That about right and after the paint had cured, I got the clear bra.....

 

Did you try getting a quote from Deschler's in OC? I got my front end painted, as you mentioned, minus the mirrors and rear bumper, including the s-duct and new TT bumper for $1400. They did a great job too!!

 

Jonathan, does this $1400 include r&r? That's a very good price then! I'm having my front bumperettes holes filled and bumper+hood+fenders+air ducts+side mirrors repainted next Monday. But I am doing whole r&r myself to get close to the price you quoted.

 

Yup! They also removed some oxidation on my rear windows and resprayed that as well. They had to remove the rear window for that.

Fred,
If you want to see how it turned out, let me know. I drive towards Thousand Oaks - SFV area all the time from LA/OC. Tim has a pretty good rep on this board. I did pay cash so he wasn't charged by the cc company though...

Good luck!

 

I have used Deshler's myself and sent a lot of people there. Not one has been disappointed with the quality of the work.

No connection, yada yada...............

It will take a lot of resolve and fortitude, but park the car, let the paint cure and put on a clear bra. I am planning to when I respray my front before the Portland Parade in '06.

BTW, I disagree with the comment that a partial can't be done and look good. My car was resprayed on the hood and front bumper when I bought it 4 years ago, after coming from AZ. The front bumper was done again 6 months later when I put on the AeroKit II. It looks fine (except for the rock chips).

 

I paid $250 to paint the front bumper, splitter, and air-duct. I did the R&R myself though. This was 4 years ago. I had it done at Angels Bodyshop in Pomona, the location is a bit ghetto. They mostly do p-cars but I've seen 348 and E55 getting painted there.

 

I paid an even $1000 a couple years ago for the same respray (bumper, fenders, hood, mirrors). I switched to the Euro Turbo bumper at the same time (which of course was extra cost). Paint quality is fantastic, blends perfectly with the rest of the car. The shop was a local joint that does both insurance work and hot rods.

Oh, and I put the Invinca-shield clear bra on afterwards (applied it myself, something I probably wouldn't do next time around).

-Chris

 

Sounds like a lot of people have good deals to share. Where is a good place for the clear bra in So. Cal?

 

As mentioned, you can do the clear bra yourself. I kind of enjoyed the challenge, and it looks great. Patience is key, and an assistant for the big pieces. Oh, and a different mix...

 

Stedge, did you do the front bumper as well? What clear bra set did you use and where did you get it from?

Thanks.

 

Entire front of car (bumper, top and bottom), hood, around lights, mirrors. I used the stuff from Invinca-Shield, but I know at least one other company has some available that goes completely around the lights (mine just goes in the area beneath the glass), and I would do that next time. I also "modded" a strip and used them on the lip above the intake at the top of the hood, and used the same pieces as designed along the edges of the doors. Make sure you get the bigger/higher piece for the hood, if you do it, not the one that just covers about 6-8 inches, but more like a third or more of the hood.

It was kind of fun to put it on - have to admit, I practiced on a different and easier car first (Honda S2000). More flat surfaces, so much easier. But it is certainly another DIY project for those who are motivated. Again, the key is patience. I like fiddling with my car, so it was fun.

 

Thanks for the info. Have you seen any kits which would include full hood piece? I have got some rock chips in top half of the hood and hoping to have some protection against them. Thinking about it, it might be impossible to create such piece because the hood is not linear, it has lowered air-intake section in the center of the hood?

 

I think (and this is something you would have to check on) that the people at InvincShield (no affiliation, yada, yada) and probably some other places will custom cut something for you....