good advice.
View Poll Results: Dealer body shop or private
Dealer body shop
8
30.77%
Private
18
69.23%
Voters: 26. You may not vote on this poll
Body work
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2021
Posts: 123
Likes: 25
From: Harrisburg PA
Body work
Turned too far left out of parking lot space and scraped front quarter panel on curb. Stupid I know. Would most of you use the body shop at the Dealership or go to a private shop for repair? I don’t know if it needs a full new quarter panel or not
Popular Reply
May 22, 2026, 06:20 PM
Team Owner
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 45,283
Likes: 8,559
From: Rochester, NY
I would contact your local Corvette Club and get a recommendation from them.
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 135
Likes: 184
From: Hopkinsville Kentucky
2025 C8 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Agree with above. There are some great dealers and private shops and bad ones also. Do some research and see if you can find more than one picky guy that recommends that shop.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,076
Likes: 573
From: Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada
Quite true. I have a family run indie body shop I've dealt with for 25 years...recommended by a friend who has used them even longer...and they do a high quality job for half the price of a dealer. But as with many other types of businesses, I would only use them if I had legit references. Been burned a few times over the years by not doing this.
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Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 19,997
Likes: 6,805
From: Bonneville Salt Flats
Really? There's no way to answer since either can be good or bad. You need believable feedback about your specific options. Perhaps local car clubs could give you some? All the best, in any event. 
CF Community Team
Joined: Apr 2016
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From: Pittsburgh
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Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 22,866
Likes: 1,700
From: South Carolina
Find a good private shop...My worst repair experience ever was at a dealer body shop...(and yes there are some good dealer shops for sure)There is a reason its rare to find really good dealer owned body shops.. Only three of ten dealers have a body shop now....
Good luck with your repair...
Good luck with your repair...
Last edited by hawkgfr; May 23, 2026 at 10:48 AM.