mcacs1

I'm thinking of adding a few aftermarket exterior trims to my C4. They would be small pieces like, for example, a smallish spoiler lip. Some pieces would have to be painted GT Silver for my liking. I know nothing about paint. If I go to an independent paint shop, is it possible to mix a small quantity? Typically how many coats would be required and would a clear coat be applied? Do I have to go to a high end paint shop to get the color match and get a decent quality paint job? What could I expect to pay for the spoiler lip as an example? No paint work would be done on any part of the original car, just on removable trim pieces.

Any info or suggestion would be much appreciated before I start calling local paint shops.

M3Inline6

For the best paint match you’d need to take something from your car for the shop to use to ensure it’s in the same color spectrum. There are lots of good shops out there. Call your local Porsche dealership and find out who their certified body shop is; mine uses Caliber Collision. Yes, there will be a clear coat. Costs vary, so you’ll have to call around. It cost me about $400 to have my AeroKit front lip painted and $1300 to have all four pieces of my AeroKit wing painted. How good or bad the paint job turns out will depend on the prep and the color sanding/polish.

malba2366

I don't know how many coats it needs, it definitely needs a clear coat. Go to a good body shop and ask them, blending paint to match existing cars is what they do all day. I would plan on spending $500-600 to have the spoiler painted properly.

AlterZgo

It really depends on what you plan on painting and your location. Also, quality varies and you don't always get what you pay for, i.e. paying more does not guarantee better quality as it depends on the people doing the work.

I had a Darwin Pro rear lip spoiler painted guards red and they charged $500 including clear coat. This is in the greater Phoenix AZ area.

If you have other trim pieces you want painted, you will also have to factor in cost to remove and reinstall the trim pieces. Also, if the trim pieces are like the black plastic pieces on the car - like the black pieces under the side view mirrors or the black plastic pieces in the front and rear bumpers, that will require a lot more labor as they will need to sand down the textured plastic until it is completely smooth, then primer and paint. So it all really depends on exactly what you want painted, etc.

Best bet is to find reputable shops around your area and then visit them and get estimates and ask to see their work.

mcacs1

Thank you all for your answers, it definitely helps!

jstap808

Can you paint those large black plastic pieces or would paint not adhere to it? I know theres an option for high gloss black in the config but it requires sport PASM (which I dont want). saw this but dont want carbon look: https://shop.db-carbon-interieur.de/...ucts/1773-0001. Is this something a paint/body shop can do?

M3Inline6

Yes! Your bumpers are plastic, the wings are plastic, the mirror housings are plastic, etc etc. Plastic is paintable.

AlterZgo

You can definitely paint the black plastic pieces but some shops will not want to do it because it will be labor intensive and costly as the textured plastic has to be sanded down smooth before it can be primered and painted. The more intricate the piece, the more of a PITA it is to sand down smoothly and uniformly.