What needs to be done by me, what will the bodyshop do? How can I keep the costs down, but still get a factory quality finish?

 

what is painted off the car? bonnet, doors, tailgate etc?

 

who has the best reputation for this type of work? remember I am based in the midlands..

Speak to Vijay, he's pretty much tried them all :)

you dont have to do anything mate, but obviously any prep you can do yourself would keep the cost down. when i had my colour change the bodyshop removed the targas, petrol flap, all rear lights and tailgate. sadly the place that did the work are not around any more.

First of all, is find a good bodyshop.

 

Secondly, do as I did. I didn't got for a full colour change, just a blow over. I can't STAND over spray, one of my biggest pet hates. I stripped down as much trim as I could, both to save a bit of money and for peice of mind. So, that was rear bumper, rear lights, aerial surround, perspex rear strip with weatherstrips behind. Tailgate weather strips, door and rear window cappings, door, door handles, indicators, front arch liners, front bumper, splash tray, headlights, nose panel, wing mirrors, filler flap, windscreen and t-top weather trims. Then you go down the route further and take apart the handles, unscrew the weather strip on the nose panel and pop off the badge. Then there's the front bumper. Take out the lights, remove the bumper, take out the grille and replace (Or get repainted to the original black). The rest of the car was masked to the ground, which was an easy job now that everything was done.

 

When all refitted, it all looked like a new car. Arch liners with no over spray, just all cleaned up and refitted. Nothing worse than looking a Z head on seeing overspray all over the radiator, intercoolers/ducts, splashgaurds etc, looks a mess and really cheap. Evenmore so when the sun shines on it. Mine had none of that and for that alone, it was worth the respray. I even returned the grille back to its original black and fitted a new front bumper lower support to make it look like new.

 

 

 

Edited December 22, 200816 yr by FunkySi

you dont have to do anything mate, but obviously any prep you can do yourself would keep the cost down. when i had my colour change the bodyshop removed the targas, petrol flap, all rear lights and tailgate. sadly the place that did the work are not around any more.

 

What about the door shuts and engine bay? did they remove the doors and engine?

i dont know about the door shuts - and i requested not to have the engine bay done - i was on a budget at the time! my Z was originally gunmetal grey, and i think the grey engine bay looks ok with any colour bodywork as obviously it matches the colour of most things IN the engine bay.

Removal of the engin and refitting is gonna cost 500 alone I would have thought, as for shuts if you request it then yes they will get done if you don't, they won't. Find a place where you have seen the work, or has a good rep.

Removal of the engin and refitting is gonna cost 500 alone I would have thought, as for shuts if you request it then yes they will get done if you don't, they won't. Find a place where you have seen the work, or has a good rep.

 

That maybe true, but I want a proper job. I don't want someone to look at it and know it has had a colour change.

 

If I don't get the engine bay done, everytime I check the oil I will feel I didn't do it quite as well as I could have. If I am going to shell out for a respray - then it will be worth it.

 

Anyway - If I offer some of my stevie special lovin' maybe I can get a member or 2 off here to give me a hand and do it myself. I have all the equipment here to do it, and I have done a few engine removals before (just not a zed!).

I can help with removing trim and panel work. Not at the moment though, but whether the weather improves.

Cheers Stuart! lol but unfortunetly I have met a few bodyshops over the last 2 years and most of them shouldn't spray cars for a living!

 

As said make sure you look at jobs they've done and if possible speak to owners of the cars to see what sort of service they got. Personally I couldn't recommend Brett and Scott from Custom Exotics enough not only for the spray job but the quality of service and care over the the job they've done on my car. They took time to remove things as Si said, not to get overspray on everything. What sort of budget are you on? One thing I've learnt over the last 2 years is there are plenty of bodyshops who can say they can spray a car to a good quality but finding one who actually can is more difficult than I imagined :(

 

Vijay

Edited December 22, 200816 yr by vijay

Personally I couldn't recommend Brett and Scott from Custom Exotics not only for the spray job but the quality of service and care over the the job they've done on my car. They took time to remove things as Si said, not to get overspray on everything.

 

The missing word "enough" makes such a difference to that sentence :D

I can help with removing trim and panel work. Not at the moment though, but whether the weather improves.

 

Cheers Si, I appreciate it.:)

lol, You enjoying yourself Stu?? :D

Hi Stevie

 

Zedworld have a Zed stirred ready for a colour change at the moment and they have a very good paintshop oppositre their new garage.

 

Smiths car is in being done at the moment I think

 

Give Jeff or Jamie a buzz and see what you/they can sort out

 

Tony

Get a marker and circle around every single imperfection you have noticed since ownership ie scratch-indentations-chips etc at least this way you know they have no excuse when they have missed flatening a spot.

Hi Stevie

 

Zedworld have a Zed stirred ready for a colour change at the moment and they have a very good paintshop oppositre their new garage.

 

Smiths car is in being done at the moment I think

 

Give Jeff or Jamie a buzz and see what you/they can sort out

 

Tony

 

im in the process of getting a quote from them to do my interior and new bodykit

Hi Dave

 

Yep saw yours there on Saturday.... get the oil leak done as well !

 

Looking good though in spite of that

 

Tony

lol, You enjoying yourself Stu?? :D

 

Having a Ball mate :D :hyper:

Hi Dave

 

Yep saw yours there on Saturday.... get the oil leak done as well !

 

Looking good though in spite of that

 

Tony

 

yep thats on Jeff's list. coming from the cam end i believe.

To quote one of Manta V8's posts.........

 

You can't even hope to have a full respray unless you pull the engine :(

The doors and tailgate will need to be taken off as well so you can paint all the inside shut panels. Door locks need to be taken off (maybe the lock barrels filled and flushed over too ;))

 

 

 

Well today I have been mostly degreasing the engine bay-fookin oil everywhere!!

Anyhow, finished the mounts off and removed any stuff out of the bay to paint it-glad that's out the way!

Also got a power steering pump from a american breakers up the road-handy eh'? It's off a Corvette and for the life of me I can't figure out where it mounts! :rolleyes: Any way todays progress................

 

Can ya' guess what the colours gonna be? LOL!

Word to the wise. I had a respray and now the car leaks badly.

 

Rubber seal around rear window will shrink - £200 to replace.

Spoiler removal rubber seals will break - £NA

Weather Shield Rubbers on the targa will probably leak - £50 each

The plastic trim kit, will be brittle and will some will inevitably break - $450 from courtesy.com

 

Front bumper, rear bumper, targas, bonnet, rear spoiler, doors etc...all have to come off. If the Garage state that they have to remove the front and rear windows, don't believe them as this will save you money.

 

Don't be fooled into buying Rage Extreme flip paints, most paint colour can be mixed...I had a TVR colour on mine called Halcion Atlantis, Blue/Green pearlescent flip that cost £60 a litre compared to The Rage colours that can be upto £300 a litre. expect to use 7/8 litres of paint for a really good coverage.

 

Check to see what undercoat they are planning on using, white is better for pearlescent paint.

 

The most valuable lesson of all though is that you get what you pay for...I had mine done cheap at 1300 plus paint, and although the spray job was excellent, the garage owners were w**kers, who broke bits on the car, ripped out my fog light, kicked my EDFC off and knackered my alarm, and completely refused to pay. Hand over no money until you are absolutely satisfied with their work. I didn't and it's still costing me money 1 year on.

why dont you just sell and buy one the colour you want ?

why dont you just sell and buy one the colour you want ?

 

Because mine has an unusual spec - I have not seen another with all the bits mine has. I think it has every option available from new.

 

S2 Alcantara, seatbelts, heater controls, guages, Airbags, cruise, leather, electric passenger seats, kerb lights, blah blah blah.......

 

If it is going to be a project car, it's better than most. It also drives a hell of a lot better than all the other (4) zeds I have owned. And only Dunks '98 slicktop felt more solid, but mine wasn't far behind.

To quote one of Manta V8's posts.........

 

You can't even hope to have a full respray unless you pull the engine :(

The doors and tailgate will need to be taken off as well so you can paint all the inside shut panels. Door locks need to be taken off (maybe the lock barrels filled and flushed over too ;))

 

That's very kind Rob, I gladly accept your offer of help to take the engine out!:smash::smash::smash:

 

ummmm.... or at least I think thats what you were saying!:duffer:

 

Muwahahahahahaah

Because mine has an unusual spec - I have not seen another with all the bits mine has. I think it has every option available from new.

 

S2 Alcantara, seatbelts, heater controls, guages, Airbags, cruise, leather, electric passenger seats, kerb lights, blah blah blah.......

 

If it is going to be a project car, it's better than most. It also drives a hell of a lot better than all the other (4) zeds I have owned. And only Dunks '98 slicktop felt more solid, but mine wasn't far behind.

 

good answer but most series 2 cars come with good spec like yours !

That's very kind Rob, I gladly accept your offer of help to take the engine out!:smash::smash::smash:

 

ummmm.... or at least I think thats what you were saying!:duffer:

 

Muwahahahahahaah

 

What date was it again?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ahh I might be in Timbuktu on that day fella! :wack:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Only joking. I'll give a hand if I can ;)