Hello everybody, i haven't posted in a while and had a quick question. I've had my HHR for almost 9 years and was thinking of getting my car repainted the factory color If i decide to keep my car for a few years since its been good to me. I prefer paint over Vinyl or Plasti-dip.

My question is has anybody had there car repainted + the regular body work the same factory color and how much did it cost and was it worth it? I'm not a big fan of cheap Maaco jobs, but was curious since I'm reaching that point when i wax my car I'm starting to show its age, but also not sure if its worth spending the money.

 

It all depends on how much you want to spend - you could get a spectacular paint job for $10,000, or something above the "Maaco" for $1000. Run it by a couple of local body shops for an estimate, as prices vary by a huge amount. Generally you get what you pay for, but that too can vary.

Keep in mind that the car is 9 years old, is not a rare show car, nor a collectible, and is likely a daily driver(?).

 

In addition to whopper's comments, the more pre-paint job prep work you do, the lower the cost.

If you do things like removing marker lights, taillights, headlamps, exterior trim, etc. You're not paying the body shop to do the simple things, you just pay them to paint it.

And if a vehicle is properly prepped, even a "cheap" MAACO paint job can come out looking pretty dang nice.

Even in the days of Earl Scheib's "I'll paint any car, any color, for just $99.95", folks who took the time to prep their cars beforehand, actually ended up with a good looking car for $100.

But now I've really dated myself, especially because I remember when an Earl Scheib paint job started at $29.95, senility here I come.

 

The hot rod crowd seem to like the patina of original paint aged by the sun and weather!
Now rat rods are a little to rusty for the HHR to fit in but it's only original once!