TR7 Paint Job - Average expected costs & recomendations.

[Rassilon]

As it states in the thread post really.

 

Serenity could do with a good makeover & a few rough spots filled, any guidelines to cost & recommendations for the SW area (EX2).

 

Don't know how feasible £2K is & how much value it would on her.

 

Any input welcomed.

[Mad Zero]

As it states in the thread post really.

 

Serenity could do with a good makeover & a few rough spots filled, any guidelines to cost & recommendations for the SW area (EX2).

 

Don't know how feasible £2K is & how much value it would on her.

 

Any input welcomed.

 

£2K would be conservative for a top-notch paint job and it wouldn't add much actual 'money value' to the car ...but it would get a sale over the next guy's TR7.

 

If you're doing it for yourself (i.e. you're keeping the car a good while longer) then go for it!

[glsmith83]

Hi Rassilon

 

When I was getting my car back on the road I decided it needed respraying.(It went into storage fine but came out all scratched) The garage that was fixing it took it to a spray shop and got a quote of about £800ish. They told me they would have to remove all the old paint before respraying the new paint on as it would react with the older paint. This also included some filling around the front wheel arch as it was a bit rusty.

 

The result is good but as a perfectionist I'm not entirely happy , no trim was removed as far as I can see, and some bits are starting to bubble (after only one year). The car looks really good but close up some bits are starting to look a bit iffy. I would recommend doing it properly as now it looks like I might have to get some bits seen to in the future.

 

I realise that I was never going to get a brilliant finish for the money and it will do till the car needs a full rebuild.

Edited April 23, 2007 by glsmith83

[malcolm]

Alec has hit the nail on the head. If your car is starting to get a bit tatty around the arches, rear quarters, door botttoms, etc. Then it is worth checking out the inner wings, trailing arm mounts, strut tops, floors & sills. No point in spending that sort of money tarting up the exterior panels if there are deeper problems.

 

Otherwise: do make sure all the trim comes off first and DO find a reputable sprayer who can show you examples of his work. With any luck someone on here will know one in your area (I don't). Preparing and spraying a car properly is a time consuming, and therefore expensive job. And without the proper preparation the rust will soon be back. Glsmith's experience is a very common one. Unfortunately there is no such thing as a cheap re-spray

 

Malcolm.

[Rassilon]

OK thanks for the input guys.

 

A little update is in order to clarify the points\viabilty you raise, she's got through the MOT (late March) this year, while she needed welding, it was patches here & there on the underside, nothing too major that took a couple of weekends to sort out.

 

The carpets, seats rear parcel shelf etc were all removed for the task & the consensus was she's solid underneath, from my friend who welded her up & the tester*. Unfortunately the prior owner filled the rear "wells" with expanding foam.

 

The top side is very patchy with differing shades of red especially at the rear & there are signs of the tin worm creeping in the usual places, I intend keeping her for about another year at least (toying with the idea of taking her to Canada, in the absence of finding one over there). Also there's a small dent on the offside corner (beaten out) mea culpa & coated in red oxide temporarily.

 

She needs a few minor mechanical jobs done to her, winder mechanisms, rear brake shoes, wheel cylinders & new head gasket, but having run her for about 8 months with a few overheating problems that have now been sorted out now. Ive been lucky with getting a few bits from a scrap yard that had a one in the corner (actually buried under other cars & forgotten about) that was rust held together by bits of metal & a very generous mate with his time, expertise & materials.

 

The upshot is I want her looking presentable (immaculate would be nicer), ultimately she's my main car for commuting & business purposes.

 

Oh Alec I'm usually in Somerset (Taunton) 5 days a week & my mate lives in Ilminster, so the offer of a meet isn't to impractical & also on that note saw another R reg one this morning on the Ilminster\Taunton roundabout & a later model heading up the north Devon link road last week as I approached the M5, that's the first time I have actually seen other ones in the flesh.

 

*My mate shadowed the MOT tester as he was getting in practice (successfully as it happens) for taking the final practical MOT testers test, guess who will be doing the test next year .