Paint recommendations?

It is not the paint that you gotta worry about. It is their painter's skill that you need to worry about. I have seen too many body work jobs and majority are crappy job.

It is not about whether they can color match your car if just a section needs to be done... this is where technology licked the problem.

Look at the jobs they finished, look for orange peal quality... if you see it, walk away from that shop.

If you need to paint the entire car... augh... this is where critical issues need to be addressed... all common rust spot areas need to be examined and treated. Otherwise, in 2 years, rust spot will appear under the new paint job.

Do NOT use Maaco, Earl stc... cheapo paint over shops. It is not the system doesn't work there... but rather that they do not do prep work... they just chemically washed the car.

So are you painting the whole car? What price range have you been quoted... what state are you in?

Thanks Tiger. It should be noted as a foregone conclusion that anyone who lays a hand on my car has already been vetted as a top shelf technician. I'm just wondering if insisting on a factory correct paint system (BASF or Sikkens)is worthwhile. I'm looking at a total repaint and all that it entails. I'm in the Seattle area and while I haven't found a shop that wants to do other than insurance work I've heard ballpark quotes in the $5000 neighborhood.

JD

Tiger wrote:

$5000 is insane price. Send me some pictures of your car so I can take a closer look to see if you really do need a paint job. I find that alot of car do NOT need paint job.

Glasurit is MB factory paint... Sikken I heard is really nice but is clearcoat type of paint... so there is a base color and clearcoat on the top.

$2500 to $3000 is the range you should be looking for... but I am still reluctant to spend that kind of money.

Where are you that $3000 is par for a total repaint? $5000 has been the average quote from any shop I'd trust my car to in Seattle. The clearcoat is as perfect as hours of machine polishing with the finest compound can make it. The basecoat however looks as though it went through a sandstorm. It's only glaringly apparent in bright sun; in overcast weather the car is gorgeous. From a functional standpoint I don't "need" a paint job. This basecoat failure isn't unheard of in this vintage car from what I've been told.

JD

Tiger wrote:

BTW, I still don't know if settling for something besides factory paint is right. Would you let a good painter use DuPont on *your* car?

JD wrote:

Well you may want to let Boeing do the job, ain't they looking for work?

There are a lot of good paints available to do the respray and just becoause its sprayed by MD in a German paint does not make it any better than other brands.

Going on your theory then you should be replacing your tyres with the original factory fitments. Guess your not.

PPG make a good two pack paint which maybe better than the original.

Speaking as former Boeing engineer, I'd take the car to Earl Scheib first. Besides, they don't need the work with their current backlog. As for PPG being "maybe better"; "maybe" isn't enough to convince me. Perhaps I'm being unduly influenced by MBCA types who are even more anal about such things than I but it is a big enough expense to warrant doing it absolutely right the first time.

JD

Classic MB like ours has no clearcoat. It is Glasurit paint used by MB.

From what you are talling me of the basecoat and assuming you still have factory paint on your car. It should be able to be polished. I know what you are talking about... it is dull looking now and fine sandpaper feel to it.

With a washed car, I would first start out with clay bar treatment... You can buy clay bar kit at any place... all under $20 a kit. Use car wash soap diluted if you run out of 'lubricant. Go over the entire car with it. No pressure needed... some light pressure and go over and over. This process takes one hour or less. Dry the car.

I would then use Fine Cut #2 and use the real randome orbital car polishing machine... like Griot Garage's machine (I have one). Go over the entire car and wipe off.

Then I would use Polishing #3 and go over the car with the machine and wope off.

I would use clay bar gain and wash the car.

Lastly, I would use Paint sealant or good car wax of your choice.

Let me know how it looks afterward.

My '92 definitely has a clearcoat and as far as I've been able to surmise it hasn't been previously repainted. I have the full complement of Griot's Garage products and have done the entire drill. What resulted is a flawless clearcoat with a scratched appearance in the color coat. More than a few painters and even the guys at Griot's have diagnosed it as a chemical failure of the base coat that wasn't uncommon before UV filters were added to clearcoats. Believe me, I had hoped to cure this problem without a repaint. The car doesn't look bad at all until you get close and can see the failed base. It even looks pretty good when there's no direct sun.

JD

Ahh... okay. I see.

I'd still like to know where I can get a good total repaint for $3000. It definitely isn't in the Seattle area.

JD

I had it done... but that was 8 years ago on my 380SE. My friend just had his car completely repainted but the guy was very friendly and has the same car and color... he was doing a two for one... His cost? $1700.

Overall was good job... only two door panels is where clearcoats are a bit thin and orange peel. Don't know what paint he used.

Raw material paint cost is around $500... so why does a shop need $4500 labor that they finish in 4 days if one guy take care of everything? 32 hours approximate in this hypothetical time... Make it 30 for easy calculation... so why are they getting paid $150 an hour? They sure don't pay their worker that much money...

To me, a proper complete paint job means removing all trim and windows and replacing the weather seals with new parts. One gallon of Glasurit is $600 x 3 (primer, base and clear). I'm guessing proper disassembly and prep could take 24 man hours, another 8 to lay down the base and clear then another 16 to reassemble. After paint and supplies of around $2000 that crunches out to about $62/hour which is on the low end of shop rates around here and that doesn't include whatever parts are replaced. Time was when some folks would take their cars across the border to British Columbia and get great paint work due to a favorable exchange rate.

JD

I have never seen anyone remove every single parts as you described... even my friend who used to run the body shop... even my another friend who runs a body shop doesn't quite do that way.

There was maybe one guy who I met did that... but he was old timer and does it only to his classic cars... real oldies cars... that he owns.

Phil's Finishing Touch (near Plant 2) does very good work. Should be in the $3-4K zone.

Have a think about the thickness of the paint build up - thick paint on body work tends to develop problems what ever brand you use.

OH BTW I used PPG Cobra and a two pack clear over the top.