TrackJunke

I am thinking of getting a Gt3 bumper because somebody hit a curb and scratched up the bottom of the front bumper. I also wanted to repaint the hood becuase of stone chips. Will the repainting match? How much would it cost to repaint the hood? Should I go to the dealer or another place to get it done?

Eric - Plug Guy

Always try to find the highest quality, Porsche-aware body shop in your vacinity. Ask the Mercedes dealer, the Porsche dealer, the BMW dealer, if there's a Ferrari dealer, etc. There will usually be one name in common.

Go there and meet the owner. Find out how long he's been doing this work, how long he's owned the shop, and MEET the paint guru. Ask the paint guy anything you want about Porsche paint work. If he won't talk or the owner balks, walk.

An expert shop with plenty of experience will be able to match the paint perfectly. Sometimes all the hood may need is a wet-sanding and re-clearcoating. If it's chipped badly, you may need a respray, but no matter how high a quality paint job you get, realize that any paintwork devalues the car. Some more than others, but it will bring it down a notch.

Don't sweat it though. I've seen some terrible wrecks come through the paint shop (where we do the Bumper Plugs), and I've seen the final results. Astounding.