Bigwood

Hi, I have a 1978 sc. the paint has seen better days (97k on odometer). New engine out top end rebuild (10k) No rust, guards red from the factory.
my question is-it is about time to repaint, I am thinking that It may be time for a change of color. I like the dark metallic blue or Kermit green or....
if I repaint, will it materially effect the cars value? The car isn’t worth a lot anyway, just looking for opinions. My budget is around 10k so I think they could get door jambs but probably not trunk and frunk areas in too much detail.
thanks!

AG81

I wouldn't worry too much about the value. You are probably going to be upside down by the time you finish with all the repairs. I don't think a color change from red to something else would hurt.
Lots of red car out there.

dr914

NEVER color change, besides destroying the value of the car, it is very very difficult and labor intensive to to it correctly. 911s are one of the harder cars to prep for paint as the disassembly is labor intensive and must be done to execute an effective and long lasting job.

AG81

^
I agree with this comment regarding the difficulty in doing it correctly. The disassembly is not that bad. I seen worse, way worse. As far as destroying the value I completely disagree. Some would actually pay more for the right color and there are a great many people who prefer a good many colors over RED. Myself included. I good repaint does not hurt the value of a high mileage car. It does effect the value of a low mileage completely original car.

cairo94507

If a color change is done correctly, I do not feel it has a negative impact on value. Especially if the original color is not as nice and the new color. Given that, I would likely not color change a numbers matching collector-grade car.

AG81

^
I totally agree with this.

sithot

No shop I know of will paint an entire car for $10,000. A wrap would be easier, quicker and cost effective.

To do it correctly requires the car be stripped down.

wareaglescott

I bought a car that was originally brown and had been color changed to red. They did a thorough job but not inside the frunk under the wiring harness. Nor did they remove the motor and paint the inside of the engine compartment. I intended to change the color again anyways so it was fine but seeing both colors really looked halfway done. I completely disassembled the car including pulling the motor, harness and glass so a color change could be done correctly. Car was taken down to bare metal and received a high quality finish. I am working on putting it back together now and already have 475 hours of my labor in the project with many more to go. (Granted a lot of those hours are not associated with just the color change). Car was at paint shop a long time and 10k budget won’t even get you close if you want it done right. The shop had hundreds of hours labor on the car also. Ask around what hourly shop rates are and you might be surprised.

Nothing wrong with it if that is what you choose but ask yourself is it worth 10k of your money for a halfway done job and not top quality at that cost? Not trying to be rude about it but that is all 10k will get you. High quality paint and body work is a lot more than people expect it will be.

sithot

^ This.

raspritz

It’s your car. Paint it whatever color makes you happy.

Patrick3000

Let’s see a picture of your car. It may be possible to restore the luster to the original paint, requiring only repainting one or two panels. I did this on a 77 911S and only the rear decklid required repainting. Guards red is an easy color to match.

d--

So, three years later what did you decide to do and can you share any photos now?

Thanks!

F1LOCO

Materials alone will chew up $2-3K. Mine is in for windows out/fender/frunk paint now. Glassurat 55 is running just shy of $900 for 3 quarts and you will need that at minimum, plus thinner, plus clear, plus sand paper/materials, well you get the idea. Are you doing windows out paint? Don't forget about all the seals and plastic bits you will need to replace after 45 years. I try not to think about "what I have spent" - just looking forward to final reassembly so I can work on the interior - another $7K from Lake Wells - still need an interior guy to do the rear seats and roll bar. But it will be one sexy '78 Targa in the end. Is your paint flaking at all from the galvanization? That can be an issue on the 78's. If so, all of it will likely have to be removed if you want the investment to last. While I agree a color change is ok, it will need to be done right which is a lot of disassembly and reassembly which equates to $$. In the end, though, it should be good for another 45 years. Wraps are a cheaper alternative, but don't keep them outside in the sun as they won't last. That said you can probably get a class A job done for $3K with good materials. Just remember - like all body shop guys are not the same, the same holds true for the guys that wrap. Looking forward to seeing some pics when she's done.