Some fool just backed into my MINI. I will need a new hood and bumper cover.
In the old days, repair paint was not as good as factory paint.
I think that repair paint is better than it used to be.
Could you give reports on the quality and durability of paint used
to repair your cars after an accident.
Thanks.

 

I'll let you know in a few weeks.

 

Your Mini is painted as a basecoat/clearcoat which when painted in the repair process correctly is just as durable as the factory paint. The issue to be aware of is the painting of non-metal parts such as your bumper. Surface preparation and the proper application of the adhesive based primer (many different products available for the repair industry) is critical.

 

I had a tree limb fall on the bonnet and slide down, just a few scratches. The body shop locally quoted me $1600 for the repair.

 

How about some pics for us armchair QB's....

 

quality and durabilty really depends on the bodyshop's performance
and the materials they use. bodyshop work varies a lot.

i recommend you ask your dealer for BMW/Mini certified bodyshops.
Even then, you are still not guaranteed quality work... check around
with your car buddies on which shops they recommend too. nothing
is better than testimonials from actual experience.

 

The previous owner of my Miata had an accident about 7 or 8 years ago, when the car was 8-9 years old. About half the car was repainted at the bodyshop. At the time the owner said the car looked as good as new, and you couldn't tell what had been repainted and what hadn't. Now, 8 years later, you can tell which parts were repainted because the original factory paint is faded more if just let go. I have to work three times harder to make the original paint shine with various polishes and my random orbital, while the repainted parts look fine with just claybar and wax.

My Bullitt got slightly scraped along the side by the PO several years ago. Just a small part of the rear fender was repainted, and no matter how hard I look with any kind of light, I can't tell where the repaint was done.

Since your Mini Cooper is new enough, a quality body shop should be able to repaint the damaged areas and it will look great for years to come. Anything older than 6-7 years, and I'd probably try to get the whole car repainted for a perfect match all over.

 

A-series Miata had to have been one of the last cars to not use clear coat / base coat - the red ones anyway. Keeping '90s red looking good on one of those - especially the plastic nose - is tuff work (I've a red 95)

Yes I agree a good body shop can make the repair invisible and it will last. Get three quotes and some recommendations. But know this - auto paint comes from multiple manufacturers and even one maker will have several grades of paint and clear. I paint cars as a hobby - I can buy a gallon of clear and a gallon of DIMENSION color for $150- or three times that for Sher' Williams and show quality clear. Depends on whose paint I use, and which line..... When I'm doing my own stuff I'm partial to Sher' Williams base followed by a quality clear... xtreme ain't bad.

Any decent auto paint store has the fancy computer controlled mixing machine that just needs the color code for a damn decent match...larger body shops may have their own From there is it a) the quality of the prep work and b) the skills of the painter...

But - get a firm price.... I had a body shop charge me $150 for paint alone, on a classic bonnet re-paint and now know that was enough paint to do the entire car...twice! But they called it 'custom work' and hit me for $600 total

never again