# Wanted: Good Body Shop in Philly Area



## norihaga (Aug 25, 2004)

Some !(_(!%_(! in an IS300 ran into my car the other day. Can anyone from the area recommend a good body shop? 

I had thought of Cavallo Auto Body, but not sure if people have better recommendations or bad experience with them. It's his insurance paying (it durned well better be, anyway), so I want the best. 

Thanks in advance... 

:thumbup:


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## IBCNUNHELL (Oct 12, 2004)

Sorry to hear that. When I got rear-ended my dealer recommended http://www.karosserie.com/ in king of prussia.

They deal with higher end cars and they did a great job. They took care of all the insurance stuff for me too.


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## norihaga (Aug 25, 2004)

IBCNUNHELL said:


> Sorry to hear that. When I got rear-ended my dealer recommended http://www.karosserie.com/ in king of prussia.
> 
> They deal with higher end cars and they did a great job. They took care of all the insurance stuff for me too.


Thanks, it's a pain in the butt (no pun intended), as you know.

I'll check out their website...anyone else have an opinion on these two places?

I'm almost tempted to use Cavallo because someone who works there lives on my street (Mini complete with Cavallo graphics on the side and an aero kit - at least they have good taste in cars!  ) Thus, if they do a sucky job, I can always set fire to their car.

:thumbup:


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## Blax (Apr 8, 2004)

I have no direct dealings with them, but from all I have heard Cavallo are the ones to beat. Also Otto's BMW which is just up 202 from there send all their BMW repairs to Cavallo. Take from that what you will.


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## norihaga (Aug 25, 2004)

Blax said:


> I have no direct dealings with them, but from all I have heard Cavallo are the ones to beat. Also Otto's BMW which is just up 202 from there send all their BMW repairs to Cavallo. Take from that what you will.


Yeah, I got my BMW at Ottos. Suffice it to say I will not be taking my car back for the inspection II! But I had that impression about Cavallo from somewhere else. I checked out that Karosserie site and it sounded pretty impressive, though. Decisions, decisions.


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## solsurfr (Oct 19, 2003)

norihaga said:


> Yeah, I got my BMW at Ottos. Suffice it to say I will not be taking my car back for the inspection II! But I had that impression about Cavallo from somewhere else. I checked out that Karosserie site and it sounded pretty impressive, though. Decisions, decisions.


I live right down the road from Otto's. Nice center but the sales guy that I had was very hard to work with. He did not want to work with me in my ED order. I went elsewhere, obviously. I wanted to give them the local business but his attitude really turned me off, unfortunately.


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## Blax (Apr 8, 2004)

As this has slightly turned into an Otto's conversation, I too find the people a little hit or miss. Recently switched sales person with much better results. Living so close means I really want to buy there so I can get the service perks like bmw loaners which they REALLY do not like to give people who bought their cars elsewhere.


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## solsurfr (Oct 19, 2003)

Blax said:


> As this has slightly turned into an Otto's conversation, I too find the people a little hit or miss. Recently switched sales person with much better results. Living so close means I really want to buy there so I can get the service perks like bmw loaners which they REALLY do not like to give people who bought their cars elsewhere.


Sorry for hijacking this thread but I was compulsed to chime in  .

I definitely missed in Otto's. I'm sure I would've gotten better results if I had worked with another Advisor, oh well. I wanted those same perks too but luckily Devon BMW has no problem giving me a nice loaner for service. On top of that, I didn't even buy from them. I bought from Passport BMW down in DC. My CA down there gave me a deal of lifetime on my ED Order  . And some of you know WHO that was :thumbup: .


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## Mantis (Sep 7, 2004)

BMW of the Main line in Plia is where I like to go.They I'm sure know a great bodyshop to take your car 2.

www.bmwofthemainline.com


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## Blax (Apr 8, 2004)

Mantis said:


> BMW of the Main line in Phila is where I like to go.They I'm sure know a great bodyshop to take your car 2.
> 
> www.bmwofthemainline.com


So interestingly enough (getting thoroughly into my BMW life story) I bought my 325i and later my xi at BMW of the Main Line, though back then it was Don Rosen BMW. The xi was a ED, and the first half of the deal was great with the Don Rosen folk but while the car was on the boat back to the US, Devon Hill bought Don Rosen out and renamed it BMW of the Main Line. Instantly we started having problems with the deal and the "new management rules" and it turned into quite a pain.

Maybe you can tell I really hope Ottos turns out to be OK as I am running out of dealers and my next option is going to Delaware!! .


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## solsurfr (Oct 19, 2003)

Blax said:


> So interestingly enough (getting thoroughly into my BMW life story) I bought my 325i and later my xi at BMW of the Main Line, though back then it was Don Rosen BMW. The xi was a ED, and the first half of the deal was great with the Don Rosen folk but while the car was on the boat back to the US, Devon Hill bought Don Rosen out and renamed it BMW of the Main Line. Instantly we started having problems with the deal and the "new management rules" and it turned into quite a pain.
> 
> Maybe you can tell I really hope Ottos turns out to be OK as I am running out of dealers and my next option is going to Delaware!! .


You are not running out of options at all. Forget Ottos. They don't negotiate on ED cars. You only have one place to go for the future:

Joern Esser - Passport BMW - Washington, DC.

:thumbup:


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## stockler (Sep 26, 2003)

*Karosserie*

I used Karosserie back in 2001 for a collision repair when I tore apart the right front of my 2000 323Ci by backing it up at night (on a angle) neatly introducing a low-rise-black-painted-4"-concrete-filled steel parking pole pipe between the front wheel and the fender: Turn wheel, reverse to get out of the dark parking spot quicly on a 90 degree turn......... cruuuunchaklackpoft!.... it was like hot knife on butter. I think part of the problem was the fact that I had just received a call from my wife on the cell telling me I was going to be a dad.

Anyway. I can vouch for their work.
Car was delivered on time, clean, and the paint job I would grade A+. Parts that needed replacement were replaced, parts that didn't, weren't.

All harnesses and wiring removed for repair was correctly attached back to the body with (new) OEM fastners. Every wire loop was (is) in the right location, nothing left dangling, no tapes, no broken plastic fastners left behind. No overspary. No underspray. 
Meticulous work overall.

Showed the car to a so called "expert" in classic restoration here in Vancouver where I now live and told him to tell me what part of the car he tought was repaired. Mr. Expert-I-can-tell-this-car-has-been-repaired-before-guy only pointed to the proper corner after the 3rd attempt with hood and trunklid opened for exam.

Good luck.


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## norihaga (Aug 25, 2004)

solsurfr said:


> I live right down the road from Otto's. Nice center but the sales guy that I had was very hard to work with. He did not want to work with me in my ED order. I went elsewhere, obviously. I wanted to give them the local business but his attitude really turned me off, unfortunately.


My sales guy seemed pretty straight, and I didn't overpay, but it was the shyster "service advisors" that turned me off. It's going to Main Line for the Inspection II


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## norihaga (Aug 25, 2004)

Blax said:


> So interestingly enough (getting thoroughly into my BMW life story) I bought my 325i and later my xi at BMW of the Main Line, though back then it was Don Rosen BMW. The xi was a ED, and the first half of the deal was great with the Don Rosen folk but while the car was on the boat back to the US, Devon Hill bought Don Rosen out and renamed it BMW of the Main Line. Instantly we started having problems with the deal and the "new management rules" and it turned into quite a pain.
> 
> Maybe you can tell I really hope Ottos turns out to be OK as I am running out of dealers and my next option is going to Delaware!! .


I'm not sure what to think of Union Park. They apparently have their own BMW body shop, but I only got a so-so impression from their sales folks. I work in Wilmington, so I may use them. I will have to get quotes on that inspection II from ML and UP.

ML has at least one great sales person - when I was thinking of getting rid of my last car a couple years ago, she let me completely thrash this E36 M3 ... lurid oversteer and everything ... and didn't complain once. :thumbup: Unfortunately they didn't have a used sport package 5-spd for me when I bought my car ... I would have given them the business just for that


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## norihaga (Aug 25, 2004)

Hm, I'm posting too many replies here. 

Thanks for the very helpful post. Vancouver? How is it? I'm thinking of doing an MBA up there ... before they haul me off to Gitmo. Plus, then I could go to Whistler every weekend in the winter ... :thumbup:

I guess I have two votes for Karosserie based on actual experience, and nothing specific about Cavallo. And since I'm in Narberth, there's nothing in it between King of Prussia or West Chester.



stockler said:


> I used Karosserie back in 2001 for a collision repair when I tore apart the right front of my 2000 323Ci by backing it up at night (on a angle) neatly introducing a low-rise-black-painted-4"-concrete-filled steel parking pole pipe between the front wheel and the fender: Turn wheel, reverse to get out of the dark parking spot quicly on a 90 degree turn......... cruuuunchaklackpoft!.... it was like hot knife on butter. I think part of the problem was the fact that I had just received a call from my wife on the cell telling me I was going to be a dad.
> 
> Anyway. I can vouch for their work.
> Car was delivered on time, clean, and the paint job I would grade A+. Parts that needed replacement were replaced, parts that didn't, weren't.
> ...


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## solsurfr (Oct 19, 2003)

norihaga said:


> My sales guy seemed pretty straight, and I didn't overpay, but it was the shyster "service advisors" that turned me off. It's going to Main Line for the Inspection II


Yep, I've heard their service department is even worse. :tsk:


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## stockler (Sep 26, 2003)

norihaga said:


> Thanks for the very helpful post. Vancouver? How is it? .


Take an American city, eliminate the grime, the rage, the fear, make the chocolate smoother and the beer stronger, weaken the dollar and the cigarettes (for those who still smoke), swap guns for heroin, and you have yourself a Canadian city.


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## norihaga (Aug 25, 2004)

stockler said:


> Take an American city, eliminate the grime, the rage, the fear, make the chocolate smoother and the beer stronger, weaken the dollar and the cigarettes (for those who still smoke), swap guns for heroin, and you have yourself a Canadian city.


Sounds good...the heroin problem is a bit of a bummer, but San Francisco has that as well.

The beer gap everyone knows about, but now chocolate too? Time to get rid of my US$ investments.


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