My paint is very much 'worn' under the sun of Oman. Especially the roof but also the sides show cracks in the clear coat. Together with a few rusty spots (two spots in the rear under the rear window gasket) and some other areas I am considering to have it painted in the original color (silver blue) here in Oman. A shop offered me the job for 280 Rial = $730. I guess no bumper painting is included
What prices do you have in mind? And what would be the conditions you'd have the job done? What parts should the guy remove...what can he leave in place... handles, gaskets, covers, antenna etc?
Any thoughts?

Martin

Hi Martin,

Prices for painting vary all over the map. You can pay as low as $730. for a complete job or as much as $7000. (and possibly more).

The determination of price is based upon the materials used, the prep work done, the skill of the applicator, and the work to sand and polish the finished product.

Personally, I think spending quite a bit of money on paint is a bit ridiculous for these vehicles because it doesn't raise the value of the vehicle by anything close to the expenditure. Furthermore, any paint applied after the factory paint is going to be good for a maximum of 10 years...........probably less in your environment.

For a $730 paint job, however, I would ask to see similar vehicles done for the same price and I would be sure that I am satisfied with that level of workmanship and product. Over here, it would be the very bottom of the barrel and you might not be pleased with it.

most budget paint shops in that part of the world are usually a spray first - then use thinner to remove overspray jobs.

Best bet is to ask the guy to show some examples.

__________________
2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

I am getting ready to spend $550 on a paint job. I removed the failed clear coat, repaired some small dents, removed the pin stripe. Will take off the easy items: grill shell, parking lights, tail lights, trunk attachments, ant. and bumpers. Taking the bumpers off to install better chrome and paint myself.
Expect to get a work truck quality finish with some sanding marks on window trim and overspray.
Alternatively, I was considering doing it myself with a $120 can of lacquer. Total cost of material would be around $190.

__________________

Present
1987 300SDL
1991 300SL
1990 560SEL
2001 ML320

Past
1969 200D 1979-82
1983 300SD 1984-85
1972 250C 1982-02
1995 S350 2011
1997 S320 2012

For that price, it sounds like he's going to do a mask and spray and that means you'll have a little overspray. You can remove trim, badges, and lights easily yourself.

__________________
'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

Unfortunately you can't just assess what you are being offered by saying it's a "paint job".

You need to ask if everything will be sanded, will edges be "feather-edge" sanded, how many coats. Also are they doing base/clear or single step (at that price I assume single step). It's generally said that the prep is about 80 percent of a decent job.

Look at what the guy is rolling in and out of the shop, I mean what hardware, Mercedes and BMWs, etc., or? If all he'd doing is Landcruiser fenders and dumptruck resprays, keep moving nothing to see here....

Also factoring in here is whether in Oman it's like where my buddy works, in Qatar, where all the work is done by Afghanis or Pakistanis working for peanuts. If that is the case then comparing the $$$$ to what you would get back here in Kanuckistan for that price is inoperative.

__________________


Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

I've done several award winning paint jobs. If you pay someone for a "factory +" quality job, done well, 5-7k. If you do ALL the prep work and have it truly ready to tape and shoot and you buy the paint (urethane), I recommend Glasurit, then 750 to tape,wipe, check, touch up sanding errors, and shoot is about right. That will
give you a long lasting factory replacement IF you do your part properly.
If you want a "scuff and shoot" that lasts 3 years and looks good going by at 25,750 will do that. Depends on your sensibilities.

__________________
85 300TD FED-Daily
84 300SD-Wife's
86 XJS-Sunday
66 GMC-Work- Given to my stepson
83 BMW Airhead- Given to my stepson

Hi Brian, thanks.
You are correct I won't raise any value of the car. I'd just like the car...again.
So I am doing it for myself.
I need to find out about the quality and durability. If the paint holds only 3 years I'd not do it for sure. If it is not painted in 3 steps (base, main coat, clean coat) I'd not do it. I'll study the good comments and check in with the shop. They are doing Lexus...so not the cheapest cars. But still. i need to be careful. Martin

In that part of the world, can't you sand it by just leaving it outside on a windy day?

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

it would become a sand dune shortly

__________________
2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

You can't comparing labor rates in Oman vs US, it's hard to figure out what you'll get as I have no idea how many hours are involved without knowing the labor rate.

Ask him what's involved in the prep process. In the US, this is about the price for a mask, scuff and shoot in BC/CC.

If labor rates are lower in Oman, then you may get a lot more for your money. There's no telling.

__________________
With best regards

Al

I do paint and body work as a sort of hobby. It has been a second job at times of my life.

Anyhow, the guys have it right. Prep is the Big Deal and if labor is cheap there the price may be reasonable. The more the car is stripped (lights, badges, door handles, etc) the better the outcome.

Also check on the brand of paint that will be used and the UV resistance of the clear coat, assuming he's proposing a base/clear system. More UV resistance = more durability and is more expensive. If he's using an off-brand of paint Lord knows what you'll get. I've heard that some places overseas shoot stuff formulated in a back alley in Sri Lanka (or some such) and there's no tellin'. If it's Glasurit, Leeson, DuPont, PPG, Sherwin-Williams, or a number of other "legitimate" makers of paint it has a chance of survival.

Let us know how this works out.

Dan

I don't know paint technology but it seems clear coat causes more problems than it's worth in budget situations. My ignorance tells me to go for more layers of color properly applied for durability over more shine, depth, clarity or whatever it is judges look for at Pebble Beach.

If there's rust at the base of the rear window, the glass should probably come off for proper treatment of the metal. I doubt anyone will guaranty getting it off undamaged. Can you get good or OE quality window rubber in Oman?

A quick internet search suggests Muscat gets 4" of rain a year. If you have covered parking, the bigger problem with a quickie no window removal repair will be keeping the paint from bubbling again rather than keeping the car water tight.

Sixto
87 300D

Hi Al,
labor is probably 1/10 of the US. This means you'll get 10 times more labor...but that doesn't mean that the labor does the job right.... it might be cheap but you'll still be disappointed in terms of quality.
So it is a gamble and I'll check out the place tomorrow.
I want them to remove as much as possible (and put it back correctly without damaging too much) and I want a quality product/paint plus several layers of paint....plus clear coat. Proper UV protection.
I know I want a lot for that money. I'll see what I can get.
Martin

Those are all good lines, but I suspect that some of those manufactures may or may not have a presence in the middle east, while there may be some excellent paint lines in the middle east that are not available here because it's a regional business.

Heck, it may have some of the good stuff that's been banned for several years in the US

Single stage was used at the factory when the W126 was made but only for solid colors. If it's a metallic, it will always be a base / clear. Else the flakes will move around or rub away when you apply polish, or worse still, can rust.


Martin,

Find someone with a good reputation. A successful business will rely on delivering quality work and value in order retain customers. This is the same anywhere in the world.

Check out some of his work by asking him to show you a car that he's about to paint, then stop by every day and watch the progress until it's buffed and ready. Do yourself a favor, let his painter use whatever paint he's used to using because if you make him switch systems just for your car and they mess it up, it's probably going to be because he was unfamiliar with the paint system that you made him switch to.

__________________
With best regards

Al