I got an estimate for my 2007 Honda Accord that has 140k miles. It has quite a few dings and scratches that others have left so doing all sides and making it look new will be $2,200.
It is black metallic.
What do ya all think?
If it were me it would depend on how long I intend to keep it and realistically how long you believe it will last.
Of course, if price is not an issue, go for it.
I’m assuming you will be painting it black again. Keep in mind that black will show every ding and scratch, so the paint shop would have to be a good one in order to get good results.
An option would be to get it cleaned up using a ‘ding doctor’ kind of place, and then have it polished up. As for $2,200, if it’s a good job, that’s ok, but that’s “if”.
Is this estimate from a good body shop or from one of the chain painting places?
You Do Realize That Once It’s All Fixed Up Then You’ll be Extra Sensitive To Where You Park, How You Park, And Will Possibly Become A Little Anxious When A New Ding Or Scratch Appears, Right ?
There’s a lot to be said for driving a car with some dings and scratches, especially if you’ll be parking right back in the places that caused them to begin with.
Although I really enjoy driving a “perfect” vehicle, I also enjoy a vehicle that when you see a nick or ding you’re not totally sure whether it’s a new one or one that was there before and just figure “Oh, well.”
I wouldn’t consider the $2200 fix unless the parking situation is changing or there is damage to the paint that is causing rust to form and then I’d fix just that area. Besides, if you’re still putting on 140,000 miles every 3 - 4 years, you probably should save the money for the replacement car in the next 3 -4 years.
CSA
Metallic paints are almost impossible to patch paint. When you get a defect, the whole panel has to be painted and even then, matching the old paint so the repainted panel blends in is tough to do.
As mentioned, black is the most noticeable paint color for defects.
You’ll never recoup the investment and it’s likely to get the same damage in short order. If it were mine and I wanted to fix it up, I’d visit a detailing shop like HMA. For a few hundred, they can clean, polish and fix most of the scratch and ding damage without repainting anything.