Anyone get a driver repaint lately? Experience with cost, glass in or out etc

[somecarguy]

My only experience with paint shops is at a pretty high end... spent unholy sums having my 73 Alfa painted / straightened. Good deal of welding involved as well. So not a great data point for me.

My 89 325i Sedan is in great shape and I think worth improving the paint on, which is scratched all over with a failing clear coat on the roof. I have a handful of small waves/dents that could use massaging too.

I can see investing $3-4k in a paint job. Anyone have an idea what that'd buy? I'm in CT near New Haven.

[John Adkins]

My experience is at the other end of the spectrum. I've used rattle cans to paint one panel at a time. The clear coat on the silver metallic on my 325e was shot. Paint, clear coat, compound, and repeat. Not a professional job, but the improvement in appearance was worth it to me.

[Spaceturtle917]

I'm with John on this one, however, if the car is worth it then you might as well spend the money. I rolled the paint onto my e34 and got pretty good results. Though it is a lot sanding.
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[msservices]

What color is the car and what color would you repaint it?

[Stück]

In the midst of a concour quality restoration with paint and body to suit on a 91 318iS. Car stripped to a shell, loaded on a rotisserie and refinished top, bottom, inside and out. Retail on the refinishing work (R&R of all the cars parts not included) is over $15k.







3000-4000 budget for a respray is going to get you a minimal body work, minimal prep, no detrim, mask it and hose it paint job with low to mid low quality paint materials. It'll look OK for the non critical, and last a handful of years before it starts falling apart.

[ETAftw]

Damn, you just threw down the gauntlet!

My Bronzit 325 has similar issues as OP, a few dings, clearcoat failure on the roof. I also have minimal surface rust at the body joints near the trunklid. I went to a local shop that did some repair work on my 1M, flawless work and known to be the best paint shop in town. They don't do complete car repaints, and referred me to a hot rod shop who quyoted me about $30k which I believe included R+R, and rotisserie job as pictured. Obviously this is not what I am goinvg to do for a 325e! I have settled on just getting paintless dent removal for the scattered dings (about a dozen or so) and having the problematic areas on the roof and rear touched up professionally.

[somecarguy]

Mine is Cirrusblau Metallic and that is the color I would repaint it. I am open to treating the paint as a repair rather than full respray. Its a driver after all. I paid something like the numbers you all mention for some body straightening and Glassurit paint on my Alfa. It was delivered sandblasted and epoxy primed and returned to me as a shell, I did all dis/re assembly.