Good body shops in DC/NoVA/MD?

[ClayW]

I just hit two of the biggest pot-holes that I've ever seen.....consecutively. I'm actually surprised that we made it out alive. Dudley, I may have you beat.

The front driver's side strut pushed up enough to dimple the hood, but the rear driver's wheel got it the worst. I destroyed the bottlecap and Bilstein HD. The dislocation of the Bilstein allowed for the now-dented wheel to give the quarter-panel an impromptu fender flare.

I am probably going to have to involve my insurance company on this one, but I first need to find a decent shop in the area. Any suggestions?

[TTyMiller]

Give me until Monday afternoon, someone I work with knows a good and cheap shop.

[JohnW]

Wow. I think you need to send your repair bill to the District. Or, were you in Virginia when this happened? It wouldn't be surprising since the roads in Virginia have been deteriorating for years.

I hope your car can be properly repaired. Best of luck.

[Guest Anonymous]

Best - Mastercrafter's - Rockville

Good - Vienna Auto Body - Vienna

Good - Ravensworth Auto Body - Springfield

Do not go to BMW Fairfax

[ArdenK]

Hi Clay,

Sorry to hear about the mishap. Amatucci Auto Body in Gaithersburg is very good. DC tends to have the worst roads in the area. Usually they don't fix the craters for weeks. Send Mayor Fenty the bill, be sure to document the location. Check the strut tower to see if it's still attached.

Good luck!

[M3M3]

springfield autobody

i have had work done on my race car (major front frame rail straightening)and on wife's 325it got hit in the rear). fast, pleasant, resonable and outstanding work. highly recommended.

[SkidMarc]

Clay ,

Here's another referral:

Name: Auto Body Innovations Inc

Street: 8901 Darcy

Upper Marlboro, md 20774-2416

Phone: (301) 333-5703

They did tremeandous work on my Cobra.

Marc

[mcaden]

Clay,

First off - so sorry about your car and I would definitely send the bill to Mayor Fenty.

This past summer I was rear ended and used MasterCrafters in Rockville, MD. MasterCrafters has a LOT of experience with 2002s. I believe Otis has also spent time there... as I saw Otis there for much of the summer. Speak with the manager - his name is Kenny.

If you haven't already, you should read the National Capital Chapter of the BMWCCA's forum on autobody shops (you don't need to be a member to use the forum). I am attaching a link to the forums here and just click on the link for autobody shops. You will find that MasterCrafters is well recommended and there are several other names that get discussed over and over. Here is the link: http://forum.nccbmwcca.org/forum.php?s=82c8ec1f90e01c21cb1b15fd527a782e

I can give you more specific info on MasterCrafters if you want - shoot me an email directly with your tel. no. and I will give you a call (marccaden at yahoo dot com). There is one other place in Rockville I would recommend, but the name is escaping me.

Good luck and sorry - best to get this repair out of the way now so that you can enjoy your 02 when the weather improves.

Later, O=oo=O

Marc

[02Les]

Weird, if not worrying, how the rear shock came off like that.

[jgmgti]

Clay,

I know Kenny well and he's a first rate guy.The shop does some great work.You and your car will be well taken care of.

Jonathan

[jgerock]

Weird, if not worrying, how the rear shock came off like that.

I've seen some pictures here before with Bilstein rear shocks popping off the bushing/bolt. Might be a good idea to use a large fender washer under the nut.

[Guest]

I'll second (3rd? 4th?) the referral to Mastercrafter's in Rockville, they did a great collision repair the right way...dis-assembly of all the parts and good blending, and worked with the insurance agent when the initial estimate wasn't enough to cover what was found underneath. There's also an Enterprise car rental nearby.

[ClayW]

The incident/accident actually happened in Maryland on 95 at the 495 split.

39.03041,-76.948622 on Google Maps. You can actually see the giant holes that I bounded through while I crossed the split. My fault, but man, that shoulder was rough and deep.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll be calling my insurance company on Monday.......argh.

[TTyMiller]

springfield autobody

i have had work done on my race car (major front frame rail straightening)and on wife's 325it got hit in the rear). fast, pleasant, resonable and outstanding work. highly recommended.

This is the one I was told about!

[John_in_VA]

as they sponsor/paint one of the racers. Some have had less that stellar results, so it apparently pays to drop the right name or deal with the owner or shop foreman.

http://forum.nccbmwcca.org/forumdisplay.php?37-Body-Shops&pp=20&daysprune=-1&sort=lastpost&prefixid=&order=desc