Time for a respray I think
 

A few years ago I was thinknig about getting the front end resprayed but was told by more than one...ahhhhhhh just wait till you can't stand it any more and THEN get it done. Well...I CANT take it any more!!! dammmmm it's fugly. And it's black...so every little chip sticks out like a sore thumb, and right now there's a TON of them. My plan is to get the front end painted (bumper, hood and fenders) and when the paint cures in a month or so get a clear bra put on so I don't have to do this again.

Any rough estimates of what it will cost? It will probably need a pretty good sanding to prep it for painting so the pits and chips won't show through. Everything else is fine...no repairs need to be made. Am I looking at 1-2K or 3-5 K...or more?

Anyone around KC know of a painter they would recommend? I'd talk to the dealer and see who they use but I've heard ups and downs about whoever it is from people who've gotten some touch ups and minor repairs done by them. I have talked to a couple of shops, but after visiting them, looking around the shops and talking for a while I wouldn't use them.

Any info would be appreciated

Thanks

Bob

I've done both.

In this neck of the woods where paint shop labor can be expensive, I paid a grand total of $250 for the respray after a minor brush with the back bumper of another car. There was a long gash acrros the top but it didn't damage the plastic at all. Just paint that had to be removed/sanded.

The clear bra I had as well. Excellent. The previous owner who only clocked 9K miles on the car had it done by dealer. Partial hood, full bumper, and partial fenders. I looked up the price list and holy cow did he pay a lot. Well over $1500. But of course that's the dealer where everything is twice or three times as expensive. I called a local shop about a quote after I had the bumper repainted and they quoted me $600. Which I still thought was kind of steep since I presume they'll do the job in less than two hours. The film on Ebay for a car of this size goes for about $200 or less. So $200 an hour labor is nearly twice what my Porsche mechanic with 30 years experience is charging for labor. I'm tempted to try and install it myself after doing a vinyl granite project on the kitchen counter of a rental property, tricky but doable.. looks just like the real thing for $100 and a heat gun. With the clear bra on the car since you use lubricated water and the film is pre-cut to the exact shape of the bumper I can't see how this isn't anymore than a trial an error thing.

Wow...250 for a bumper respray sounds like a heck of a deal. I hope I can find a reputable painter with those prices :)

I wasn't thinking of installing the bra myself, but your post may make me rethink that. hmmmmm maybe not...I just last night tried to put a clear protector on my phone and ruined the first one and the second one has bubbles in it that I can't get rid of. Maybe not such a good idea for me! LOL.

Excellent body shop in KC area
 

You might get a hold of Eveland Brothers in Shawnee. Excellent reputation on higher end autos.

Maybe not the cheapest price, but possibly the best in the area- worth a visit.

Eveland Bros. Collision Repair Center

Eveland Bros.
Collision Repair Center
7200 W. Frontage Rd. (72nd & I-35)
Shawnee Mission, Kansas 66203
Phone: 913 262 6050

I had chips in my bumper and hood. When I had it quoted about 4 years ago, 4 places were in the $400-500 range to do the front of the car. Makes you wonder why you would bother with the $1000-1500 clear bra, doesn't it?

I agree how hard can this be. I've watch the young man do it at the dealer, and trust me I wouldn't let him polish my car. I've put a reflective film on my windows in my house and it came out great.

Prices vary.

My 02 Arctic Silver S has the clear bra and it is worth its weight in gold. The car only has 12000 miles but that clear bra does its job. No dings or nicks of any kind. Not sure what the rich dude that owned the car for 10 years before me paid to have it put on but he only put 8700 miles on in all those years so i'm not sure why he needed it. His loss is my gain and it sure looks good on there. I highly recommend it but then I didn't pay for mine. Good luck with the respspray.

I was never a fan of clear bra either but now that I have it I see the logic. Unless it yellows over time it seems as if it will protect the nose over a period of years and return the value to the owner. Also, when perusing Excellence and looking at "Sloan overpriced old cars" it seems original paint is a nice hole card for resale.

Agree with you that on a new vehicle it makes sense, I just helped my mother purchase a new Lexus and the dealer installed clear bra was ~ $300 for nose, partial hood and mirrors which IMO was a decent value. For an older car in need of a respray you have to pay for the respray, wait months for the paint to cure then pay again for the clear bra and install. To each his own.......:cheers:

I'm with you there, if it ever gets painted in the front I would leave the paint alone after that.

Those chips are bugging me more and more. You were honest about them in your ad, but they seemed much less noticeable when I was embroiled in car lust. Now I see them a little easier. :-)

The bumper cover also seems to have some "crazing" in the paint, as if it was tapped pretty good at least once in the car's life.

I will probably have the bumper cover paint done at Queen City in Redmond in the next 6 months or so. I suspect they will be well over $400. I am also *sure* I won't be able to detect the repair.

The OP echoes my situation and sentiment. Black box, pitted bumper and hood... But I live in Houston and paint shops charge double what they do in the country.

I'm thinking of finding a quality shop a couple hours away to save $$$ and then do the clear bra thing myself.

The clear bra looks like one of those products worth paying to have done, I could see where the guy who did mine knew things learned from other work.

I kept putting it off, thinking I'd wait until it got worse. But then I decided it was nice to not have a perfect car to worry about. Now I've got a China Doll of a car and I'm more worried about the paint than ever.

The clear bra is well worth it even if you can respray for little money.
You just have to be smart about it and lot let someone hose you on price.
Or as I said before, simply take a shot at it yourself. Most car guy's are handy enough to pull this off.

Last month I picked up my mother's new car from the dealer and on the drive home.... Yep.... 2 chips dead center front of the hood.
The first errand in the car was to stop by another dealer to pick up a bottle of touch of paint and that looks like crap.
A pro detailer can do a better touch up job but how many times are you going to make a trip like that or have it resprayed? The clear bra keeps it looking new all the time. I wouldn't have a daily driven Porsche without one.

I had to have my wifes new oddysey fixed after someone rear ended us. I went to the shop to drop something off and was in my car. I have just a few little knicks, etc that drive me nuts as well. so while I was there I asked for a quote and was told for the Hood, front bumper, and sides up to around the gas filler area, all labor, new seals, putting everything back together...$1575. I was pretty pleased with that number and will eventually get it done. they are a reputable local shop owned by a guy who owns just about every dealership in the area...

I removed the nose to replace a cracked radiator and after giving it a close look, had it resprayed for $250. The color match was excellent and that was 4 years ago. Probably time to do it again.

I can't imagine any reputable paint shop doing a high quality re-spray on the front bumper for anything less than $800-$1000. Also, you'd be wasting your money if you didn't add the clear bra. That stuff is worth every penny if you want to preserve the paint.

And for anyone who hasn't done it, taking the bumper off is about a 20 minute job at the most.