How Paint Jobs Improve The Look Of Your Older Car

It is simply amazing how paint can transform a rusty old bucket of lugs into a car worth being seen in around town.  Having your car painted is not as expensive as you might imagine.  National auto painting chains offer a standard package for as low as $300.  Auto body repair shops will often run specials when work is slow and in order to compete with the national chains.  People often grow frustrated with a perfectly good automobile merely because of its appearance.  A fresh coat of paint can do wonders for how your car looks, and you feel driving it. 

While painting a car does not need to be expensive, there are pricier alternatives to the national chains that you might find more attractive.   The national brands use cheaper paints so that they can offer cheaper prices.  At first, it is difficult to tell the difference between a cheap paint job and a more expensive one.  But in time, lower quality auto paint will chip and fade more quickly than the high quality paints used by custom car shops. 

Auto body shops charge more than the budget minded national chains, but the long term results are well worth the price.  It can cost up to $2000 to have your car painted by a true professional.  This is because they use much better paints.  It is also because the repair shops are able to fix minor dings and dents before painting your vehicle, while the chains only have the capacity to apply paint.

The highest quality work is done by custom body shops the latest technology and best paints for a more professional result.  Custom paint jobs can run over $3000, but will do much more thorough work.  A custom shop will remove the old paint job, fix cosmetic damage, and apply several coats of paint as well as a protective coat as well.  They will also remove all the trim prior to painting, and then replace it for a fresh from the factory appearance.  Chrome plating and engine detailing are available options as well. 

One of the newest kinds of paint jobs is called chameleon paint because the color of the car appears to change as you walk around it.  This is called color flipping.  The paints used for color flipping are among the most expensive and longest lasting paints available, and the work needs to be done by an expert.  This kind of work is usually done with show cars, and can cost as much as $10,000.

There is a large assortment of colors and types of paint from which to choose.  If you are painting a car with candy, metallic flake, or pearl paint, expect to pay over $100 a quart.  Covering a car with one coat of paint takes at least one gallon.  Dont forget to factor in the cost of primer and sealant as well. 

Most people shy away from high quality paint jobs because it can be more economically feasible to replace the car.  But with the right equipment, which you can rent locally, you can purchase the paint you need at an auto parts store and do the work yourself.  This will drastically reduce the cost of painting your vehicle.  And considering how much the new paint job will improve your cars appearance, a do it yourself paint job can be well worth it.  Dont worry if you do not know how to paint a car.  Most auto parts stores can explain to you how paint is properly applied to a car to ensure that it will look new for a very long time.