Posted on 03/01/2015 1:23:41 AM PST by lee martell
Let me be the first to say, I know very little about cars, their construction, their design and their maintenance. I'm also unfamiliar with typical costs of paint jobs. My former car, an old model Honda Civic, 4door had deteriorated. I knew it was time to get another car when a repairman told me "The trouble is that the Head Gasket is cracked', so that's why you hear the bubbling noise when you shut the engine off". "Oh!" says I. So I call Salvation Army to donate the car, get it out of my parking space and out of my life. This car had become a Money Sponge anyway.
Ten days later, I got another car for the time being, nothing fancy, but it gets me to work. It's an Acura 4door that looks quite a bit like my former ride. I feel blessed that I got another car so soon, but I do notice the hood and the roof look to be 'sunbaked'. The paint is peeling away in one large splotchy shape. I had hoped to change the color from dark green to white, just to give the old car a newer look. The mechanic I got my cars from says he may know someone in Santa Rosa who can paint my car for $650. maybe. I was all set to reject that as too far from Marin County and far too expensive. Then he said, "Well Lee, the other places would typically run you about $1200. or more, so you may want to take this Santa Rosa guy's number."
The mechanic further explained. "Painting cars has become much more expensive over the last few years mainly because of all the environmental restrictions that now have to be met." He named two friends who used to have spray rooms, but have gone out of business, because they couldn't afford to moderize their facilities. You know, I'm starting to like this Dark Green anyway. I think I'll keep "Old Rusty" the way it already looks. At least for now. Maybe I'll get a nice tax return before Easter, then, I'll do it.
You don't know the right people, buying is a relative term.
Whatever happened to “Any Car, Any Color, $29.95”?
I guess you have to be old enough to remember that.
Old like me, remembering that one!
Flood damaged, after Sandy on the East Coast was a problem.
Look at the DYC or “dip your car” videos on youtube for another option. Save dollars and time and have a different look.
I was told doing a GOOD paint job on my Miata would run $7000. Just getting paint to cover the outside would be much less.
Yeah, if the door jams, engine bay etc. need to be painted. I could see that. With a top-notched job they also strip your car of everything like hood bumpers headlights and so on.
I think the idea was that a $7000 paint job would make my 10 year old Miata look new...so stripping down everything and then painting in bright yellow instead of silver. In the end, I gave it to my 30 year old daughter instead. I still think bright yellow would be a great color for a Miata.
The mechanic I got my cars from says he may know someone who can paint my car for $650.
R. Brush is well known in Santa Rosa.
Hehe, I actually saw a guy paint his mid 60’s Continental(this was about 1970 or so) with water based exterior semi gloss latex with one of those airless spray guns that runs on 110 volt. Believe it or not the thing came out darn good.
R. Brush would be a great Trade Name if that’s not his real name. I may check it out. I don’t want to do it myself.
To be honest, it looks like too much work for an amateur like me, if I want it done asap. Plus all the equipment I’d need to purchase, and the facility I may have to rent, because my apartment manager frowns upon doing painting or loud body work in the shared parking lots.
$1200 strikes me as low, especially if there’s a color change involved. Would probably be a quicky job with corners cut on the prep. I’d probably either spend more and get a better job done or just drive the car as-is.
You can save a lot of that if you do your own prep, then shop around for someone to do the paint work.
For a serviceable older car with paint problems, you need to protect any exposed sheet metal. Sand, prime and blend in matching paint in the problem areas and don’t worry about the rest. You’ll end up putting more into a quality respray than the car is likely worth.
Unless you are very handy, a first DIY paint job would likely turn out somewhere between marginally acceptable and a total disaster.
“I was all set to reject that as too far from Marin County and far too expensive. “
A half hour drive is too far? Besides any reason is a good reason to get out of Marin County.
Yeah, I agree. Just do some touch ups, maybe, and drive the car. Not worth sinking money into an old Acura.
Perhaps there is a used yellow one for sale in your neck of the woods.
1 Day paint did my 1992 Honda Accord for about $800 around 2004. The paint outlasted the car as I sold it in 2014.
My 2003 Honda Accord paint looks good but I can see a paint job in it’s future. I checked around and the $1,200 was the price I kept seeing.
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