kyan

i'm a newbie and know nothing about paint job. how can u tell if a car's got a paint job? how can u tell if it's a good one or not? how much should i expect for a pro one?

thanx

BlueMaxx

If your car has paint on it, it has a paint job. If it's an Audi paint job, it's a good paint job.

paul_858

Well first off a cheap paint job, say 300 bucks will get you a few layers of cheap paint with very little prep work. Some masking and that's it. With expensive paint jobs, they usually end up taking apart a lot of your car to paint it correctly. Pro paint jobs they can paint your engine bay to match the rest of the car in case you're changing colors. If you're selling a car and want it to look decent, cheap paint job... if you're keeping a car and want to get it repainted... dish out the big bucks and get it done right. You won't get any overspray, and your car should match all around.

kyan

i need to learn how to tell if a car's got a good paint job or not. a friend of mine taught me about this but still i can't tell.

BlueMaxx

Look for overspray, quality of color, you can tell: if it looks expensive, it is expensive.

Koolgreen

A good paintjob is usually done by a facility with proper downdraft ventilation to maintain a sterile environment.
The painter uses name brand paints and has no problem spending the time to prep the car properly.
That may include removing all mouldings and minimal masking.
Anything that was previously painted should be roughened and prepped to be painted again.
To recognize a car which was professionally painted, look for overspray. ( or lack of it )
Check if the manufacturers labels are still on the inside of the hood.
A good dealer usually will replace all warning labels after a repair or paint job.
Wheel wells should be clean and not painted along with all suspension parts.
Look for runs and contamination, ie dust particles.
If it looks good it usually is good!
Take it to a good paint shop to get their opinion if you can!
Good Luck.

Skydive@AI

...but nobody mentioned that a cut rate paint job will be single stage, and won't stand up to sun and weather very well. It'll fade, and/or peel, epsecially if the prep work is not done properly. Unless the painter really knows his stuff, you'll end up with "orange peal", and/or bubbles. In terms of a full repaint, I do NOT recommend a color change unless the new color is complimentary to the old one. It's quite expensive to do the proper masking and prep work for a color change. Your engine has to be pulled. Things like door jams and trunk sills have to be painted too. If these things are neglected, you end up with whacky color combinations, or decayed rubber fittings and such. (Certain components of the paint will destroy the pliability of your rubber, so things like seals have to be removed or expertly masked.)

I think the best thing you could do to see for yourself is look at a factory paint job on a car you know is original. Then go directly to a few body shops and look closely at a repaint of a similar color, on a bright day. Look at horizontal and vertical body panels, door jams, trim gaps, wheel wells, and underbody. (Clearly you want to make damn sure you're looking at a customer's car rather than one owned by someone associated with the shops. They tend to be pretty careful when it's a personal car.)

I like the color of your car, and I don't think it would be worthwhile to change it.

Remember, when it comes to paint, you're paying for labor more than materials. You won't be dissapointed if you find a true craftsman who takes more pride in his work than in his wallet. I know of one, and you already met him.