Hey guyz if anyone can give me some advice on how to make my Gs300 look sharp n clean Just like new from the dealership i would be happy. My mom has reciently Fed up the front bumper but we got a new one,The problem is it doesnt fit in with my pearl white paintjob =(. I am planning on getting it all painted over again since some spots of the car's paint is getting chipped off. If anyone here has advice on how to save money/ Do it yourself thing Hook me up.




THX
TranceKid.

 

hmm im wondering same thing too, well actually im wondering how much itd cost to paint my car black.

 

I don't think you should be painting your own car unless you've had previous experience. It takes a lot of time and work in order to get a good clean coat onto your car. Little mistakes will show. Too much paint here and not enough there can really mess up the look on your car.

If you decide to paint your car, get it done professionally.

It also depends on how much you want to spend on your paintjob. You want to get a cheap but quick paintjob, there's always MAACO but I've heard some bad things about them. If you're just getting a paintjob to paint your car a different color and the look of it just has to be mediocre, then by all means, I think getting it done at MAACO may be the cheapest route. Unless you've got any hookups at any shops that you know.

Paintjobs will cost you anywhere from $1k to $5k. It really depends on the shop and the quality. You get what you pay for.

If you're serious about painting your car, you want to get it done right the first time. Try to shop around for the best price but not the cheapest. You want to get a well done paint job for a decent price.

 

I agree. if you're going to DIY, you need experience. Prep work is VERY important. Doing without care can lead to overspray, orange peel, etc. Definitely not a DIY'able thing. Not to mention, the hazard of doing it yourself. Not worth the risk.


You'll be glad you got it done professionally because if you mess up, you're going to pay more in the end to get it the way you want it.

 

My suggestion would be to do as much prep work as you can then have a pro lay down the paint. As long as you don't have any dents you should be able to prep the car. Remove the grill, wipers, etc. sand smooth the chipped area, mask pieces you don't want painted. Painting it yourself requires a sizable investment in proper tools, that you may only use one time, not to mention locating a dust free enviroment to paint in. My next suggestion is leave it all to the pros.

 

thanks brian, i was hoping it cost unde 5k.

 

save money and take it to the shop. painting is something you need much experience in. the spray gun has to be set right and you have to have the right size compressor, not to mention prep time which is one of the most important task next to painting. you also have to mix the paint and get the right reducers etc.. you have to spray in a certain pattern overlapping eachother then you get to the clear...trust me on this one. ive tried it and done it. to me, it was more work than anything ive ever done.

the last time i got a car painted, flawless costed me 3500 for just the outside and no door jam, no under hood, or trunk. if you were out here in cali, ican refer you to these guys.

 

please don't go to Maaco, they are the worst and I am speaking from experience. I paid $2000 to paint my jeep from white to black and it looks nice, but they lied to me. They told they were going to sand down the car and they never did, they just painted over it. Also I did the 5 year warranty and some of the paint is chipping and peelingand they told me that it has to do with regular weather conditions; since they are francished you can't complain to corporate either. Also, I have never been able to take my car to a car wash as the bristles are too harsh for the paint. Too much aggravation with Maaco!

Now if you are going to just paint a panel the same color that should be fine, cost is around $300 per part of the car, Just compare from different body shops and see if you can have any of them price match, etc....Never go to the first shop, like I did with Maaco!

 

You can easily find a shop to do it for under 5k. Just keep in mind the more you pay the more you get...Most of the time.

 

seriously. take it to a professional. i do auto body work for a living, and let me tell you, every little thing counts. the PREP work is MOST important. a good prep is all part of a good paint job. there's really nothing you can DIY to save money on a paintjob. and please don't primer/sand it yourself. i've seen way too many hondas and acuras come in with their "professional" primer work.

 

These guys are right, it's mostly in the prep and materials. Just taking all the window trim off of the GS is a serious job. On my car, we removed the interior door panels to access the exterior door handles, the lower cladding, all the glass, the headlights, taillights, bumpers, mirrors, etc. You can easily spend two days just taking the car apart.

For a same-color paint job, you can save by not painting the door jambs, but there is still a ton of trim to remove to do a 'factory'-looking' job. The car should be color-sanded & buffed prior to reassembly... again, time, and time=money.

As a reality check, I spent almost $2K on paint materials alone... at jobber cost!

The Lexus deserves better than a Maaco quality job. Do it right, or just paint the front bumper and have the rest of the car buffed & detailed. You'll eventually regret having a cheap job done!