from colleagues. So I’m no help recommending who to use coz I don’t remember and said colleagues are long gone. Sorry.)

I would give hume body works a call.

Typsy McStaggers1:51 pm 28 Jan 14

I’ve always found Fuller Bros. in Belconnen to be very fair and do good work.

My 17yo dropped her car off today to Kelley Body Works in Mitchell (disclaimer, the owner is the brother of a friend of mine, but I don’t know him).

My daughter got two quotes, the first was a bit of a look and a ‘about $2000’. Kelley Body Works did a thorough check, took photos, researched and came back with a written quote of just under $1500.

Can let you know the final verdict when the car is finished.

Oh, and we’ve travelled from Tuggeranong to go there.

Richard Bender6:56 pm 04 Oct 13

Rach_13 said :

Thanks for your help everyone! Tony was suggested to me so ill give there a try.

My only worry is if they can match the paint. Its only silver but there are plenty of silvers out there!

Your compliance plate would normally have a paint code on it. The body shop’s computer will spit out a formula to tint the paint, much like buying house paint at a hardware shop. The difficult part is if your car’s paint has faded and they have to match the silver that’s actually on the car now rather than when it left the factory.

Thanks for your help everyone! Tony was suggested to me so ill give there a try.

My only worry is if they can match the paint. Its only silver but there are plenty of silvers out there!

I used A & A on a recomendation from a friend, when my wife was rear ended, (only minor damage), they were excellent, it was fixed on time, and the whole car was cleaned inside and out, it looked like it was new again.

Capital Retro9:55 am 15 Apr 21

I second that.

FYI the number plate would be from Canberra Connect, and will more than likely cost you money for a new one.

Holden Caulfield12:39 pm 03 Oct 13

Tony Farrugia Bodyworks, Fyshwick. For a minor repair you can probably pencil in a 4-8 week wait.

Unfortunately they’ve seen my car three times. Twice for minor repairs and once after a decent shunt thanks to an inattentive driver crossing across three lanes of traffic.

Happily though all the repairs have been carried out with great success.

Holden Caulfield10:22 am 09 Jul 13

I’ve had the misfortune to use Tony Farrugia’s outfit three times since this thread was created, once minor and my fault and two others not so minor and not my fault. They’ve done a good job on all three occasions. I can’t see I’ll ever use anyone else in Canberra.

MightyJoe said :

Reviving this thread as my new mazda 6 got backed into so am on the look out for an excellent panel beater
Barret brothers
Tony Farrugia anyone else?

I stress, brand new car, and to make it worse its jet black mica…

I’ve had experience with Farrugia, and I can’t say I was overly impressed. Took a few weeks for relatively minor damage to a front tyre and wheel, five days later the other front tyre blew, and I was told that had absolutely nothing to do with the original accident. This, despite the tyre (which was a runflat) developing a massive bubble on the inside wall that they swore was not there when it was brought in.

Was assured several times that there was no damage to steering arms etc, but car has never driven the same and still pulls to the left.

They were polite and friendly, and the car was in great condition otherwise when I picked it up but I just don’t think they fixed everything.

That’s just my thoughts though, and I haven’t heard anyone else say a bad word about them.

c_c™ said :

AutoCo would get my vote; have done a nice job in the past and about to use them again unfortunately (thanks annon jerk in carpark)

I’ve used Autoco and never would again. Their workmanship was good, but the whole job was slow, disorganised, and dragged on for weeks with no communication (I had to call them several times and kept getting different answers).

AutoCo would get my vote; have done a nice job in the past and about to use them again unfortunately (thanks annon jerk in carpark)

Reviving this thread as my new mazda 6 got backed into so am on the look out for an excellent panel beater
Barret brothers
Tony Farrugia anyone else?

I stress, brand new car, and to make it worse its jet black mica…

Canberra Automotive Refinishers are streets ahead in my experience.

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registration/unregisteredvehicles/index.html

>Unregistered light vehicles can be driven in NSW for the purpose of obtaining registration by the most direct or convenient route: To the nearest convenient motor registry, To the nearest convenient vehicle inspection station etc etc

http://www.rego.act.gov.au/registrations/regomoveunreg.htm

>You must not drive an unregistered vehicle on the road unless you have an unregistered vehicle permit (UVP)

So book the smash repairer, get the UVP, drive van to smash repairer, once its done, re-check the UVP is valid (might have to get another one), drive it across the border to a booked appointment at the RTA?

Just make sure in NSW you have an appointment, from the police tv shows “i’m just about to take it to get it registered” seems to be a common excuse.

Based on past experience, Quickeze towing will tow a broken down sedan to Fyshwick for about $80, and will show up an hour or so after you call in the job.

I have no association with this company, I’ve just used their services a few times in the last 20 years or so, and they do a good job for not much money.

screaming banshee2:02 pm 07 Jan 12

Pretty sure your mechanic can legally drive the car where it needs to go, perhaps ask if they know someone that can do the work and drive it there. Otherwise a tow doesn’t really cost that much, especially if you let them do it when it suits them rather than booking a specific time.

Take it elsewhere.

Three ways to do it: One, just drive it. If it’s registered and the rust is the only thing unroadworthy about it, you are unlikely to get caught and have a reasonable chance of being able to talk your way out of a fine.

Two, get a permit to move it (as mentioned.)

Three, find a panelbeaters that has a trailer and will collect it for you. The last panelbeaters I used (also very slow) were able to shift cars on their trailer/truck.

Bear this in mind: The van is effectively costing you at least $400/month, and that’s just from depreciation and interest on the sale price alone. Never mind rego, insurance, etc. If it costs you $200 to get it towed and repaired a fortnight earlier, that’s money well spent.

Felix the Cat11:49 am 07 Jan 12

Time wise you would lose, even if you could take the panelbeater to court, which I very much doubt anyway. It would take months to go through the processes.

99% of most panelbeaters’work comes through insurance companies. For some reason, even though they complain that the insurance companies are screwing them over with pricing and it takes them months to get paid, they still seem to prefer to do insurance work rather than private jobs like yours.

There are dozens of panel beaters in Canberra (especially Fyshwick), ring around and find another one that can give you a more definite time frame. Obviously they won’t be able to quote you a price without seeing the vehicle but they should be close in price to the original guy who’s now jerking you around.

Take into account to that it’s Christmas/New Year period so the shop has lost a few working days due to public holidays and is probably short staffed with workers on leave. Plus just because it’s Christmas/New Year period doesn’t mean Canberran’s are crashing their cars any less, probably the opposite as a lot of them have been running around like headless chooks rushing to pick up last minute gifts and travelling to visit friends and relatives so are on the road more and doing more kms than usual and paying less attention to actually driving.

Not sure about NSW rego but with ACT you can get a temporary permit to drive your vehicle for a day or a week for the purpose of taking it to workshops for repair, even if it isn’t roadworthy. I imagine NSW would have a similar system. ACT temporary rego only allows vehicle to be driven in ACT though.

devils_advocate2:20 pm 05 Jan 12

trix said :

Marko Body Repair in Mitchell are fantastic. …
Can’t recommend them highly enough. Not cheap, but excellent quality.

+1.

Marko is awesome. One of the few remaining repairers that actually know the craft, take pride in their work and charge reasonable prices.

Avoid Canberra Automotive Refinishers in Belconnen.

Slack and unhelpful. Waited over three days for my estimate. Now waiting still for over a month for them to pass it on to insurance. I have called and they tell me it’ll happen then it doesn’t.

I shouldn’t have gone back to them after they damaged a panel they weren’t repairing and had to hold on to the car another day.

Holden Caulfield2:56 pm 10 Aug 11

I’ve just had some minor at fault repairs done on my car through NRMA and Farrugias. NRMA was seamless, I was really happy and a bit surprised with how it was handled. Repairs look great too.

Canberra Automotive Refinishers (Lathlain St Belconnen) have been interesting to deal with to say the least. We had chosen them as our repairer through NRMA however they kept insisting that they never received our details. 4 weeks later and we still weren’t getting anywhere with them so we changed repairer and now we have our car booked in a another repairer for a quote/photos and it only took one phone call!

Holden Caulfield2:26 pm 22 Nov 10

Panel beater? I thought this was going to be a thread about tendering for work in this fair town.

I had a good encounter with Braddon Smash Repairs about 5 years ago for a minor repair. Steer clear of Athol Morris in Fyshwick… worst customer service experience of my life.

ConanOfCooma1:09 pm 22 Nov 10

Panel beating, eh?

Well, I have a hammer, I cold probably beat the panels with that, yah?

Amanda Hugankis1:07 pm 22 Nov 10

Clown Killer said :

Craig Hall in Phillip. Those guys are happy to do ‘non insurance’ jobs for a reasonable price. I’ve used them before. Good work and reasonably priced.

+1

Avoid Fuller Brothers. My 2 week job took 2 months and they kept trying to get me to pay up for extra things I didn’t need fixed or ask for. Oh and their dosge repair cost me an extra $500 later when I had to get an electrical problem they caused fixed.

I had a minor bingle 10 odd years ago, IMO causes NO damage to the persons car. But lodged a report anyway. A week later the police rang to say they never filed a police report so they wouldn’t be processing mine. As a teenager I knew nothing about insurance.

I received a court notice about 6 months later to pay for $5k worth of damage.

Legal Aid advised me that I didn’t have to pay a cent as there were no pictures showing damage to their car, no damage was done to my car (I took pictures, they didn’t) and they didn’t allow me access to their car to get 3 quotes and choose my own repairer. I offered them $500 as per legal advice (the excess on the other person’s policy). I kept getting hounded to be taken to court then heard nothing until 2 years later when they tried to reclaim $500 off me.

Tell your daughter to speak to legal aid about her options regarding paying to get the car fixed. And go pay the $100-$200 for third party insurance !!!!!

You didn’t mention if the other car was insured. If it is and the other driver makes a claim on his insurance, his insurance company will arrange for the repairs to be done and will then bill you. The insurance company won’t be the least bit interested that you have found somewhere cheaper to do the work than they have.

As a side note, if a person has insurance and their car is hit by an uninsured driver who is at fault, it is always easiest to claim against your insurance. If you can identify the other driver you will not normally have to pay any excess.

It is way too much hassle having to deal with an uninsured driver who says he will pay for the repairs to your car. They will generally stuff you around and send you to the cheapest place they can find. Much easier to deal with your insurance company and let them chase the other uninsured driver for the cost of the repairs.

Felix the Cat said :

Lazy I said :

Brianna said :

The big concern is that she is not insured. What would the consequences have been if she did massive damage to someone? She could kiss the earnings for the next 20 years goodbye.
Get her insured.

If she did massive damage to ‘someone’ it would be covered by the insurance that is rolled into your registration (CTP), she is only paying for the damage to property here. If her car is unregistered it’s another story.
http://www.treasury.act.gov.au/compulsorytpi/act_CTP_faqs.pdf

CTP covers only injury to people, not damage to other vehicles or property.

I wasn’t suggesting CTP did cover vehicles or property, just the ‘someone’ ie. person injury, I suggest you re-read.

Fyshwick Panel and Paint.

Growling Ferret9:06 am 22 Nov 10

A grill badge on a Lexus is $1600. Hope she didn’t hit something expensive…

I’d recommend 3rd party property before she leaves the house.

Captain RAAF8:51 am 22 Nov 10

As above, it’s not up to your daughter to find a repairer and even if she did, the dentee is not obligated to use that repairer offered up by the denter.

If both drivers are uninsured then I’d be walking away and telling them to fix their own car.

Also, a lot of carparks are private property which I believe (happy to be corrected) can impact on insurance of damaged vehicles.

Clown Killer said :

Oh and get some insurance. That’s crazy business driving around without it. You shunt a new BMW, Audi or similar and you could be up for $20,000!

+1 she’s lucky it was a minor accident this time. I don’t understand why people don’t get insurance, I’ve been hit twice and both drivers didn’t have insurance.

Typsy McStaggers8:34 am 22 Nov 10

Ahhh the cynics are in great form.

Fuller Bros Belconnen

Another vote for Craig Hall in Phillip.

Felix the Cat4:47 am 22 Nov 10

Lazy I said :

Brianna said :

The big concern is that she is not insured. What would the consequences have been if she did massive damage to someone? She could kiss the earnings for the next 20 years goodbye.
Get her insured.

If she did massive damage to ‘someone’ it would be covered by the insurance that is rolled into your registration (CTP), she is only paying for the damage to property here. If her car is unregistered it’s another story.
http://www.treasury.act.gov.au/compulsorytpi/act_CTP_faqs.pdf

CTP covers only injury to people, not damage to other vehicles or property.

Lazy I said :

Brianna said :

The big concern is that she is not insured. What would the consequences have been if she did massive damage to someone? She could kiss the earnings for the next 20 years goodbye.
Get her insured.

If she did massive damage to ‘someone’ it would be covered by the insurance that is rolled into your registration (CTP), she is only paying for the damage to property here. If her car is unregistered it’s another story.
http://www.treasury.act.gov.au/compulsorytpi/act_CTP_faqs.pdf

Plain and simple though, she’s an idiot.. BMW example is a good one above.. but 20k is a little low. Know someone that just had to repair the rear end of his Merc after someone hit it, the bumper itself was 16k (single part only), unpainted.. that’s without repairing any panel damage / painting / replacing reversing sensors / tail lights etc.

The bit I don’t understand is how she is getting to choose who does the repair? if the other driver was insured the insurer goes with a preferred repairer and will ‘recover’ the funds from your daughter. If the other driver wasn’t insured.. they sure as hell shouldn’t be letting your daughter decide who can fix it.

I think you have read ‘someone’ a little too literly, I have no doubt the person that wrote that was referring to the property of ‘someone’ and not their person, which as you quite rightly point out is covered by CTP. Lets hope the daughter of the OP is registered though.

Brianna said :

The big concern is that she is not insured. What would the consequences have been if she did massive damage to someone? She could kiss the earnings for the next 20 years goodbye.
Get her insured.

If she did massive damage to ‘someone’ it would be covered by the insurance that is rolled into your registration (CTP), she is only paying for the damage to property here. If her car is unregistered it’s another story.
http://www.treasury.act.gov.au/compulsorytpi/act_CTP_faqs.pdf

Plain and simple though, she’s an idiot.. BMW example is a good one above.. but 20k is a little low. Know someone that just had to repair the rear end of his Merc after someone hit it, the bumper itself was 16k (single part only), unpainted.. that’s without repairing any panel damage / painting / replacing reversing sensors / tail lights etc.

The bit I don’t understand is how she is getting to choose who does the repair? if the other driver was insured the insurer goes with a preferred repairer and will ‘recover’ the funds from your daughter. If the other driver wasn’t insured.. they sure as hell shouldn’t be letting your daughter decide who can fix it.

Jethro said :

There’s a guy in a yellow lancer who has been advertising his services.

She’s after a panel-beater, not a rent-boy.

creative_canberran10:10 pm 21 Nov 10

GottaLoveCanberra said :

creative_canberran said :

And speaking more broadly, these teens really need to get their s**t straight when driving. I’ve seen too many L and P platers doind absolutely moronic stuff in car parks.

Oh please save us the rhetoric mate, I see just as many fully licensed drivers doing stupid shit in car parks.

Yes, and it’s when drivers are still on there Ls and Ps “mate” that they should get their s**t straight.

Once they’re fully licenced, they get set in their ways and keep doing this crap.

GottaLoveCanberra9:37 pm 21 Nov 10

creative_canberran said :

And speaking more broadly, these teens really need to get their s**t straight when driving. I’ve seen too many L and P platers doind absolutely moronic stuff in car parks.

Oh please save us the rhetoric mate, I see just as many fully licensed drivers doing stupid shit in car parks.

Clown Killer8:50 pm 21 Nov 10

Oh and get some insurance. That’s crazy business driving around without it. You shunt a new BMW, Audi or similar and you could be up for $20,000!

Clown Killer8:47 pm 21 Nov 10

Craig Hall in Phillip. Those guys are happy to do ‘non insurance’ jobs for a reasonable price. I’ve used them before. Good work and reasonably priced.

God damn, I love riding a bike.

Auto Body Technicians at Mitchell. They’re great. They are so busy they don’t need to make work for themselves and seem to be reasonable price wise

georgesgenitals8:24 pm 21 Nov 10

Morgan said :

Third Party Property Cover is dirt cheap, and provides cover for these sorts of things. Not very well marketed.

I once had a crappy old holden wagon that cost a few hundred bucks, and I bought a third party property policy for 14 bucks a month. Cheap and easy.

DermottBanana7:41 pm 21 Nov 10

The victim will get 3 quotes.
You’ll pay them one of those amounts.
They *may* accept a recommendation for one or two of the quotes from the driver responsible. They don’t have to.
Prepare to be gouged.

Third Party Property Cover is dirt cheap, and provides cover for these sorts of things. Not very well marketed.

Quality ? but price probably at the low low end – try the Auto Dentist in Hume.

The big concern is that she is not insured. What would the consequences have been if she did massive damage to someone? She could kiss the earnings for the next 20 years goodbye.
Get her insured.

sexynotsmart6:09 pm 21 Nov 10

Jamie Wheeler said :

Not being ripped off in Canberra by a tradesman? I wish you good luck. With panel beaters in ACT be prepared to wait along time to get minor repair done for many thousands of dollars per car.

+1

I have had excellent experience with Fuller Brothers. Cheap and damn good job.

I had crap experience with C.A.R. in Belconnen, took aaaaaaaggess and when I finally got my car back, they’d ripped the boot liner and hoped I wouldn’t notice, and THEN took a couple of months to get a replacement.

And good experience with Terry Pulford in Fyshwick but I think that one was more expensive.

(For the record, these were not my fault – one rear-ender, one carpark smash and one ‘i’m changing lanes on top of you around a corner cos i’m on my phone and i’m an idiot’).

creative_canberran4:55 pm 21 Nov 10

It’s not hard to find a decent place. I’ve used AutoCo in Phillip. They replaced the whol front bumper and the reinforced bar behind it when some idiot backed into me. Got it in quite quickly, they were flat out too so was pleased no to wait too long. Had it done inside 4 days. Did a great job that lasted well… until another idiot backed into my car in a carpark and didn’t leave a note.

On a side note, what she should be worried about even more than the current incident is the fact that her accident will get her onto the shared claims database. Meaning if she ever tries to get insurance in the future, insurers will either bar her from obtaining a policy or charge a far higher premium.

And speaking more broadly, these teens really need to get their s**t straight when driving. I’ve seen too many L and P platers doind absolutely moronic stuff in car parks.

Craig Hall Bodyworks in Phillip.

Forget looking for one, the job of finding a repairer is for the owner of the damaged car.

And he/she is going to have a hell of a time finding one who will even bother giving a quote. I recently had to find a panalbeater for a small job when a truck hit me (a simple mudguard on an EL falcon).

They all want you to make a booking in about two weeks time, and pay $50 to $180 up front to cover their time. oh they also want the car for a whole day or two – even if it is to quote the replacement of a EL guard (excuse me for thinking that is a job all smash repairers should have done countless times!)

For what its worth try Fuller Bros, at least they gave me some useful info on the first visit.

Jethro said :

There’s a guy in a yellow lancer who has been advertising his services.

Pretty sure he wants his car repaired, not detailed.

Jamie Wheeler2:29 pm 21 Nov 10

Not being ripped off in Canberra by a tradesman? I wish you good luck. With panel beaters in ACT be prepared to wait along time to get minor repair done for many thousands of dollars per car.

There’s a guy in a yellow lancer who has been advertising his services.

gaddamit. bad quoting.

trix – was that a full respray? I’ve got a 1971 holden that’s needing some TLC, but I can’t come at 20K to get Jason from Real Steel to do it (in 3 years when he’s taking bookings again). So I’m looking for someone to do a professional respray, not necessarily concourse standard.

trix said :

Marko Body Repair in Mitchell are fantastic. They did my Kingswood in the original colour and it looks better than it did when they left the factory floor./quote]

trix – was that a full respray? I’ve got a 1971 holden that’s needing some TLC, but I can’t come at 20K to get Jason from Real Steel to do it (in 3 years when he’s taking bookings again). So I’m looking for someone to do a professional respray, not necessarily concourse standard.

Thanks to all the Rioters for your assistance. I really appreciate it.

Holden Caulfield3:02 pm 22 Oct 10

Well that’s a bit dumb.

“Gemini fix cars” doesn’t rhyme at all!

VikingWizardEyes1:43 pm 22 Oct 10

Yep BARS is now Gemini accident repairs.

BARS in Mitchel have done good work for me on two previous occasions. May have changed hands / name recently though.

Stay clear of Athol Morris in Fyshwick. My only experience with them in 2002 left me with a clearly damaged centre console. Took me 2-3 months of calling NRMA and Athol Morris, then finally a threat of going somewhere else and taking them to small claims for the repairs before they suddenly found a replacement centre console.

Upon picking the car up the second time I was told by the woman at reception “just take it, the keys are in the car”… the keys weren’t in the car, so I went back in to be greeted with;
“what’s wrong with it now?”,
“The keys aren’t in it.”
“Oh here they are. Is the car to your standard this time?”
“Yes, thankyou. However expecting a repair shop not to put a large hole in my centre console is a fairly basic standard I would have thought.”

Holden Caulfield10:52 am 22 Oct 10

+1 for Farrugias.

Also try David Smash Repairs on Yass Rd in Queanbeyan.

Muttsybignuts10:44 am 22 Oct 10

My work uses Wizard. We are a busted arse community service so I imagine they must be economical and do a good job.

Canberra Automotive Refinishers (Lathlain St Belconnen) did a good job of a friend’s car. Not sure about the pricing as it was an insurance job…

David Smash Repairs, Yass Rd Queanbeyan

My recommendation is Auto Body Technicians in Mitchell, or if you want the best then you can’t go past Tony Farrugia. If the dents haven’t broken the paint then Dent Solutions in Fyshwick do great work.

Unfortunately I’ve had a couple of poor experiences with Marko Body Repairs in the past, but that was some time ago and they may have picked up their act since.

Marko Body Repair in Mitchell are fantastic. They did my Kingswood in the original colour and it looks better than it did when they left the factory floor. A few months later, I had a massive scrape on one panel in a carpark – about 10mm deep at the worst point – and you cannot see the transition between the entire new paint job and the patch job.

Can’t recommend them highly enough. Not cheap, but excellent quality.

RandomPoster8:39 am 22 Oct 10

Tony Farrugia Bodyworks in Fyshwick are probably the best shop in town

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