Hello all, I'm looking for body shop recommendations in the greater SE Michigan area to do a full repaint on my '91. Will require removal of prior owner's crappy rattlecan paint job and some minor body work--straightening or replacement of lower rad crossmember from what I assume is a parking curb encounter... This car is never going to be invited to Pebble Beach but I'd like a decent result so would prefer someone who's worked on these before. Thanks for any suggestions!
Body shop recommendation - SE Michigan
- Thread starter jameshunt30
- Start date
Yikes, that would be VERY expensive on any car, but especially on an aluminum car- maybe $30K? I have a Michigan friend that works exclusively on Ford GTs, he’ll probably have a couple recommendations- I can check if you like.
My friend had his 1991 Red and 1992 White fully repainted in Southfield at Precision Autohaus on Telegraph. They did a really nice job. If I recall it was just under $10k.
Thanks, @centerpunch. That's a lot higher than I was guessing. You think mainly from the stripping of the old paint or the replacement of the crossmember?
Thanks, @Hass! I'll swing by and see what they think they can do.
Thanks, @Hass! I'll swing by and see what they think they can do.
That seems like pricing from 10+ years ago, but I could be wrong…
Thanks all!
Majority the cost of repainting comes with remove and installing trim parts. ( bumpers, lamps, weather strips etc)
You can save money by prepping the car for paint by removing all of those parts but I that’s a pain.
The $10k I quoted was only 2-3 years ago.
I'll be interested to see what estimate Mr. Hunt gets.
Well, @centerpunch wins the prize. I was given an estimate of $30-35k and that was without the x-member repair. No doubt it's possible to spend that much on a paint job--but this ain't the car and I'm not the guy.
Sorry!
I haven't really chimed in here, but even my painter, who did my Imola and whom I trust, conceded that it would normally be $20k-$30k if I hadn't disassembled the car myself. Most of that cost is in taking the car apart and putting it back together- the body shops are worried about breaking old, expensive, or non-replaceable parts and the required number of hours at the shop's labor rate add up fast. You're looking at 20-40 hours of disassembly/assembly alone, depending on how familiar they are with the NSX. And then you get to the prep and painting, which is another 20-40 hours depending on the level of quality you're shooting for.
The only way to reduce cost from these levels is to do what I did- take the thing apart yourself and deliver them the panels and bare chassis. You can knock 40-60% off that way.
The only way to reduce cost from these levels is to do what I did- take the thing apart yourself and deliver them the panels and bare chassis. You can knock 40-60% off that way.
Motorwerks in Commerce Township has worked on another vehicle of mine(w124 mercedes) and they did a fantastic job. Very detail oriented and priced quite reasonably for the work and attention they put in. I'm not sure how they'd feel about an nsx but I'd definitely check them out if you're not too far from the place.
Thanks everyone for the leads and advice. Not sure which way I'll go but the overall condition of the car doesn't justify that expensive of a paint job, plus I want to be able to still drive it without worrying excessively about the finish.
I've learned from this thread, but obviously hope I never require any of this info 
@jameshunt30 please feel free to chime in on our ongoing "Michigan spotting by blodi" thread in the regional forums below.
@jameshunt30 please feel free to chime in on our ongoing "Michigan spotting by blodi" thread in the regional forums below.
Another thing to consider is a panel-on "refresh". It's a lot less expensive than a full body repaint and most shops would probably be ok with it, since you don't really have to take anything apart. Basically they leave all the panels on the car, sand and prep the surfaces, and shoot it. Unless your door jambs and front bay are also covered in rattle can junk, the paint there is likely OEM original and does not need to be painted.
This style of repaint can yield very nice results. It was done on my 91 just before I bought it and I thought the finish quality was quite good.
That's probably closer to $10k (really just prep and materials plus painting time) and you might find more shops willing to take on the job since they don't have to mess with disassembly. The Formula Red (R-77) color can be tricky to match, but if you find a good shop, have them call Vince's Auto Body in NY and they can help guide on how to mix it for the best OEM look. A fresh coat of paint really brings these old NSXs back to stunning.
