After Cobra Reck by Body Shop: Have them paint the whole car?

[TopRacer]

Just wondering of you opinion to have the body shop paint the whole car since I am keeping it...

If you haven't heard about my car, read it here:
http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19471

 

[bassin247]

If you have them paint the who car, you are going to have to worry about them taping off the door jams and a bunch of other areas of your car. Possibly leaving a high spot.

I would have them paint just the affected areas and buff the whole car.

 

[Elapidae]

I agree..

Just have them paint the replacement parts. It's true that yellow is hard to match but that mainly applies to cars that are a little older. Your car is new so it should match perfectly.

 

[C_Record]

Re: I agree..

Originally posted by Elapidae
Just have them paint the replacement parts. It's true that yellow is hard to match but that mainly applies to cars that are a little older. Your car is new so it should match perfectly.

Just because his car is new, it doesn't mean the repaint will match. That has to do with the brand of paint used and how close the formula is to the original. I agree though, he should only have them paint just the parts which need it. The less repaint, the better.

 

[SVTVenom]

Man, that sucks. You would think with all the technology we have today, that paint matching wouldn't be anything, but I guess not. I'd try and just get the stuff that is messed up painted. Hopefully they can get an exact or close to exact match and you won't know the difference. Good luck.

 

[byevette]

An ex-girlfriend once keyed my '98...I had the car totally repainted and it looked like new.

Now, I understand that your car is new...but I would have them repaint the whole car. You never know, one day you may notice two different shades. The easy solution, IMO, is to have the car completely repainted. Good luck.

:beer:

 

[Will's97]

Ford paint is crap. Get them to paint the car with some good PPG paint and lay on the clear. Have them buff out all the orange peel and give you a paint job that car really deserves. I had to paint my 97 because of acid rain spots and the new paint is so much tougher and boy does it shine. When I put my 97 next to the 03 it really makes the 03 paint look bad. You won't be missing the old paint job if they do a good job.

 

[Lomancobra]

Ford dented my car when i brought it in for service. They paid for the body work and they did all the work at the dealership. They painted my whole door, and it came it great. I think you will be fine matching the paint if that is your concern, the car is brand new.

 

[TopRacer]

The guy stated to me that they do not do any taping off...only where the taping is needed and where the body panel will not come off...

 

[TxSnake]

If it were mine, I would only have them paint the damaged area. Anyway, good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[TopRacer]

50/50 i cannot stand it...

 

[f4sfed]

I'm gonna say paint the whole car (just remember, that I don't know body work - AT ALL). Mainly because I agree with the post about having them do some extra coats, as well as some extra coats of clear. My paint (and others) chips down to metal EXTREMELY easily. I've already got two huge paint chips, and it's not where my invinca-shield covers.

 

[Black Cobra]

I sure hope they're putting alot of cash in your pockets to boot.

Personally, I would have demanded a new car. Short of a new car, they would have to repair the damage to my satisfaction, paint the entire car, give me a 70,000 mile drive train warranty in addition to the 36/36,000 bumper to bumper, and put $15,000 in my pocket.

The repair is a no brainer, the 70,000 mile drive train warranty is to cover any unforseen damage or shortened life you may have to your drive train. This cost Ford nothing if you never have to call it into play. But you are covered. The $15K is for loss of value.

 

[Mac03Cobra]

Paint the WHOLE CAR. If they prep it right, the only way anyone will tell it was repainted is because it will look SO MUCH better than a stock Ford job.

I'm about this close to putting a FLORIDA PRODUCE sticker on the side window of my 03. No flames to myself, but my 1990 T BIRD Super Coupe paint was AWESOME! No comparison to my 35K Mustang. What happened Ford? 13 years ago they did it right in the paint department!

Now if my 03 was even close to my Bird, I'd paint only the parts and hope they could do as good.

I miss the quality of that Bird. That car was like the Space Shuttle compared to the Cobra as far as accessaries and functionallity.
5, yes, 5 warning were given to signal you were low on gas.
Automatic head light dimmer. Lights in the friggin ash trays. Service light to tell you to pick up your dry cleaning. That car was the 03 Cobra of its time.

I'll stop here....

Mac...

 

[C_Record]

Originally posted by TopRacer
50/50 i cannot stand it...

I've been painting for more than 20 years. I wouldn't recommend having the whole car repainted because chances are the repaint will not last longer than a factory paint job. Exceptions are those where the body panels are stripped to bare metal. That in itself requires an extra level of expertise(and cost). Painting overtop of an existing paint job is just not going to last as long(the different paints expand and contract at different rates). So you'll minimize this risk by having the fewest parts of the car painted as you can get away with. And it's always best to have new parts installed in place of damaged ones(demand they install new body parts and not repair the damaged ones, i.e., no body filler). Your only real concern then is whether the painter can match the paint. Some body shops have accounts which restrict the brands the painters can use. They'll tell you what they use is the best. Don't trust anyone. You may want to call several Ford body shops or those who do newer Fords regularly and get some opinions before any work is done. It's well worth the effort in my opinion. And contrary to what a couple of guys said here, do not request extra coats of color and clear. Too much material is guaranteed to have problems!

 

[EasyMoney]

I would also demand a new car but if you are not going to get 1 just paint what you have to. :cryying:

 

[bassin247]

I was rearended 1 month after I got my cobra. They replaced the rear bumper and you can't tell they painted it. There are too many things they can screw up imho when they paint the whole car.

 

[bbcar]

rcogs-is right I also have been painting cars for a long time. I was the paint shop manager for Rays Corvettes here in St. Louis and also did warranty paint work for Feld Chevrolet also here in town. Automotive paint should never be to thick (mils) as if it is it will crack and or chip easily. you can contact any major automotive paint supply company and they can explain all this to you. By having them only paint the problem areas you should have little or no excess paint on your car. Another problem with them painting the whole car is when they wet sand the car prior to paint if they miss any areas or do not sand it enough the new paint will not adhere properly, and you will have a peeling problem. hope this helps make your desicion. Barry;-)

 

[Blade]

Be the first on your block with a Mystic 03!!

Seriously, I'd get opinions from reputable body shops where they do that for a living. I don't know which I would choose.

Good luck.

 

[pj951]

Another reformed auto painter painter here; I vote with the "less is more crowd", judging from the pictures, I expect they will blend the yellow base coat onto the tops of the fenders, then clear coat the front end.

That's clean and simple, just the front end.

Make sure the shop is using the premium line of clearcoat, paint manufacturers have economical "fast dry" versions of their clearcoat products, intended to boost profit margin, my experience is the economical products tend to be brittle, and have less chemical resistance.

Large production shops tend to use the most inexpensive stuff, but there are exceptions! Ask the painter what he has on his car. Good Luck.

edit: Do check the motor mounts and trans mount.


PJ