Very close to getting car sprayed, need some advice.
Discussion
I'm almost ready to get the tuscan sprayed dependant on final price given and what happens with some money i'm owed.
Anyway
I want to pay a fair price for a good job, i have been given prices from 1k to 4k and dont really see whats going on.
This guy does work for Bmw and other car dealers, i have been told his standard of work is very good, he also is well aware, even saying himself i will want it perfect- which i do, i want it to look like a factory paintjob, not a blowover, i want deep gloss and no orangepeel or dodgy bits.
He hasn't given final price yet but he says it will be between 2.5-3k for a colour change. I would be doing some of the stripping down and he would be doing most of it.
I'm going to go to his shop to look at his work. What should i be looking for down there to make sure hes going to do a good job? i know he doesnt have an oven but does apparantly have a very nice booth which he told me he heats and leaves the car there for a couple of days.
There will be very little masking as the interior is completly stripped.
He will remove doors,boot lid, bonnet, scuttle, front pepperpot grille, i will have to arrange glass removal which i'm not sure how i'll do but i'm sure i'll sort something.
Existing fibreglass is good condition, theres a very small crack on the rear bumper area (about 2" long) and a couple of about .5" around boot badge. He seemed to sound perfectly confident in fixing these.
Anything i should ask? Look for?
I'd love to take it to power bodyshop or s&d but for one they are both miles away which will cause me grief plus their cost will be 4k which i just can;t see how it gets to that, i am happy to hear why though and maybe if things didnt work out with this guy i would entertain.
Next is to decide the colour, i'm 99% certain it will be either ibis white or merc diamond white, a nice glossy (essex
) white. But am open to suggestion, i did think about a nice baby blue i had seen but i do love (essex) white.
Anyway
I want to pay a fair price for a good job, i have been given prices from 1k to 4k and dont really see whats going on.
This guy does work for Bmw and other car dealers, i have been told his standard of work is very good, he also is well aware, even saying himself i will want it perfect- which i do, i want it to look like a factory paintjob, not a blowover, i want deep gloss and no orangepeel or dodgy bits.
He hasn't given final price yet but he says it will be between 2.5-3k for a colour change. I would be doing some of the stripping down and he would be doing most of it.
I'm going to go to his shop to look at his work. What should i be looking for down there to make sure hes going to do a good job? i know he doesnt have an oven but does apparantly have a very nice booth which he told me he heats and leaves the car there for a couple of days.
There will be very little masking as the interior is completly stripped.
He will remove doors,boot lid, bonnet, scuttle, front pepperpot grille, i will have to arrange glass removal which i'm not sure how i'll do but i'm sure i'll sort something.
Existing fibreglass is good condition, theres a very small crack on the rear bumper area (about 2" long) and a couple of about .5" around boot badge. He seemed to sound perfectly confident in fixing these.
Anything i should ask? Look for?
I'd love to take it to power bodyshop or s&d but for one they are both miles away which will cause me grief plus their cost will be 4k which i just can;t see how it gets to that, i am happy to hear why though and maybe if things didnt work out with this guy i would entertain.
Next is to decide the colour, i'm 99% certain it will be either ibis white or merc diamond white, a nice glossy (essex
) white. But am open to suggestion, i did think about a nice baby blue i had seen but i do love (essex) white.Edited by m3jappa on Monday 5th December 20:02
In a similar position with my S3,needs a respray after fitting a replacement bonnet and I want it to look good but whole car only worth 4 or 5K so its not having a 4K respray!
There do seem to be a lot of myths and mysteries about painting fibreglass. From what I've read his lack of an oven could be a good thing, I understand (but could be completely wrong) that micro-blistering can occur, or appear at a later time, if fibreglass gets too hot during the drying process?
There do seem to be a lot of myths and mysteries about painting fibreglass. From what I've read his lack of an oven could be a good thing, I understand (but could be completely wrong) that micro-blistering can occur, or appear at a later time, if fibreglass gets too hot during the drying process?
Make sure they have worked on Fibre Glass cars and know what they are doing on Fibre Glass, Some say its the same, but others dont, I live Norfolk near (very) a car factory! and would only want people who know how to sort Fibreglass spray my car. it was done 4 years ago (£2300) if it helps.
I've been through a handful of resprays (though being in the US, that's not the term typically used), and I've been around many others - like Ralph Lauren's Bugatti 57 and Count Trossi Mercedes SSK. The full-body restorations I've done or been involved with have had the goal of achieving a factory level of finish. The car has been completely apart - drivetrain out, glass out, electricals removed, interior/exterior trim, etc.
In the case of the couple of Lotuses, a Europa and an Elan, the bodies were off the car and completely stripped of paint. For refinishing the Elan, for every body part, the bottom/underside of the car, the original steel wheels, bumpers, etc., the cost was $15K USD. The person who did this work was the person who also did the body restoration work on the mentioned Lauren cars at Russel & Company. Premium price, premium work. WAY better than any Elan ever came out of the factory. The Europa was half this, even with much more body repair required. The final finish wasn't intended to be concours quality since the car was built as a track-only car, but it did come out quite well.
Miles Wilkins book on GRP repair is quite useful on how to do a GRP respray. The one thing folks doing a lot of metal paintwork may not consider is the use of a polyester sealing primer for GRP. I had a bit of pushback form the person who did my Elan to use this. He had experience with it and had legitimate issues with using. Consulting folks with more GRP finish experience convinced him to us the sealing primer.
I would say that the prices you're being quoted are quite fair. You know, typically the most expensive restoration feature of any car is the bodywork.
In the case of the couple of Lotuses, a Europa and an Elan, the bodies were off the car and completely stripped of paint. For refinishing the Elan, for every body part, the bottom/underside of the car, the original steel wheels, bumpers, etc., the cost was $15K USD. The person who did this work was the person who also did the body restoration work on the mentioned Lauren cars at Russel & Company. Premium price, premium work. WAY better than any Elan ever came out of the factory. The Europa was half this, even with much more body repair required. The final finish wasn't intended to be concours quality since the car was built as a track-only car, but it did come out quite well.
Miles Wilkins book on GRP repair is quite useful on how to do a GRP respray. The one thing folks doing a lot of metal paintwork may not consider is the use of a polyester sealing primer for GRP. I had a bit of pushback form the person who did my Elan to use this. He had experience with it and had legitimate issues with using. Consulting folks with more GRP finish experience convinced him to us the sealing primer.
I would say that the prices you're being quoted are quite fair. You know, typically the most expensive restoration feature of any car is the bodywork.
I had mine done, following a front end bump a few years ago that heavily scratched the wing and bonnet.
I can't help with the technicalities, these guys came highly recommended by a long serving TVR mechanic, and I trusted him therefore put my trust in them.
Approximately £2300 total.
But this was not stripped back to the GRP, then again it wasn't delivered 'bare' and needed full masking.
The car was transformed.
The finished job was vastly superior to the factory original.
Any owner of an original Rosso Pearlescent Red will understand that.
Even today, front end rock chipping excepted, it looks far better than it ever did from the factory.
The quoted price looks reasonable (or at least consistent) from my experience, providing it's properly done.
Good luck with it
I can't help with the technicalities, these guys came highly recommended by a long serving TVR mechanic, and I trusted him therefore put my trust in them.
Approximately £2300 total.
But this was not stripped back to the GRP, then again it wasn't delivered 'bare' and needed full masking.
The car was transformed.
The finished job was vastly superior to the factory original.
Any owner of an original Rosso Pearlescent Red will understand that.
Even today, front end rock chipping excepted, it looks far better than it ever did from the factory.
The quoted price looks reasonable (or at least consistent) from my experience, providing it's properly done.
Good luck with it
Jasper,
My Chim is about to go to my paint man to have a minor scrape on the front near side put right and the bonnet refinished after a slight "kiss" with the barriers at Snetterton. I will also be asking him to fix a minor "star burst" on the driver's door and mop the car over. My man is used to working on TVR's and Lotus' so understands the needs of fibreglass when performing repairs.
He is based in Basildon (Burnt Mills part) and you are more than welcome to see the car once it is finished (hopefully around 17th December) in case you want to get an opinion on your Tuscan.
My Chim is about to go to my paint man to have a minor scrape on the front near side put right and the bonnet refinished after a slight "kiss" with the barriers at Snetterton. I will also be asking him to fix a minor "star burst" on the driver's door and mop the car over. My man is used to working on TVR's and Lotus' so understands the needs of fibreglass when performing repairs.
He is based in Basildon (Burnt Mills part) and you are more than welcome to see the car once it is finished (hopefully around 17th December) in case you want to get an opinion on your Tuscan.
Thanks very much for the replies.
I think i knew i shouldn't get the local bloke to do it which is a shame as i quite liked how he came across, i just dont want problems down the roads if he makes (genuine honest) mistakes.
So today i have spoken to a couple of places and am almost at a decision as to where it will go. I have one more to call tomorrow and then i'll decide.
Now i'm going to make a poll on colour choice
I think i knew i shouldn't get the local bloke to do it which is a shame as i quite liked how he came across, i just dont want problems down the roads if he makes (genuine honest) mistakes.
So today i have spoken to a couple of places and am almost at a decision as to where it will go. I have one more to call tomorrow and then i'll decide.
Now i'm going to make a poll on colour choice
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