i have a gold 300sdl. the paint has a few scratches on the hood and roof top. is there a mercedes dealer that does paint jobs or a paint job is just a paint job no matter who does it?

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ez rider

Good paint jobs are expensive, but you don't have to go to a dealer to get a good one. Just call around and ask them about their warranty. Good paint jobs will carry a lifetime warranty. Avoid Maaco and similar junk. But before you do anything, see if a little touch-up paint couldn't cure it.

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2004 VW Jetta TDI (manual)

Past MB's: '96 E300D, '83 240D, '82 300D, '87 300D, '87 420SEL

a paint job is not just a paint job...

there is a lot involved to one that does not know - books full of advice, proccess, opinion.

i would say reputaion and respect from the jobber is the best proof...awards, certification, good old hands on know how,talent....if i were to have a car painted (i paint my own) i would ask for past examples, photos or real, come to the shop and see it and work - paint jobs are all in the prep work, painting is easy breezy.

simple things like is there a spray booth, bake oven, or just open room???

i would not judge by mess, condition of shop good or bad, i would want to see proof.

just my 2 cents
Jake

Dmon,

An SDL is a BIG car. Mercedes are hard to paint because there is a fair amount of trim and it is generally well secured.

The answer depends on what your goal really is. I have a 300SDL with 230K miles. The hood paint was in terrible shape and had been scratched/buffed down to the primer. I loved my car, but this really bothered me. I decided to keep it for 6 months to be sure it was the car I wanted and was mechanically in good shape before I invested in paint work.

My goal was to have a "good" "restoration" paint job. Good in that I wanted it prepped well to get the body dings out etc., Restoration in that I wanted to be realistic. It is a 17 year old car with high miles that I could wreck tomorrow. I doubt I could get out of this what I paid for it, so the added value of the paint had to be realistic to restore the car so it looked real good. Not showroom new, not perfect, not show quality. It is a big diesel for goodness sake. I just wanted to feel good driving it and not cringe when I looked at a few rough paint spots.

My brother works for Gieco and got me in touch with a body shop that he actually used to work for as well. I took mine in over the holidays. The guy cut me what I thought was a good deal to paint this for $1700. More than I wanted to spend, but I was not being realistic. But, he made no money on this I am sure. I could see it in his eyes. He kept up his end of the bargin, but when I asked him what this should have cost retail, he told me "at least $2500 to $3000".

Is it perfect? No. They missed a couple very small dings but overall I am thrilled. From 10' away, it looks like a brand new car, especially with new paint on a timeless Mercedes sedan. The last piece of the puzzle is the wheels, which I am debating whether to have painted or replace. Then this car will look real sharp.

So back to the question of what your goal is. Would I have paid $2500 to $3500 for this paint job? No. That is half of the cars value at best and it would only slightly increase the resale value. Was it worth $1700? You bet. Every penny. I love driving my SDL even more and am inspired to fix up more of the little things to make it better. If I can drive this car for 5-10 more years think how cheap that paint job becomes as a maintenance item. If I wreck it tomorrow, financially it does not kill me. Hell I lost more than that in the stock market in one day 2 years ago.

I have heard of paint jobs costing upwards of $5-6000. My '89 560 SL was repainted at some time and I am sure that it was at least a $5000 paint job. The shiniest black you ever saw and it took my mechanic friend about 15 minutes to find one small clue that it had be painted. People who know what to look for can tell a repaint in seconds.

If the rest of the car is ok, only get the bad sections done. This will be cheaper and a good painter can dull paint to match.

Good Luck

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Alan Hamm
'87 300SDL 277K Miles
'89 560 SL 68K Miles

i never thought of just getting certain spots done but the whole car. i think i'll stick with what you suggested. i'll just get the hood and roof top done. thanks all

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ez rider

- one panel at a time, i dont know - those that can spot this stuf will see that in a nanosecond esp. at sunrise and sunset, or in parking lot light - easy. esp silver, just how the body panels were and teh way the paint flakes fell can be spotted....

as far as cost and price i did a motorcycle last weekend -two of my friends and i - $1200 for teh job - that included supplies, time, surfacing, ect...and a custom ghost pearl flame job - we are 23 year old rookies - the guy was thrilled a nd quoted up to 3k for the "same work"
-just throwing ideas/opinions
Jake

if you are going to do - one panel at a time - pick a major body line and go up from there...depending on the condition of the paint the old paint may be able to be brightened back to a high luster - close to new by the same shop.

so hard to say without seeing it.

In general (note I am generalizing here) you get what you pay for when it comes to painting. The biggest factor is usually the time spent in prep work. It's often possible to get a fair discount if you remove and replace most of the trim yourself as that is a fairly time consuming, low skilled job most anyone can do. A paint job at Maaco costs $400 because they mask and spray, period. A paint job at Junior's House of Color costs $15,000 because they spend weeks on the prep and finish work. Alan is right, be realistic, both about how much you want to spend but also about what you'll get for your money. If you repaint spend some time talking to the paint shop owner so you are sure your expectations are the same as his. Also, shop around because if you are looking for a really god job not only do the skill levels differ but also a shop owner who is more of a quickie paint specialist may set a high price to make it worth tying up the room in his shop. Lastly, DieselAddict's point about the touchup is a good one. A good paint shop can do area repairs that are very well hidden and cost far less than a total paint job. Take an afternoon to visit a few shops and get estimates then decide what you want to do. Good luck.

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LRG
1987 300D Turbo 175K
2006 Toyota Prius, efficent but no soul
1985 300 TDT(130K miles of trouble free motoring)now sold

Yea, you have to to to a panel edge or molding. You could not just do spots. But it really depends on your budget. If you can paint some and buff other areas and be happy for 2-3 years, You win.

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Alan Hamm
'87 300SDL 277K Miles
'89 560 SL 68K Miles

talk about time and prep - ive been sitting on my front cross member in the w123 for weeks trying to make sure its clean and perfect so the paint sticks and lasts...motor muck gets everywhere after 23 years.

yes ive been doing other things too, not just washing/prepping it down.

Hello Everyone
Great advice!
Two points to add.
#1. If you do not feel comfortable with the shop - people; please do not trust them with your car, even if they are the best................................
#2. Rule of thumb; get at least three estimates, they will not be insulted or offended, and it may save you a bundle of money.
Have a great day.