Hi all,

I have decided to have my mini painted to the original color that I always wanted, but was too impulsive to wait for. My all-time favorite color and the combination that I'm going to have mine painted is Pepper White/Blk top. I will be collecting estimates soon, and just wanted to know if any of you had "taken the plunge" .

Although I enjoy my mini as much as anyone else, I have always regretted NOT buying the color that first caught my eye. I guess the paint will be cheaper that the hosing I'd take on a trade-in.

Thanks in advance for your responses.

Jim

 

I see that your current color is Indi Blue. A word of caution: Getting an allover *new* color is gonna cost you major $$$ *if* you want it done correctly. For the car to have any resale value whatsoever, the shop will have to take then engine and everything out and repaint the body itsself. My dad owns a paint and body shop and people come in all the time wanting to switch colors. They almost pass out when he gives them an estimate. However, once he shows them everything that needs to be painted, they see his point.

 

I say Do Not paint your car!

My story :

Years ago I had a silver Nissan 280zx, I'd bought it used and after a couple years I wished it was black. I got a couple estimates and was shocked that the cost of the paint job -- we are talking taking the inside of the doors off, inside of the hatch off, inside of the hood, inside of the wheel arches, inside and out of the whole car, etc... - well the cost was just about what the car was worth. I could have bought another same year 280zx in the correct color for what the paint job would cost!

Then the last shop I went to told me something I didn't know. He showed me a place inside the hood of the car that is stamped in the metal with the color code number of the car. He said his shop will only paint a car what color is on that code. So if I had body damage or an old car to be restored, they'd use the color key and paint the car that color. They'd never change the color of the car such that the color code says one thing and the color of the car is another. They did allot of old car restorations and would only restore a car back to it's original color as it came from the factory. I was impressed by the attention to detail and the care in wanting to be totally accurate to how the car was built.

So I kept the silver car another year and traded it in on a new 1993 Black Toyota MR2! I got my black car in the end and didn't spend allot of money. I got a good trade in too.

 

Just one more thing it might be good to consider prior to re-painting. When you decide to sell or trade it people will likely wonder why it was done. Often re-painted vehicles are a sign that it's been in an accident that either required the re-paint or, worse, that it is an attempt to mask that it was in one. Add me to the do not do it crowd.

 

Sounds to me like the hosing you might take on selling the car will be cheaper than the paint job. Plus you'd be driving a new car! Maybe you can find a used PW for sale and if the top isn't black have that painted or have CooperFlags make you a solid black roof decal.

 

In my area I know of two owners that did a complete repaint their MINIs.

The first was an MC with full aero kit that was repainted Dark silver and fitted with the side S markers. So from the outside it resembled an S except no bonnet scoop, no S-lyte wheels (it had stock MC wheels) and in the back it had a side tailpipe. (est cost $5000+)

The second is a 15 or 16 year old girl who wanted and got a pink metallic MINI. (est cost $7000)
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...mp;topic=15113

 

After reading Minihune's post I feel a need to slightly amend my last one. I doubt many would infer your Mini's been in an accident with customized paint like that pink one. Of course, there might be fewer interested buyers with more eccentric color choices. Hey, not that eccentric isn't cool. My parents had a pink Plymouth station wagon and I thought it was cool, even if they flushed whenever someone said it was pink since it was something like "dessert beige".

 

>>After reading Minihune's post I feel a need to slightly amend my last one. I doubt many would infer your Mini's been in an accident with customized paint like that pink one. Of course, there might be fewer interested buyers with more eccentric color choices. Hey, not that eccentric isn't cool. My parents had a pink Plymouth station wagon and I thought it was cool, even if they flushed whenever someone said it was pink since it was something like "dessert beige".

I would agree. If you had some fantastic paint job it would be a plus. What if you got in an accident then decided to repaint the car in a good custom color with an aero kit- ohh buyer beware.

I think that you have to categorize whole car painting in the extreme appearance mod category. Just a step higher than a full body redo or aerokit with painting to match. It is certainly costly and complicated if done right. Since the investment is quite a bit it cannot be something taken too lightly but at the same time it can be extremely unique and rewarding. And the shops that know how to do things right are not gonna run cheap.

In my area there are even custom airbrush car art. Costs about $1500 to 2500
My favorites at http://www.cosmicairbrush.com/our_work.shtml





_________________
ALOHA

 

Think again.
It's 6k for a paint job done right. The car has to be taken apart and everything.
You'll lose less than that by trading it in for a new one and like someone else said, you'll have a new car. So unless you want a custom color, i say don't do it...it's a waste of money.

 

DON"T DO IT !!!!!!!!!! The re-paint will never match the quality of a factory baked on paint. NEVER !!!!!!! With such high resale values, you are much better off selling the Mini yourself (don't trade in) and ordering the color you want. I lucked out with mine. I wanted an MCS when it arrived last June, but it was not offered in white like I wanted. I decided to wait until summer of 2003 to order one and wouldn't you know it, Mini offered PW on the MCS. Luckily I was able to change my color option in time before being built. My EDD is 10/23. Good luck!!!!!!!!!

 

Thanks all,

I had NO IDEA of what I was getting myself into I guess. I surely could not the afford 6-7K it may take to complete the job properly. My trade-in last year was a disaster, so I wil need to sit on mine for at least a year before selling becomes a viable option. I appreciate all of the responses. That's what I like about MCO, when you have a question or opinion, there are always plenty who stand ready to help. Thanks ya'll!

Go Cubbies! (1948-2003 Is a L-O-N-G time)
Jim

 

Here's an option for you. I was at the wife's relatives in Wisconsin this weekend. My wife's cousin is heavily involved in the automotive business. He does consulting to major manufacturers, Michelin, Goodrich, Goodyear, GM, Ford, etc...

He is going out to SEMA in the next few weeks with a truck for a client that will be completely covered in vinyl. He has a custom shop doing this somewhere. They are taking a white or blue Chevy pickup and covering it in camoflague vinyl for product placement in their booth. He indicated that the newer vinyls were getting that more flexible and durable and installers were getting more experience.

That may be another option for you to have the car color of you choice and still have good resale value. If it gets damaged, you can have that area replaced. If you decide to sell in the future, peel it off and give the car a good wax and you're set.

It actually goes back to the original Fast and Furious vinyl covered car. No, not the movie released a couple of years ago, but the original........Johnny Dangerously!
The big chase scene where the car was covered in different kinds of shelf paper vinyl and they kept peeling it off to make their getaway!