Opinions on repainted cars...?

[agfours]

When I was shopping around for 3.2 Carrera's there was certainly a lot of focus in the sales pitch on cars with original paint - my question is, for a daily driver with low miles (50k-75k), assuming a good quality repaint, what would be the top concerns on how it affects the value of the car? Let's assume for the sake of the discussion that the car is all-original otherwise...

[Matt Monson]

If the mileage is that low I'd want to know why it got repainted. I'd assume those were accident cars, which might not be an issue if the hit was not hard or was repaired properly. But it would ding the value.

If you want a driver, I wouldn't worry about it too much. My '86 had 95k mi on it. It had a partial driver side repaint on it because the rear fender got hit. It was properly repaired with a brand new factory replacement fender. It was painted with glass out and the paint was blended to match the fading on the rest of the vehicle. The only real tell on it is the installation of the fender has engine bay welds that are cleaner than the factory welds. Otherwise all but a concours judge would never even notice it.

When I go to sell it may hurt value a little. But I don't think that far ahead. Selling is probably a decade off for me, if ever. I just drive it these days...

[McLovin]

Opinions vary, but for a car as new as a 3.2 Carrera, a repaint is a deal-stopper for me.

I prefer the car to be all original, with no "stories." A Carrera that has been repainted has some "story" behind it. Maybe its a reasonable one (car got keyed on both sides and insurance paid to repaint the whole thing), or a bad one (car was involved in a rollover flaming wreck).

You never really know. A full body repaint is a bit of an unusual thing, though.

Original paint is just a great way of telling/confirming the history of the car and how it has been cared for.

How much it deducts from value is really impossible to say. You could find a buyer to whom it doesn't matter at all, and would deduct nothing. A lot of buyers just wouldn't be interested at all and just walk away to find an orig paint car.

For insurance purposes, I think repaints often result in a "diminution of value" in the 10-20% range.

[McLovin]

So I guess to put a number on it, if you are concerned about resale and how it affects the value, as a potential buyer I'd be conservative and figure a 20% deduction for a full repaint.

(B/c when you go to sell, you'll see that a lot of buyers will ask if it has ever been in an accident and if it has original paint.)

[jr993]

My 3.2 was repainted by PO and it looked really good. I doubt the "original paint" would have looked that good after 24 years. I thought I wanted an "original paint" car too until I saw how good the respray was.

[carlosR]

I wouldn't bat an eye at a good repaint job if everything else checked out.

[agfours]

thanks for the opinions - I did get a very good PPI from a well respected Porsche restoration shop who didn't find any repair evidence, which made me feel much better that the car was solid. The respray was also a full disassembly respray, with the only evidence being a little overspray in a very hidden area.

I guess I'm just trying to confirm for myself I've properly accounted for the respray in the purchase price... but, you know, in the end, I'm completely happy with the purchase, so maybe it doesn't matter so much anyway!!

[Nate2046]

This is one of those questions for which there isn't any good answer. I'm one of those who would prefer a high quality repaint, especially on an older car. But there are a lot of (and I mean no disrespect) guys like McLovin who will automatically raise the red flag anytime they hear a car has been repainted. It really only becomes an issue when you decide to sell the car. I can't tell you how many guys tried to get me to drop the price on my NSX by 50-60% when I disclosed that one of the fenders had been replaced/painted

[Christien]

I think as these cars get older, it's just more and more inevitable that they will have come into contact with *something* that will do some paint damage. I don't mean serious, structural damage, but something like scraping a post at a drive-through, minor fender benders, stuff in the garage falling on it, things like that. Not to mention paint fade that will just occur with time. So for me, a partial or even full repaint isn't a big deal, as long as the story behind it can be confirmed, and the best way to do that is to get it up on a hoist and have a qualified mechanic look for accident damage. It's virtually impossible to conceal entirely.

[intakexhaust]

I can vouch for brand new Porsche's having been repainted before 1st delivery. These cars by law, do not have to be disclosed to the buyer as repainted. This includes paint done at the port or dealer. Just something you should be aware of.

[intakexhaust]

Have you looked at a new BMW today? Crappiest paint quality I've seen for todays cars. Texture, poor sheen, flaws. As a future trade-in, one might mistake it as a repaint or repair!

[Christien]

Originally Posted by intakexhaust

I can vouch for brand new Porsche's having been repainted before 1st delivery. These cars by law, do not have to be disclosed to the buyer as repainted. This includes paint done at the port or dealer. Just something you should be aware of.

Not just Porsches, all cars are like this. Scratches and dings at the factory are common.

[mussberger]

There are plenty of cars out there that have suffered from clear coat failure and that alone can warrant a respray.

Wouldn't bother me unless it was a "collector" car and even then it all comes down to the quality of the workmanship.

[pavulon]

IMHO, a paint meter will tell you enough in a couple of uses to justify the investment. Bad readings = $$ saved. Meters aren't an opinion and don't make mistakes or have bad days. They provide quick, repeatable, objective measurements that can't be argued. I can't understand why more people/shops don't use them but I may be missing something.

[techweenie]

I looked at a car a few months back that was truly immaculate but had had three panels repainted because a few small garage items fell on the car in an earthquake. I've also seen cars with panel repaints because of the car being "keyed."

But a seller can tell you anything, so I'm with pavulon in recommending a paint meter test if the seller is asking a premium price. I can't recommend buying a $1K meter. Fortunately, a local shop -- TRE -- has one. Check around for a shop in your area where you can get a candidate car tested as part of the PPI.

[Matt Monson]

Originally Posted by Christien

I think as these cars get older, it's just more and more inevitable that they will have come into contact with *something* that will do some paint damage. I don't mean serious, structural damage, but something like scraping a post at a drive-through, minor fender benders, stuff in the garage falling on it, things like that. Not to mention paint fade that will just occur with time. So for me, a partial or even full repaint isn't a big deal, as long as the story behind it can be confirmed, and the best way to do that is to get it up on a hoist and have a qualified mechanic look for accident damage. It's virtually impossible to conceal entirely.

I think this post really starts to exemplify that my opinion is that this conversation is a little bit upside down. As these cars get older the question will be, "How much more valuable is a car with all original paint?". Original paint cars with pristine paint are going to become more rare and harder to find. The percentage of cars that will have had partial or complete repaint on them will become the majority of vehicles out there and just like we've seen in the longnose market, IB 911s with original paint will carry a premium. It won't be that resprayed cars will be taking a ding. It's that original paint garage queens will be what Bruce Anderson likes to call "Beyond Excellent" in his market reports.

[28rusblue]

Wouldn't you also be concerned about repaints from rust repairs from salting the roads?

I would be a little concerned about a car that had been resprayed might have been full of rust and worry about how that rust was repaired. Even if the owner had 100s of photos of the car in bare metal what to say it was 'that car'...

Can a paint meter pickup where some rust in a pillar for example has been ground out and filled with body filler before being painted over?

[oh snap]

I would say a quality repaint with documentation of the car before, during and after should add value rather than take away value, I suppose they could find fake pics for the before and during but they would be opening themselves up to a lawsuit if you found out down the road they knowingly deceived you.

When a respray is completed just before the car goes up for sale is when I worry. Someone with selling in mind isnt going to take care of all the issues that make the car need paint, they will just cover the up well enough to make a sale.

[pavulon]

Some paint meters only work on ferrous material, others apparently work on any surface. I'm not sure if/when accuracy becomes a problem. AFAIK, consistency in readings is ideal. It doesn't take much filler and my defelsko meter won't register any reading at all.

I agree with oh snap. Fresh paint is a big red flag and generally an interest deal breaker.

[Matt Monson]

Originally Posted by 28rusblue

Can a paint meter pickup where some rust in a pillar for example has been ground out and filled with body filler before being painted over?

No, a paint meter won't identify that, but a magnet will. There's more than a handful of tools in the box of inspection tools used by a smart shopper looking to buy a nice vintage automobile of any marque.