Respray, Wrap or Scrap

mmikey82

mmikey82

Well-known user
Jul 17, 2009
2,369
1,527
manchester
Well the time has come for me to make my mind up, dont worry scrap is not an option (but it did get your attention)
My car is mechanically sound and everything works as it should and as far as i know is rust free
but my problem is the outside- there are 3 or 4 small car park dinks a couple of scratches but the boot lid is a mess and needs repainting.
I had the bonnet resprayed last year and it looked superb, but a small scratch appeared just under the scoop then over the summer it got bigger and bigger and eventually ended up about 8inches long and 1/4 of an inch deep, it turns out the painter had used a load of filler ( i dont know why because the bonnet was in good condition with no dents or scatches) and this has cracked badly.So now the bonnet needs redoing.
So do i spend a couple of grand having a full respray (i dont fancy putting that much into a 14 year old car)
Do i have the cheaper option of a car wrap (that might only last 3 years)
Do i sell the car
Do i part the expensive bits out and return to standard and then sell

I have been looking forever for a decent black bonnet and boot but none come up within a reasonable distance or in a very good condition

If i did go down the respray or wrap way then i have been looking into colour schemes , even had a go at my spare wheels just out of curiosity
white wheels 151.jpgwhite wheels 152.jpg

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My son says there is another option .......just give the car to him

:eek: :):):)
 
I would go with a respray.

The biggest reason for this is that our cars are of an age where it's time to get under all the panels and inspect what's going on in there. Take the opportunity to sort any rot, and stop any rust in its tracks.

Secondly, I know that you can get a wrap done far more cheaply than a respray, but with the quality of vinyl they would use, you'll be back in the same position in under a year's time. It also wouldn't hide the little car park dents. A high-quality vinyl - the sort I know you'd want to use - will end up saving you a few hundred quid at most over a paintjob. And you'd still have a car that may have hidden corrosion.

Just my two penneth, there.
 
That's only a decision you can make Mike. You could fork out for a full respray but it's money you'll never see again. Worth considering getting a bonnet in any colour that's in good nick and getting that sprayed up. The dings can most likely be sorted by a reputable PDR man. Whatever you decide, the best of luck with it (y)
 
Get a good condition bonnet and get it resprayed by the guys who did scunnys S97 (y). As for the dings, a decent PDR guy will enjoy sorting it/them. Ihad a a couple taken out of DG on the passenger side. Brilliant art to sit and watch, and i learned a few tricks
 
Okay....

So you are asking yourself a lot of similar questions that i was.

I explored the vinyl wrap option for the car, but it would have meant getting the dents pulled out before hand as they would have showed up really badly.

When you added the cost of the wrap and the dent removal, it was in same price bracket as a full on respray.

You can chose more wild and wonderful designs, and the place i was talking to said they think a wrap lasts upto 7 years.

I was quoted £1000 for the car and £275 to have all the dents pulled out.

With it in mind, that I am as confident as I can be that S97 is sound from a mechanical and rust point of view I took on the prospect of gettings quotes for a full respray.

Costs and standards vary wildly - speak to the shops, you will get an idea there and then what they are like.

Eventually I found a place i immediately trusted - Platinum Body Works in Barton Upon Humber.

I discussed with them various options and got what I believe is one of the best looking Cougars in existence.

The finish on the paint job is 99/100 and the price for a full colour change (excluding inside the boot and the engine bay) was £1500 for a pearl / metallic combo finish.

If the shut lines don't bother you and you are sticking with black - they would charge £1000-1200 and I think others who have seen my car would tell you what a great job they have done.

I did it because I wanted in the end to enjoy this car for a good length of time, and I wanted a fresh paint job to add the gloss to its fastidious maintenance history and the work done since I bought it.

I don't regret it one bit.

A lot will depend on how you feel about the car. You are doing the right thing - you are confident in the mechanicals so thats the correct base to be working from.

Don't rush your decision, but if you have the means, and you still love the car - do it!!
 
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Speak to Mark - Phil in Bolton will do you a good price on spraying. I think this is the place:

http://www.a1motorsbolton.co.uk/

He did some respray for Mark and resprayed the old Zetec 4x4 despite the tight budget I had (I got a price of £450 for both sides, front and rear bumpers and the spoiler to be resprayed in Melina). Mark will tell you about his reputation (y)
 
Could you buy another car for the cost of the respray that you will love as much as your Cougar? IF you still love your Cougar. If the answer is no, do the bodywork and you'll give it another 10/15 years life. You could be, like a select few, that keeps the Cougar alive.

If you're in any way not wanting the car, don't spend money you'll regret.

P.S. Love the wheels! Think I'd do the bolts black but it's a crazy contrast!! ;) (y)

Last option, sell to me!
 
It would be a shame to give-up all the work you have put into your car Mike.
If it's going to be a keeper, and only you can really make that decision, then go the route that will give you the most satisfaction. (y)
 
We all know you aren't going to sell or scrap, I think the decision lies in how long you intend to keep the car for.

Lots of years = paint
1 more year or so = wrap

Hope the breaker works out for you ;)
 
My ebony bonnet is still at Maria's dads in Warrington Mike, it was in great shape but her dad has moved it around several times and it has a few scratches on it, even though he swears he was careful with it. It's yours if you want it foc.
 
Respray or partial respray depending on your budget.
I opted for partial respray on mine but due to a few areas that needed welding and for a good colour match, I'm now in the middle of a full respray.

The cost of the work against the value of the car isn't an issue for me, it's about preserving a car I love and enjoy.

I must start my own project thread soon. :LOL:
 
spray it, just have the panels done if necessary, the black matches in fine, did mine a couple of years back and it still looks ok , I think , under all the muck :LOL: if necessary just have the bonnet vinyled , not a big job !
 
Could you afford to lose the money? I.e. if a Skoda Fabia rear ends you shortly after respray and you are offered £1000 settlement by the insurance companies where would that put you financially?
 
jamie_duff said:
Could you afford to lose the money? I.e. if a Skoda Fabia rear ends you shortly after respray and you are offered £1000 settlement by the insurance companies where would that put you financially?
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That's true, £1260.00 was my settlement, that's more than they offered me to start. Depends how much you love the car, I always try and see that my car will be worth nothing by the time I need to get a new one, it's a depreciating asset that I offset against the loan that I take out to buy it. I spent a lot of money over the years which I knew I would never recoup, but the reality of actually losing the car is quite sobering. Knowing what I know now, I still wouldn't have done it any different, I have no regrets about the money I spent, I loved the car (most of the time) and as well as a mode of transport, it was a hobby which in turn tied me to UKC. If you want to preserve the car, then don't take short cuts, see what is wrong with the bodywork and how much it will cost to put it all right, then make your decision based on whether you are prepared to spend that amount.
 
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