Repaint vs full wrap

[vaeevictiss]

Just trying to get an idea here but what should i expect to pay to repaint the whole car vs wrapping the whole car?

Just had a new hood painted...twice and they just didn't get it right...twice . I really don't want to take it back to them a third time.

I have a new bumper on it because i wanted one without licence plate holes so that was repainted. I had a FedEx truck scrape against me enough to scrape paint off but luckily not enough to damage the rear quarter panel so that was repainted, and now the hood. So at this point I'm basically sitting on 4 different paints lol.

Granted, all of it's a perfect match except the hood. It's shadow black but they just put a little too much blue flake in it (pic below for reference).



My wife was like, at this point you should just get the whole damn car repainted. Granted, i don't think she realizes what that costs, then i realized neither do I . Im assuming ~10k.

So i see it as having three options.

Find a good shop to actually repaint the hood correctly, obviously the cheapest option.

Get the whole car repainted black, expensive I'm sure, but gives me the chance to actually have a mirror finish without all the factory orange peel.

Get the car wrapped. Wraps are new to me but some of them do look really cool. Was thinking a satin black or a deep deep red. Something that would look black in the shade but have that slight red shine in the sun.

Just not sure the route to take.

Sponsored

 

[Wraithracing]

The odds are the hood repaint alone will never match perfectly. Unfortunately all the cool color options we have today can be a nightmare to match correctly. Many of the colors have multiple options even with the same paint code. Some painters are honestly just magicians when it comes to matching and most of us are mere mortals. Best recommendation is to have them blend the hood into the fenders and possibly front bumper. Yes more expensive, but cheaper than a full repaint unless you really need one. Also keep in mind that most plastic/urethane bumper covers don't truly match either even from the factory. Good luck!

 

[vaeevictiss]

The odds are the hood repaint alone will never match perfectly. Unfortunately all the cool color options we have today can be a nightmare to match correctly. Many of the colors have multiple options even with the same paint code. Some painters are honestly just magicians when it comes to matching and most of us are mere mortals. Best recommendation is to have them blend the hood into the fenders and possibly front bumper. Yes more expensive, but cheaper than a full repaint unless you really need one. Also keep in mind that most plastic/urethane bumper covers don't truly match either even from the factory. Good luck!

Wouldn't blending the front end still be noticable when you are looking at the doors next to the now painted fenders though? Or am i not understanding exactly what blending does

 

[MAGS1]

Probably looking at $5-$6k for a full wrap, all depends on where you go and what kind of film they use. Generally, a wrap will be less expensive than a full repaint. Here’s the caveat to that though. While film technology has greatly improved, it won’t last as long as paint. Depending on how long you plan to keep the car, you may need to wrap it again. And the cost will go up because you’d be paying for removal and install, not just install. So now you’ve exceeded the cost of a repaint. A good film should last 5-7 years depending on how often it’s driven, is it parked in the sun all day, exposed to rain, snow, salt, etc. Could last longer if it’s not driven daily and not exposed to some of those conditions mentioned above.

If it’s a car you plan to keep for a long time (7-10 years+) and your paint guy just can’t get the blend right, I’d consider a respray.

A full respray does have its drawbacks too. Would likely take a hit on resale, people get spooked when they see the car has been repainted. Also, it’s tough to get a paint job as good as factory. And what I mean by that is the factory has huge ovens that almost instantly cures the paint and clear. A shop respray will have to cure over several days or weeks. The factory process also allows for even coverage throughout the car since it’s done by robots and computers, a good shop will get very close but it’s man vs machine.

Charlie @Inthehighdesert is a good resource for respray advice. He was in the business for many years, he’s a good one to talk to.

 

[vaeevictiss]

Probably looking at $5-$6k for a full wrap, all depends on where you go and what kind of film they use. Generally, a wrap will be less expensive than a full repaint. Here’s the caveat to that though. While film technology has greatly improved, it won’t last as long as paint. Depending on how long you plan to keep the car, you may need to wrap it again. And the cost will go up because you’d be paying for removal and install, not just install. So now you’ve exceeded the cost of a repaint. A good film should last 5-7 years depending on how often it’s driven, is it parked in the sun all day, exposed to rain, snow, salt, etc. Could last longer if it’s not driven daily and not exposed to some of those conditions mentioned above.

If it’s a car you plan to keep for a long time (7-10 years+) and your paint guy just can’t get the blend right, I’d consider a respray.

A full respray does have its drawbacks too. Would likely take a hit on resale, people get spooked when they see the car has been repainted. Also, it’s tough to get a paint job as good as factory. And what I mean by that is the factory has huge ovens that almost instantly cures the paint and clear. A shop respray will have to cure over several days or weeks. The factory process also allows for even coverage throughout the car since it’s done by robots and computers, a good shop will get very close but it’s man vs machine.

Charlie @Inthehighdesert is a good resource for respray advice. He was in the business for many years, he’s a good one to talk to.

Thanks for the info. I will say factory paint definitely seems to hold up well but i don't understand, how even on high end cars, there's still orange peel. I follow a few guys on Instagram that spray just because it's so relaxing and satisfying to watch lol. But their paint jobs come out like glass. It's insane how good they look.

I do plan to keep the car as long as possible since I've dropped a lot into it like the supercharger and at this point i imagine i wouldn't get nearly what it's worth on a sale or trade in. The car is kept in a garage and not daily driven so i would think a wrap or paint job would hold up well.

 

[Roadsign]

Finding a shop to paint an entire vehicle may be a challenge also. Collision repair places most likely won't do it as a standalone job. Probably would need to find a "custom" type paint shop.

 

[vaeevictiss]

Finding a shop to paint an entire vehicle may be a challenge also. Collision repair places most likely won't do it as a standalone job. Probably would need to find a "custom" type paint shop.

Oh i know a guy that's the only one I'd really trust and know it would be perfect but he moved 2.5 hours away. I would have gone to him for the hood and now wish i just did but if i do a full repaint that's who's doing it.

Gonna reach out to him later

 

[bonz50]

Finding a shop to paint an entire vehicle may be a challenge also. Collision repair places most likely won't do it as a standalone job. Probably would need to find a "custom" type paint shop.

most of the guys I know would much rather do a non-collision repair as they aren't dealing with an insurance company for payment. it's a strict time and materials job, versus trying to fit your job (and quality level) into the budget given by the insurance carrier. Granted, the guys I know that do that also look forward to jobs like that as they get a chance to 'flex' their skills a little actually do it right vs doing what is acceptable enough to get the job out the door for the next job... just my .02 always worth talking to the shop first of course though...

 

[Pws6]

Probably looking at $5-$6k for a full wrap, all depends on where you go and what kind of film they use. Generally, a wrap will be less expensive than a full repaint. Here’s the caveat to that though. While film technology has greatly improved, it won’t last as long as paint. Depending on how long you plan to keep the car, you may need to wrap it again. And the cost will go up because you’d be paying for removal and install, not just install. So now you’ve exceeded the cost of a repaint. A good film should last 5-7 years depending on how often it’s driven, is it parked in the sun all day, exposed to rain, snow, salt, etc. Could last longer if it’s not driven daily and not exposed to some of those conditions mentioned above.

If it’s a car you plan to keep for a long time (7-10 years+) and your paint guy just can’t get the blend right, I’d consider a respray.

A full respray does have its drawbacks too. Would likely take a hit on resale, people get spooked when they see the car has been repainted. Also, it’s tough to get a paint job as good as factory. And what I mean by that is the factory has huge ovens that almost instantly cures the paint and clear. A shop respray will have to cure over several days or weeks. The factory process also allows for even coverage throughout the car since it’s done by robots and computers, a good shop will get very close but it’s man vs machine.

Charlie @Inthehighdesert is a good resource for respray advice. He was in the business for many years, he’s a good one to talk to.

6k sounds insane for a wrap job

 

[MAGS1]

6k sounds insane for a wrap job

May sound insane but there’s prep work that is a good chunk of the cost. And if you’re doing it right, you’re removing emblems, spoilers, hood vents, etc. Adds up quick

 

[Pws6]

May sound insane but there’s prep work that is a good chunk of the cost. And if you’re doing it right, you’re removing emblems, spoilers, hood vents, etc. Adds up quick

I got quoted half that from a local shop, I can't imagine anyone paying that much, hell I had a truck repainted for that a few years ago

 

[MAGS1]

I got quoted half that from a local shop, I can't imagine anyone paying that much, hell I had a truck repainted for that a few years ago

Interesting. I’m sure it varies by location and what kind of film they use and what they charge for labor.

Some of the higher end shops here are in that $5-$6k range.

 

[Wraithracing]

Wouldn't blending the front end still be noticable when you are looking at the doors next to the now painted fenders though? Or am i not understanding exactly what blending does

Blending is spraying out the new color in decreasing layers so that the difference in color is less noticeable the further out you get from the "repair". In your situation it can be a bit of a challenge to keep from having to blend into the doors to get enough area (length away from the edge of the hood), but you also have a nice sharp edge at the top of the fender that can help disquise the color difference. Blending will vary depending on the color, area being sprayed, etc. Think of it like this the hood is most likely 3 coats of color and then clear. You would spray on to the fender with there being the same number of coats at the edge that meets the hood, but less coats as you move away so that essentially the new color blends (fades/transitions) into the original. The last bit of new color generally will be more of a dusting coat and not a full wet or medium wet coat. If done right its virtually impossible for most to tell because the color change is subtle and not abrupt as it is currently.
Personally I wouldn't do a full repaint unless the car really needs it, or you are changing the color. A decent painter should be able to make it look right and as if the hood was never repainted. Best of luck!

 

[fast306stang]

Yep, done correctly it should be blended and shouldn't be noticeable as others have said. Good luck whichever route you choose!

 

[S550HPP]

Correct hood repaint means bumper and fenders need to be blended and cleared. Not cheap Thay all need to be 600 sanded on blend area then prepped for clear. The entire front gets cleared.

A color wrap also requires PPF on top of color wrap because the color wrap has little chop protection.

Now is a good time to do a complete color change since front end is done. This is easy if you have dark or white can leave all the jambs.

Sponsored