A Volvo tipper truck outside the workshop

Truck, Bus & Heavy Vehicle Repairs Christchurch.

Cab resprays, full repaints, rust prep, panel work and fabrication. The 18m heated booth that fits buses end to end.

★★★★★ 4.9 starFamily run since 1999Insurance approved

Heavy vehicle owners across Canterbury have brought their trucks, buses, horse floats and farm machinery to Autobody & Glass Repairs since 1999. Our 18-metre heated spray booth was purpose-built for big units, end-to-end. Cab respray on a Hino freight unit. Full repaint and rust prep on a school bus before WOF. Horse float panel rebuild after a wind event. The vehicles that don't fit standard panel shop booths fit ours, and the workshop that built itself around big jobs has been doing them for 26 years.

Why most panel shops can't fit your truck

Heavy vehicles are a different job to a family car. Trucks and buses carry corrosion off Canterbury winter roads. Cab paint fades from years of sun on the open road. Side panels cop scrapes from depot turns. Tailgates lift, lose primer, and rust starts creeping. Buses sit through summer in carparks where the clear coat bakes off. Horse floats get knocked over in storms or scraped against fence posts. Older units arrive with rust holes in the cab corners and bonded panels that haven't been touched in 15 years.

Most Canterbury panel shops aren't set up to handle units this size. The booth's too small. The fabrication benches won't take a four-metre side panel. The paint mixing facility can't manage the volumes needed for a full bus respray. That's why operators end up freighting vehicles to Auckland or having them sit out of commission for weeks.

How we sort the units other shops won't take

Autobody & Glass Repairs has served Canterbury since 1999. Family run from one workshop in Belfast with an 18-metre heated spray booth built for the big units. Darryl Froom trained as a coachbuilder through New Zealand Railways. The trade that built passenger carriages still runs your bus respray or truck cab repaint today. Custom panel fabrication, factory colour-match paint mixed on site, every job in-house with no subcontracting out. We can also eye colour match.

Insurance work handled assessor-direct with AA, Vero, IAG, Tower, State and AMI. A full set of photos handed over with the invoice so you have a record of the repair. Servicing Belfast, Christchurch, Kaiapoi, Rangiora, Rolleston, Lincoln, Lyttelton, Halswell, Hornby, Riccarton, Papanui, North Canterbury and Mid Canterbury, plus heavy vehicle jobs from the wider New Zealand area.

Boat repairs and resprays

We handle boats too. Hull repaints, fibreglass repairs, trailer panel work. Same workshop, same factory colour-match approach. Drop in and we'll sort it.

Why Canterbury picks Autobody for heavy vehicles

Built for the big units.

18mIF IT FITS, WE PAINT IT
End-to-end booth
Cab to tail of a Hino freight unit. Bonnet to back of a charter bus. Horse float, trailer, farm machinery. The 18-metre heated booth was built for the big units other Canterbury shops can't fit.
See our work
40+BUSES ARE OUR DNA
Coachbuilt trade
Darryl trained as a coachbuilder through NZ Railways. The trade that built passenger carriages still runs your bus respray. Heavy vehicle work isn't a side service for us. It's what the workshop was built around.
Meet Darryl
0EVERY JOB IN-HOUSE
Jobs subcontracted
We know heavy vehicles don't earn while they sit. Fabrication, rust prep and factory colour-match paint all happen under one roof in Belfast, with a full set of photos handed over on the invoice.
How we work

A Dynes Transport Kenworth truck in blue and gold livery

HOW WE WORK

From depot to delivery.

Same process, every truck, bus and heavy unit that rolls in.

Get in touch
Call, text or send a photo of the damage. Cab respray, rust prep, full repaint or trailer work. We'll come back with a free quote, usually same day. No obligation. No hidden costs.
Free quote
You'll know what we're doing, what it'll cost and how long it'll take before we touch your vehicle. If your insurer is paying, we'll talk to AA, Vero, IAG, Tower, State or AMI directly. No middleman.
Drop it off
Drop the truck or bus in at a time that suits your run schedule. We'll walk you through the 18m booth and the plan before we start. You'll meet the team. Same hands on every job.
In the booth
Cab work, panel beating, custom fabrication, rust prep, factory colour-match paint. All in our Belfast workshop. No subcontracting. Full photo handover with the invoice when the job's done.
Final check
Every vehicle gets a full inspection before it leaves the workshop. Paint match, panel gaps, finish, weather seals. If it's not right, it doesn't go out.
Back on the road
Paperwork sorted, keys back to you. Insurance paperwork handled if it was a claim. Ready to earn again. Workmanship backed every time. If something's not right, we'll sort it.

Trusted across Canterbury

4.9Based on 22 Google reviews

Wow, what a team you are at Autobody & Glass Repairs. So impressed with the job you have done on the Pink8 roof. Looks incredible. Huge shout out to the team who were so professional, so kind and so darn efficient. Thanks for walking me through the repair process and for your guidance on angles. Extra thanks Liana for making Pink8 sparkle on the inside when we picked her up. Its great to know I have the best team to take care of my limos. You guys are Simply the best!! Thank you, thank you, thank you from Pink Limo
WendyPink Limo NZ
Facebook
Fast, professional, and high-quality work. The whole process was smooth and easy, and the repairs came out looking great. Would definitely recommend.
Naomi O'Brien
Had a few bumps and rubs tidied up on my car. The team(special mention Josh), did a fantastic job. Perfect colour match. Looks like new. Would definitely recommend.
Ian Coldicott
The team here did an amazing job on turning my plain food trailer into a showpiece. Great communication and attention to detail throughout the entire process. Highly recommend these guys for a top notch finish!!!
paul connolly
Darryl and the team did a great job dealing with my insurance company and getting my car back on the road after I'd been t-boned by a young, inexperienced driver. Got the job done. No hassles! Whether you've got a small car, a large commercial vehicle or a motorhome, they do it all.
Jennifer Kay Helms
Really great experience with this caravan repair service! The team were super friendly, easy to deal with, and did an awesome job. They kept me in the loop the whole time and made everything feel simple and stress-free. Definitely recommend!
Alana Hema