In the next few months I plan to have my car painted black at a paint shop (but I haven't looked for any good shops around here). When it comes to my car, I get ancy about leaving my car with anybody but a true professional for stuff like this. What kind of hell have any of you had to go through with messed up paint jobs? What kind of things should I be aware of, or look out for? Is there a common problem that paint shops have with thirdgens?


thx

 

when shopping for a good paint shop there a few things to pay attention too. first, look for a clean shop. the way a shop that is all dirty proberbly dont pay attention to detail. Also, look at other jobs that are close to being done in the shop take a look at a car that has already been painted and see how it came out. Look for oversparay or runs. Ask the shop what processes they use from beginning to end. if you are picky about what gets done to your car then dont go to a shop that promises to get it done by a certain date, dont go to the shop that is the cheapest either. Painting your car is a big step. take the time and make the right desision that you are 100% sure about.
also, ask the shop if they remove anything before paint to eliminate edges on the paint. if they dont then you can and should remove as much as wpossible before you take it there. I took my car and I had everything of of it. take of the ground FX, wing, grill, antenna, lights, door handle and lock, gas cap, emblems, etc. you always see paint start to chip off the top of the ground FX on repainted cars because no one wants to bent down and sand that area. plus its an edge. if oy uhave anymore ??? just ask, I use to do body work for a while.

 

alot of shops can be decieving cause they have a tendency of hiding hack jobs. kinda don't want people to know they do em'. Just ask around, they're not all bad. alot of shops around here the painters have degrees and experience and nobody fresh out of college gets to paint cars, unless it's a small shop that has the guys name in it (e.g. greg's auto body, randy's dent tech) and you can just tell them you want every piece painted separate xcept for like the hood and fenders and possibly bumpercovers.

 

Not really true, my shop is not the cleanest, nor the biggest, but it doesnt mean that we dont pay attention to detail and do good work, actually we do some great work, the owner right now, he learned to paint from his dad, who started the business, and he was the best in the business, how do i know that, because when they invented Metal Flake for paints, they came to him, and gave him teh product and a car, and said find a way to get the car painted in this, and left. A little while later, metal flake paintjobs were invented.

The only thing that matters about a shop is the people that work in it, you can have the nicest cleanest shop, all teh tools u will ever need, and have some assweed using them, and the job will come out ****ty, for sure.

All you need is some guys who know what they doing, and with minimal equipment, tehy will do show stoppin paintjobs....

 

Thanks for the replies.


OK so are you saying I should remove the spoiler, and GFX etc. so that they may be painted off the car? And what if I want the engine bay to match the exterior? Will they paint the engine bay also?

 

they will paintanything you want them to paint as long as you have mobey. Painting the engine compartment is a PITA. zyou have to take everything out if you want it to look good.

 

you don't have to remove the stuff yourself, the shop'll do that for you. + it's easier to drive it in all in one piece.

charged350; I didn't mean literally ALL small shops are retarted. just the ones are around my town, lol. and that's pretty cool you know somebody that revolutionized paint finishes.

 

I never had the pleasure of meeting Charlie, he passed away in 2001 i believe, but hes the one that Charlie Junior, my boss, got his painting skills from, and man, this guy can paint, wait till you see the paint hes gonna lay down on my IROC..

 

Too bad you live in SoCal. My bro owns a body shop, and he does awesome work. He's painted several cars that compete in car shows and will only come to him when they need something. At least I won't have to look for a shop.