By DAVID TELLER
Staff Reporter
After a three-year hiatus caused by legal actions, J & M Collision Center is back in business in Cheney.
The business's owner, Jay Mahaffy, said he is glad to be back at his own shop where he can do what he knows best.
“I just like fixing cars and making them look good after wrecks,” he said.
Mahaffy's break was caused by the tumultuous history of the building at 2218 First St. He said the building has had seven owners since 1995, the previous one let the building go back to the lender. Since then, the ownership was tied up in probate. Mahaffy still isn't clear about a few things, but the lease expired and the embattled owner was reluctant to renew it, so Mahaffy had to close his doors.
Last year the new Edmonds, Wash., based owner divided the property in two, giving Mahaffy the opportunity to restart his business.
The body shop first opened in 1986 and then moved to the old Chevrolet dealership in 1988. Mahaffy said he has been in several locations in Cheney but has been at his current location since 1995.
Raised in Cheney, Mahaffy grew up with auto body in his family. His father, who ran the body shop at the Ford dealership, trained him. Mahaffy furthered his background taking some classes at the Spokane Skills Center while he was in high school.
“I always had nice cars,” Mahaffy said.
He said his industry is closely regulated and compliance with the “rules” guarantees survival in the auto body business. He said insurance companies have a lot to do with the price of labor and parts. He also said he gives a written estimate and warrantee on his repair work and that repairs will be done properly and with high quality.
“I'll stand behind it,” Mahaffy said of his work.
Insurance companies pay for most of the work in auto body. He said he continues to work with all companies and was previously listed as a “preferred shop,” which means that he was reviewed and his work was approved by the auto insurance industry prior to closing his business. Mahaffy said he is working toward getting listed again.
What most people do not understand about auto body is that the work takes time. He said one of the biggest jobs he ever did was on a 2004 Chevy Trailblazer that had been rolled.
“It should have been totaled,” he said. There was $22,000 in damage and he worked on it for a couple of months.
Another thing about bodywork is that a vehicle will never be the same after it has been heavily damaged.
“It can still look good,” he added.
He said a lot of body shops get in a hurry and try to complete the work too fast or try to do too much work without thinking about the whole job.
Mahaffy said his business is owner-involved, meaning he does the work himself, though he does have some part-time help. He added that his labor is cheaper than the dealerships, at $48 an hour.
There is no limit to what he works on. Mahaffy said he can do a unibody or frame vehicle. He said he also does the mechanical work associated with the body work. Where other body shops may hire out brake work or replacing struts, air bags or working on the electrical system, he does that work too.
If a car is too damaged too damaged to drive, he'll come and get it, as he has his own transport vehicle.
J & M Collision Center is at 2218 First St. or call 235-2605. Mahaffy is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
David Teller can be reached at [email protected]
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