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Anyone have experience repainting? Ugh, I concluded that whoever did my wife the favor of clearing snow from the RL a few months ago must have used a steel shovel(?). No, I'm not exaggerating, it's readily apparent by the gouges in various places on the hood, front roof, both doors and especially the trunk, there are gouges down to metal in some places.
I had it appraised at a local high-end body facility certified by all the top luxury brands. I've used them before and the really do remarkable work BUT, any guesses what the price is for a total paint job?
few years ago, someone keyed my entire left side from hood to trunk.
insurance ended up repainting the whole car and what killed most was not the paint job itself.
it's the labor & time to wet-sand to get the car prepped to repaint.
ended up costing like 7k for whole car.
you can see the paint code on my sig.
If you want it done right and it's just a repaint you should probably expect between 4-5k US. If you're quoted anything under $3k, I'd look elsewhere. It's not the act of painting it's the time and the prep involved. If you plan on keeping the car do not cheap out on the prep work.
If you want it done right and it's just a repaint you should probably expect between 4-5k US. If you're quoted anything under $3k, I'd look elsewhere. It's not the act of painting it's the time and the prep involved. If you plan on keeping the car do not cheap out on the prep work.
$8-9K is the quote, 3-4 week job.
That sounds VERY high but, they do spectacular work & don't cut corners. It's a great car we plan to keep for a long while
$8-9K is the quote, 3-4 week job.
That sounds VERY high but, they do spectacular work & don't cut corners. It's a great car we plan to keep for a long while
sounds like you know what you want at that price point.
$8-9K is the quote, 3-4 week job.
That sounds VERY high but, they do spectacular work & don't cut corners. It's a great car we plan to keep for a long while
This is a big job and that is what I would have expected/guessed actually based on costs in my neck of the woods but expected time to be more like 6-8 weeks. I have seen 5-6k whole jobs and felt sorry for the guys as they will end up spending more in the end to correct the shit job the bum did in the first place. Also another suggestion is to ensure the paint work is not handled by the insurance crew if they break out their work that way and make regular visits to inspect quality.
FWIW....Friend went through this on a non Acura and ended up spending another 2k on non paint items like trim, lights, and other incidentals as they looked like crap against a new fresh paint job.
Due to circumstances beyond my control, i.e. health issues, the RL is currently in the shop after being approved by my insurer, north of $10K which includes replacing trim, etc. Here are a few photos of the damage, I'll post follow ups when completed.
Insurance claims are to return the car to the condition prior to the damage. If done appropriately by the adjuster's assessment, that includes a wet sanded finish (as done by the factory) to an orange peel free finish. That labor will result in a higher claim over a typical paint job. Few appreciate the detail level the factory paint job was on the RL. I can say the quality on my RLX is on par with the RL, however the paint is not wet sanded and there is typical orange peel in the paint finish. One of the details I miss from my RL.
Insurance claims are to return the car to the condition prior to the damage. If done appropriately by the adjuster's assessment, that includes a wet sanded finish (as done by the factory) to an orange peel free finish. That labor will result in a higher claim over a typical paint job. Few appreciate the detail level the factory paint job was on the RL. I can say the quality on my RLX is on par with the RL, however the paint is not wet sanded and there is typical orange peel in the paint finish. One of the details I miss from my RL.
I'm not familiar with all the facets of their work but, they have done extraordinary work in the past, very, very high-end. The adjuster commented that the damage was classic, quick, overzealous job using a metal device instead of a brush/plastic device
The labor is the killer on QUALITY paint jobs. If you start talking a true color change (jambs etc painted as well) it climbs even more. I've painted a few cars in the past, and I'm definitely no expert - but I have been berated and yelled at by friends who are paint / body gurus and they all say the same thing. Prep work is the key. I've done plenty of that. It's not exactly skilled labor - let me rephrase that - if you are SKILLED and experienced, it will take you A LOT less time, material and effort, but even someone with almost no experience can do it if they are willing to learn and can arrange to have someone experienced check their work. The best thing is that base coat / clear coat is user friendly enough that even a mediocre (at best) painter like me can get great looking results by wet sanding after the paint and clear is applied correctly. It takes longer sure, but my labor is free LOL and who needs fingerprints anyway. A good friend of mine painted his Chevelle several years ago. It was the culmination of him finally fully restoring the car he'd had since High School (wish I'd kept mine) only like 15 years after the fact. He took my advice and bribed a local paint and body guy with beer / food and the guy would come by his garage in the evening, walk around the car and circle low spots / high spots etc. Rinse repeat and that paint came out amazing.
Ouch, that paint damage is horrible. Good move in making an insurance claim. As your car is still fairly new and seems in great shape, you want it fixed properly and professionally. In every fender bender I've had (none my fault!) the painting ends up costing $2-3k, and that's just for one panel area.
Ouch, that paint damage is horrible. Good move in making an insurance claim. As your car is still fairly new and seems in great shape, you want it fixed properly and professionally. In every fender bender I've had (none my fault!) the painting ends up costing $2-3k, and that's just for one panel area.
Yeah, I was SHOCKED when I first saw it and asked my darling wife WTF did you clear the car with, a truncheon tool?
AFTER she saw it, she explained coming out of work that AM to a cleared car.
Insurance claims are to return the car to the condition prior to the damage. If done appropriately by the adjuster's assessment, that includes a wet sanded finish (as done by the factory) to an orange peel free finish. That labor will result in a higher claim over a typical paint job. Few appreciate the detail level the factory paint job was on the RL. I can say the quality on my RLX is on par with the RL, however the paint is not wet sanded and there is typical orange peel in the paint finish. One of the details I miss from my RL.
Tampa,
I meant to address your comments sooner.
Not quite clear what you mean by "orange peel"? And you mean to tell me the RLX paint is inferior to the RL?
My DW misses her RL, probably another 2 weeks after 2 1/2 weeks already.
Orange peel is the texture common in most auto paint. It has ripples that make the pain look textured. Wet sanding is done on the color coat and then clear coated.
This is an RL that was re-painted before being hand wet sanded:
This is the same RL after it was hand wet sanded to the standard it came from the factory.
The RLX is not as bad as the repainted pic above, but not as good as the post wet sanded finish. When I too delivery of my Sport Hybrid I had a ceramic coating applied (OptiCoat Pro+) which adds protection to the clear coat, adds more depth to the finish and reduces the orange peel visible in the finish.
Last edited by TampaRLX-SH; 03-16-2017 at 08:46 PM.
If we are talking most modern base coat / clear coat systems, many of the better base coat manufacturers recommend in their tech sheets NOT to sand their base coat. Orange peel actual is usually in the clear coat. If you make a mistake in the base coat, even if you can sand it - you are supposed to put another coat of base OVER that and then clear. Wetsanding / color sanding on modern paint jobs is almost always done on the clear coat. Modern base coats lay really flat without a lot of effort.
Orange peel is the texture common in most auto paint. It has ripples that make the pain look textured. Wet sanding is done on the color coat and then clear coated.
This is an RL that was re-painted before being hand wet sanded:
This is the same RL after it was hand wet sanded to the standard it came from the factory.
The RLX is not as bad as the repainted pic above, but not as good as the post wet sanded finish. When I too delivery of my Sport Hybrid I had a ceramic coating applied (OptiCoat Pro+) which adds protection to the clear coat, adds more depth to the finish and reduces the orange peel visible in the finish.
Tampa,
Now you got me thinking' about this after the RL is returned. We have a couple of places near me that offers this application but, no idea the price or if it's a good idea for a newly painted car.
Even if we find the right used RLXh I plan to keep the RL, time for the V70 to go, the stick is becoming a burden
Tampa,
Now you got me thinking' about this after the RL is returned. We have a couple of places near me that offers this application but, no idea the price or if it's a good idea for a newly painted car.
Even if we find the right used RLXh I plan to keep the RL, time for the V70 to go, the stick is becoming a burden
There are various products out there. Some require a certified tech to apply. Some are more consumer friendly, but usually shorter lifespan of the product. OptiCoat Pro+ is what I had applied to my car. A freshly painted car can be treated. And it is best to apply before you start acquiring blemishes. If you do not pay for paint correction (read $$$) you wind up sealing in the defects. The tech I used offers a delivery package where he takes the car from the truck and does all the prep (removing shrink-wrap, coatings from shipping, etc.). Sadly some new car dealer 'detailers' are not too careful.
But without pain correction to prep, clay the car and apply the ceramic coating to a 'virgin' paint job, this caliber product runs around $1K. More if you need paint correction work. Less if you use one of the lower tier products. Although it will not protect from stone chips it is excellent for paint etching from bird droppings, tree sap, contaminants like jet fuel, diesel or chimney discharge. My Sport Hybrid is approaching 2 years old and I cannot find a single blemish is the clear coat (granted the car is a garage queen and I use an auto blow dryer after washing). But cleaning is a breeze. Nothing sticks to the finish, it sheets most water off and a simple detail spray will make the finish as slick as a high end polish and wax. It can be applied to glass, wheels, plastic trim, headlight acrylic, etc.
Google the stuff. You will see results for alternatives. And it may be a chore to find a certified applicator in your area. The tech I used is an exclusive tech for Tesla, Aston Martin and several high end dealers in my area. It is expensive, but how it preserved the finish on my former RL it paid dividends by not needing regular professional detailing.
There are various products out there. Some require a certified tech to apply. Some are more consumer friendly, but usually shorter lifespan of the product. OptiCoat Pro+ is what I had applied to my car. A freshly painted car can be treated. And it is best to apply before you start acquiring blemishes. If you do not pay for paint correction (read $$$) you wind up sealing in the defects. The tech I used offers a delivery package where he takes the car from the truck and does all the prep (removing shrink-wrap, coatings from shipping, etc.). Sadly some new car dealer 'detailers' are not too careful.
But without pain correction to prep, clay the car and apply the ceramic coating to a 'virgin' paint job, this caliber product runs around $1K. More if you need paint correction work. Less if you use one of the lower tier products. Although it will not protect from stone chips it is excellent for paint etching from bird droppings, tree sap, contaminants like jet fuel, diesel or chimney discharge. My Sport Hybrid is approaching 2 years old and I cannot find a single blemish is the clear coat (granted the car is a garage queen and I use an auto blow dryer after washing). But cleaning is a breeze. Nothing sticks to the finish, it sheets most water off and a simple detail spray will make the finish as slick as a high end polish and wax. It can be applied to glass, wheels, plastic trim, headlight acrylic, etc.
Google the stuff. You will see results for alternatives. And it may be a chore to find a certified applicator in your area. The tech I used is an exclusive tech for Tesla, Aston Martin and several high end dealers in my area. It is expensive, but how it preserved the finish on my former RL it paid dividends by not needing regular professional detailing.
I spoke to a couple Opticoat dealers locally. It seems the warranty is not included on a 5yr old RL or that's had "body work". One suggested CQuartz instead
I spoke to a couple Opticoat dealers locally. It seems the warranty is not included on a 5yr old RL or that's had "body work". One suggested CQuartz instead
This is the first I ever hear of that. I had Opti-Coat Pro put on mine and the warranty was honored to it's fullest. CQuartz will give you a bit more depth of shine but I think it cost more. To follow up on my earlier post about detailedimage, here is the link I was talking about:
Picked up the RL late today after driving home from Manhattan for CyberKnife treatment and it looks fabulous, at least to my untrained eye. I'll post new pics shortly.
No washing for 3-4 weeks will allow me time to consider Cquartz or Opticoat.
This is the first I ever hear of that. I had Opti-Coat Pro put on mine and the warranty was honored to it's fullest. CQuartz will give you a bit more depth of shine but I think it cost more. To follow up on my earlier post about detailedimage, here is the link I was talking about:
He's right, I had to look it up I was surprised too.
2.1 - OPTI-COAT PRO EXTERIOR PAINT WARRANTY
1. Opti-Coat Pro Warranty is valid for Five (5) years from the date of application for any vehicle that is Five (5) model years old or newer.
2. Opti-Coat Pro Warranty is valid for Two (2) years from the date of application for any vehicle that is Six (6) model years to Ten (10) model years old.
3. Any vehicle that is older than Ten (10) model years at the time of application cannot be warranted.
2.2 - OPTI-COAT PRO PLUS EXTERIOR PAINT WARRANTY
1. Opti-Coat Pro Plus Warranty is valid for Seven (7) years from the date of application for any vehicle that is Five (5) model years old or newer.
2. Opti-Coat Pro Plus Warranty is valid for Two (2) years from the date of application for any vehicle that is Six (6) model years to Ten (10) model years old.
3. Any vehicle that is older than Ten (10) model years at the time of application cannot be warranted.
He's right, I had to look it up I was surprised too.
2.1 - OPTI-COAT PRO EXTERIOR PAINT WARRANTY
1. Opti-Coat Pro Warranty is valid for Five (5) years from the date of application for any vehicle that is Five (5) model years old or newer.
2. Opti-Coat Pro Warranty is valid for Two (2) years from the date of application for any vehicle that is Six (6) model years to Ten (10) model years old.
3. Any vehicle that is older than Ten (10) model years at the time of application cannot be warranted.
2.2 - OPTI-COAT PRO PLUS EXTERIOR PAINT WARRANTY
1. Opti-Coat Pro Plus Warranty is valid for Seven (7) years from the date of application for any vehicle that is Five (5) model years old or newer.
2. Opti-Coat Pro Plus Warranty is valid for Two (2) years from the date of application for any vehicle that is Six (6) model years to Ten (10) model years old.
3. Any vehicle that is older than Ten (10) model years at the time of application cannot be warranted.
ZQuarts was quoted a little less than OptiCoat depending on prep work for either and I need to wait for the paint to cure 3-6wks.
05-01-2016, 03:11 PM
