Auto Repair near Carstairs, AB

“Five stars without hesitation.

There’s a story behind this truck. My father bought this C10 new from GM in 1971 and drove it until the early 1980s. After that it became a fuel truck on our farm and saw a pretty hard life. I drove it in high school after my dad and I did our own farm-shop paint job, complete with plenty of Bondo. In 1998 I parked it in a shed when I left for university, and it stayed there until 2022.

When I pulled it out, I first had to clear out hundreds of dead mice. I revamped the drivetrain in 2022/23, and in 2024 decided the body finally deserved to be done properly.

I searched all over southern Alberta for a shop willing to take on an old C10 without turning it into a six-figure frame-off restoration. A well-known restoration shop in Crossfield verbally quoted me about triple what I ultimately paid Starfire. A large national paint and collision chain quoted around $15,000, but for a much more basic level of work and body repair.

In 2025 a friend’s father recommended Starfire. I met Dennis, who spent maybe 5–10 minutes looking over the truck, asked a few questions, and simply said “between 20 and 25.” No elaborate written estimate, no sales pitch, no deposit. Just an old-school handshake.

Our arrangement was that I wasn’t in a rush, so Dennis and Daniel at Starfire could work on the truck between more urgent collision and insurance jobs. Dennis also refused to take any money until the truck was completely finished.

They pulled the entire truck apart, replaced cab corners and rocker panels, straightened and realigned the body panels, installed new door hardware, deleted the original cab fuel-filler opening, and corrected decades of dents, waves, ripples and previous repairs.

Daniel is a true craftsman. The finished bodywork is absolutely flawless. The long bedsides are dead straight, the panel alignment is excellent, and the reflections in the paint show just how much work went into getting the body right. It genuinely looks like it could have just rolled off the factory floor.

When the job was finished in 2026, my total was under $25,000, right in the range Dennis gave me at the start. Given the amount of disassembly, metal work, bodywork, paint and reassembly involved, I consider that exceptional value.

This isn’t just an old truck to me. It’s the truck my dad bought new, the truck I grew up with and drove in high school, and one that spent more than two decades sitting in a farm shed waiting for another chance.

Dennis and Daniel at Starfire gave it that chance. I couldn’t be happier with the workmanship, the way I was treated, or the finished truck. Absolutely five stars.”

“Always a top notch experience. This place takes great care of my vehicles. Excellent service and quality work. They are trustworthy, knowledgeable and friendly. They deserve a 10 star status! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️”