I need help on repainting my 6 Bronzit biege Metallic

White 6 · Post by **White 6** » Mon Jul 20, 2015 5:16 pm

I have a Euro 1985 635 that is the Bronzit biege Metallic. I know this owner of the exact same car and his is Bronzit biege Metallic 1984. Chuck the owner of this other 6 said he repainted his car with lacquer base paint. I live in San Diego CA and the problem is I am getting a lot of flak from the bodyshop. I did go up to LA and talked to the body shop that did Chucks 6. They said that they do not use lacquer anymore because of CA law and its very difficult.

I know this 139 Bronzit biege Metallic color and if its done right it looks great.
But Bronzit biege Metallic can also look very dull flat. The 80's US BMWs seem to all have that dull green cast to them.

IF I can't get lacquer paint will the urethane 2 stage paint look just as shiny and have that rich deep Brown color to it??

The 1 body shop in LA said they would use 4 to 5 coats of clear coat and the San diego shop said they would use only 3 coats. The SD shop wants me to make a decision on the car today 6/21/15. My 6 has been there for 2 weeks and I had to wait for 10 days to get an estimate. Originally I was told that the repaint with bodywork would around 6500.00 to 6700.00 but I got an estimate for 7100.00 with PPG paint. I really don't want to pay that much.

Can anybody out there help me with this?

Thanks,

Jay

dwcains · Post by **dwcains** » Mon Jul 20, 2015 6:06 pm

Use a modern paint and be happy. No one does lacquer anymore, unless it's a serious collector car for show use, i.e. a mid-60's V12 Ferrari coupe, etc. It's fragile, and needs a lot of maintenance. It looks great because it's somewhat translucent, and the multiple thin layers can show lots of depth. It takes a lot of work to prep and apply, and in CA, there are prohibitive laws regarding the solvent used in lacquer paints (as well as others).

Modern base/clear paints can last almost forever with little maintenance, and good product, properly applied, will look deep and wet. Look at the shop's other works in progress, and completed, and let their work speak for itself.

FWIW. if I lived in southern CA, i'd be looking at shops south of the border.

MSGGrunt · Post by **MSGGrunt** » Mon Jul 20, 2015 6:17 pm

Just pick a high end base coat clear coat. Even DuPont, Martin Senour, have different "levels" of paint. I recently painted my 1982 Mercedes 300sd and used Glasurit. It wasn't cheap but the quality of the paint job was well worth it. Also, don't be talked into anything other than a high solid clear. That is where you'll get your deep shine.

m6dave · Post by **m6dave** » Mon Jul 20, 2015 11:07 pm

Three points to consider here
1. the body shop - if you had to wait 10 days for an estimate and now they have put pressure on you for a decision you are at the wrong body shop - go and collect your car so that you have time to research and make the best decision. The care and attitude at the shop can make a massive difference to the end result and I am not feeling the love at this place. How do you feel about having these guys working on your car?

2. the paint products - what the other guys have said about modern high end paints is correct, they will give the best results when applied correctly. Remember there are three parts to this quote, paint products, labour and consumables such as masking products.

3. price - you have stated that you do not want to spend as much as you have been quoted so a lower cost job will be looking to save on the paint and/or the labour. Less labour cost may mean less hours equals less detailed prep equals poorer quality result. Cheaper paint products may not last as long as the name brands and warranty claims might be harder.

So decision time on where you are prepared to compromise with quality and cost, but I think go and collect your car today regardless.

sansouci · Post by **sansouci** » Tue Jul 21, 2015 2:31 pm

Rather than South of the Border, what about Las Vegas for paint shops?

I've got a bronzit beige that needs a respray and some body work. I haven't priced it yet, but your numbers don't sound to out of line.
What paint does BMW use on the assembly line?

Klaus · Post by **Klaus** » Wed Jul 22, 2015 6:04 am

sansouci wrote:Rather than South of the Border, what about Las Vegas for paint shops?

I've got a bronzit beige that needs a respray and some body work. I haven't priced it yet, but your numbers don't sound to out of line.
What paint does BMW use on the assembly line?

Sorry, no go in Las Vegas, at least not in Clark County. Things around here pretty much mimic most CA rules and regulation. We not as hell bend on using water based bases yet as CA, but it's getting there soon.

I would assume that the metropolitan Phoenix, AZ area has the same issues and regulations, I used a restoration shop in Kingman, AZ years earlier for a lacquer paint job and regretted it pretty soon after.

Modern paint systems can be amazing, but there are severe price and quality differences between the lower and higher product lines of the same manufacturer. $7k is about the baseline nowadays for a decent paint job with some prep work and removal of some minor imperfections.

I have seen some cars prepped and painted south of the border and I would not automatically discount the possibility.

Klaus

sansouci · Post by **sansouci** » Wed Jul 22, 2015 3:38 pm

I learn something new every day. I thought Nevada was a business friendly place. You have to see the gold mines with the heap leach pads that use acid to dissolve the gold out of the rock.....
--Ken

TBM · Post by **TBM** » Wed Jul 22, 2015 11:05 pm

MY 2 CENTS.

Know a restoration shop owner who has been doing the same work since he was a teen in NY (he's now in his 50's). His take is that the BASF Glasurit product lasts the longest he's even seen. He frequently sees the same cars come back 10 to 15 years after the paint was done. It is more expensive but no where near as much as a repaint.

sansouci · Post by **sansouci** » Thu Jul 23, 2015 2:29 am

If he is still in NY I NEED TO MEET THIS GUY!
--Ken

TBM · Post by **TBM** » Thu Jul 23, 2015 5:31 am

sansouci wrote:If he is still in NY I NEED TO MEET THIS GUY!
--Ken

Not quite! Moved to Los Angeles long ago. Still has the work ethic of an apprentice turned journeyman turned master. They don't make them like this anymore.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/show-car-restor ... estoration

John is a great guy..and affordable compared to all the $50K would be shenanigans out there.