[550JM]

As mentioned in another thread I was in London yesterday and in between meetings went to chat with the guys at Topaz Detailing.
This morning I took a very, very, very close look at my car. Obviously I did that before I bought it but now I looked at it through detailer's eyes....oeps!

I have seen their work, like they did on Russel's 16M, and I am very sure they will do a great job on the 550. However, if I want it to be excellent (and I do...), it definitely needs a front end re-spray, also the rear bumper should be done.
I was wondering whether you guys have an opinion on the re-spraying bit. I can imagine that the purists among you might say that new paint may influence the value or originality of the car, however, cosmetic re-painting will uplift the looks and therefore will increase the value or at least not de-valuate the car.

Thoughts? Opinions? Experience? Let me have it!

Thanks!

[JayG]

I say on a vintage racecar people want the patina, the rock chips, the bugs.... of a hardworking purpose built car rather than a respray that loses that.

On a ten year street car? Respray it! If it's a quality job your value only goes up as you aren't losing anything of significance that can never be brought back.

My $.02

[Jimmy Chen Shiba DDS]

Under skilled hands, respray would do wonders. One cannot tell if a respray was done or not. Under that condition, I think you would be very happy with the result. My 2 Yen. w/ smiles Jimmy

[550JM]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Chen Shiba DDS

Under skilled hands, respray would do wonders. One cannot tell if a respray was done or not. Under that condition, I think you would be very happy with the result. My 2 Yen. w/ smiles Jimmy

What's the exchange rate on the Yen vs the US$ today?

Thanks Jimmy, I guess you 2 are right. I have done this before on my classic bikes, they came out beautiful, but still I have guys looking at them and telling me I should have left the paint alone. Thing for me is that it's easy to see if a bike was crashed and therefore spray painted, however, when a car has been done it usually isn't good news. But what the he** do I care, I want to drive that gorgeous machine looking as good as it can...probably worrying over nothing...
Besides that I do want it to look absolutely stunning for FLED in May...pffff still 6+ months to go.....

[Barry]

Jereon
I have to concur with the opinions above. I'd get it sprayed. I doubt there are many 10+ year old Ferrari's in the world that have not had at a minimum a front bumper re-spray at least once. I would see it as part of the standard maintenance of the car - every few years full bumper respray to bring it back to glory. Certainly wouldnt put me off a car provided it was done professionally and to a high standard.

[JayG]

You see the vintage stuff aged beautifully. The chrome wearing slightly thin, the paint losing its lustre all over but just so evenly.... Old cars can have that patina.

Rock chipped polyurethane on a Ferrari is the same as a Honda Accord with a rock chipped bumper in the eyes of a body shop minus the prices. My 76 isn't old enough to justify leaving it aged. I think rubber bumper era stuff on up is the cut off for that.

[tazandjan]

Jeroen- Both the front and rear bumpers have been repainted on my 575M and are due again in a year or so. I am not a 3M man, so if you drive it, the car will get chips. Now that the PPG epoxy paint is universally used, a good paint shop can paint an entire car without the experts being able to tell.

The one thing most purists like is to use the original paint color, and I personally think that is getting absurd, too. Bill's old Zagato 250 SWB has been at least four different colors and nobody seems to think that has diminished the value. No telling how many times the average 250 GTO has been painted and even rebodied.

[wetpet]

i haven't noticed a bias against resprays done correctly. i would and have done it.

[Pete04222]

I used to feel the same about my car. The paint is far from perfect. To everyone else it looks great, to me, with the discriminating eye, it looks like crap. A wise man on this forum once told me, "You're not driving a museum piece. It's a car. They made thousands of them. Stop worrying and drive it." After that I stepped back from the car about 10 feet and then saw what everyone else already saw. It looks fine. Any car that gets driven will get chips on the front. Fact of life. I'd go ahead with the detail and since the car looked fine to you when you first looked it over, it will look even better after the detail. If the chips still bother you then go ahead and respray. It will not affect the value of the car one way or the other.

[Boxer]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Chen Shiba DDS

Under skilled hands, respray would do wonders. One cannot tell if a respray was done or not. Under that condition, I think you would be very happy with the result. My 2 Yen. w/ smiles Jimmy

+1, see no issue at all on the respray.

Al of Alsaautomotive has done a few of mine. Always a great job.

[Brian]

The only legitimate bias I am aware of for repainting is original paint in very old collectable cars. A local recently did a complete mechanical restoration on a 166 Barchetta and left all the cosmetics alone because it was original, quite rough but original. I also know an owner of an Alfa 8C 2900 with original paint. In cases like those I can see it but anyone worrying about OE paint on a 550 when it can be shown it was done for cosmetic reasons and not to repair major accident damage needs to get a life.

[Tio]

I am also thinking of having the Spider's bonnet and front bumper resprayed.
If it's done properly one will be very hard pressed to tell....

[tazandjan]

Harry- Affirmative. Only way to tell is there are no rock chips.

[550JM]

I agree, really looking forward to the new
look...

[Tio]

Originally Posted by tazandjan

Harry- Affirmative. Only way to tell is there are no rock chips.

[Brian_Brice]

Quality paint and a quality finisher will produce a like new quality result. There are a lot of nasty examples of resprays out there however.

Just about every boxer or tr I have seen and worked on in Florida had obvious blends which were poorly done, some lack conscience.

[rmani]

Originally Posted by JayG

I say on a vintage racecar people want the patina, the rock chips, the bugs.... of a hardworking purpose built car rather than a respray that loses that.

On a ten year street car? Respray it! If it's a quality job your value only goes up as you aren't losing anything of significance that can never be brought back.

My $.02

+1 I agree.

[tazandjan]

If you ever try to sell it, though, do not highlight the paintwork because there are a lot of people who will mistake what was done. If they ask, sure, but it is not important to a sale until the car gets 20 years old or so and is not going for a survivor award.