[Ok it’s a slightly used Honda Civic SI that I got back in March, 45,000 miles for a car 5 years old]
I much prefer blue, but hey it looked like a good deal for the mileage, but it’s a dull dishwater grey…
Around the same time I found out about wraps-instead of repainting the entire vehicle, they wrap it in a durable fabric, which has the main bonus of protecting your base paint job (if and when you, say, wish to sell it), but I got quoted $3500 for that (vs. $1000-1500 for a painting job), which of course doesn’t include the cost of removal down the road…
So, if I go the paint route…I know many places offer sealants and such. I also am aware that you may have to wait a specific period of time before you wax it (otherwise the paint may deteriorate).
I know I probably should steer wayyy clear of MAACO (esp. given their shitty local reviews I read this morning), so a more mom & pop place with a loyal and in the know clientele would likely be preferable. Looking at my other Google Maps results, we have “detailing” shops (which apparently-?-don’t actually paint anything), & collision shops (which may not be ideal when I want a straight and full paint job).
For the numbers you quoted, you could paint it now AND paint it when you sell it and it would still be cheaper than wrapping it, especially if it’s just to protect the paint.
I’ve seen wrapped cars (on TV anyways). I couldn’t justify paying more than double what it costs to paint it.
Is your car that much of a part of your identity, that you really need to repaint it? Why not just stick with the grey, and use the $1500-3500 as a fund to cover maintenance over the rest of the life of the car?
I know amusement parks that have wrapped their rides and people who have wrapped cars; unless you are going some super-cool custom design paint it. To do a wrap in a solid color just doesn’t make sense. Some people claim that there can be problems that develop under the wrap and cause body damage but as far as I have seen that is pretty much bunk. Rock salt and other problems aren’t less but they aren’t any worse.
A major cost component of a full repaint or wrap is the prep - removing or masking the parts that shouldn’t be painted, repairing dents, chips and rust. This is where the shops like Maaco fall down but if you do your own prep, I have found them to be masters in the actual painting. However, if you don’t remove the bugs on the hood, you can end up with painted bugs…
It is possible to wrap your own car with 3M vinyl, YouTube has videos that helped a buddy wrap his small car.
Since you were frugal enough to buy a used car and to compromise on the color, why would you want to be extravagant enough to repaint it? Why wouldn’t you just hold out for a new or used car that was in a color you like? Or just live with the color as it is.
I don’t think that a paint job from a body shop is quite going to match the quality of the paint job done at the factory.
Welp, it is. The issue was that the clutch was going on the trade-in, and it may have had no more than a month to go, and when they offered 2500 on it, I took it. Plus my budget was 20K, and I got the new one for 15K, so I still have several thousand to play with.
Coming from someone who painted his motorcycle like this
if it makes you feel good, do it. But seriously, rather than plain color I would go (and clearly have gone) nuts. I have seen some really dark and twisted graveyard/haunt wraps that would tempt me. But again, solid color I would paint.
