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#2
01-06-2006, 08:46 PM
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Im sure you have heard it many times before... you really do get what you pay for. However, getting a decent paint job that will look nice and wont break the bank is possible. I reccomend shopping around.. check at your local dealer, a reputable independent, or speak with a local MB owner whom has had their car re-painted. Word of mouth from an enthusiast is a good way to get a start at locating a good body shop, as he or she will likely be 100% honest with how they feel about the work that he or she has had done etc.
Another way of cutting the cost down on a paint job is doing the prep work yourself... you yourself can remove trim, grille etc. from the body of the car before it goes into the shop which will reduce prep time that you would otherwise be charged for. You can even re-assemble the trim pieces once the car is painted. Doing this can often times make an otherwise unreachable paint job more attainable. I'm not too familiar with any body shops in the Los Angeles area, however I have seen very nice results from a shop in Costa Mesa. Bruce Strauss Auto Care has an excellent body shop. However, their work isnt inexpensive. Get out there and talk and investigate.
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Nate 1995 E420 1992 BMW 525i 1984 300D Turbo sold 1993 Volvo 244 sold 1995 Volvo 944T R.I.P! "The details are not details. They make the product." -Charles Eames www.cbs.nu 
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#4
01-07-2006, 10:07 AM
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#5
01-10-2006, 01:28 PM
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Peter4
Giving an appx. cost for a paint job is tricky business, much depends on region and labor rates. Considering your location id be willing to say that rates are on the higher end of the spectrum. California in general tends to be more pricey in every aspect. I had my car restored at a Mercedes-Benz classics specialist in Burlingame, about 1 mile south of SFO international airport. While I didnt have my car re-painted, I did inquire about the cost of one. This specific shop quoted about $12K for a paint job comparable to factory finish for a w123 sedan. It would be easy to spend twice as much on a show quality paint job, but then only a concours expert would be able to tell the difference between factory quality and show quality. My car had been backed into by my neighbor, and the drivers side doors needed to be replaced with new ones, and painted to match the rest of the car. This job alone cost $4,400. I then had other items adressed unrelated to paint work- re-covering front seats, re-painting alloys, dent-pro for door dings, pin stripes replaced, new grille, rear hat shelf etc etc etc. I got out the door at just around $8K. It ended up being very well worth that, as the paint job and accuracy of workmanship is stellar, the paint matches flawlessly in every way to the rest of the car, and all of the other work carried out was finished with the same caliber. There is a pic of my car in my profile. The new doors look exceptional. Friends of mine whom have had their cars re-painted have been able to keep the cost around $5-6K for very very nice near factory quality re-paints. With that said, realistically speaking, id be willing to guess a high quality re-paint will run you anywhere from $5K on up. And thats a re-paint thats of higher quality than a Maaco job. Throw in another 5K for a job closer to factory original standards. Do some shopping and see whats out there.
__________________
Nate 1995 E420 1992 BMW 525i 1984 300D Turbo sold 1993 Volvo 244 sold 1995 Volvo 944T R.I.P! "The details are not details. They make the product." -Charles Eames www.cbs.nu
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