Gilbert Motor Bodies

AWARDS 2007 AAMI

AAMI/AP&P AUTOBODY REPAIRER OF THE YEAR REGIONAL WINNER (NEW SHOP) SA.
Gilbert Motor Bodies
How many fourth generation smash repairers are there in Australia, let alone Adelaide? Alistair Walker's great grandfather began repairing cars early last century and was part of the Gilbert family which still has interests in Adelaide car businesses today.
Six months ago Walker opened his fourth shop on the site of Tony Cafasso's original shop in Goodwood Road, Wayville. When Walker was offered the premises it had been vacated by Glasurit which had set it up as a training centre, complete with glass sided oven, spotless repair shop, big lecture room, offices, and a seductively lit lounge. Walker saw immediately that the site had limitations as a regular repair shop and so turned it into a light hit, rapid repair centre. It handles jobs up to $1500 but most are in the low hundreds. Based on this low repair cost, it has easily attained gold PSR status with the IAG brands operating in South Australia.
Managed by Tim Holt, the shop has no pulling equipment. Its six employees concentrate on low cost, quick turnaround jobs bumper and panel repair. Cars are in and out in two to three days. The single spray booth is equipped with infra-red drying on overhead rails and there are other portable infra-red multi head stands in the shop. There are also two six metre Festo boom arms to provide air and power for dry sanding.
Plastic repairs are a specialty; in fact, this shop handles all the plastic repairs for the four shop group. It has another group function in that its professionally equipped meeting room is used for group training and equipment demonstration. Yet another special function for this shop is as a training ground for young apprentices to try themselves on light hits and small painting jobs. Walker plans to move them on to one of his other shops each six months or so.
Without doubt, Gilbert Motor Bodies is one of the cleanest shops in Australia, imitating a hospital rather than a smash repair shop. All the floors are either tiled or painted and equipment is kept in as new condition. B ut more than that it has taken a step in what will be the next major move in Australian repair shops: the move to specialisation.

Powell's comment
Recognising the growing market for small repairs, Alistair Walker has made the best use of the former Glasurit training centre. A very neat operation.