Follow @PalisadianPostLasky Coachworks was established in 1978 by Marc and Monique Lasky, who today live in Pacific Palisades. They grew their business into one of the largest car-repair shops in West Los Angeles with 34 workers, until deciding to downsize in 2007. Unlike numerous companies beginning to feel the economic downturn, Lasky Coachworks was thriving. The downsizing decision was about providing ‘fine repairs,’ Lasky said. ‘I like doing good repairs and I wasn’t getting the quality I wanted. Now I can keep my eye on everything. ’I want to be the Tiffany’s of coachworks,’ he said, ‘rather than the Zale’s.’ Quality and attention to detail is what this company is all about, and that became obvious as a Palisadian-Post reporter watched Lasky paint a side-view mirror last Thursday at his shop located at 2241 Federal Avenue, just off Olympic. A white mirror had been knocked off an Infiniti and had been brought to Lasky for repair. The cracked mirror had been replaced, but the piece that framed it needed to be repainted. That is not as simple as it sounds. Lasky not only demonstrated his artistic talent’he majored in Art at Cal State Northridge’he displayed a chemist’s touch as he mixed the appropriate chemicals and paint to match the color of the car. ’It’s definitely an art,’ said Lasky, who started with 5.4 grams of mixing base, added a small portion of liquid pearl paint, then a tad of Glasso paint #919 (a small can retails for $350) and then a little reducer. Glasso paint is the best in the market, he said, and used by BMW, Porsche and Mercedes factories. Once he had the proper formula, Lasky donned a fresh-air mask, which extended to his shoulders and was connected to ‘outside’ air via a tube, and entered a downspray ‘booth.’ The small, well-lit room is large enough for a car, and costs about $100,000 to build. ’This mask is important because you can’t be comfortable painting the car with the smell. It’s all you think about,’ Lasky said. ‘When you paint, you have to be cool, calm and collected.’ Lasky entered the closed booth and sprayed the mirror frame with a white coat of paint. Next he added a pearl coat, then a clear coat. Afterwards he explained, ‘You bake it at 136 degrees for 10 minutes and then anogther 10 minutes at 141 degrees.’ In addition to painting and repainting, Lasky Coachworks will repair everything from small scratches to damage from a major collision. ‘I once did $30,000 worth of repairs on a car worth $100,000,’ Lasky said. Other repair shops send work to Lasky, whose body man, Sarkis Dalayan, is well respected in the field. Another worker focuses on prepping, sanding, priming and masking a car before it is painted. A third worker specializes in detailing and the fourth is in the office, manning phones and working with estimates and insurance companies. On a typical day, there are eight to 10 cars in the shop, all with different repair needs. Lasky pointed out an example of metal finishing. ‘There was a big dent on this car. We pulled it out and filed it. It doesn’t require a filler, and now I just need to paint it.’ A graduate of Fairfax High School, Lasky said he has been interested in cars since he was 16. After college, he collected and bought antiques and repaired stained-glass windows before opening his own automotive repair shop in 1978. He married Monique Baron, a Palisadian, in 1983. She had attended Corpus Christi and St. Monica High School, then worked as an manager in a medical office in Beverly Hills before joining Lasky at the shop. She’s now a sales associate in the gift shop at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center. The couple has lived in the Palisades for 10 years and has two dogs, Sunshine (a Staffordshire bull terrier) and Dinky (a Chihuahua). Lasky is a member of the Palisades Chamber of Commerce and, just last Thursday, was inducted as a member of the board of directors. In his spare time, Lasky enjoys restoring vintage cars. His 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle convertible was featured in this year’s Chamber car show and can be seen in the upcoming Fourth of July parade, carrying a local celebrity. He has helped the parade committee by donating other cars over the years. Last week at the shop, a beautifully restored 1955 Ford pick-up truck had just been painted an appealing pewter color. ’I have received more than 100 awards at car shows,’ said Lasky, who pointed to a Command car he is currently working on, which looks like a large Jeep. ‘General George Patton rode around in this during World War II.’ Lasky Coachworks offers vehicle pick-up and delivery, early-bird customer pick-up and drop-off, shuttle service, assistance with insurance accident reports and estimate appointments outside regular hours. Call (310) 479-3223 or e-mail marc152@hotmail.com.
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