So, would you like to see what I have been working on the past few months?

[moatilliatta]

Good to see you're still at it. Whys it time for another paint job?

Cool story about the body shop, Glad to see it is still around. I hate seeing shops close down..

[Eric Giles]

Good to see you're still at it. Whys it time for another paint job?

Cool story about the body shop, Glad to see it is still around. I hate seeing shops close down..

When I bought it back, the base coat had cracked all over the hood but under the clear coat...what you would call 'chicken feet'. Almost like an old lacquer finish would do. Some reaction with the 2k primer and the paint is a best guess. There was also a couple of areas that had chipped paint. When we did all the body work in 2008, we applied the primers in very cold weather, then painted the car maybe a week later. The primer shrank some, which caused a bit more orange peel in the finish after everything cured. We felt it was best to just repaint the entire car, and let this truly be the last time its done....at least by us!

My primary job is still working at the same bank, where I have been since 1996. I try to manage the collision repair shop/dealership on my spare time...and it's a headache! But I am glad we were able to save the business.

[TrentW]

My first Bimmer was a Delphin 87 325is with Cardinal interior. Loved that car, but Delphin/black is even better. Eager to see pics of the finished product Eric.

[Codym42]

It's possible...it seems that the person I bought it back from mentioned Atlanta at some point. He was in Chattanooga, TN so it wouldn't have been too far of a drive for him. How long ago would that have been? Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

This was in 2013/2014. Was hoping I could find a picture of it on my old hard drive but didn't see it.

[Eric Giles]

Took another month, but last night Rommel was finally painted. Still have to paint the bumpers, sideskirts, mirrors, etc. Then wetsanding/polishing and re-assembly. But a major milestone was reached. Maybe in another month it will be reassembled? We will see. Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

[!RocknE30!]

Awesome story and the new paint looks great! Out of curiosity, what would the average joe expect to pay for a similar quality paint job? I am getting my 318 that has been sitting in storage for a decade running again and the roof was pretty well destroyed by the sun back when I was driving it, so a full respray may be on the table at some point. Just want to get an idea for a ballpark figure. Look forward to more updates!

[Eric Giles]

Awesome story and the new paint looks great! Out of curiosity, what would the average joe expect to pay for a similar quality paint job? I am getting my 318 that has been sitting in storage for a decade running again and the roof was pretty well destroyed by the sun back when I was driving it, so a full respray may be on the table at some point. Just want to get an idea for a ballpark figure. Look forward to more updates!

Price will vary depending on the shops labor rate, and also to the quality of the materials used. We mix BASF's line of paints...R+M/Diamont and Glasurit. This is Glasurit clear which is their best and most expensive. Base and clear alone is over $1k of the cost. Many, many hours go into the initial prep...and the wetsanding/polishing afterwards takes quite a while. To answer your question, at our shop prices on a full repaint like this would start at $5500 and go up. These types of jobs are not money makers for the shop...they take weeks to do, and tie up the workers. Insurance collision repair is a shops bread and butter, as the majority are quickly done and pay is better. Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk