Help Painting 1985 Benz

madman154

The original color is brown. I want to make it black. The dealership's i've asked have priced the paint job at $2500, $2000, $1800, & $1100. All of these are the same paint jobs by different dealerships. As you can see there is a big price fluxuation. However, 3 dealerships told me that the people they refer the jobs to do indeed tend to charge more money than what other places offer. Earl Sheib for example will do their very best paint job guaranteed for $499 on it. I was told there is no difference from an 85 Mercedes paint and an 85 Camry paint. the 89 Series Mercedes began using newer, high quality paints. Should i go to Earl Sheib and save tons of money or should i go to where the dealership says to go?

reid8

With paint jobs you get what you pay for,if its a cheap price you can bet its a cheap paint job.My father in law spent a little more than $3,000. to paint his jag and it lokked great,I spent about $600.00 a few years back,on a truck and it looked bad.I f you want a good paint job you got to pay for it.

Mr_Shiftright

Earl Scheib (we call him the EArl of Scheib) is great for painting taxicabs and garbage trucks, but not a Benz.

I can't imagine you getting a decent paintjob for less than $2,500...this is very labor intensive work. Also, chaning color from brown to black will look pretty bad, because they aren't going to paint your engine compartment are they? Will they remove all the glass and weathstripping?

If this is a "tape job" (masking tape) it's not going to look at good.

I'm not sure what type of Benz you have, but if it is a sedan model 4-door, then maybe the quality of the paint job isn't so crucial...but still, black is the ONE color that has to be done perfectly.

I'd like to suggest that you rethink this plan and find a color closer to your original and b) pay the price to have it done right.

alcan

I recently had the right door of my '96 Riviera repaired. There had been minor damage, but the repair had been poorly done (before I bought it used). With 3 hours labour for the repair and repainting the whole right side of the car (had a door ding on the quarter panel) the total cost was $1,800. That included R&R both wheel opening moldings, rocker molding, right outer door handle and mirror, taillight housing, both body to glass beltline mouldings, radio antenna. The car's now straight as a die and the paint's perfect and a perfect match. Their quote for the whole car was $3,000, done properly. I had 3 lower quotes, but I learned a long time ago what other posters here have said. You get what you pay for. On the other hand, I'm taking my '86 Laser beater to Maaco for their $27.50 special. They just paint the whole issue and squeegee the windows before the paint dries. Saves on masking. ;-)

madman154

Ya'll are saying to pay up for a good job but my 85 Benz has 250,000 miles plus on it and its current retail value stands less than 8,000. If you were me would you put in 2500 for a color change?

alcan

Nope. I wouldn't recommend a colour change on ANY car. Door, trunk and hood weatherstrips, door trim panels,rocker mouldings, etc, etc have to be removed. Inside doors and jambs, hood and trunk painted on Day 1, then exterior painted on Day 2. Tons of masking and aggravation. And I've never seen a colour change that couldn't be spotted without spending HUGE bucks.

Mr_Shiftright

Nor would I...and really, with all those miles I doubt the car is really worth $8,000...although I am sure it is to you for all its good service.

I have a similar year Benz with almost the same mileage, which fortunately still has a great original paint job, but I personally would rather put the money into something else than repaint my entire car....and if I did repaint it in a moment of weakness or nostalgia, I'd get just an "okay" paint job ($1,500-2,000)with good masking, and I'd keep the same color.

If you get a $400 paint job, you have essentially destoyed any remaining value in your car IMO.