"Proper" Smash Repairer in South West Sydney

Devastator0 on 09/08/2025 - 10:33
Last edited 09/08/2025 - 10:45 by 1 other user

Hey all, I'm looking for some recommendations for a good smash repairer in South West Sydney.

I have an older car (a 1996 U13 Nissan Bluebird) that I need to get some panels (front right quarter & rear left door and rear left quarter) repaired. When I say repaired, I mean repaired. I don't want a smash repairer who is just a glorified panel replacer as that won't work since replacement panels for the car are unobtanium.

If anyone knows of a really good, reliable smash repairer, I'd love to know the details of them!

Cheers!

Automotive Nissan Bluebird

Comments

  • boomramada on 09/08/2025 - 11:03
    +2

    So you want a panel beater actually beat the panel? Good luck 😅

    • Devastator0 on 09/08/2025 - 11:06

      Yeah lol, the idea is that I need to find someone who can repair the current panels (which aren't damaged too badly but need repair).

      • boomramada on 09/08/2025 - 11:11

        Go on a Nissan forum, or fb group and ask around?

  • 87percent on 09/08/2025 - 11:21

    Why not go to a wreckers, and find the parts, and then take them to a panel beater to get repaired?

    Who do you have to get the existing panels repaired?

    • Devastator0 on 09/08/2025 - 11:25

      I've tried looking for panels at wreckers but the U13 chassis is not that common and finding them at wreckers is not really possible. The only thing I've found so far is a replacement boot with a spoiler that I was after but no other actual body panels. The one I did randomly find a while ago was in a horrible condition so would need to get panel worked anyway.

  • tenpercent on 09/08/2025 - 11:28
    +1

    You might get more luck finding a useful answer here: https://www.reddit.com/r/CarsAustralia/

    • Devastator0 on 09/08/2025 - 11:29

      Good shout mate, I'll try there too. Cheers!

    • pegaxs on 09/08/2025 - 13:10
      +1

      That Reddit group is a (fropanity) cesspit of inept (fropanity) heads and modded by a complete and utter (fropanity). It's more of an anti-vaxx/cooker/bogan echo chamber circlejerk than it is a place to find any valuable information.

      • 7ekn00 on 09/08/2025 - 16:11
        +5

        Oh, you mean just like the rest of Reddit then :P

      • apsilon on 09/08/2025 - 17:28

        I got banned from there as I wouldn't agree nazism was a valid political practice in todays world so yeah.

        As for OP, I know some people that can do it but none that work for smash repairers. You'll need to look for classic car restorers to find that sort of skill and you're going to pay several times the vehicles value as it's very labour intensive which is why it's not done today.

        • ATTS on 11/08/2025 - 16:30

          Just out of curiosity how much it usually costs to restore a classic car?

          • apsilon on 11/08/2025 - 16:57

            @ATTS: Depends entirely on what needs to be done but well into 6 figures is common. For a mid 90's Bluebird that might be worth $3k it'd want to be some very strong sentimental attachment to want coachwork done rather than just bog and paint.

            • ATTS on 11/08/2025 - 17:42

              @apsilon: Thanks!

              I assume bog and paint is the one where they put fillers, and then sand it even before respraying rather than just swapping in and out panels?

              Though never heard what " coach work" was btw

              • apsilon on 11/08/2025 - 18:23

                @ATTS: Well most smash repairers (that are willing to take on the job) will make an attempt to get the panel close to being back into shape and use filler to then smooth it out. It's all very labour intensive though which is why panel replacement has become the norm. If the panel can't be replaced like in OPs case it really becomes a question of budget. The cheaper the job the more bog is to be expected but I'm gathering from OPs wording they don't want any filler at all and that requires major time investment and rare skills today. When metal dents it generally also stretches, usually on multiple planes, so it's not just a case of unbending but rather unbending and unstretching simultaneously. That skill is generally still referred to as coachwork or coachbuilding and is carried over from the time they were literally horse drawn coaches.

                • ATTS on 11/08/2025 - 20:14

                  @apsilon: Thanks for detailed explanation

  • brendanm on 09/08/2025 - 15:29

    If you say the damage isn't that bad, have you tried a PDR guy?

    • Devastator0 on 09/08/2025 - 18:30

      The panels have had damage that's gone through the paint so it wouldn't just be a matter of removing dents.

      • brendanm on 09/08/2025 - 20:30

        Fair enough, can always push to paint.

        • Euphemistic on 09/08/2025 - 22:17

          Yeah. Get it reapired by rhe PDR guy, then get painted at a part swapping panel shop.

  • Nillionaire on 09/08/2025 - 16:27

    \>proper
    \>south west sydney

    pick one

  • Gunnar on 09/08/2025 - 22:00

    Presumably you’re not going through insurance? And the car actually means something to you?

    Currans Smash Repairs in Auburn. Not cheap but you get what you pay for

  • Wiadro on 10/08/2025 - 00:06

    bps bankstown

  • Party_Pete on 12/08/2025 - 16:45

    I've had great results from Bluett Bodyworks in Gregory Hills

    https://www.whitepages.com.au/bluett-bodyworks-pty-ltd-10319…

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