What Type of Paint Job Should I Get For My Car?

I am really annoyed, but I need to get my silver 2003 Hyundai Elantra painted. Grrrrrr.... The problem is that I can easily be taken advantage of because I don’t know jack about painting cars! Sorry about the how long this is, but I would reeeeaaaallllyyy appreciate it if anyone out there had any advice for me!!!!





I know you can take your car to Maaco’s and pay a couple hundred bucks for them to paint your car. But from reading on-line all they do there for that price is put your car through the conveyor spray room thingy one time. Thus, covering of your current paint job with a new one-layer paint job. Doesn’t sound too thorough to me. I asked my Dad for advice and all he said is that the car should be sanded and then painted. That doesn’t really help me much either.





Also, in the past my car has suffered from damage to the front bumper and had to be repaired two times (first from a bad hail storm and the second time when I got in a minor accident). The repairman who fixed my bumper after the accident (%26amp; who had also painted it once before) warned me by saying that if I ever got in an accident again that my front bumper would have to be replaced. I think he was just trying to be nice and say be careful, but my accident wasn’t that bad… it really just looked like some scratches and cracked paint. But if he was right, would my bumper have to be replaced if I got my car painted? How much would that cost????





So I’ve looked in the paper an seen the following “specials” from two small body shops that I don’t know anything about:





1. 2 Year Cracking-Flaking Peeling Warranty (All Warranties are Pro-Rated) Many Limited Colors- $249.95


2. Major Paint Service- Any Car… Urethane Hardener. 3 Stage Sanding (machine sanded twice, hand sanded). Over 20 colors available. Non-sanding sealer included (3) year guarantee. Exterior Only. $249.95 with integrated clear coat.


3. Polyurethane 2K Dupont w/hardener 4 Year Warranty (All Warranties are Pro-Rated) Cracking Peeling %26amp; Fading- $399.95


4. General Paint- Features Custom or Original factory colors. 2 component urethane. 4 year guarantee. 3 Year fading. Urethane Hardener. 3 Stage sanding. Exterior only- $429.95


5. High Quality Special- 3 Year Fading Guarantee. (Full) 7 Year Guarantee Against Cracking, Peeling, Flaking, Base Coat %26amp; Clear Coat. New Car Gloss %26amp; long-lasting shine. Exterior Only.- $749.95


6. Factory Special- 7 Year Full Guarantee Against Cracking, Peeling %26amp; Fading. Factory or Custom Colors. New car gloss, top of line. Exterior only. Made to last in S. Fla sun!- $1,599.99





Which one would you get?? Why doesn't anyone offer guarantees against rust? I know the type of car isn’t that great, but it is in otherwise good shape and has low mileage. I want to get as much out of it as possible and don’t want it to be a rust bucket when I sell it some day.





lI ive in Florida (10 - 15 minutes from the coast), but my car is from up North where of course they ice the roads. I am sure that also hurt my car’s paint. Here is a list of the paint probs:





1. There is a slight rust ring almost a foot in diameter that is forming on the roof of my car. The rust is starting to bleed through the paint, but it is just in the beginning stages. You can still see a slight layer of silver paint over the ring.


2. The paint on the door frame (above the door) on the back left passenger side is turning to this frothy off white color (kinda like glaze on a glazed doughnut). I could chip some of it off if I wanted to.


3. The handle on back left passenger door is chipping and revealing this white/yellow paint.


4. There is a strip of pure rust near the rear window of the car that runs about 2 or 3 inches long.


5. There are various small rust nicks on the car


6. There are also the normal stupid nicks from pebbles and gravel hitting your car while driving had my front bumper painted before and there is a bubble that formed in the paint that is about an inch in diameter


7. My car got stuck in a hailstorm, which my insurance paid to repair without painting it. You can see various marks on the car where dents were taken out and the paint looks discolored.|||Hello Elantra owner,





My good friend of 16 yrs owes an auto body shop. We trade work, I'm an accountant. He's going to paint my acura, so I purchased the paint and materials his cost was $675. Anything less than $500, I would wonder what they are using for paint. I had the option of buying cheaper paint but I declined. $500 plus labor - should be upwards from there. Hope that answers you question. I would plan on spending $1500 for a reasonable job.





tb|||You will pay $1500+ for a paint job that will last the life of the car. Don't take it to Maaco.