PAINTING front nose/fascia of GTS

[Leslie]

I have a lot of rock chips and the paint is peeling on my GTS. My guess is that someone has painted it before and didn't do a good job, so I want to have it repainted.

Anyone painted the front nose before, and how much should I expect to pay?

Thanks guys

 

[big-n-italian]

i think i paid about 500 last year leslie. but i had them remove the fascia too, and take everything off the bumper - medalion, fog lights, etc. might be cheaper if it stays on the car.

 

[Mark Red GTS Cooper]

Hey Leslie,

It really should be removed, no tape makes or lines! The removal should only take 30 minutes if not less.

Mark

 

[BACKNBLACK]

Remove the front.No question about it.It will cost you about $900 with paint.

 

[Leslie]

thanks guys, think I will take it all off

not too concerned about cost to a degree-just want to make sure what I am quoted is what others have paid

 

[Got Venom]

Leslie,

More important this time, is to find out that whoever paints it puts in enough of the material that makes the paint pliable on the front fascia. I had my hood and fascia redone, and now it seems like whatever hits my facia makes a rock chip mark. My original paint never did this. I think the painter did not put enough of that pliable stuff in the paint??? I'm thinking of re-painintg it, I would just want to make sure that it was going to get done right this time.

 

[big-n-italian]

<< I think the painter did not put enough of that pliable stuff in the paint??? >>

actually it could be many, many things. flexible parts such as our bumpers are always the biggest problems for body shops.

it could be in the prep for instance. if you sand too fast, you can actually what they call "varnish" the surface and nothing will stick. prep is a huge factor.

it could be in the mil thickness. putting on too much paint can cause problems. the more paint, the less flex.

it could that the wrong paint materials are used depending how far down the sanding went. for instance different materials are used depending on if they went all the way down to the rubber or if they just went down to the color.

a flex agent should definately be used, but the flex agent should be used in the primer, the color and the clear.

again, many, many more variables possible here. very hard to tell what is going on with certainty.

 

[santo]

Hi Leslie,

I guess it's that time of year I was asking about removing the front fascia in this thread because I'm going to paint the front fascia also. Although it looked pristine when I first got it, I have since scraped the front fascia (the very bottom) and chips about a quarter in size have been flaking off. I also "touch parked" in the garage once and the paint flaked off on the lower part of the cross-hair section of the fascia. Brushing it off made more paint flake off. It's definitely time to do it (I drove it for maybe three weeks) but we can't have a nasty looking Viper driving the streetsnow, can we?

I'm going to look for someone in the Toronto (GTA) area to do it once I take it off. It's not really to save money; it's more because I don't have the car fully insured due to winter storage and I don't necessarily want to leave it at a paint/body shop for fear of joy rides (as we've read in another thread recently).

Good luck with your paint job.
Santo

 

[Leslie]

hey Santo-thanks, didn't see your thread, will check that out.

I put an aftermarket hood on my Z06, then had it repainted, and ever since then it chips much easier. I know the prep work has a lot to do with it, and some folks have told me it'll never be as good as the factory paint.

I've got a guy here in the area that a lot of people have recommended-he's done a lot of car show cars, corvettes, exotics, etc and is particular.

 

[big-n-italian]

<< I've got a guy here in the area that a lot of people have recommended-he's done a lot of car show cars, corvettes, exotics, etc and is particular. >>

that is exactly what you need to do - find someone who knows the products they are using and who knows what they are doing. sounds like he may be charging a bit more because of the previous work you mentioned, but you always get what you pay for.

ask alot of questions. if he doesnt give you decent coherent answers, then go find someone else. those who know what they are doing are never afraid of questions and can put their customers at ease with their knowledge.

good luck leslie.

 

[Leslie]

Thanks guys! Sometimes I feel like when I take in one of my cars I get ripped off -ok, well I know I do. Lately I have been recruiting a guy to go with me

Don't know what I would do without this forum

 

[ViperJohn]

Finally got around to taking my fascia off earlier today (New Years Resolution). Most I asked have paid anywhere from $350 - $500 when they have removed the fascia. Whatever you do, do not have it painted while still on the car. You will have overspray everywhere.

Make sure you take the fascia off in a warm garage, at least 55 to degrees. If you can get the space warmer, even better. I will reduce the chance of cracking and more importantly, the christmas trees will be easier to remove.

 

[JUCD VPR]

Thanks for the advice, i'm planning on getting my front fascia painted soon.

 

[DodgeViper01]

I have heard numbers anywhere from $300 up to $1500 to paint the front. Out here it is expensive. Just had an estimate done for the front hood and bumper and was told it was $4000 to repaint. This was all because of the NJ Turnpike authority doing work on the road and not watching what they were spilling onto the roads. Lots of loose gravel and such.

 

[revived_gearhead]

Should be picking up my facia and side sills tomorrow. $300.00 to paint them removed from the car, but the shop got a heck of a surprise when blending the paint. Apparently the flake in the Emerald Green color is Mica. It costs $300.00 for either a pint or a quart. Needless to say they did not have any in stock, but they had a paint rep searching other shops that may have some on the shelf. I think he said it only took 100cc for the amount of paint to paint my stuff. Never once mentioned raising the bill. Who ever said Vipers aren't special. YIKES!!!

 

[DodgeViper01]

You know, to save that much money, I might just drive down to NC to have my car repainted. LOL!!

 

[revived_gearhead]

Can't beat these good old boys! And they're great at what they do! Ya gotta love living in the middle of Nascar country. Sure don't miss NY. OOPS, no insults intended to New Yorkers! I just don't miss the cold and snow. Winter here only lasts for a couple months with daytime temps almost always in the fiftys and sixtys.

 

[DodgeViper01]

50's in the winter? That is really not a bad life over there.

 

[Jay Herbert]

50's in the winter? That is really not a bad life over there.

Many things are less expensive in the south-central states. Painting is a lot cheaper as the environmental regulations are often more lax than up North.

The fact it is warmer in the winter is an additional bonus: It was 65 and sunny here on Christmas.

 

[DodgeViper01]

I am thinking of just going to NC to have the car done. Would be a lot easier to tell you the truth and it is not much of a drive.

 

[santo]

After removing my fascia, I brought it to the shop and it is getting done now. They are painting the lower half (below the line on the gen II fascia) for CAN$450. It should take a week but I told them to take their time as I'm in no hurry. I chose to do the lower half only because the top half was factory paint and the lower half had been done before for cosmetic reasons. I couldn't tell the difference but the top half paint looks very good. I also chose to do this so that I wouldn't have a problem with slight colour difference between the hood and the fascia, if there was any.

The shop is reputable and has a lifetime warranty on their work so it should be pretty good. The estimator spent a good deal of time explaining what was going to happen and even had a painter look it over. I asked if they had Sikkens paint but they used something else (which he told me and I promptly forgot) but he said it was better. Don't they always?

I should have asked how much it cost to paint the whole piece but it didn't really matter to me. We'll see how it works out.
Santo

 

[VIPER BAZ UK]

Need to get the nose done on my yellow RT as well..
What paint is used at the factory??

 

[JonB]

While the nose is off, pay close attention to the now-exposed coolant overflow bottle. See that at accmulated stones and cinders below it are cleaned away, to protect from a puncture. You might even add a small foam-pad underneath it, so flexing-facia screws wont punch a hole in it.

The bottles become brittle over time, and only cost $20 to buy a new one NOW!

 

[Jay Herbert]

Need to get the nose done on my yellow RT as well..
What paint is used at the factory??

Akzo Nobil

 

[GR8_ASP]

Need to get the nose done on my yellow RT as well..
What paint is used at the factory??

Akzo Nobil

Are you sure that is true for 2002? Not sure when they switched from low bake to hot bake paint, but suppliers were also switched. I thought it was around 2000 MY.

 

[Jay Herbert]

Need to get the nose done on my yellow RT as well..
What paint is used at the factory??

Akzo Nobil

Are you sure that is true for 2002? Not sure when they switched from low bake to hot bake paint, but suppliers were also switched. I thought it was around 2000 MY.

r

As far as I know, all Vipers have Akzo Nobil paint on them accept one year of PPG, I do not remember that year off the top of my head. They switched back becasue they had issues matching the colors on the front and rear facias with the rest of the body. I think it was 1998 because I think Silver was the issue and 1998 was the only year for Silver In Gen I.

When I visited the paint facility a few years ago they were using Akzo Nobil.