Repainting a car

[OVerLoRDI]

I'm thinking about getting my car repainted. The car is a 1995 BMW 540i and currently it is black. Black cars look so nice when they are new and clean but at 12 years old all the scratches and so forth are getting to be extremely apparent... especially after someone let the cats in the garage I'm wondering what to expect cost wise for a repaint, I'm going to change the color probably to a dark blue or maybe silver but nothing two-tone. The car needs no body work, there is only one very small dent in the body on the roof, probably from a golf ball.

Cliffs
1. Black car, 12 years old.
2. Lots of scratches.
3. How much for a repaint.

 

[xSauronx]

give it the krylon touch?

 

[IGBT]

..black becomes a solar mass and makes the car hot. My next vehicle is going to be polar white to reflect the heat.

 

[mrSHEiK124]

1. Wash it real good.
2. Clay bar it. Twice for good measure.
3. Buy a Porter Cable orbital thingy, whatever they're called.
4. Use some insane polishes on the car, like some of 3Ms more expensive compounds, then seal with a good wax, like Meguiar's NXT or Zaino.
5. See if it still needs to be repainted

 

[zerocool84]

You are going to get different prices from different places. Take them your car and let them give you an estimate, which to the places I've taken my cars to, have been free. Oh and I would definitely change the color from black to anything else cus damn I hate it now that I have a black car.

 

[Kaido]

Are you willing to do it yourself?

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: mrSHEiK124
1. Wash it real good.
2. Clay bar it. Twice for good measure.
3. Buy a Porter Cable orbital thingy, whatever they're called.
4. Use some insane polishes on the car, like some of 3Ms more expensive compounds, then seal with a good wax, like Meguiar's NXT or Zaino.
5. See if it still needs to be repainted

OR, instead of spending all of that money and spending a ton of time trying to do it yourself, take it to a real detailing shop (not some guy who does detailing on the side) and see what they can do about the scratches. The Porter Cable polisher will cost you $150. Taking it to a detailer shouldn't cost much more, and it'll be done by a professional.

 

[mrSHEiK124]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: mrSHEiK124
1. Wash it real good.
2. Clay bar it. Twice for good measure.
3. Buy a Porter Cable orbital thingy, whatever they're called.
4. Use some insane polishes on the car, like some of 3Ms more expensive compounds, then seal with a good wax, like Meguiar's NXT or Zaino.
5. See if it still needs to be repainted

OR, instead of spending all of that money and spending a ton of time trying to do it yourself, take it to a real detailing shop (not some guy who does detailing on the side) and see what they can do about the scratches. The Porter Cable polisher will cost you $150. Taking it to a detailer shouldn't cost much more, and it'll be done by a professional.

Yeah, that works too

 

[JulesMaximus]

If you want a decent paint job it will cost you thousands of dollars. If you want a crappy paintjob that will last long enough for you to pawn the car off on someone stupid enough to buy a 12 year old BMW then it may cost you only a few hundred dollars.

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: OVerLoRDI
I'm thinking about getting my car repainted. The car is a 1995 BMW 540i and currently it is black. Black cars look so nice when they are new and clean but at 12 years old all the scratches and so forth are getting to be extremely apparent... especially after someone let the cats in the garage I'm wondering what to expect cost wise for a repaint, I'm going to change the color probably to a dark blue or maybe silver but nothing two-tone. The car needs no body work, there is only one very small dent in the body on the roof, probably from a golf ball.

Cliffs
1. Black car, 12 years old.
2. Lots of scratches.
3. How much for a repaint.

The first thing you need to do is get rid of those cats or they're just going to scratch up your new paintjob.

I was forced to solve a similar problem a while back with a neighborhood cat scratching my car.

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: 91TTZ

Originally posted by: OVerLoRDI
I'm thinking about getting my car repainted. The car is a 1995 BMW 540i and currently it is black. Black cars look so nice when they are new and clean but at 12 years old all the scratches and so forth are getting to be extremely apparent... especially after someone let the cats in the garage I'm wondering what to expect cost wise for a repaint, I'm going to change the color probably to a dark blue or maybe silver but nothing two-tone. The car needs no body work, there is only one very small dent in the body on the roof, probably from a golf ball.

Cliffs
1. Black car, 12 years old.
2. Lots of scratches.
3. How much for a repaint.

The first thing you need to do is get rid of those cats or they're just going to scratch up your new paintjob.

I was forced to solve a similar problem a while back with a neighborhood cat scratching my car.

Yea I know, my neighbors have a cat but I thought nothing of it until I recently found scratch marks all over my hood and front fenders!!! Damn it got me so pissed. Word to the wise........Never get a black car if you don't like to wash it once a week and wax it once a month.

 

[AgentJean]

12 year old car eh.

From what I've been told about the cost for a well done pait job, your better off buying a newer car

Expect several thousands dollars. Of couse you can always get the $299 Macco special

 

[zerocool84]

My sister went to Earl Scheib to get her car painted, It cost $1200 to paint it white, remove stickers on the roof/door panels and to fill in a hole on the roof. It came out really well. I was surprised for the price but remember, you get what you pay for, especially in a paint job.

 

[imported_weadjust]

It's cost alot more if you change colors. Have to paint the door jambs, trunk deck lid, etc.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: zerocool84

Originally posted by: 91TTZ

Originally posted by: OVerLoRDI
I'm thinking about getting my car repainted. The car is a 1995 BMW 540i and currently it is black. Black cars look so nice when they are new and clean but at 12 years old all the scratches and so forth are getting to be extremely apparent... especially after someone let the cats in the garage I'm wondering what to expect cost wise for a repaint, I'm going to change the color probably to a dark blue or maybe silver but nothing two-tone. The car needs no body work, there is only one very small dent in the body on the roof, probably from a golf ball.

Cliffs
1. Black car, 12 years old.
2. Lots of scratches.
3. How much for a repaint.

The first thing you need to do is get rid of those cats or they're just going to scratch up your new paintjob.

I was forced to solve a similar problem a while back with a neighborhood cat scratching my car.

Yea I know, my neighbors have a cat but I thought nothing of it until I recently found scratch marks all over my hood and front fenders!!! Damn it got me so pissed. Word to the wise........Never get a black car if you don't like to wash it once a week and wax it once a month.

Man up and make the neighbor pay for the paint job.

 

[OVerLoRDI]

Thanks for the input everyone, my family knows a good body shop where we often take my sisters car (4 accidents in one car.. she fails at driving) I'll go get a quote and go from there.

 

[Q]

Uh oh! Better get Maaco!

 

[M2008S]

Originally posted by: AgentJean
12 year old car eh.

From what I've been told about the cost for a well done pait job, your better off buying a newer car

Expect several thousands dollars. Of couse you can always get the $299 Macco special

:thumbsup:

 

[ponyo]

First class paint job will cost around the value of your current car. Best thing to do is just wash and wax your car regularly.

Next time, don't buy a black car. Black cars look great when it's new and clean but it's hell trying to keep clean. You'll see every swirl marks and dust and dirt. Plus it's like an oven in the summer. I learned my lesson with my black '94 BMW 325i. Haven't bought another black car since and have turned down several good deals on cars because it was black.

 

[EagleKeeper]

My ex-Son-In_Law had a black Probe.

I could not even sit in it 9 months out of the year, if it was not parked under the car port.

He had it repainted at Macco for $300 and it only looked good for about 6 months.

They repainted it a second time when we arrived in Nevada.

As others stated, the cheap paint jobs will not hold up.
They offer those as teaser, but you need the more expensive jobs that prep the car properly and seal the paint well.