911Königin

I'm sure this has already been discussed, but I'm not sure where. Found a nice 996, but DO NOT like the color. Is it alright to have it repainted to a color I like or is that a big disaster? Would love to hear your opinion.

Divot

It is very expensive to do properly.

rwiii

David says expensive because apparently you have to spray the engine bay, frunk, wheel wells, etc. It also has a negative effect on resale.
I think if it were a race car and you just wanted to spray the outside in a different color that would not be such a big deal but if the appearance is important to you I'll bet the advice on this board will be keep looking till you find the color you want. There are lots out there.

francars

Yeah, repainting can get pricey if done right. You should just find the right color you like instead. This will safe you $$$ and headaches down the road

ivangene

FAIL

Topaz330ci

I wouldn't go there! Really bad idea UNLESS you have tons of money and just don't care.

Marc Gelefsky

Clearly, No.
Plenty of 996's out there, keep looking.

redridge

+1

Divot

Send a pm to tim911pcar and ask how much he paid for his paint job. It's beautiful.

okbarnett

unless you do a complete all over and under and thru out job, which is cost prohibitive, you should not paint a car a different color. It is cheaper and better to buy one the color you want.

mikey55

Repaints are never as good as the factory finish. You would pay more for the paint than another Porsche would cost.

Which begs the question, unless I missed it, what color is it?

Macster

The repaint can be a disaster if you pick the wrong shop or try to go about it cheaply.

A high (near show car) quality (and anything less than a high quality paint job is to be avoided!) full repaint will never be as good as the factory paint, but it can be pretty darn good. Nearly indistiquishable from the factory paint job. But these quality repaint jobs cost money. Lots.

And no matter how well the job is the fact it has been totally repainted diminishes the car's value some cause while a good paint job is nearly indistinquishable from factory it is still distiquishable. A good inspection will turn up the fact the car has been repainted. (Even the color can give this away, if you select a color that is obviously not a factory color.)

(As an aside: I read about a guy -- IIRC who lived in the UK -- who bought a Carrera GT and had it repainted in speed yellow. He wanted a speed yellow C-GT and got one, by having a (IIRC) silver one repainted. Big big bucks on top of the over $300K I bet he spent on the car.)

Frankly, you are better off continuing your search for the right car in a color you can live with, more than live with, enjoy.... Unless...

Unless.

Unless you simply can't live with a car in any color other than the one you have in mind.

IOWs, you want a paint to sample car after the fact (after the fact the car has already been built).

Then if you must have a 996 and it must be in the color you have in mind your only recourse is to find a good car and a good shop and have the car repainted to the color you want.

Even if you're going to repaint the car you want to start with a car that has its paint (and body) in good condition, along with everything else, of course.

But before you buy the car, you should search out a paint shop that can do the right sort of paint job and speak with the shop owner and get his/her input and then get an estimate (and be sitting down when you hear it) so you know what you're facing.

Your not going to get the car in and out of a paint shop for a few bucks.

Roughly I would estimate you are looking to spend from 1/4th (conservative) to 1/2 (less conserative) the cost of the car on the paint job. Thus, if you find a car for say $25000 you are looking to spend another $6K to $12.5K on the paint job.

Thus your $25K used car costs after it is all said and done from $31,250 to $37,500. If you can insure the car to cover the cost of the car and its special paint job is another question.

But you realize then after the paint job the car is no longer worth $25K.

The full repaint job detracts from the car's value, unless the job is so good *and* the color you selected is so outstanding, so unique, so desirable people flock to the car.

It could happen. If so, I want to know the color!

Regardless, Happy Shopping!

Sincerely,

Macster.

C4CRNA

What colors do you like?

911SLOW

DO IT! there is one about a mile from where I live. : )

Owner is nice and with a great ***.

Marc Gelefsky

My eyes!!!