cpdjfd107

Hi All, I recently purchased a 92 c2 coupe in coral red metallic. The top end was rebuilt 7k miles ago. Currently the car has 155k miles. It's in good driver shape but it has some scratches, small dents that PDR can remove, and the paint could use some refreshing especially on the front end. The front end was already repainted once over 10 years ago so it is not original. It wasn't due to accident just because of the miles it has covered it was repainted. The car is at the body shop and I just got a quote of ~$6,500 to address all the needed work to make it look perfect. I paid $27k for the car. In your opinion is it worth going ahead and investing that much in to the body on a 155k mile car? I already bought a used set of 964 seats from Rudy and all new rear lights so all said and done I'd be in to the car for approx $36k. I don't plan on selling, I'm asking because I planned on using it as a driver but my OCD is getting the best of me and making me want to get the car perfect. Would it be smart to invest the $ in to this car? It's a rare color with top end recently done. Opinions welcome! Thanks!

Chris

Vandit

Congrats on a $27k manual C2 coupe. How did you manage to get that deal?

Given what they're selling for recently and how much you paid for it, you could spend the money to make the car "perfect" and still have 5-figures worth of margin on it if you needed to resell it.

02m2

Do it now while it is already there and then put a clear bra on it (after waiting the appropriate time for the paint to dry).

cpdjfd107

https://rennlist.com/forums/964-foru...new-964-a.html

Here's the link to the post when I bought it. There's a couple pics in there.

deadendd9009

Im on the same boat as you. But my 964 is not my primary transportation. Although I wish my car had better looking paint (my god that paint in fragile!), less leaky engine, a working HVAC system, I cannot wrap my head around the costs of all this work. As long as the car drives, that's what I am going after. Only you can make the call. If it were me, I wouldn't get the car painted. Enjoy your 964 with all its 24 years and 155k mile old self.

spartansix

I think I would do it.

Rationally, a 155k mile C2 coupe with "perfect" paint (even if partially repainted) is worth a good deal more than 36k, so you're not losing money on it... but more importantly, it's going to make you happy for it to be perfect, and isn't that what this is all about?

Vegas993

Or you could jus get a good detail and PDR then drive it and enjoy it! Make sure no unexpected repairs show up first and then get the paint fixed down the road.

u7t2p7

+964; nothing wrong with a little patina

-nick

Looks very nice from the photos. I wish I was more knowledgeable about body/paint work. Some questions you might want to ask the shop- Are they going to strip the current respray? How much/what will they be dismantling vs masking? What seals will they need to replace (aftermarket seals are terrible and don't last, fyi)? Are they familiar with 911's? There are a lot of parts tucked up and hidden under the fenders that they may not anticipate when it comes to the pdr.

Last, before investing in any paint work, look very closely for any signs of corrosion so you won't have to revisit any of these panels. On the monetary side, it doesn't sound like you would be under water given your great purchase price.

These tend to be the sensitive corrosion areas in the front of the car:
- Beneath the windshield seal. If the the windshield is old and pitted, then this would be the time to replace it too.
- Lift the frunk seal and look closely all along the channel.
- Open the doors and look in front of the upper hinge where the fender meets the body.
- The fender-body mating line can corrode. This can show up along the rubber seal/gasket near the windshield.

cpdjfd107

There's no rust. I've had a few 993's so I'm kind of familiar where to look and I didn't see any signs on this car. The shop is a PCA recommended shop and are very familiar with 911's. They are replacing all of the seals. The quote included stripping the front bumper and hood and then the rest of the painting included blending in on the fenders the rear quarter etc. I think I can save some $ because they wanted to remove the windshield but that will only open a can of worms plus I don't think it's necessary. I was also having them replace the weatherstripping on the rockers which I could do myself. This place is very picky and does it right. I'm 50/50 on my decision. I can go full on and do it all or just do the bumper and use dr color chip for the chips. I appreciate all the suggestions.

Ken D

Only you know if you'll be able to live with imperfections. Or if they'll jump out at you every time you look.

If you're the latter type (and it seems like you are, if your reference to 'my OCD' is accurate), then I think it absolutely makes sense to spend whatever amount you're comfortable with to get it 'right', and to get you to a place where you're seeing the beauty of the car, and not 'this scratch over here', or 'that faded spot over there', or 'those little dings here and there'.

Given that it's a rare (and IMO, beautiful) color, and it's no longer an untouched original having one prior respray, I think it deserves to be brought back to top condition and done properly.

Good luck with whatever you choose - and if you do choose to refinish it, you'd better start a 'restoration progress' thread because we'd all like to see it!

kreeshp

If this were my only weekend/fun car, I wouldn't put the money into the body work. I would be very hesitant to drive the car after making it look perfect and would be worried about stone chips and door dings.

If you have another enthusiast car that you could fully enjoy, then yes, I would put the money into making this one pretty.

Speaking from experience, I bought a nearly cosmetically perfect 993 as my first Porsche. I'm so OCD that I can't leave it parked in public (too scared about door dings and vandalism). My solution (this was before the run-up in 964 prices) - I bought a driver quality, patina'd 964 that I really thoroughly use and can leave parked worry-free, and made the 993 into a garage queen that I take out only when I have complete control over when/where I park it.

Earlydays

I would go with a top-notch job at a shop that specializes in Porsches and will use the correct paint, seals, etc. I would also remove the front and rear glass to make sure the body edges are not rusted and replace the windshield at the same time. Remember you're not just doing a cosmetic touch-up, you're investing in a car that in not too may years in the future will be worth north of $100k .

Jjm4life

Do it once do it right. Respray. That's a hell of a deal on the car by the way.

540964

I'd recommend pulling the front and rear glass.