Reshell or repaint?

[Benjibrady]

Need your opinion. I've decided that I want a white 5 with an oe interior. No do you think it would be cheaper to buy a shell with interior minus the engine and break mine, or have the interior and exterior painted on mine?
The difficulty is that I know my shell is very solid and only needs minor welding, that and the sentimental value being that it is my first real build.
Has anyone had the interior and exterior painted? What am I looking at cost wise?


Cheers all

[Alex]

I'd just have yours painted.

[Benjibrady]

Reckon Alex? I've a fair budget, so I'm not trying to do it as cheap as possible but obviously don't want to waste money

[Nad-5GTT]

Paint yours mate. What's the chances of you finding a white shell that's going to match your standard your after. More exciting this way too

[rabbitstew]

Another voting for repaint from me. Shop about though to get a price, they do vary drastically as does the finish.

[Benjibrady]

Think that settles that one then.

I am expecting to pay around 5k for a quality to finish. Ideally I'd like them to refit the interior for that but wouldn't know what it would cost

[Nad-5GTT]

Think that settles that one then.

I am expecting to pay around 5k for a quality to finish. Ideally I'd like them to refit the interior for that but wouldn't know what it would cost

:eek: what are you putting over it liquid gold. If its just a general flat back prep and paint with minimal filler/welding work I wouldn't pay any more than £2000 to £2500 for inside and outside.

I had my front and rear bumper and both sides of my bmw painted for £900 and every panel had either a deep scratch or dent to fix. All in it had 10 panels painted. I think the painter I use quotes it at about £100 a panel.

[Rob1980]

5k is a hell of a lot!

You could buy a very, very good example in White for that. Maybe this could be an option...

[Benjibrady]

I was thinking for that number that I could drop it off, and have the paint it and bolt the interior and engine back in. Looking at some people paying 2-2.5 when they strip the cars themselves

[rabbitstew]

kin ell. I will definitely be spraying mine myself for just the cost of the paint as theres no way I can afford that sort of money on a paint job.

When I had my 5 resprayed metallic blue (was originally red) back in about 1996 it only cost me £600. I guess thats the price of inflation for you!

[LeeR5GTT]

If You have 5k I'd sell yours and buy a very good example. I'm hanging onto mine cos I saved it from being broken up, but the reality is I should have just bought a minter...

[rabbitstew]

If You have 5k I'd sell yours and buy a very good example. I'm hanging onto mine cos I saved it from being broken up, but the reality is I should have just bought a minter...

Thats probably the sensible approach, but when sentimental values come into things it all goes out of the window. I thought long and hard about what to do with mine, whether to try to get it back on the road or just buy another one. In the end I decided to get mine back on the road as ive owned the car since about 1995 and its got a lot of memories for me. As always, prices soon add up and now mines already cost me over £4k and ive not even started on bodywork/paint or the engine yet! Looking at some of the for sale ones atm, id have been better off just buying a decent one for £4k or £5k and be done with it.

Still, you do end up with the satisfaction of knowing exactly whats been done to the car and essentially a brand new car at the end of the day.

[Goobie]

Buying a "minter" can still have a lot of rot/rust issues. I've seen cars that look mint, but when you pull the carpet up, body kit off, doors/window rubber seals off scrape off some underseal you start to see there work needed.

You may look at the bottom of one and it looks solid, but who to say its not just have sealant put over the top of old stone chip, trapping moister in between or putty filling holes etc and coated over. :scared:

Stick with what you got and know, build on it knowing there won't be something else waiting to go wrong. :)

[rabbitstew]

.... or putty filling holes etc and coated over. :scared:


You been spying on me working on my one?! :scratch:

[mingblus3]

I know someone who has recently paid over 6k for a minter. Looks immaculate and even with the kit off is immaculate. However the inside/underside was hiding loads of grotty bits.

Rear inner arches rotten in about 4 areas, boot floor under the strengthening beam, drivers inner sill and jacking point part of the floor. Scuttle area under battery tray rust. They could have found more but the costs were spiralling. Most of this was hidden under a thick coat of underseal. The car only went in to have the engine bay tidied up.

[Alex]

I agree with Goobie :agree: