Repainting Model S

[n00b]

I like the Sig Red color, but I am considering switching from Sig to GP because it appears, based on the information thus far (i.e., not very much), Sig probably won't be delivered much ahead of GP in Canada.

Say if I decide to go for a GP (not available in Sig Red), how much would it cost to repaint a brand new car such as Model S? This may help determine whether it makes sense to downgrade from Sig to GP because the price difference between a Performance Sig and Performance GP (similarly equipped) in Canada is about $7,000 before taxes/fees.

I also posed this question in the Canada subforum, and a member shared that aftermarket paint is never as good as factory paint. Is this always true? What is it that makes factory paint better? Better equipment, paint, etc?

 

[jerry33]

Say if I decide to go for a GP (not available in Sig Red), how much would it cost to repaint a brand new car such as Model S?

When my racing buddies in Vancouver had their 240Z car painted (white) it was $7000 about 15 years ago.

I also posed this question in the Canada subforum, and a member shared that aftermarket paint is never as good as factory paint. Is this always true?

Well, no. If you remove everything from the car. Dip it in acid to get the rust off. Find a place that does OE quality painting, and then put it back together, it can be every bit as good. I'd expect a job like this to be around $140,000 dollars for something like a 1970s ICE car. (You can see paint jobs like this on some cars at the Barret-Jackson auto auction).

What is it that makes factory paint better? Better equipment, paint, etc?

Better temperature control, better dust control, more consistent application. The list goes on.

 

[KenEE]

Sounds like you got good advice. A paint job worthy of this car is going to be at least $7000, and it would be way too risky unless it was a top notch shop. (way more likely to go bad than good IMO)

 

[7racer]

I've had my RX-7 repainted and even though I love the new color...it really isn't the same.

You just can't get to all of the hidden areas as well as painting the frame, panels, etc from the factory. The engine bay is obviously easier to do on a Tesla but still there are areas that aren't quite as good or detailed as the painter tries to limit overspray. Also, to eliminate those areas, you have to take panels off. When I got my car back I noticed more rattles from lose piece or broken tabs. This was at a supposed "high end" paint shop.

Finally, you are suppose to back the paint in an oven for a bit....which makes you wonder on what it's doing to the battery.
I would say try hard to decide on your color and just stick with it.

If not, I would go with a wrap...that way you can change it as many times as you wish.

 

[MikeK]

I had a car repainted a different color after an accident that required substantial bodywork. It started off a dark blue, and ended up a lighter blue. A change like that is not too bad, because the "hidden areas" don't jump out at you as being really wrong, as you would see going from something like white to red. We didn't even bother with the engine compartment, for example.

To do it really well, as others have noted, requires a lot of disassembly, and I'd be really nervous about doing that.

I've never seen a glossy vinyl wrap job on a car, but honestly I'd really like to.

 

[7racer]

I had a car repainted a different color after an accident that required substantial bodywork. It started off a dark blue, and ended up a lighter blue. A change like that is not too bad, because the "hidden areas" don't jump out at you as being really wrong, as you would see going from something like white to red. We didn't even bother with the engine compartment, for example.

To do it really well, as others have noted, requires a lot of disassembly, and I'd be really nervous about doing that.

I've never seen a glossy vinyl wrap job on a car, but honestly I'd really like to.

if you do a google search on gloss white BMW you can find some youtube videos and website.
bmw e60 gloss white | Vehicle Wrapping London Vinyl Car Wraps | High Quality Car Wrapping Service

also the wraps have gotten better and better. Many have a metallic look and have that "deep" look like a high quality paint with a nice clear coat

 

[William13]

The battery would be ruined if you bake the car due to new paint.

 

[araxara]

Maybe you should look at doing a vinyl wrap? Places such as Auto Vinyl Solutions sell a variety of colors and it's usually reversible of you get tired of it.

 

[MikeK]

So, what does a full-body metallic wrap cost? And, what's the maintenance like? Can you wash it normally, etc?

 

[n00b]

So, what does a full-body metallic wrap cost? And, what's the maintenance like? Can you wash it normally, etc?

I did a quick a search, and I quote the company (12-Point SignWorks - Franklin, TN | Lobby Signs, Vehicle Wraps, Custom Business Signs
) and their price list from the first search result:

--------------
"However, this isn't always the case for solid color wraps, where the vehicle's original paint can really stick out like a sore thumb if all the visible regions haven't been fully covered. As such, we generally remove quite a bit of body hardware in order to make sure that solid color vehicle wraps thoroughly cover all the nooks and crannies. The additional labor associated with this level of detail can increase the cost of this type of vehicle wrap by 25-35% relative to a multi-color vehicle wrap."

GENERAL COSTS SUMMARY (for most cars, vans, trucks)
Wrap design: $250 (partial wrap) -$350 (full wrap), including up to 2 revisions
Partial wraps: typically $1,200 - $2,000 after design is complete
Full wraps: typically $2,200 - $2,700 after design is complete
Color change full wraps: typically $2,800 - $4,000
--------------

So it seems that in order to do the color change full wrap properly, some panels may still have to be removed, which could cause rattle concerns as raised by 7racer.

 

[MikeK]

Interesting. I found some cool YouTube videos showing use of some of these metallic films, and they look pretty slick. Definitely looks like the sort of thing you have to get a good shop to do, both to get the application looking nice, and to ensure that they cover all the nooks and crannies. I'd sure like to chat with one of these places to understand exactly what they would need to remove to get total coverage. Think about complicated areas like inside the rear hatch opening...

 

[7racer]

the hatch is most likely pretty easy. When I was at my guys shop he showed me the range of the different colors that are now out there. Some places do a better job than others. The key to the wrap is try to do it as much as a one piece as you can. The downside is that there is some removing of parts to get it done. For example, they removed my door handles to get the film to look as paint like as possible.

The guy I use is Trey Pappas here in Dallas
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