Should I Paint my Car?
The question, ‘Should I paint my car?” should be more appropriately written as, “Should I have someone paint my car?” Because unless you’re a professional automobile painter, painting your own car is a little like doing your own dental work. Just assume it’s not an option.
Value vs. cost
Cars are short term use items. In the nineties, a car wouldn’t last more than about eight years. Now, the average lifespan for a car is eleven years. Some experts believe that you shouldn’t put more than 20% of a car’s value into a paint job. So, if you have a car which is worth $5k, try not to put more than $1k into the paint job.
But, we also like to think about how long that car is going to last. Because if you love your seven-year-old automobile, and if it is worth $5k, you will pay an estimated dollar a day to have that car painted if you buy a $1k paint job. It will still look great when you call us to come to haul it away!
Choose a shop wisely
Painting a car is not an art, but it is a skill. Some shops hire the most skilled painters, use the highest quality paint, and pay meticulous attention to detail when they do the prep work. Those are the higher end auto painting shops.
Painting a Mercedes probably makes more sense than painting an old Honda.
Other shops hire a guy they can train, use the cheapest paint they can get and will have your car back to you in no time because they spent no time on the quality of the painting details. Those are low-end paint shops.
Price is often the indicating factor on the quality of an auto painting job. A higher-end shop will charge more. If you’ve already determined you’re going to paint your car, watch for reviews, talk to people who have used the shop, and find out exactly what is included in the price. Honestly, if your car is valuable enough to paint, it’s worthy enough to paint well.
Changing the color
Changing the color of a car is a whole different situation than painting a car the same color. It can be done, but it’s a big jump. Because when a vehicle is painted, it isn’t just painted on the outside. Look in the trunk, under the hood, at the doors and door wells. See how much paint is involved?
Painted areas on the inside are often attached to parts that will need to come off or masked during painting. Plan on paying double for a color change than you would for the same color.
In conclusion, a car owner should consider if the money they want to spend on a car can buy new tires, a new transmission, or something else which will more accurately reflect the things which a vehicle needs to run smoothly. We aren’t saying that a car shouldn’t be painted, just that it should only be painted for the right reasons and under the right conditions.
If you are in the Phoenix Metro area and want a no-hassle cash offer on an old, wrecked, unwanted, salvage or burned car, SUV, van or truck, give us a call at I Buy Junk Cars. 480-771-8290.