Iola Auto Body does repairs right

Service is key at Utley’s Iola Auto Body.
The business, at 324 N. State St., was started by Larry and Sharon Utley in 1974.
Larry is still there; his son Curtis and his wife, Amy, became business co-owners in 2006.
Curtis Utley noted that the business’s longevity attests to the quality of service provided.
Utley’s Iola Auto Body is an ASE-certified shop that specializes in complete body repair including frame straightening, wheel alignment, light mechanical and tune ups. The auto body shop does primarily insurance-funded repairs on vehicles, though “we do some custom and restoration work” as well, Utley said.
The shop also has “a large volume of auto body hardware” available to individuals or other shops that need it for repair work.
Iola Auto Body has an “S21 dedicated frame machine that can handle any car” — from small cars to one ton pickups — whether they are foreign or domestic models, Utley added. The auto body shop can also repair “big truck front ends,” Utley said.
And, “We’ve really gotten into suspension service since we’ve gotten into wheel alignment,” Utley said. So much so that tire shops send their cars to Utley’s for the computerized, laser alignments that the shop has been doing “for about 10 years now,” he said.
Suspension work includes struts, ball joints, shocks and tie rod ends, he said.
“We have all the up-to-date equipment,” Utley noted. “We have the specific tools needed for the jobs.”
Utley’s also custom mixes paint colors using a PPG Deltron 2000 base coat/clear coat system, Utley said. The computerized system allows for matching custom colors, he noted.
In addition to cars and trucks, Utley’s can also paint lawn furniture and doors for homes, he said. “We’ve even painted some tractors.”
Along with custom paint, Utleys also does spray in bed liners and fiberglass repair.
“If somebody bangs up a boat, we can fix that,” he said.
A full list of services is available at www.iolaautobody.com.
Utley’s Iola Auto Body supports local schools and is a member of the Iola Area Chamber of Commerce.
Hours are 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. They also have a secure key drop off for those who need to leave a vehicle outside of regular business hours.