gcolby03

Because of some vandalism, I am going to have to take my 3 mo. old black TSX in for repainting of 3-4 panels/doors. Since there's no structural damage, no new parts are needed and only stripping and repainting is necessary.

I want to make sure that the car's exterior is fixed back to factory quality as much as possible. That means I need to ensure that the paint is an exact match, that the quality of the labor is top-notch, and that the method of application is such that in 10 years time there won't be any difference in fading of the original paint of one half of the car with the after-market paint of the other half.

The first two criteria--the paint match and the quality of labor--I can possibly optimize by checking with Consumer Checkbook's recent surveys in my area and asking questions when I actually visit the body shop. But the last issue I'm not informed enough to know about. Are there different methods of paint application among body shops such that some more closely mimick the factory than others? Are there some advanced technologies I should look for in a dealer.

Years and years ago, I had a couple of panels repainted on a red Civic and within a few years the car was two-toned and looked something like those Honda Elements that are roaming the roads nowadays, even though the paint matched at the time and the body shop looked like they did a decent job at the time. I don't want to relive that horror with this brand new Acura.

Any advice? Are there any articles or discussions about this or in something like Consumer Reports that would be helpful?

I live in the Boston area, if anyone has any specific recommendations for shops here.

miner

My advice is to take it to a certified Acura repair facility.

gsclifton

iTrader: (2)

I am 100% sure that people will disagree but . . . .

I do not think any shop is going to give you a factory quality finish after 10 years of wear and tear, IMO. However, your best chance as stated above is to use an Acura dealer or let a certified Acura repair facility make the repairs.

I have had a lot of body work done (15-20 times), and the quality will vary greatly from shop to shop. I would advise that you do some work and perhaps see a repair for yourself. I have never had a job that came even close to the durability of the finish from Honda/Acura. It always looks good from the start, but time takes a toll on the job and it ends up looking like what it is, a repair.

I feel your pain on a new car. It sucks, but the repair will devalue your vehicle. I had it happen on my previous 2000 Accord that was less than 60 days old. I had to have the front bumper fascia re-shot, and it was still not perfect. The clear started to peel after 3 years of Texas weather. Then the Acura dealer busted me on the trade saying part of the car had been repainted. It is a cycle that does nothing but punish the consumer.

You situation really SUCKS because of vandals. I have been through that as well.

toddstuh

When I had my 3 series BMW I was recommended to a guy in Arlington off Mass ave who did all of the work for foreign motors as well as Ferrari and Porsche. His work was hardly indistinguishable from original. Just call a Porsche/BMW dealership and ask who performs their bodywork. Or contact BMWCCA for example.

Dan Martin

The fact of the matter is if you took a door off two brand new TSX's painted on different days they would still be slightly different. Probably nothing that you would notice but the only way to 100% match (not 99.9% match) is to get the whole car repainted. Assuming you don't want to spend that kind of $$$, if you take it to a really good shop they will be able to get a very good match but you'll never have an exact match with the rest of the car. Certain colors are worse than others. Metallics are especially hard to match but I'm sure most shops will be able to get pretty close.