Is it ok to re-paint exterior plastics?

R

resdm50

New member
Hey guys,



I'm currently thinking about repainting my rockers and rear bumper due to some chips and the like from every day use. However, some people on the forum seem to think that repainting any body panel devalues the car, while others say that as long as the panel is plastic it is ok to repaint. I spoke to my dealer about this and he said that they view the painting of any plastic panel (bumpers, rockers, etc.) as a wear and tear type issue, and therefore it would not devalue the car.



My question for you guys is, which way of thinking is correct? I would hate to repaint my bumper and then find out that it decreased the value of my car.



Thanks for the help
 
Bumpers are fine. Most dealers have then repainted by mobile touch up companies on sight.

We never took off for repaints that much anyways. With the used market the way it is, dealers need all the trade ins they can get.
 
resdm50- Right, I'd go ahead and get it painted (properly, off the car). And I'm generally a fanatic about trying to keep the paint all oem whenever possible.



IME/IMO, if the dealer later cries "diminished value" he's jus BSing you, and I'd call him on it. If,OTOH, you traded it in needing the cover repainted he'd just ding you for that instead; it's a no-win once it gets the roadrash but that's just how it goes.
 
It's totally fine to paint these plastic parts as long as they were originally painted in the 1st place. What devalues a car the most is a poor repair. One that is obvious. Make sure they remove the part, tint the color to the remaining adjacent panels and refinish the entire panel. No spot refinishing.
 
David Fermani said:
.. Make sure they ... tint the color to the remaining adjacent panels and refinish the entire panel..
Click to expand...



Oughta quite possibly look better than it did originally! Plenty of color mis-match from the factory.
 
That's what I explain to people. I then proceed to show them the color differences that their car already has and they freak out.
 
Thank you for the confirmation gentleman. I kind of figured that repainting a metal panel on the car might cause an issue, but was shocked when some were saying the same about a plastic one. Thanks again
 
I had a car appraised a few years ago, and the guy said having the original paint is always better and worth more, even if it is dull. However, he did say that this really only applies to classic cars where new paint jobs will devalue the look and appearance of the car. For my dull Audi, he told me to paint away.
 
There's alot of variables that go into the appraisal of a vehicle. It also matters the kind of vehicle you're referring to as well. A car whether it's a classic, luxury or exotic will always be more valueable when it has the original virgin paint finish intact. Bumpers, moldings and misc trim are pretty trival though, especially on new vehicles as long as there repair is undectable. (keep in mind that all these parts are hand painted from the factory/supplier anyways) This is almost impossible to achieve on the exterior sheetmetal portion of a vehicle due to today's high end paint meters that many auto appraisers incorporate into their inspections. Bottom line, one of, it the the most critical factor in guaging a car's value is a clean CarFax and no evidence of any body repairs.
 
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