Total Repaint or Spot Repaint ?

If you can find out what it was painted with originally, what about trying a test section? If you don't like the results, then paint the whole car. I'm not from LA so I can't recommend any where.

I like the mods you're proposing btw; it will look sharp. What wheels are on it? Is your avatar it?

According to Kirk at VS it was origanally shot with acrylic enamel.  Kirk gave me a price of about $1,600 to repaint the car, but I am trying to put as much of the money as possible into the hard parts needed for conversion. 

Biggest cost will be the wheels and tires, and upgrading from the existing 4 lug rotors (front) and drums (rear) to accepting the Mangels wide 5 wheels.  I looking to go to the 5-1/5x15 steel finished wheels, 185R65x15 tires, and aluminum drum skins.  I estimate the cost for the 4 to 5 lug conversion being about $500, and the wheels and tires about the same (sweat equity on the labor side), so $1,000 there plus another $500 for the louvered rear engine lid.

Also considering removing the front and rear bumpers and going to nerf bars.

Yes, that's the car as my avatar.

That seems like a reasonable price for a repaint.

You'll either repaint it now or later. Go for it!

Hello Tom:

That's probably true.  I think I'm going to attack this a step at a time.  First do the necessary conversion to get the 5 wide wheels on the car.  Then seeing how well the existing paint responds to a professional detail job.  I have a feeling that it will respond pretty well.

After this I think I'll step back and enjoy driving the car awhile (maybe also change out the front bumpers for nerf bars).   

If the car doesn't look "outlaw" enough at that point I will go the next steps and strip the trim, add the rear louvered engine cover, and repaint.

Thanks, Grant

I like your plan, GTman! That is what I'd like to do to my car some day.

I was just being the little devil on your left shoulder :-).  I would like to repaint my car due to some paint mis-match areas and some minor damage, but I can't justify it yet.  I've put a glorious 13,000 miles on my car in 3 seasons and I plan to put on many more.  Someday, I'll repaint, but it removes some stress knowing that the paint isn't perfect.  I don't worry about stone chips, door dings, or somebody keying my car because I will repaint someday.  My son told me that his friends that own motorcycles say that the best thing you can do to a new motorcycle is kick it over and get it out of your system.

Hello Tom:

I agree completely.  The thing that I love about my car is the state of the paint currently and the patina it has from not being a garage queen.  I think it helps also in keeping people guessing whether the car is real or not.  The rust on most of the chrome part dont hurt either. 

So currently I am just enjoying driving, and fearless about parking it. 

Having owner Ferrari's in the past, this is a huge relief.

Grant

I replaced my rear deck with a louvered deck and just painted it a flat or satin black, then I also did the front hood.  Rest of the car is gloss black.  Some day I will get the whole car painted gloss black but IMO it does not look too bad like it is and I've had a lot of people say they like the contrasting paint theme.  Just a thought..