Jay Walter Automotive
Jay Walton Automotive has set the standard in collision
repair in Albuquerque, New Mexico for more than 30
years. As one of the nation’s exclusive NAPA Collision
Care Centers, it’s an automotive repair center that has
built its business on quality and integrity. This is
evidenced by the fact that Jay Walton Automotive was the
first auto repair shop in New Mexico to become an AAA
approved shop way back in 1991.
Among the accolades awarded to Jay Walton Automotive is
an ICAR Gold Class standard – a level that perhaps just
10 percent of body shops in the country have achieved.
The shop has been honored with the Super Service Award
from Angie’s List®. It also boasts of utilizing only
ASE certified technicians – something its principal
owner saw as very reassuring to customers – both repeat
and new.
“Jay Walton Automotive is a full service auto repair
facility serving the Albuquerque area for over 30 years.
We are a family-owned and operated business that is
committed to excellence and customer satisfaction,” says
Randy Luce, owner of Jay Walton Automotive. “Our repair
facility strives to exceed customer expectations and our
customer reviews prove it, being awarded the Autochex
Premier Achiever in Customer Satisfaction for three
consecutive years.
Customers appreciate that Jay Walton Automotive offers
the NAPA “Peace of Mind” warranty. This covers parts and
labor on qualifying repairs and services for 24
months/24,000 miles. But since Jay Walton Automotive
also provides its true Commitment to Excellence, this
includes a lifetime warranty on all paint work. The shop
is able to do this because it features a
state-of-the-art computerized paint booth and color
matching capabilities, which include in-house tinting
and paint mixing. And for almost 15 years, the shop has
used NAPA genuine parts and Martin Senour automotive
finishes.
Luce notes in using Martin Senour, “We use the brand’s
‘greenest and cleanest’ paint available for our
customers’ vehicles. It meets the strictest North
American VOC (volatile organic compounds) standards; in
this case, we use its VORTEX® waterborne basecoat. This
is especially suited for high-volume collision centers
like ours that specialize in high-quality repairs and
refinishing that have to meet these regulations.”
But Jay Walton Automotive isn’t just about quality
repairs; it’s about quality customer service as well.
“Whether your vehicle has major damage or whether it is
minor, our collision and mechanical repair teams
understand the stress of not having your vehicle,”
points out Luce. “Working directly with your insurance
company and arranging for your rental car pick-up are
just a couple of ways that Jay Walton Automotive helps
to reduce stress.”
A Look at the Shop’s History:
The history of auto repair at Jay Walton Automotive’s
Central Ave location in Albuquerque goes back to 1967
with a business called Auto Repair Service. Ironically,
Randy Luce started work there in 1972 as a teenager.
During this time, eventual owner Jay Walton was starting
his career in the automotive field with Chevron Oil
Company as a service representative. In 1974 he opened
his first service station in Albuquerque, adding two
more soon thereafter.
In 1982, Jay purchased Auto Repair Service and renamed
it Jay Walton Automotive. He brought with him his
commitment to excellence and soon expanded to a
full-service repair facility. After hiring Randy Luce to
work with him, Jay noticed Randy shared his commitment
to excellence and promoted him to be his general
manager. Randy served in that capacity for more than
twenty years.
When Jay retired in 2007, he sold his business to Randy
and his wife Sandi. In honor of Jay’s legacy, Randy and
Sandi decided to maintain the shop’s name and they
continue the commitment to excellence established by
Jay.
In addition to providing their customers with
full-service car care and complete collision repair
services, Jay Walton Automotive has a full service
custom shop. Luce Customs does everything from show
quality paint jobs to complete custom builds and
restoration, including fabrication and mechanical.
Randy’s son, Caleb, runs the custom shop and is now in
the process of creating a show quality re-build of a
1964 classic Ford Thunderbird. This will be a
pro-touring car with extensive modifications. Ironically
named “the Dir-T-bird,” it will be unveiled in the
NAPA/Martin Senour booth at the 2015 SEMA Show in Las
Vegas this November.
In summing up the mission of Jay Walton Automotive,
Randy Luce notes “Our one stop repair facility will get
you back on the road in the shortest amount of time
possible. We are a family-owned and operated business
that is committed to excellence and customer
satisfaction.”
Jay Walton Automotive strives to exceed customer
expectations … and its extensive collection of customer
reviews proves it.
To learn more about Jay Walton Automotive, please visit
their website at
JayWaltonAuto.com