Does anybody have experience with these folk at Smoketown?
Lancaster Aero Refinishers - Smoketown
- Thread starter RotaryWingBob
- Start date
Gary
En-Route
Bob:
Some.. When I had the Cherokee painted a few years ago, I asked them for a bid. Lou Kerekgyarto was the owner and gave a generally favorable impression. Seemed to know his stuff and was going the whole routine of strip old paint, acid etch, alodine and then paint. His price was a bit too steep for me however. One of the pilots at UKT had his C-170 done there maybe 10 years ago, decent job, but something went wrong with the surface prep and there is a fair amount of peeling now. Another UKT pilot just had his Mooney done there. It does look great! A few runs and sags but you have to look real close and in the right place to find them.
Overall I've generally heard good things about their work. If I'd had the bucks at the time they would certainly been in the running. Let me know if you need any additional info.
Gary
Some.. When I had the Cherokee painted a few years ago, I asked them for a bid. Lou Kerekgyarto was the owner and gave a generally favorable impression. Seemed to know his stuff and was going the whole routine of strip old paint, acid etch, alodine and then paint. His price was a bit too steep for me however. One of the pilots at UKT had his C-170 done there maybe 10 years ago, decent job, but something went wrong with the surface prep and there is a fair amount of peeling now. Another UKT pilot just had his Mooney done there. It does look great! A few runs and sags but you have to look real close and in the right place to find them.
Overall I've generally heard good things about their work. If I'd had the bucks at the time they would certainly been in the running. Let me know if you need any additional info.
Gary
Ed Guthrie
Cleared for Takeoff
RotaryWingBob said:
FWIW, never been a customer so I have no first hand experience, but as a local resident and certified airport bumb I have peeked at a few finished jobs, the local scuttlebutt is totally consitent with the previous post--the paint shop's product is sometimes absolutely excellent, other times not so great. If you're one of the lucky ones you have a true piece of art. Again, FWIW, rumor abounds, YMMV, etc., etc., check the truth before believing a word of the above, etc., etc.
Ed -Ed Guthrie said:
ok, etc,etc...
Thanks!
grattonja
Line Up and Wait
I'm in the same boat as Ed, a local who has never had a paint job done there. Lou is known for doing pretty good work. He isn't known for his great love of pilots, but as long as the work is decent, that doesn't matter. Personally, I've always found him to be a decent guy. I also have heard he isn't the cheapest price around, but, again, it depends on what you are looking for.
YMMV, my personal opinion and somewhat based on hearsay, etc etc.
Jim G
YMMV, my personal opinion and somewhat based on hearsay, etc etc.
Jim G
L10MAN
Pre-takeoff checklist
They painted my plane 14 years ago (long before I bought it). Over all the paint is holding up pretty well still with good shine. There have been some areas that have needed to be touched up but that is to be expected. Not sure I would use them again but only because of the distance and the fact that Finley Aviation at RVN does a really nice paint job for a reasonable price. Now if I could just find the money.
Ron
Ron
4CornerFlyer
Line Up and Wait
Lou painted my Mooney in 2001 and did a fantastic job at a reasonable price. I looked at half a dozen shops...he was neither the cheapest nor the most expensive. He was a pleasure to deal with in a respects.
The plane got compliments everywhere I landed. Then I went and traded it to someone in North Dakota.
Jon
The plane got compliments everywhere I landed. Then I went and traded it to someone in North Dakota.
Jon
Thanks everybody. The Robinson dealer botched a pinstiping job on our R44, and I flew it in this morning to show it to Lou. I think we'll have him fix it, and I do appreciate everybody's input.
Ed Guthrie
Cleared for Takeoff
RotaryWingBob said:
For something that simple I'd definitely take it to Lou without hesitation. It's the bigger stuff that the rumor mill tells me has a slight ebb and flow over time. Some have suggested that it depends on who is actually doing the painting. FWIW, rumor has it one guy, "Kenny"??, was a true artist with a spray gun, but worked for Lou only intermittently. YMMV, do the homework, believe nothing I have written above, etc., etc.
4CornerFlyer
Line Up and Wait
That's a spiffy looking paint job!