There are plenty of paint shops across the Wasatch Front and pretty hit and miss about quality i'm sure. But really what are some things I should know? Yeah I can ask anyone to give me an estimate on my car. But in the long run I don't want my car to look like an orange peel because I didn't ask for something certain. Should I ask for a certain kind of paint or like what stage to take it to? Do I want it wetsanded all the way down to am I getting screwed over on how much they are charging me for paint. Walking into a reliable buisness what are some things you would ask ? thnx for any help.

 

I spoke to my paint guy and he claims that one of the most expensive things he has to buy is the clear coat...Other than the higher price, name brand clearcoat are more durable and obviously gives more protection...As far as appearance goes, a cheaper clear will look the same as a higher end clear coat but will cost significantly less...I would ask what kind of clearcoat he uses...

Also, I find that most paint place do not have a curing booth...So look for a place who has a curing booth and insulated place to paint...Usually a place with the proper high-tier equipment have a much better chance of doing a better job...

I notice most paint shops are notorious for not wet-sanding a car...Its very common around my area...Just make sure they throughly wetsand the car afterwards then properly compound and polish the paint...You shoulnd't have to do with overspray...Its not the proper way to do body work...

 

I worked in a paint shop years ago, and you absolutely have to have a really really good paint booth with alot of filtering so that no dirt, etc., falls into the paint while its still wet. You should ask about the clear, as has been said, and make sure you tell them you want enough on there so that they can completely wet sand it and then buff it out. This takes awhile, but the results if done right are astounding. They should be familiar with products like 3m Finesse-it II, and others. If they dont know what this is, it could be they are not very good. If they tell you they are going to use quality products, ask them which brands and how much a gallon ? You may not need this much, but it doesnt hurt to ask. You want quality name brand paint and clear if possible. Research this further to get some more information.
Back when I did it the biggies were Dupont and R/M for domestic iron, and other products from Germany for German cars, etc.. Now there are others like PPG, and I cant remember who else.. Ask the Dealer what brand of paint came on the Lexus to begin with.. Then you can compare this with what the shop/s tell you. Yes, if they can cure it in an oven booth, that would also be very good for the finish. Good shops have all this stuff but its very expensive. I think it's all worth it. Good luck with your project ! DanF

 

You should ask to inspect their shop. How clean is it? You should ask to inspect some recently completed work. How well did they color match the repair, and just as important, how well does the texture match. On metallics, how uniform is the metalflake and does it look like the original? Are their any holograms or swirls? Bring a bright xenon flashlight to inspect.

Are there any signs of overspray on the vehicles they worked on? Feel the paint on some of the car's they are about to deliver. Did they clay the entire car and polish prior to delivery? Do you see any flaws, runs or pits in their work?

Have you considered single-stage paint? If I were to have a vehicle completely repainted today, and it was a solid color, I'd use one of the new high-tech single stage paints. It looks better, is easier to maintain, and is just as hard and durable, IMO. Single stage finishes also don't show marring as much as BC/CC, especially on dark colors. Your vehicle looks to be a medium-dark red metallic. I'd not change the color as this entails way too much work to do properly and economically.

If you are having a total repaint there will likely be paint seams in and around the door sills, and trunk, hood areas. If you change color these areas will stand out. Ask about how they handle the blending of these seams so that they will be totally invisible.

Ask if they bag the tires and how they avoid paint overspray on them and other unintended areas. How much disassembly will be performed? How long will the repaint take them?

Ask them when is their slowest time. If you have the option, ask that your car be done during that time. Ask that their most experienced people work on your car. Make it clear that your are a perfectionist and nothing less than a show-car paint job will be acceptable.

 

Jambs, doors, door sills, hood, trunk, all sills, everywhere there was color, we had to prep, prime and paint it. It absolutely had to match..
Ask a million questions, if they get annoyed, perhaps they are not a good place to spend your money. The overspray thing is a big deal. We would mask everything, and still take some 0000 steel wool and carefully go over all the glass, look at all the rubber moldings, and make sure they had no paint on them. Had to be perfect. The entire inside of the car had to be cleaned out and left better than when it came in.
For everyone doing this amount of work, it was literally, like getting a new car, inside and out.. This is what you pay for and this is what you should expect. When you get the shop decision made, set their expectations with yours, make sure its all clear what you want and you know what they say they are going to give you. Ask them to measure how much paint is on your car now. If they have a good paint measuring tool, that alone is over $1k, so they might be a serious, professional shop. If they blow this off, then you have to ask yourself, what else are they going to blow off on my job ??
Good luck, you will find the right place, just be methodical, perhaps make an Excel Spread Sheet to help you keep track.. DanF

 

Oh this is some great info. thnx for the help so far. Really I plan on spending at least 1.5 K to get this done right. I've researched a couple shops so far. None really had any recent work on full body paint jobs. But really I would like to stay close to stock as possible. I think my paint code brings back Garnet red pearl. Understandable the pearl alone is probly going to kill me. I'm not set on oem paint cause hey I'm not rich lol. I'm def not going to play that hey my friend of a friend does good work game. So As what I've been reading Dupont is a good brand ? Does single stage actually have a reflection? I don't really like the look of a straight solid color. keep it comin if anyone can think of some more suggestions. an added note and I'm sure this is straight forward, having my AC kit painted off the car. Is that easier of harder for a painter? due to color match issues ?

 

IMHO, you are going to have a hard time getting a showcar quality paint job for $1500. I'd expect it would cost more like $3-$4k. Take some time to analyze the car and determine if it is worth that kind of investment. I'd estimate your 92 SC300 to be worth between $4,000 to $5,000, depending on condition and mileage. If you put a $3-4k paint job on it it may be worth as much as $6 - 7k. A lot depends on how much you like, and want to keep, the car. I repainted my 91 MR2 and wouldn't sell the car at any price. I used DuPont ss paint. Your Garnet Red Pearl is a three stage paint. Base Coat / Translucent Pearl / Clear Coat. This is a very difficult project for a painter to get right. The pearl is the issue. It has to be applied very evenly or it will look blotchy or cloudy. This takes a pretty skilled painter to do this correctly.

If you decide to go ahead with this full repaint, take a walk around the car and look at the trim and moldings. Now would be the time to replace these if they are starting to look shabby. Likely, after 16 years, they are beginning to show some degradation.

I'd also strongly suggest that if you change the color you will likely be disappointed. There are areas that just can't be painted without much labor and cost which you are not talking about spending. If you change color these areas around the doors, door sills, inside the hood and trunk, will be the original paint and will not look right.

Most painters would probably prefer to paint as much as possible disassembled. The paint shop however, would rather tape and spray because it is faster.

As to single-stage paint having a reflection...I think it has a better reflection than BC/CC. My 91 MR2 single-stage Super Red solid color.

 

I wasn't even looking for this info, but this information is incredible and will be bookmarked for future use. Great info

V

 

FWIW, I've been painting cars most of my adult life, on & off, and a good friend of mine as well, and he just finished painting one in July, and is currently wet sanding (colorsanding) the vehicle: the price of "show car" paint will stun you.

He spent about $1500 on MATERIALS ALONE. Top line paints, sealers etc.

Good shops will get $7K to $10K for what he did.

$1500 is a decent quality Maaco job.

To colorsand a car is near $500 or more alone.

All good advice here given by the others, but you must be realistic on pricing, and anything under $2k is still considered a "budget" job these days.


In the long run, if you ask many questions, are understanding of certain limitations, and willing to compromise where you feel you can (to save $$$) then you'll be in good shape and the car will look much better than currently.


Best wishes!

 

We also used alot of DuPont paint as much as possible. Only now and then had to get some R/M enamel for certain factory packs.

You did a beautiful job on your car. Thanks for sharing.

Perhaps the guy asking the question can do some of the work himself and save some money that way ?

Good luck with your project ! DanF

 

I can't say about Utah but for here in Cali, I don't think I would want to come close to a full body paint job for 1500. While my car was in for body work that was covered by the insurance company of the guy that hit me, I had the hood repainted. Dark blue and 90K miles even with a bra isn't a good looking result. I would have to look at the bill but I think I paid around 700 for the hood alone. There are two shops I will use in the SJ area and I have gotten to the point where I can tell their work on repairs from the organge peel. The areas they have done have a lot less orange peel than the factory paint on my 2k1 GS430 and my wife's 2k3 GS300, both of which have had some work done. With the modern formulations of paint, the orange peel is somewhat of a thorny issue but if the shop is good, you will easily equal or surpass the factory paint.

I wish I could help on questions, I am not sure I can think of many that you could really tell anything from the guy's answer. Of course looking at some of their work or getting some customer references would be a good idea but a good paint shop, like a detailer, has people that know what they are doing with quality materials. And they are worth every penny IMO.

 

So I should stay away from Earl Scheib.. "I'll paint any car for $99.95"?

These guys clearly know alot about the process...it may have already been said but get some personal references or viewing their finished products is key...maybe ask if you can see some before and after shots of work product. Always helps me I'm more a visual person them telling me what they do doesnt mean as much as them showing me the result.

 

Allot of good information here guys. Thanks.

 

good prep work, wetsanding, good material used, someone that knows what they are doing.