Yes, I work in a collision shop, no I have never worked in a dealership.
CAPA....you've GOT to be kidding.
Some aftermarket sheetmetal will pass, most will not. Gauge, hardness, crispness, edge forming generally do not compare to OEM...in my experience. Hoods almost always have HIGHLY visible mastic pad telegraphing and wavy hemming.
Yes, it's good for pricing
Yes, OEs are sourcing overseas. I have no beef with Chinese made parts, just the ones that are made for the bottom-feeders in the (repair) industry solely concerned with price. I know the Chinese can produce quality, when the customer is willing to pay for it.
We actually buy from LKQ...it's Keystone that isn't doing much for us. To say a Keystone aftermarket chrome bar is OE quality is an outright lie. Rechromes...couldn't tell you, we no longer buy rechromes since neither Keystone or DalChrome could supply a quality part on the first try over a long period. Terrible luck with remanufactured covers, we can either not get them (yesterday it was 2011 Subaru Impreza rear) or they're aftermarket rather than remans.
Sorry, for me, time is money, and I only get one shot at each day.
Have YOU ever worked the line? Just curious.
I understand you feel that you're doing a service for people, and you are, but to say it's OEM production quality is not what I've seen.
I would be curious to see what the '99-02 Chevy truck fenders are like, the OEs are junk...cannot make a decent hood gap with what's currently being supplied.
We seldom return OEM sheetmetal for fitment...our biggest problem is transit damage. Our aftermarket sheetmetal return rate is non-existant because we seldom buy any, unless it's for a GEICO or Progressive insured.
I'm sure the aftermarket crash parts business will continue to improve, just as the import automobiles did over time, it just has a ways to go...and frankly, with SOME of the OEM service parts being supplied, the gap appears to be closing. Improvement is inevitable, especially as the OEs pare their service parts operations more and more. Many will have to look to the aftermarket to service an aging domestic fleet. There are junky OE parts, and there are junky aftermarket parts, I believe that people with the hands on experience will tell you that at this point the OE part has the advantage./size]
The preceding is my opinion, right or wrong. And for the record, I am an honest bodyman...I take pride in my work, do not take shortcuts, and am trying to mentor the young tech in our shop to avoid developing the "just get it out" attitude that seems prevelant in many techs in the industry.
