Hello all.
As some of you may now from my previous posts I am the owner of a 1990 Nugget Yellow Corrado.
As you may expect of a 12 year old car, it's starting to show it's age. It has some minor rust around both front wheel arches, A scuff on the rear bumper and a few other little patches. I went to a local dent/scratch/panel re-sprayer. He said that the car was in overall good condition, but that the marks were to spread out for them to be repaired with out making the car look like a patch work quilt.
He said the only way forward was to respray it, or sell it on and buy a new one. He didn't do full re-sprays but he thought it would cost about a £1000 - £1200 for a good quality re-spray. (does this sound about right?)
Have had a look for Corrado's on autotrader. Most of the ones for sale (I'm looking for a 1.8 or 2.0 16v) have similiar or higher mileage than mine (Mines done 108,000) and cost around £4000. Or they have done 86,000 miles which is the mileage that My Corrado was on when I first bought it. I don't want to buy one of these and have to do all the work that I have done to mine all over again! (I've had a new, exhaust, clutch, clutch master cylinder, power steering pump, Brake Discs)
I'm sorry for rambling on, My question is:
Should I sell my car, which considering it needs touching up I'll be lucky to get £2000 for. Get a loan and get a nice 2.0 16v L plate with 60,000 miles on it. OR should I pay £1500 for a profesional re-spray and keep my car as I know it's history etc?
My mothers argument is that I should get a loan and get a new car entirely, clio..something like that. But to be honest no cars do it for me quite like the Corrado(Strange aren't I!?!)
Any advice would be appreciated.
Ross
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Don't waste your money on paint-you only need to have a couple of other surprise expenses in the next couple of months & you could have paid for 1/2 a new car!!
We see this time & time again with trade-ins,people must have money to throw away!!
Mark
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Its one of those decisions that only you can make. Personally if it was me I would probably have the paintwork done, but then I am biased because I used to paint cars for a living. The guys rough estimate for a quality respray is about right, but if there are only a relatively small amount of minor bits and pieces on the paintwork that require attention then you may get some quotes that are less than £1000. Without seeing the car it is difficult to judge. Another thing to bear in mind is that if only certain panels are painted it won't necessarily look like a patchwork quilt. Quality bodyshops will take the time and care needed to perfect colour matching if that is what you want. If I were you then I would get some more quotes from other paintshops and see what they say and how the prices compere. Where abouts do you live?
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Ross as Simon says only yourself can decide. Personally I am not an advocate for respraying unless its something very special and you intend keeping it for a very long time.
Have only done it once with a very favourite Triumph 2000 and looking back it was perhaps the wrong decision.
If you have rust I would say no. I personally have never really seen rust not reappear. Jenolite, kurust and so on I have used in the past but sooner rather than later it shows through again.
alvin
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Ross,
A £1000+ respray is a large proportion of the value of the car and, as Alvin says, the rust will probably re-appear, unless you had it completely cut out and new metal welded in (even more expense). I did this myself with my Triumph 2500 five or six years ago and rust hasn't re-appeared but it was a VERY big job. The trouble is that the rust you see is like the tip of the iceberg, there's bound to be more underneath the paint and/or on the back of the panel.
If you'd like to keep the car for a while, couldn't you have a go at the worst bits yourself, or just accept them as they are. A nice looking car is an image booster (at least in the owner's own eyes) and something to be proud of, but the money it would cost to repair and respray could be very important to you a year or two down the line when you find another must-have car.
Your Corrado sounds like a good car mechanically. I can't tell you what to do but if it was my car I'd just go out and enjoy driving it. That's what Corrados are about!
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Thanks for the advice everyone.
I guess at the end of the day it's up to me. I am admittedly over sentimental about my car.
At least I have a few options to mull over now.
Cheers
Ross
P.S. Simon, I live in the north East, Middlesborough to be exact. Do you know any good paint shops locally?
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No sorry, the Midlands is my area of knowledge.
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