i want a new paint job... Options

[tonytutino]

well i was wondering how much a decent paint job would cost at a body shop, just an average estimation or something, i've heard bad things about maaco so i dont know if i'd want to go there. but anything would be helpful, thanks!




(and for all of you experienced with painting, could we possibly strike up a deal if i provided the paint? )

[Bitter]

$2000-$5000 for something that gets close to OEM, and even then a good eye could tell it wasnt factory paint.

less if you dont paint the door jams, hood, trunk, ect.

[tonytutino]

lol you always answer my questions bitter :-p its funny.
yea my paint job now is wicked good, like weird parts in the trunk are painted... like where my jack goes. that'd be crazy to pay 5k for some paint... hell thats about waht i paid for my full car lol

[Bitter]

why do you want to paint it? just a color change or is the current paint damaged?

it'd be ALOT cheaper to try to restore the paint on there, buff it, polish it, clay bar it, do multiple layers of zaino, good wax, and just keep it clean. you could do all that yourself for under $200 in materials and tools. it would just take some time.

[tonytutino]

yea like nothing is wrong with it, but i'm just sick of it. and it sucks because its one hell of a visual upgrade, cost-wise anyway...

[JonMarkos]

I'm in the same boat you are tony, I decided to just paint the car myself though. I've read up on it a bunch and have a couple of body pieces I am going to be putting on the car that I am going to use to practice first. I would have gone with Bitter's suggestion and done my best to restore it but the paint is way beyond the restoration point. The clear coats flaking off, tree sap and bird poop have eaten through parts of it, and to top it all off last weekend I went to visit my mom for her birthday and it hails like a bastard so now my car is covered in dings, from headlight to taillights...atleast now my minds made up that I need to buy a garage .

[slvr_celica_GT_8...]

yea i was thinking of bringing mine to a bodyshop cuz two days ago i found a dent the size of a hubcap in my passenger side quarter pannel, i popped it out and it still loooks crappy, plus the whole car it self just has random scarthes and lil dents.

[115celi]

find out if there is a tech college near you that has an auto refinishing course. i had them fix a damaged fender on my prizm and they only charged my for parts and paint.

[Bitter]

yea like nothing is wrong with it, but i'm just sick of it. and it sucks because its one hell of a visual upgrade, cost-wise anyway...

expect to pay alot more than you think to make it look as good as OEM and stay looking as good as OEM. over a year the paint will finish settling and stuff will show through that you didnt see before.