Having a car painted

[Mojo]

I'm considering having my car repainted. I'm looking on some suggestions on where to go. Bear in mind, this has to be somewhat affordable, although I don't want the car to end up looking worse than before (that would be difficult though.) I've read that I can get a good discount by doing the prep work myself, so I suppose that would be ideal.

[GeneJackit]

I think to get it done right, you cant do it affordably. Also, avoid Maaco

[Mojo]

That's what people say, but I'm skeptical of taking that advice as it usually comes from car 'enthusiasts' who tend to be perfectionists when it comes to car appearance.

[Jojothemidget]

I think to get it done right, you cant do it affordably. Also, avoid Maaco

Maaco will fuck your car up...

If you want it done right go to a reputable body shop but do not use Maaco.

That Presidential paint job is cheap for a reason it's shit! Also they usually they don't mask the car very well so you will most likely get it back with all the weatherstripping painted over.

[Elesirdur]

Are you planning on repainting the car the same colour as it currently is? If so, it should be too hard. However, if you are planning on changing the colour of the car then get ready to a) pay a lot of money (ie, at least a couple thousand dollars) or, b) have a two-tone vehicle.

Paint shops may only do the exterior body panels when painting a vehicle for an economical price. The interior metal you can see, like the door jam and sills, engine bay, under hood, and trunk, doesn't typically get painted unless you are spending a good deal of cash. That may not bother you, but it's something to consider.

This is just my two cents, but unless this vehicle is one you are planning to keep for years or has excessive sentimental value, I would advise against repainting and save up for another car. However, if this is all the transport you can afford right now and you just want to have the car repainted in its original colour, then I think it's just a question of money. If a paint job that won't look as good as a factory-fresh car is acceptable for what you get quoted then go for it.

Nevertheless, taking the time to remove all the trim and wet sanding all the surfaces down with a coarse sandpaper (maybe 300 grit?) aught to save you quite a bit of money. Almost all the cost of a repaint job is in labour, so if you feel so inclined or able, then go ahead and do it to save some money. Ask the shop what they would recommend, but realize that they may make no guarantees of final quality since you did the prep work.

[Cadsuane]

Painting a car is less about painting than it is about sanding and priming. A thorough body job involves not just removal of trim, but removal of pretty much everything but the motor/drivetrain/suspension to prevent corrosion on floor plates, wheel wells and the like. That said, wet sanding off paint is crazy labour intensive (since it's a good idea to do it by hand) but doable for an amateur. Buy various grits and try not to bust through to bare steel, though if you do it's not the end of the world, just creates more work. Gonna second the other people who cautioned against cheap paint jobs though. Body panels aren't where you typically see bad corrosion, so retouching paint on them ends up being cosmetic more than preventative maintenance.

[richardd]

maako son (no im jk lol)

nvm fuck someone beat me to it


i went to a friend of the family and got a clear coat for about 400. i dont think thats too bad

[Heavencloud]

50$ paint job go!

http://www.clubcivic.com/board/showt...t=paint+roller

[CrosisX]

I remember a friend an i painted a car once with spray paint for like 20 bucks. Worst paintjob ever but it made his car unique.

[Lyn]

What's your budget like?

[*Shinzon*]

You really can't do the work yourself unless you are going to spend a long time preparing every portion of the car. Yeah you might be able to get something but unless you have the tools, time and patience to do it you might want to let a professional do it. Now if you're actually getting the car repainted and not just respraying it, any good shop will will charge a decent amount for the labor as mentioned above.

What kind of paint job are you looking to get first of all? A simple paint wont cost an incredible amount, and what you can also consider, is having the car wrapped, if you want maybe a flat black or flat white color. Wrapping can be just as expensive as paint though if you get a high quality wrap.

[Mansin]

Are you looking for an entire change of color? Or just the car to be repainted the same color?

Either way, avoid Maaco.

If you are looking for an entire color change, you're going to have to spend a lot. The engine bay, door jams, trunk jam, etc etc. will need to be repainted. You don't realize how many things are painted until you start stripping the car and sanding it.

If you are looking for just a respray/clear coat, this shouldn't be too much work or cost. You can do most of this prep work alone in a day or two sanding the visible areas and then take or tow it to whoever paints it.

With painting cars you get what you pay for.

[Trinsie]

Never got one painted myself and since this is a chain there may be a lot of haters.

However I had a friend who got his truck done at Earl Scheib for like $550 and it looks good to me and he loves it.