100 Series Paint Job - Value Question

[JohnGood]

So I just picked up a 100 Series for a reasonably good price. 200k on the odomiter, EVERERYTHING works. Mechanically pristine and very clean. Its a good one. $17k out the door. Ive put another couple $K in some maintinence to get it baselined. My original plan was to drive it for a few months to a year while my 80 series restoration gets wrapped up then flip out of it for at least what I have in it, possibly more ($25k)

Unfortunately ive started to fall in love it. Its so simple. So easy. So comfortable.

However, the paint and body badly needs some TLC. The Sonora Pearl paint looks terible as it has aged in the Florida sun. It has the ugly fender flairs from the dealer and the rear bumper needs to be replaced. I just dont like looking at it.

I got a quote from a Maaco shop in my area that has a fantastic reputation. It was personally recomended to me by a mechanic friend who had two 1970's trans-ams painted there. $2300 to respray it with 3 coats of clear (cant cut and buff) or $3500 for 5 coats of clear (can cut and buff). To be clear. Maaco does not cut and buff, i would have to have it sent somewhere else if i wanted to do this. If i jumped to a color change (they just do the door jams and bay the price jumps to $5500 for the 3 coat option.

I am generally ok with paying the $3500 for the 5 coats and if i never see those dollars back on a resale of the vehicle thats ok with me, my question is:

Do you think I lose value in a respray by Maaco? Does a potential buyer look at a 100 series and say "oh its been resprayed by Maaco, i dont want it"

Further, Do you think I lose value in doing a color change that is not a complete color change?

Curious the thoughts from the community!

Thanks

 

[Berkut10r]

Not all Maacos are created equal. 5 layers of clear, but how many coats of paint? I am down in the Tampa area, and I have Rupes buffers from my detailing days, so I can assist with cutting/buffing. 3 months after the respray, get it ceramic coated. 0 to 3 months: carnauba wax only, with no silica sealants.

 

[jsloden]

Don't do a color change. That will greatly decrease the resell price. Don't use maaco. This will also decrease the resell price. I have never seen a decent paint job come from maaco. I could do better in my garage with rattle cans. Hate to be the bearer of bad news but if you paid 17k for a 100 series with 200k, that needed a 1,000 in maintenance and has poor paint you drastically overpaid. This sounds more like a 10k vehicle tops. Your best bet would be to hang onto it and sell the 80 series.

 

[Super77]

I once made friends with a counterman at a local auto body supply shop. He showed me the difference between restoration-grade paint, insurance job-grade paint, and value-grade paint. Side-by-side, there was visible difference in depth, consistency and flow-out (I'm using lay language here). In my color, restoration-grade paint was $600/gal. The bulk of the trade is insurance jobs, a grade below. He sells the cheapest stuff to Maaco. And that's just the paint. Consider how much of the job is prep, and that $3500 reflects what you WON'T be getting.

Live with the patina or consider a wrap if you MUST have a new finish. At least that's reversible and chances are it will outlast a Maaco paint job.

 

[rexington14]

A paint job on an older vehicle basically never makes financial sense. Only do it if you love the truck and you're going to keep it forever.

That said, you get what you pay for. I'd expect a quality paint job on a 100 series to start around $10k and go up from there.

 

[ThomasGS4]

Could you post a few photos of the exterior? If it's that bad, I'd try a wipe on clear coat before turning the keys over to Maaco.

 

[dbleon]

My dad had a 99$ earl shieb paint job put on an old Toyota pickup back in the day. Was not showroom quality by any means but it was appropriate to the value of the truck .. lasted for years and is probably still on the truck running around somewhere in southern AZ.

That said, I would be astonished if you could actually get 25k out of a 200k 100 series without some major inflation happening. 25k buys you a mint low mile example around here.

List it for 20k and see what the interest looks like. That should give you all the information you need to make a decision

Your probably best off leaving it alone or finding a guy on Facebook to do it for cheap in a rented booth after you’ve done all the prep yourself