Hi, I have a 2014 mustang, and I just bought an aftermarket chin spoiler from american muscle. It is unpainted and I would like to have it painted the same color as my car (sterling grey). Would it be best to go to a local auto shop or my local ford dealership? Which would be more expensive? and what should i be expecting to pay?
Would it be better to spray paint it myself, and if so, what site is best for matching color? ive heard bad things about automotivetouchup.com etc.
Most dealers don’t have paint facilities and usually send that type of work to a local body shop.
The vehicle is fairly new so matching the color shouldn’t be a problem.
If you’re a stickler on how well the paint matches/looks, don’t do it yourself. Pay the body shop the $500-$600 to shoot the spoiler.
Tester
A small privately owned body shop is likely the bet place to get your spoiler painted. Don’t worry about color match. Just bring you car in with the part so they can get the paint code and maybe even scan your fuel filler door to get a perfect match, if your paint has any fading at all.
I can’t give any suggested pricing because there are too many variables… your location, how busy the shop is, how quickly you want the part, ect.
The part is a little big for a spray-can type job unless you are talented with a spray can. You will want color and clearcoat.
I have used Automotivetouchup.com and Expresspaint.com. I have had better results with Automotivetouchup.
Yikes! That much?
I recently priced some paint work. It would cost in the $100 to $250 range in my neighborhood, including materials (materials have gone through the roof, but it wouldn’t take much).
Insurance companies pay quite a bit, but individuals are often cut some slack. Some shops are often looking for new customers that will come back in the future.
I’d get 2 or 3 estimates. Some places might “ballpark” price it over the phone.
CSA
Carolyn is probably going to rap my knuckles with a ruler but why does someone expect to get painting place recommendations and prices from a forum such as this. We have no idea where he is. All the person has to do is let their fingers do the walking in the yellow pages or use Google.
Well? Let’s look at what’s involved.
$150/hr labor, (at least)
Paint booth time. (yes, you pay for that)
Supplies. prep cleaner,surfacer/sealer, paint, extender, hardener, flex agent, fish-eye preventer, clear coat.
It adds up in a hurry!
Tester
I agree. it adds up in a hurry, but like I said, you’re using a formula for billing insurance companies and they are used to paying it.
This job won’t be much effort for a good shop and they can charge" whatever" to a paying customer and squeeze this small job in to fill a void.
A shop can win customers this way and “word of mouth” is the most effective, least expensive form of advertising.
How would I know? I managed a body shop.
CSA
I worked at two dealers with body shops on site, the body shops would paint spoilers and door handles for us for free. They would charge outsides a fee but much less than a small body shop would.
The dealer body shop paints individual parts on a rack once or twice a day in common factory colors. They use common colors on multiple jobs and don’t need to order a quart of a specific color to paint a spoiler that would cost a small shop more than $100.
That’s where I’d go, to Ford dealers with body shops. As you say, they’ve got the materials and paint other items of that color.
The body shop I managed was located at the end of a car dealer service department.
CSA
One stop shopping. I’d have them install it too. They do this day-in-out. Probably very little extra to mount it for you and less chance of scratching stuff up.
The key to pro vs DIY is the hardener in the paint (painted plastic parts usually have flex agent too to prevent cracking). Especially important for something that takes the brunt of road debris, salt wash etc.
I agree that it doesnt’ take much to run the tab to 5 or 6 hundred dollars. My son smacked a deer about 10 years ago and it cost about 400 bucks even back then to repaint the front spoiler.
The Chevy dealer was the low estimate so they’re the ones that got the work.
Some dealers in NH and MA have body-shops, and some don’t. Most around me don’t. They send their work out to local independent shops. Only a couple of the large independents can qualify for a dealer contract.
We also have some big dealers who sell multiple lines. One I know of also owns a huge body shop that services all of their dealerships…but it’s run like an independent. They are separated from the dealers…anyone can take their vehicle directly there for work. Many people don’t even know it’s owned by the dealer group.
if I understand correctly, “chin spoiler” is a part, which will be covered by road debris in no time anyway, I would not sweat much about minor imperfections
http://www.automotivetouchup.com/touch-up-paint/ford/2014/mustang/
paint of your OEM color: $20 for ready-sto-go spray can
get a decent 2K Urethane clear for $19 from them too (acrylic will not last long)
$1.62 for tack cloth…
watch videos right there how to do it right
you will also need some solvent to clean stuff
for plastic it’s better to get an “adhesion promoter” spray can from your local car parts store to prime it right before painting
if you do it carefully and in an enclosed garage: you will get result comparable to professional shop