Yeah, I already know I wouldn't be able to afford a real, parts off paint job which means I'd probably end up with a crappy paint job. I always told myself that I was fine with the scratches/dents, etc. but now that I've put in a ton of work on every other aspect of the car I can't help but want it to look better.If the paint is original, don’t repaint the car because worn original paint is more valuable and desirable than fresh paint, especially if the painter messed up the new paint and it has defects or overspray.
The problems you describe are nothing for a car that is old, is normal stuff that happens to cars as they get used. If the car had issues like deep scratches that let metal exposed or rust or is worn all the way to the primer, or flaking, then you have to repaint it, but otherwise don’t.
I would recommend that you don’t waste your money in a respray. High quality paint jobs cost thousands of dollars and require dismantling the car to avoid overspray. That means that not only you will be paying for paint, but also for new parts like window, doors, sunroof, trunk and taillight seals because everything that is rubber is likely to be damaged once removed from the car due to age. Also, you factor in the risk of trim pieces getting lost or damaged during the process. A cheap repaint will leave you with overspray everywhere and masking tape lines and perhaps runs, orange peel and small cracks. I’d rather have dings and dullness in the factory paint than overspray from a poorly done job.
So, I would recommend that you just touch up the worst bits and have the paint restored. If I am not mistaken, Orient red doesn’t have clear coat which means that the oxidation can be removed by buffing and waxing. Your paint most likely oxidized again because it needs periodic waxing with a good wax that protects the paint. If you keep the car clean and waxed, that paint will last many more years.
Yes, barely any rust, thankfully. Yeah to get it repainted correctly (all parts off) would cost way more than the car is worth, unfortunately.I agree with Luis, and would add that unless you have rust (unlikely in LA) then the Mr Miyagi treatment is what is required.
That said, I have just done a full respray on a coupe and am putting it back together - it's a huge job and one which if I had to pay and get it done, would have cost a fortune
Yeah, I've been washing mine a lot and it definitely makes a big difference but I've only detailed it once. I think that's the next step, investing in a buffer and actually going through all the steps of the Mike Phillips single stage paint restoration, The Secret to Removing Oxidation and Restoring a Show Car Finish to Antique Single Stage PaintsThat means you have invested your resources wisely. A car should be mechanically perfect above all. Good looks don’t take you anywhere.
However, I do understand the desire to make it look good. The paint in my car is not by any means perfect, in fact is horrible and not original. Sometimes I would like to restore it, but that doesn’t make sense and I cannot afford that now, so what I do is washing the car, waxing the paint (even the wheels), apply meguiars black trim restorer to everything rubber and plastic, including the tires and clean the glass with rain X. When I finish, I’m mesmerized by the result. It looks like another car and because I use good cleaning products, the result lasts for months.
So, I think that detailing the car will do wonders for it. Perhaps you can have the car ceramic coated to make the finish last longer.
