Jeremiah87

I was at the park today for my run, came back to find my car was keyed all over.
I have no enemies/didnt **** anybody off and this was in a decent neighborhood....no clue who did it.

I have a 98 Onyx black, my question is in regards to the chrome trim on the lower sides of the car as well as the grey area. I am planning on getting the car repainted all black, ditching the two tone color scheme in favor of the monotone style just like the 2000 platinum editions.

Can that lower chrome piece/trim just be taken out or will I be left with an unsightly indentation? If not then I would want it also paint matched (onyx black). I still need to take the car to a shop to find out what their procedure is.

I just wanted to ask those who have had their LS400 repainted (full body respray) what route they took with the chrome trim and the lower body panels since its a different color from the upper.

Here are some examples of the monotone scheme:

^Looks like this one still has the chrome trim...I think this one is a platinum edition.


^Another one, also platinum edition.

For the body/paint gurus....does the chrome trim just get sanded like the rest of the body and shot with black paint? Also is that chrome trim made of metal or plastic?

LScowboyLS

from the collector car world, I have learned the following:

spend more on the body work than on the actual painting!

if the body prep is world class, fantastic paint can almost be done with a spray can!

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

you have to have the trim replaced after painting as it needs to fill the gap and the car will look of if it's missing. Keep it chrome, the contrast will help make the car not look so slab sided.

Plastic trim, VERY expensive at the dealer, must be replaced when removed.

MoparMan

agreed with him, but the trim, with anyone who knows what they are doing, can remove it and replace it no problem, with the chrome grille, that can be painted as well. All referring to if the person you take it too knows what they are doing. For example, I have taken a chrome grille, cut it, made it into a custom look, and painted it to look like it was offered aftermarket and painted factory. You never would have known it was chrome to begin with. SO it all depends on who you take it too.

Ive seen rattle can jobs, and roll on home interior paint put onto cars, looks good as a paint booth

Jeremiah87

1. 90% prep, 10% painting? Thats what I hear over and over...its all in the prep....the shooting is the easy part. Also since the car is black, the body work has to at least be decent or it will show in the end result.....not like white/silver cars which are much more forgiving.

2. Okay, I assume the body shop will be very careful in taking that trim off as such to not break it.

Jeremiah87

I plan to take it to the same shop who repainted my Miata (NB).

I am very cautious about body shops due to bad experiences (over spray nightmares).

I just hope they will do at the very least, a decent job. It wont be the same factory finish but I sure as hell dont wanna be rolling around with a keyed up body either.

RA40

iTrader: (6)

It is not so much the trim but the adhesive that affixes it. That double sticky from the OEM is quite good once it adheres.

Jeremiah87

Ah I hear ya, I imagine even with care it might break though when being removed for paint? But as someone mentioned if the body shop is competent they should be able to remove/replace it back on the car without issue.

Also I am thinking of having the car resprayed another black...maybe nighthawk black pearl like on my previous ride:



^The night shot doesnt do it justice because in direct sunlight you can see blue pearls/flakes. In the photo it just looks like your standard jet black/onxy black.

I am not concerned with resale value and was thinking of going with a different black just to have something other than stock. I do like the onyx black too....just crossed my mind. I even wanted to try a midnight purple but since I wont be getting the door jams/trunk/engine bay painted it will look like booty with the purple exterior and black jams/bay. At least if I do a different kind of black with pearls in it I can get a different look and it will still blend with the factory black paint when the doors are opened.

MoparMan

It really is, having worked in a body shop it is almost that exact ratio. Body prep is most important. Shooting is not the easy part though which takes skill to spray it in certain ways, for example, gloss is less tedious than metallic or metal flake or pearl, and matte paint. getting the body perfect and straight for the paint is the most important. Hopefully the shop is honest too, and if they break some trim they will get replacements for it. Ive seen some glue the **** back on when they broke it hoping the customer wont notice.

I know this. Ive had insurance claim shops do a quick shoot, overspray and underspray, and pocket the rest of the money. One of my customers, long story, had the shop already do the work and it was too late for us to abort their labor, and they did a ****ty overspray job. Mostly in part due to me coming in and pointing out the flaws and raising hell with the owner. That shop lost business. If youve had a good experience with a shpp before, definityly take it to them. If they screw up, and they have a good customer relationship, (hopefully) they will make it right. It all depends on the shops attitude towards workmanship and quality of work and workers. The best shop can even have the best PR and the worst workers. All depends.

3M double sided sticky is the most commonly used on most cars, foreign and domestic. yes some offer their trim with their own double sided sticky, but when putting the car back together 3M is most commonly used and is most supplied to most producers of automobiles since 3M owns most of the market for it.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

the stock trim becomes brittle and is near impossible to remove without damaging it. hence requiring replacement.

Jeremiah87

I can definitely see that happening...argh.

LScowboyLS

keep in mind that if your paint is otherwise nice, if you will find the very high-end, paint-computerized body shop (like the one the Lexus dealership uses) - they can often work magic on your keying damage and small door dings for a small fraction of the cost of a high quality repaint (which costs many $1000's if done right)

I have seen the right body shop make keying damage look as though it never happened!

xtremex626

iTrader: (3)

go to your local autozone store or order on ebay. they sell double side taped chrome molding trims that fits our cars. i know this might sound sketch, but a few people on the 2gs side have done this and saved a good amount of money by not ordering from the dealership.

Jeremiah87

1. My paint wasnt all that great to begin with...the car was always taken to the car wash by the previous owner. Scratches and swirls so bad it looked like the paint was scrubbed with a SOS pad.

2. You know I have seen those trim moulding there as well as pep boys...always wondered if they were any good/would hold up to the elements like the OEM pieces.

Also has anybody ever ran some aftermarket L emblems?...since they will be taking of the emblems from my trunk I was thinking of getting one of these in black:

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

the aftermarket trim fades after a couple years in the sun. Not nearly as robust as OEM.