22 replies to this topic

[George Costanza]

http://www.autobodymx.com/Index.htm

Here is a complete auto facility located outside the (tourist zone) of TJ.
It is just a few miles from the Otay crossing. Check out the website for more details.


Telephone: (619) 734-0214 &15
in Mexico: 01152 (664)607-2221

Uno Norte #1125 Zona Industrial Mesa de Otay
Tijuana B.C. c.p. 22505
México

[George Costanza]

Yes Vassili I will be adding more shops soon.


Also will be getting some online estimates for members to understand the saving Tj offers.

[snooky]

Has anyone actually used this place?

thx.

ps. hi George.

[George Costanza]

HI Snooky

Welcome Back I will be updating the Auto repair section soon. I had a friend use this place a few years ago and said they did great bodywork on his Honda and was about 1/3 the price of the US estimates.


Snooky when you have some time we should hit Pampas again.

[snooky]

Thx for the info.

Their shop looks so new and clean, I am just wondering if they might be on the more expensive side. Hopefully I will find out soon.

BTW a recent search has turned up some other candidates:

El Indio -- More expensive but supposedly excellent work (two locations?)
Aragon -- see SDC's thread on this, located 4th and Pio Pico
Economico -- 3rd between Sanchez Taboada and Negrete
2nd (or second) -- on 2nd St. in TJ

Cadillac seems to be in disfavor, they used to do good work but someone had some poor quality work done there recently.

[TJDave]

hahaha.... "snooky"

I get it now.

[snooky]

Hi Kramer, I guess I should get a Seinfeld avatar too.

Newman perhaps? Elaine?

[snooky]

AUTO BODY GUYS was the winner, and I left the car there.

It is in a huge new warehouse type building that is pretty much immaculate inside. There is a cabina within the inside for the actual painting.

They have a Car-O-Liner frame straightener that has as part of the rig a computer with all factory specs for proper distances and measures. They gave me a tour of the facility, and there were probably sixty almost new cars, many of them high end, on the floor.

The work looked incredible. There is one guy that speaks good English, his name is Victor. He is well dressed in slacks and shirt and so forth. Everything about this place reeked of professionalism.

They also showed me the armor they were installing on new luxury SUVs like Escalades, WOW!

Beyond all of the above, which made a good impression and instilled confidence, my main reason for choosing AUTO BODY GUYS is that a peripheral part of the car's frame was bent, and I wanted to make sure it was done RIGHT, so I won't have problems with opening and closing doors.

I also got a quote at the EL INDIO up 9th street. It is a typical small dirt lot with some bays (like wood shacks with the front wall off). The boss wasn't in when we arrived. There was an indifferent employee leaning against the front wall who completely ignored us. I walked into the yard and finally got someone to speak to me. Then the boss arrived and he gave me the typical loud fast-talking tourist hustle -- though he seems like a nice enough guy, hey he gave me an El Indio t-shirt which was pretty cool.

The quotes were similar in price for same color paint, but for the same price El Indio said they would do a different color, INCLUDING the inside metal part of the doors and body, etc. At Auto Body Guys that would have cost me another $500 or so, plus the cost of new door seals which might have been another couple of hundred bucks. So I opted for same color pain at Auto Body Guys, with the idea that I will be getting a better quality fix and paint job.

[George Costanza]

AUTO BODY GUYS was the winner, and I left the car there.

Everything about this place reeked of professionalism.

How dare they??!!! The guy that told me about them said an insurance company in the US recommended them and they do outstanding work at great prices.
Thanks for the nice report!

[TJGringo]

I'm surprised this section is so small compared with the rest of the board. I thought this was one of the better places to get your car repaired. I mean Tijuana in general. Not much action here besides a few questions. Snooky how does the car look?

[Aztec Eagle]

I like what i hear from this places you guys mentioned the only one i know is El Indio they wanted 850 dollars to repaint my car the same color!! crazy.

I have used some of the guys near the Teniente Guerrero Park in downtown for some small fixes, yesterday i took my sisters 2003 ford focus to take off the tinted window paper and after a little bargining i payed 150 pesos and they used steam to take it off so they would not damage the rear defrost lines they did a really good job,you just have to be carefull who you choose to do the job some of them there just street bums.

I also fix a Mitsubishi's upholstery there for 50 dlls and they did an great job, but you have to ask them to show you the city permit so you know that the guy is legit and usually they take you to an establish shop and they don't just work in the street.

I'm going to repaint my Dodge with a guy that i have seen him work in the past,he said he would charge me 3,000 pesos to repaint my car less the half of what El Indio was asking for.

Well i know some of you will disagree with me,but thats my 2 cents on this subject.

[snooky]

Update:

Picked up the car today. They called two days ago and said it was ready. I arrived yesterday at noon and they kept putting me off until I finally got the car at 3pm, ie. it really wasn't quite ready yet.

Got about a mile away after leaving the shop and the car died. 10 minutes on the phone with the girls that work there. The girl said no one was available, she had tried their extensions and they weren't in. I had to tell her, put down the phone and WALK OVER THERE AND FIND SOMEONE, and I NEED YOUR HELP, IN MEXICO WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? THE CAR WAS WORKING PERFECTLY WHEN I BROUGHT IT, AND NOW IT IS NOT, YOU HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO HELP ME! They finally arranged for someone to get me, it took about another 30 minutes for them to arrive.

The alternator appeared to be dead, so they then took me up to an auto electric shop, where I left the car overnight. They dropped me at the border and I took a bus, the trolley, and another bus to get home, finally arrriving around 7pm in San Diego.

Went back down today after work, picked up the car right away. Made one big mistake and didn't stay to the right side at the border crossing. My line in the middle got dusted by all the other lanes and it took about an hour to cross, which was extremely frustrating. Naturally with a fresh paint job I didn't want to aggressively change lanes.

Paint looks good, in hindsight I mighta shoulda paid the ~$500 extra to have them pain the doorjambs, etc. I mean the outside pain looks so good. Or for that matter El Indio would have included the door jamb painting at the same price. But I wanted to make sure the frame straightening was done right.

On the passenger side, the molding pieces behind the inside door latches are missing, they must have broken them when they took them off(?). I won't take the car back to get them replaced, too much wasted time there. I'll get them from a junk yard.

Not sure if one of the AC vents was damaged or if that was like that before.

Ashtray is missing, don't know if that was gone before, I'll find out.

Overall I am satisfied with the work. Where painted metal butts up to rubber seals, there is just the tiniest stripe of paint along the edge of the rubber. You have to look closely to see it. It is similar to what I have seen on cars re-painted here, ie. done at a cheaper end price.

The alternator plus labor was $150.

5 trips total
1. dropped off car
2. took them a door from junkyard
3. took them a little door sill strip from junkyard
4. went to pick up car, broke down
5. final pick up today

Whew! ! ! ! !

Eagle your input is appreciated. Daniel said he had a paint job done by a guy in a little shack up on the hillside and it came out OK for $300. So more power to you. I will be interested to know how it comes out.

[snooky]

Eagle how about an update on your paint job?

[TJGringo]

Snooky sounds like a 30min sitcom thanks for sharing.

[CB]

as long as you're happy, thats what counts.
although 150 for an alternator sounds steep. maybe you got the gringo rate.

[bombero]

I just emailed them to ask if they can fix my drivers door lock. My key won't operate the locking mechanism. If anybody has any other ideas for fixing that kind of problem I would appreciate it.

[sharkman]

Can anyone tell me if these auto body shops are open on Sunday? Also any idea of what it might cost for a paint job down in TJ? Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Shark

[Klort]

Hmm, the website's down....

I'm thinking about buying a cheap American Ford van with a 351 motor and having both the engine and transmission rebuilt in Tijuana or Otay. How much would I be looking at?

[jdcs167]

Do any of you know what these shops would charge to paint an entire car ? I have a 1963 International Scout 80, almost the same as an early years Bronco. Im just finishing up some engine work and need to get it painted. RED with White top.
The quotes I have gotten are:
$800.00 dlls
$700.00 dlls
$7500 pesos
$1800.00 dlls.

Im looking for something in the $500.00 dlls or less. Im not looking to make it look perfect just nice or nicer than what its is right now (sanded down, primer in some spots and a few little dings, nothing major).

This is what it look like, but its not this one. I dont have a pic. handy of the actual truck.

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