Painting Fascias

[mluder]

Opening up a discussion here...

My fascias are tired paint is flaking in areas and generally faded overall. I'm not sure if it's the original paint or a re-spray and I'm contemplating having them re-done. At a car show recently a guy suggested not touching them if it's the original paint. That, like an antique piece of furniture, there's more value in the original faded paint as a survivor car

Discuss amongst yourselves?

Cheers
Steve

[Drive Stainless]

You could have the best of both worlds by wrapping them with vinyl. Cheaper, too.

[Rich_NYS]

You could have the best of both worlds by wrapping them with vinyl. Cheaper, too.

Is there a color match to one of the original codes?

[Michael]

If the job is done right, you will not only help the value but the appearance by painting them.

[Jonathan]

Personally, I think you add value when cleaning up something like this and not the opposite about lowering the value because it doesn't have that survivor/antique original aspect. I'd say most things on our cars don't fit into that numbers matching or original this and that mantra that other classics do. Someone would have a hard time telling you for certain that a particular area on your car didn't leave the factory that way when we don't know what way most cars left the factory ourselves anyway!

I'd like to hear what others have to say on paint codes and technique, as my front fascia is about due for some attention. Mine got done at some point before I got the car in 2007 and they had gone for the "trying to match the colour to the stainless" silver approach. I like it that way to be honest and will likely try to repaint it the colour it is when I do.

[Flicky]

Opening up a discussion here...

My fascias are tired paint is flaking in areas and generally faded overall. I'm not sure if it's the original paint or a re-spray and I'm contemplating having them re-done. At a car show recently a guy suggested not touching them if it's the original paint. That, like an antique piece of furniture, there's more value in the original faded paint as a survivor car

A car will only be "more valuable" if it is a true survivor. These will have super low miles and tucked away for years. A Delorean will never gain much with this type of marketing as the 'bumpers', as non-D people will call them, are not the exterior part that makes the car cool.

Anything that looks bad will lower the overall desirability of the car. You may be able to con someone into the idea that they are getting original paint, but no one is really buying a Delorean for the paint. Looking at collector cars with original paint they never look bad.

Vinyl is a nice idea if you want a strange color/pattern. I think a carbon fiber pattern might look cool. It still needs prep to make it smooth so I don't know if it can really save the paint. All the cut outs and holes make it more labor intensive too.

There is also a thing called hydro-graphics if you like the idea of patterns.

[DavidProehl]

I'm with the masses on this: paint!

Not sure I can add anything more. I agree that a great looking car is going to be worth more than a cracked and faded one. There are plenty of original paint jobs yet out there, you won't be able to compete with them when selling with your original cracked and faded paint.

Fresh paint lets you enjoy it more, and I expect will attract more buyers.

[Lwanmtr]

Yep, I'll add my 2 cents.... Paint them, definately. Otherwise you'll look at them every day and see how bad they look against the nice stainless panels.

[DMC-81]

Agreed. Have a quality shop paint them. If you are concerned with originality, get the vin correct paint codes from DMC, and have the shop pay attention to the details.. like the bottom being un-painted.

I did this when I had my fascias and louvre painted. I chose a well recommended shop that specializes in classic cars, and could paint in my vin correct oil based paint. I actually marked the areas that were not to be painted with marker on painters tape, and I stressed to the shop manager that I wanted the most experienced tech doing the work. They turned out well.

Here's a couple pics..

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[Lwanmtr]

If you decide to tackle it yourself, be patient with the sanding and blending cause thats where most of the work is.