Hi,

I think it's finally time for a paint job for my 356. It's very much a driver, but the paint (and dents) are really starting to look shabby...

What the general process for working with Los Panchos?

Bring it down and get a quote and schedule a date to start? Or do they usually start immediately?

Should I disassemble the car as much as possible before hand, or just let them do it? Should I strip the paint myself in advance?

Tips on price negotiation?

How long does it usually take? Tips on keeping it on schedule?

Anyone have walking directions from the border?

Thanks!

-Steve

Here's what I do and the guys that I have gone down with also do:
- Leave the car as is so if reassembly is needed they can do it unless you want to get pieces refinished.
- Take several hundred dollars cash as a down payment. They still do not have a Visa machine! They want final payment in cash also.
- I would leave it there when you go down on the first trip as crossing the border is a real pain in the ass now.
- When finished ask for a seperate reciept with a smaller amount in case the customs people ask for $$$$ for the work but so far I don't think they ever have.
- Make sure to take the registration to prove it is yours.
- If you do interior work alaong with the paint you usually get a better price but they do not bargin much since the price is pretty low compared to the US to begin with.
- Figure an extra week or so on top of their estimate, that's just the way it goes with car repairs it seems.
- If they find something additional after they start, they'll always call first as they do not do unauthorized stuff I feel.
- If you need seals, glass or other 356 hard parts, take them down as they can't get them.

Ok, thanks. Elliot?

-Steve

Disassemble the car yourself. If not, you'll wind up with bags of part you may not recognize. Also remove things that may be difficult to mask around, which would leave painted weatherstripping or bezels, or a small unpainted strip around it.

The last 2 cars I saw that were painted at Los Panchos.

SUCKED a few months later as the paint shrinked. Ask Aaron....

I wouldn't use em... Period.

Clayton

You now need to have a passport to travel to Canada and Mexico. Make sure yours is current. Also, make sure you get proper insurance.

Yup

I had the wife's convertible beetle done about a year ago. They did paint, stripped and painted the top frame, new interior, stripped the carpeting, put bedliner down and new carpeting, made the rear apron removable and filled in the stock exhaust cutouts, punched out the inner fender wells in the engine compartment to make room for fuel injection. $3500 out the door. The paint has held up fine for me. If I was doing a 356, I'd buy the glasurit or seikens on this side of the border and have them spray it. Echo John's comments on not haggling much. I left the car the day I brought it and picked it up two weeks later. If I could have, I would have visited once during the work, but I was station up at Fort Irwin. I had to have them wet sand some fisheyes out - did it while I waited.

Well, I have taken down my fair share of cars to them. I do not know how their work is now, but it does change with the crews that rotate through there. At first their work was great for the price; better than maaco, Earl Sheib. Jim Tab, Lawrence (Rusty), Jonnyx, my moms 74 VW bus, 85 corvette, some guys MBZ, Redbeards /6, my car, et al. Many turned out great (Jonny, Jim, Lawrence), many had problems later (the rest). As time went on their quality went to shit IMHO. The basic breakdown is this:
- They will tell you 1 week for all work. This means that right or wrong it will be done in one week.
- I had to go down many times to have them fix glaring issues like fish eyes and runs.
- My moms VW rusted through when they were supposed to fix the rust, not just spray over it (she is fluent in spanish). Redbeards complete chem strip, repair and paint is rusting through as well. My car has some Earl Sheib type work done on the inner door jambs which I discovered when the pain chipped off in sheets. For my mom and anyone else that can drive back down they will fix the problems for free.
- Walk across the border. 20 min. They will give you directions for going the other way.
-
If you have time and patience and can bring your car back with out problem to fix any issues then go ahead. If your car is a simple repain without any complicated work, go a head. It is when you start wanting anything outside of a normal quick prep and paint htat problems start to compound.

Be careful I have a car thet the PO toke down there and the paint is so soft you cant even get a good wax on it.

From allthe old posts about how great and cheap they are I was planning on driving down my New-to-me 78 Westy. To get the paint and some body work done, the PO was fairly patriotic
But if it doesn't last than it's probably not really worth it.

Ah - ok, I think I've been sufficient scared away. I think I want slightly higher quality than they are currently delivering...

Thanks for the feedback though!

-Steve