| You described it as "beautiful" and in "outstanding cosmetic shape" Now your stance is that its a 16 year old $4k car, and not worth a $2k paint job. But it is worth a ~$1k job? I'm not elevating the value of your car, I do not have any emotional attachment your Z. I'm offering rational advice in response to "what else can you do". What was your purpose in posting about it in such a manner? (self-deprecating in regard to using MAACO is what I read) I'm not here to argue with you. It took me 5-6 years to sell my Cobalt Green and buy a gray. I bought the car with 68k, it needed nothing outside of a clutch. I enjoyed the car immensely while I owned it, even though I wanted a different color. Most of my time was spent enjoying the interior and actually driving the car, not looking at the exterior and wishing it were a different color. I didn't give a thought to what others thought as I drove by, I was enjoying finally driving a Z again! (It had been ~12 years). During the entire time I owned the Z, I went back and forth between wanting modifications, replacing stock parts with aftermarket, turbos, etc etc. I also wanted to paint it gray. It wasn't easy for me to take the chance on selling it to buy another, I was attached to it. But replacing working parts and changing the color of the car just did not make sense. A color change always raises eyebrows...when you were shopping for your Z, how important were the aesthetics to you? color? 2+0 or 2+2? Would you have flown to CA to buy and drive this car home if it had a cheap paint job on top of the mechanical issues you had to deal with? There are Cobalt Green Z's out there, and there is also someone out there that would prefer your color Z. I'm not advising you to spend 2-3k on painting a 16 year old car worth 4k that will still be worth 4k after a good paint job. What will your Z be worth after this color change? Bad paint lines are a major warning sign for a used car buyer. ON-THE-LOT CHECKLIST
Buying Tips
How to Spot a Bad Used Car A poor paint job is a warning sign...you would know why is was done buy why would a buyer accept that, or not use it to negotiate a lower price? You plan on keeping this car for a very long time, but shit happens...circumstances are not always within our control. I'm advising you to DIY to an extent, pull off your trim and rattle can it...there are many posts here about that. There are other options for restoration...I would explore them before doing something permanent that has a chance of ending worse off. Use Search, look in the FAQ, check out auto detailer/restorer enthusiast sites.... Detail Doctor
How-to videos
Glimmer Glass
Autopia Car care
How do I remove swirl marks in my paint?
trim removal writeup
My trim moulding repair with pics. Or don't...but don't ask for alternatives then refuse to acknowledge them... jeez-o-petes!
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18:36:27 03/29/10
