Getting a new car repainted in Los Angeles
February 1, 2008 9:55 PM Subscribe
I would like general advice on best practices for having a new car repainted, and specific tips on which shops in the Los Angeles area might do a good job.
After about a year of debate, I've decided my new car will be a Toyota Camry Solara. I love this car, barring one issue: it doesn't come in green. I want my car to be green, and I know how that sounds, and I am boringly responsible in all other areas of my life. Most people tell me that I shouldn't do this, as the resale value of a green Solara will be rock-bottom, but I plan on driving the car for a decade or so, and resale value isn't a consideration. However, I don't want to get scammed or regret a chipping, fading exterior in three years. My questions are:
- How much should I expect a quality (not car-show extreme, though) full-body paint job to run me?
- What questions should I ask of the paint shops?
- Is this something that can be done/should be done at a Toyota body shop?
- Is it a better idea to use a paint Toyota is currently using on its cars, or would I be fine with, say, a re-created classic Mercedes green (bottom right)?
- Is there any shade/type of green that's better for a repaint? (i.e., are metallics longer-wearing than forest greens, etc)
- The Solara comes in red, black, light blue, silver, white and dark grey. Would any of these original colors have an impact (positive or negative) on the repainting process?
And if you have any other advice, or know of a good paint shop in or around Los Angeles, I would love to hear it.
After about a year of debate, I've decided my new car will be a Toyota Camry Solara. I love this car, barring one issue: it doesn't come in green. I want my car to be green, and I know how that sounds, and I am boringly responsible in all other areas of my life. Most people tell me that I shouldn't do this, as the resale value of a green Solara will be rock-bottom, but I plan on driving the car for a decade or so, and resale value isn't a consideration. However, I don't want to get scammed or regret a chipping, fading exterior in three years. My questions are:
- How much should I expect a quality (not car-show extreme, though) full-body paint job to run me?
- What questions should I ask of the paint shops?
- Is this something that can be done/should be done at a Toyota body shop?
- Is it a better idea to use a paint Toyota is currently using on its cars, or would I be fine with, say, a re-created classic Mercedes green (bottom right)?
- Is there any shade/type of green that's better for a repaint? (i.e., are metallics longer-wearing than forest greens, etc)
- The Solara comes in red, black, light blue, silver, white and dark grey. Would any of these original colors have an impact (positive or negative) on the repainting process?
And if you have any other advice, or know of a good paint shop in or around Los Angeles, I would love to hear it.
Unless you're willing to shell out half what that car costs, don't bother. It's just not worth it.
posted by sanka at 10:26 PM on February 1, 2008
posted by sanka at 10:26 PM on February 1, 2008
About 7 years ago, when I found myself buying another 'boring' silver car, my brother, who does auto body for a living, quickly dispelled my notion that it was easy or simple to repaint a whole car an entirely different color.
To do it right, so you don't see the old color when you open a door, pop the trunk, open the gas tank, pop the hood, etc... you'd have to disassemble the car and paint each part/panel, then reassemble the car. Even then, it's still not a guarantee and it's definitely going to be very expensive. You could do it the "easy" Maaco sort of way, spraying just the outside of the car, but you'd see the old color still and I can't imagine you'd be happy with that after buying a beautiful new Solara.
posted by jerseygirl at 11:16 PM on February 1, 2008
To do it right, so you don't see the old color when you open a door, pop the trunk, open the gas tank, pop the hood, etc... you'd have to disassemble the car and paint each part/panel, then reassemble the car. Even then, it's still not a guarantee and it's definitely going to be very expensive. You could do it the "easy" Maaco sort of way, spraying just the outside of the car, but you'd see the old color still and I can't imagine you'd be happy with that after buying a beautiful new Solara.
posted by jerseygirl at 11:16 PM on February 1, 2008
Response by poster: I guess I could have addressed this in my post: if know enough about painting cars to tell me it's not worth it because it's going to cost around $10k (which is a ballpark I've heard from someone else), I would love to get your advice on what, exactly, makes a $10k paint job better than, say, a $5k one (I'm sure it is substantially better, but it may include extras I don't need--or, heck, don't know I do need!). But I will pay what I have to pay to get the quality I want, as it's worth it to me. Everyone has their Everest, this is mine!
posted by tyrantkitty at 11:17 PM on February 1, 2008
posted by tyrantkitty at 11:17 PM on February 1, 2008
Correct preparation is the key (and major part of expense) to painting.
Your best choice is to buy the white car, so as not to interfere with your green hue.
But for $10-12K:
1. I'd be surprised if you couldn't get the car custom painted to a Toyota green at the factory.
(Many car manufacturers take custom orders, I don't know about Toyota. And the wait would take several months or more).
2. Sure, Camrys are reliable & durable, but you could buy a nicer car for that extra cash...(do you like BMW or Infinti greens?).
posted by artdrectr at 11:47 PM on February 1, 2008
Your best choice is to buy the white car, so as not to interfere with your green hue.
But for $10-12K:
1. I'd be surprised if you couldn't get the car custom painted to a Toyota green at the factory.
(Many car manufacturers take custom orders, I don't know about Toyota. And the wait would take several months or more).
2. Sure, Camrys are reliable & durable, but you could buy a nicer car for that extra cash...(do you like BMW or Infinti greens?).
posted by artdrectr at 11:47 PM on February 1, 2008
Response by poster: Thanks, artdrectr--I really appreciate your tips. I would definitely consider a factory Toyota job worth the premium cost, so I'll ask specifically about that. The last dealer I went to just flat-out wouldn't discuss it with me, and started trying to push me into a green Prius.
And initially the Solara wasn't even on my short list--I was looking at buying a used (3 years old or so) luxury car, in fact--but I tried it on for size one day and it fit perfectly. And I'm a tall girl (almost 6') with long legs, and sometimes I wear heels, so having enough legroom for once in my life sold me right then and there. Even in all the other higher-end cars I'd tried, legroom was limited.
(This whole experience has made me realize how lucky I was when I got my Echo in 2000 [yes, that's right--eight-year-old-echo drivers represent!]--it is some marvel of architectural engineering that it has just as much legroom for the driver as several other, larger cars I've tried. It actually has more legroom than the Prius.)
posted by tyrantkitty at 12:13 AM on February 2, 2008
And initially the Solara wasn't even on my short list--I was looking at buying a used (3 years old or so) luxury car, in fact--but I tried it on for size one day and it fit perfectly. And I'm a tall girl (almost 6') with long legs, and sometimes I wear heels, so having enough legroom for once in my life sold me right then and there. Even in all the other higher-end cars I'd tried, legroom was limited.
(This whole experience has made me realize how lucky I was when I got my Echo in 2000 [yes, that's right--eight-year-old-echo drivers represent!]--it is some marvel of architectural engineering that it has just as much legroom for the driver as several other, larger cars I've tried. It actually has more legroom than the Prius.)
posted by tyrantkitty at 12:13 AM on February 2, 2008
Specialty Car Craft in LA does fantastic work, but they're expensive. If you're convinced that your car must be green, they'll make it happen.
posted by foodgeek at 8:04 AM on February 2, 2008
posted by foodgeek at 8:04 AM on February 2, 2008
« Older mariachi band needed in los angeles | What kind of fun can two people have at the park? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by legotech at 10:18 PM on February 1, 2008