engine and drivetrain To paint or not to paint

[Rastadog]

I've owned this car going on seventeen years. Pretty solid unrestored but preserved car. I have had the hood, nose, front fenders, rockers and drivers door painted, not well and not matching. There are 3 shades of malaga on the car now. What hasn't been done is orginal but tired. Thirtythree years of parking lots etc. have left the old girl looking a little rough. I can now afford to paint her. Paint, body work, windshield and rear window out,new headliner and rubber to start. Being my own general contractor and having this work done locally I'm guessing 5-6 grand. After seventeen years I'm attached to the car. Oh, to pull the motor or not. Engine bay is in real good shape relative to the rest of the car. I'm lazy and know this process may be a pain. I could just not paint and continue to drive in warm weather BUT I find I have nice paint envy. To paint or not to paint? IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y146/rastadogcdx/car032.jpg[/img]

[jerry]

looks good as is from this vantage point. keep in mind, once you spend serious money on paint and have a nice shiny car, your stress level is likely to increase relative to the proximity it is with other potentially harmful objects, such as shopping carts, narrow parking stalls etc.

unless the primer is showing through i'd just drive it and do whatever is necessary to keep rust at bay. but that's just me.

on the other hand, i can understand the desire to have a nice new piece of refurbished automotive jewlery.

on the whole, though. i'd buff it out and keep driving. also, new paint typically leads to new trim etc....

[bmdubracing]

Hey nice 02, the paint on that looks nice to me, but that could be induced by the scary thought of prep work and engine removal. I would leave it if the car is perfect then paint is like a last step, then go for it but that is up to you. Any color you looking at.

[Napes]

If you thinking of repainting it Malaga then I would think you could leave the engine bay as is - no need to remove the engine and paint in there.

My son's ' 74 was originally Malaga, and the engine compartment paint looked very good. If you can find the time, removing all trim, lights, grilles, bumpers, etc., yourself means things get taken off carefully, and replaced, as well, with care. I would also think that if you do these things you could get a good paint job for around $3K, but maybe things in NY are a lot more expensive. Another thought is, if you repaint it Malaga, you don't have to do under the hood, trunk, or door jambs. Just my thoughts.

Bob Napier

[Harv]

also, new paint typically leads to new trim etc....

Yea! That's for sure. It's like, if I'm gonna do this, I might as well do that. And, "Your not going to put that back on the car like that are you?"

Take everything off yourself, new window rubber, and I'd budget between 5 to 10K for the paint job depending how far you go, (engine bay etc..).

Fresh Malaga looks sooooo sweeeet.

John

[Nick]

If you still intend on driving it as much as you do, I wouldn't. It looks good to me. Got that natural "patina". I am in the same boat as you, I have painted both quarter panels and fenders, not well and not well matched, but it doesn't really bother me too much. as long as it looks good from 10 feet. I love driving my car everyday without worrying about my expensive paint job. this is what it looks l like now

someone might also decide to jump on your hood one day

[Delia]

I vote no.

I have a very nice Inka '73tii that was painted about 25 years ago. It's got a few dings and dents and surface rust spots, but I can't justify the hours and the money it would take to make it as nice as it deserves.

I post pix of it occaisionally here on the board, and it looks pretty good from a distance.

I enjoy to notion of driving it "as-is."

I once parked it next to one of Don Dethlefson's restorations, a Verona red '73tii. Someone asked me what I thought the difference was between his and mine.

I said, "About twenty thousand dollars."

Delia

[BLUNT]

drive it as is unless you have another driver. one 02 thats perfect is no fun. like others have said, if its too nice you cant leave it and enjoy yourself. so buy another and make 1 perfect and one a driver

[auggiemize]

I've pretty much decided that there is no such thing as just painting an old car. Any old car. Once you do, everything else on the car looks like its tired. I bought okart's Sahara car last year, assuming that I'd do a few things, and just drive it...well, the engine was a little down, so lets let Greg LaValle build us a engine. Looked WAY too pretty to put in a car that could have lived its life out as is, BUT, its a great time to paint the engine bay... and so why not the whole car? I have been a member of the part of the month club for about three years, knowing that one day I would do an 02 right, so Sahara it shall be. Parts, even a lot of them, dont hurt so bad, bought over a couple of years. Kids are grown, bills are paid. And "she" said OK. If you have things that need the 7-10K, dont paint (and trim, and rubber,and...) If you can afford to indulge a little...life is short. Logic is highly over-rated.

95 volvo 850t (dog car) 99 328i (hers)

74 3.0cs, 76 taiga 02, 76 sahara 02, 74 914 2.2

[Rastadog]

It will stay malaga. I'm still undecided but understand both sides of the issue. I love not having to worry about it. It's never locked and just looks like an old car so it gathers no attention. It is mechanically very healthy with maintaince and improvments over 17 years. Yes I have collected parts for a long time having parted two round tailight tii thru the years. I know the painting process will take longer and be more expensive than I expect. I'm leaning towards driving the snot out of her and not doing paint. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one with a dog car. My first golden learned the " holdon" command in my tii. The looks we would get passing people on entrance and exit ramps with her back feet on the rear seat and her front paws between the front seats leaning into corners was priceless. Thanks everyone who responded.

[TobyB]

Oh, God, don't paint it!

Spend the money on handling, fixing little things, maybe a new carpet set, whatever's been bugging you.

New paint seems to invite trouble...

I'm on a serious mission to never do a complete respray again!

t

[RayC911]

I'm in the same situation as you. My 02 is running healthy. Suspension brakes are done. I can drive it & park it whenever and not have to worry about anything. But I just want new carpet and take off all the reflectors. So I have this debate in my head about twice a week.

[wohleb]

Once you paint it then you will decide the windshield is a little too sand balsted. That of course leads to new window rubber and that makes the door seals look bad. So after you have the windows and seals replaced the old trim is too dull and after replacing that you begin to think "Hay the bumpers are a little dull" so you polish and polish and when all of that is done the tail lights aren't up to it so you replace them and that leads to all of the other lights and then new European lights and once all of that is doen you begin to worry about security so hay - alarms which requires a little upgrade to the electrical.. The seats all of a sudden are a little flat. Then they look nicer than the headliner which then will end up looking nicer than the carpet and hell as long as you are replacing the carpet - how about a little sound attenuation...sound?..Well a new sterio and speakers...Then by the time you get done the paint looks a little dull.

I say enjoy it and work to keep it rust free. When you do paint it do it right and plan to let your son or daughter have it when you're gone.

[JohnW]

I think it looks great as-is. Malaga can get really faded. If that ever happens, repaint. But, as it sits, looks like a great, well-used, well-loved 02. Malaga is my favorite color for these cars and yours looks like a great example.