Should I sell my car or repaint and keep?

[Q]

2001 Mustang Bullitt with some tasteful mods both cosmetic and performance, 87k miles. Love the car. But I am in a pickle where I cannot decide what to do.

The main issue is my paint is beginning to get 'rough' in spots, and has that kind of dirty, sunspot look. It's getting slowly worse as time goes on. Side panels are all fine, it's just on roof, hood...basically whatever faces upwards if that makes sense. No huge areas, but noticeable once you get close.

I either need to sell the car or suck it up and repaint. But from what I understand, this'll be around $3k, correct?

Reason I'm debating to keep is the resale value isn't so high. It has a salvage title from an accident 10+ years ago. Plus, we just got some minor hail damage. Lastly, my radio amp is blown but I just haven't replaced it.

So ideally I'd really like to keep the car and use the money I got from my hail damage ($2200) and just put towards repainting it, and keeping it till it dies. But at the same time, would it make more sense to sell the car for $4000-5000 or whatever, and have a net $6000-7200 towards a "new" fun car? Thoughts?

 

[dave_the_nerd]

I'd keep it.

#1, it's a cool car. You don't have a car like that for sensible reasons.

#2, limited-edition ones like that are the ones that end up selling for absurd amounts when they get old enough to run for president.

 

[lxskllr]

I'd keep it, and not paint it. I don't care what a car looks like, and I'm not a dealer. I use them up, and send them to the junk yard. Not interested in selling.

 

[Ketchup]

Is it a GT, Cobra, or Base? That mileage is really good for an '01. As for the amps, those are pretty cheap - $50 on eBay if you have the Mach 460 (I bet you kind hind them cheaper with more digging). I left my amps in until the both failed, then I put in a new system, but that is a lot of work (and I had to replace the head unit anyway because the CD changer died, which was common on my year, not on yours).

As you know, the salvage title is going to kill the resale. If money matters (and it sounds like it does), keep it 'till the wheels fall off.

 

[mindless1]

Is it a GT, Cobra, or Base? That mileage is really good for an '01.

? Why ? They're usually cost effective to repair until past 200K mi. and no mention of everything being original, zero repairs since new.

Love the car.

That's all you need to consider, until its value is so low that a major repair(s) totals it out. Cumulative repairs can do that too so you have to consider how much work you're willing to DIY as it continues to age.

 

[Zivic]

A good paint job will be 5k+.

if it were my car, I'd keep in and drive it as is... or sell and get something else. no chance I'd paint it.

 

[Viper GTS]

My vote is sell it and buy something else. It's not valuable enough to justify a good paint job, and IMO you'll eventually regret anything less than a good paint job.

I haven't looked at values of those recently but I sold my great condition ~80k mile 02 GT in early 2012 for $8500. I'd imagine you could easily get a generation newer GT for about that money today.

I'd probably look at C5 Corvettes though.

Viper GTS

 

[jlee]

I'd keep it.

#1, it's a cool car. You don't have a car like that for sensible reasons.

#2, limited-edition ones like that are the ones that end up selling for absurd amounts when they get old enough to run for president.

#2: Not with a salvage title, though.

 

[Yuriman]

The short of it is that repainting is not going to pay for itself. You're dumping money into aesthetics. Buying a new car when you like driving the one you have, because it's ugly, is also dumping money into aesthetics - probably more overall. It's up to you whether several thousand dollars is worth not having to look at faded paint, whether it's in the form of new paint or a new car.

 

[mindless1]

All this talk about painting and we're missing some vital information.

PICTURES

It might also help if you described what you've done with the paint thus far. Has it been clay barred, polished, waxed recently ? Any rust?

What recent year(s) work has been done to it, for example has the engine or tranny been replaced, suspension redone, $1000+ put into tires that have >2/3rds tread left? All these things may not affect bluebook value, but can increase owner value.

What level of repairs are you going to DIY and what quality level parts? For example a radiator and hose(s) replacement can cost under $200 DIY or over $1200 for better quality or performance parts with shop labor.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

#2: Not with a salvage title, though.

True. I missed that detail.

 

[Yeahrt]

If you love the car you should look into paint correction. The amp is an easy fix, not worth selling over. Poke around a site like autopia and see the before/after section. As long as you aren't down to primer or bare metal they can make the car look brand new again usually for a few hundred bucks vs thousands for a good repaint. Just have to find someone that is OCD and a detail freak in your area to do it.

http://www.autopia.org/forums/forum.php

 

[thedarkwolf]

Detail the car and just keep it as is.

 

[Elganja]

just get a cheap paint job like maaco or something ... no need to go all out and get a show quality paint job for an older car

 

[monkeydelmagico]

+1 for maaco or E. Scheib repaint. I have a 2003 mustang gt. Clear coat failure on deck, hood, roof. Did the best maaco single stage two years ago. Turned out OK for just under $1k. There was maybe $2-300 of body work included in that price. It ain't perfect but it's a nice 10 footer. Way better than it was.

 

[kitatech]

Paint to protect, not for looks...I HAD to paint the roof and then the hood on the Camry...went with flat black on the roof at an indie shop...$300. The hood in OEM color was done at MAACO (their best paint work) for $350....choose a shop in an upscale 'hood to get the best job.
The bumper needs a repaint, but it's plastic soooooooo......

 

[RLGL]

Save your money, don't refinish, keep the car