All imports Honda/Acura, and Toyota/Lexus especially have VERY, very soft paint. This means they will scratch easier, even by washing (unless of course you use excellent washing techniques.) But look at it from a scientific point of view; you want this liquid coating to protect the metal underneath, you want it to last as long as possible (10 years minimum) without a repaint, and after all that, you also want it TO LOOK GOOD? How often do you paint your house? Probably more often that most car finishes last. So that is why it is important you maintain your cars paint, cause after all, it is the most expensive part on a car to replace. When all is said and done, what is $400 a year, or a couple hours every few months treating your car the way it should be treated? AN INVESTMENT. Just like your car. Not to mention you get the enjoyment of having your ride lookin good, and the ego boost when somebody tells you how good it looks. I'm telling you read the guide to detailing and your car's finish will last until the day you die.

 

Does anyone know what an average price to repaint a vehicle the size of our dodges? And when they repaint, do the usually take it to metal and go from there or do they just spray over the imperfections in the paint?

 

See thats the thing. A GOOD repaint will take it down to metal, but it'll cost probably 5-8k. A crappy sand, paint, sand, clear, sand, buff would 2-4k. Those are all estimates I don't paint cars or truck for that matter.

 

Whats funny is the guys, that worry about the scratches, park close to the doors, inbetween the idiots that do not give a rats a** if they dig your nice truck. I park at the very end of the parkinglot or in a safe place. My truck i just sold to my little brother after 3 years had one small scratch and i did it, no digs at all.

 

Well, my wife getting pretty upset with my parking habits because I will park the furthest away just to protect my truck. So your remark is way off. It is not that I have deep scratches all over my truck, I take too good of care for that... it is all of those "spider web" scratches that I have no control over. You know, the ones when you park under a street light at night they show up very pronounced.

 

try a variable speed buffer and get some good rubbing compound and a final glaze and that will take out all those scratches for ya. When using a buffer dont turn it to the highest speed. Have it on low and go from there, too fast and it will burn through the paint. Good luck

 

Thanks for the advice guys

 

FFmedic1479, i could use a paint job myself.....Where are you located in the USA? Have you gotten any quotes on a paint job?
One guy on here indicated that a good paint job will cost about $10K....

 

hahah just on the wife thing and paint. My buddy's dad just bought a new 3500 SRW cummins laramie. needless to say sweet sweet ride. cost him a pretty penny too. Well he works at the same place as my Dda and the other day after work he locked the keys in and had to call his wife/ my friends mom to come bring him the spare key. She was insanely mad and made him take her car the next day and she took the truck. The truck is long it's a qcsb she's used to driving a small Dodge Neon. Well she went to make a turn in a small parking lot around like a concrete barrier that separates sections about 5 or so feet tall. She cut the corner and no joke took off all the paint on the drivers side of the truck from the very front to pretty much the back. Not to mention gouging the metal and scratching it to hell. Funny story but I think if it were me I'd be filing for divorce lol.

 

I went to that mom-and-pop business killer, Home Depot, and as I was putting paint in the back, the cart started to slowly drift towards my truck. Needless to say, I did not reach to stop this slowly, and I cant express how slowly it was moving. It hit the truck and made a small dent and scratch. I was like, what the F? this thing was moving slower than Hugh Hefner with a boner and made that much damage. Very dissappointed indeed. But I tell you what, my wife's 2007 Toyota has the worst paint. At 5,000 miles the whole front is swiss cheese.