Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Is getting my car painted worth it?

I have a Red 2001 dodge stratus, and I hate the color. I was thinking about going to a shop and getting it painted black, grey, or pearl white. Is that a safe choice for me? Because I dont want my paint chipping down the road. How much do you think it will cost?Is getting my car painted worth it?
You would probably be better off (financially) selling it and buying a car the color you want.Is getting my car painted worth it?
Your new paint will chip and you will see the color it was originally through the chips. The only way to do it correctly is to sandblast the body, reprime it and then paint it new color. You wont find a shop to do a quality job for under $2500, which is more than the value of the car. If your not happy with the color of the car, sell it and buy something that you like. You will never recover the cost of the paint job, and a poorly done paint job will cost you in depreciation even more.
Professional painting is definitely worth it, however, you must insure that they paint the inside of the doors and engine bay so it will match completely. It's totally worth it, because at the end of the layer process, the paint is sealed with several more layers of clear coat that keep it from chipping and offer protection against the sun. Your car will be fresh with a new paint job!





Different shops give different quotes, but a safe bet is upwards of $800 for a quality job.
Get a $800-$1000 paint job and don't worry about a couple of future paint chips. The car will likely last you another 4-5 years; and with a semi-decently done new paint job it will look good for at least 3-4 of those years. If you could afford to get a $2500 paint job, then you probably could afford to sell it and get another car; but that's highly unlikely.

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