AthensLS1

iTrader: (2)

Hey guys, I'm trying to decide if it's worth it to repair this damage on the Trans Am. I only plan on keeping the car another year or two until I finish school and can get something a little newer and I'm trying to decide if the resale value will go up enough to make the repairs worth it. The car is a '99 with 105k miles and in otherwise decent condition.

Can anyone give me an estimate on what each repair might cost? Also, it doesn't have to be the absolute highest quality repair either considering the car is 10 years old and isn't in perfect condition anyway.

Thanks a ton!

I backed into a pole and the paint just keeps peeling off. I'd consider removing the bumper and sanding this down myself if you think a novice could handle that task and it would make it cheaper.



This is where my car was vandalized and the burglar drilled and then punched out the door lock to enter the car. I already have the new key cylinder bought and matched to my keys, I just need to get the fiberglass repaired.



This last one is actually a previous repair covered by insurance where their paint started bubbling and later peeled off. I need to call them up because they supposedly have a lifetime warranty on their work. I assume it wouldn't be out of line to expect them to warranty this even though the work was performed about 5-6 years ago?

02ws666

iTrader: (1)

there is a stickey i think about how to do the CETA mod to the bumpers.. its very good at showing how to take it off. I did the ceta mod and it was freaking eziest mod i have done. If i can do it, so can you, unless you are an actualy retaard

02ws666

iTrader: (1)

https://ls1tech.com/forums/paint-bod...umper-how.html

AthensLS1

iTrader: (2)

Awesome, thanks for the link. I think I'll try and prep/paint it with the bumper still on the car. Hey, if I screw up then I'm back where I started; I have a crap bumper just like before.

Can you buy the exact black paint that's on the trans am in a shakable can? How about clear coat in a can? If I wet sand this carefully and use a few products to polish this up, do you think it would look decent?

Any advice on the fiberglass damage?

Thanks so much,
Chris

Striped02WS6

iTrader: (6)

the bumper would be an easy fix with someone who knows what they are doing....I dont know how the CETA mod is going to help at all for what you are looking to do?? The bumper needs taken off and sanded down and reprimed painted and cleared. If you were looking to do it cheaply dont rattle can it becaues it will look like CRAP. take it to macco and have them fix it for 150 bucks or whatever and atleast it wont stand out like a sore thumb and should last till you get rid of the car.

The fiberglass on the door is goingto be about 1000 dollars to fix. they have to take the pannel off and glass from the inside and out and then sand prime nad paint. Being so close to the rear quarter they may have to do some color matching on it as well (dont know how hard black is to match). Im not talking out of my *** here because im getting the same thing done right now.

The rust on the back needs to be sanded down to metal and redone completely. I would definatly look into having it redone under warrenty because I cant even guess how much its going to cost to redo it.

hope this helps.

mike

AthensLS1

iTrader: (2)

Ouch, I guess that door won't get fixed anytime soon. The car is probably barely worth $3k so dumping $1k into it surely doesn't make sense.

I'll definitely remove/prep that bumper myself and run it by Maaco at some point. That seems like an easy fix.

02ws666

iTrader: (1)

ya i might of sounded like a tard, but the ceta link is just to show you how to get the bumber off. Sand it down and prepare it for paint.. then take it somewhere cheap like macco or a chevy bodyshop and have them just paint that section. I would suggest going to the back of the paintshop and asking one of the techs to do a side job real quick for a quick 100$... odds are they will do it. Just had my buddies body kit painted for his mercedes for 650. Looks great!

AthensLS1

iTrader: (2)

That's definitely a good idea about getting a tech to do the bumper on the side.

I wonder if I could use bondo-glass and just goop it all over the hole where the lock cylinder is located, let it dry, and then carefully file/sand it down to shape and then use whatever I can to paint the area? Is this idea ridiculous? I don't care if it looks perfect. I'd just like it to blend in a bit and not stick out like a sore thumb.

Maybe epoxy would work? I have no idea what could be used as filler around that area so it could support the weight of the lock cylinder.

Thanks for your help,
Chris

4150

iTrader: (13)

It would be cheaper just to get a new/used door in good condition, suprised nobody mentioned this. You might even luck out and find a black one with good paint.

Here's one, it's even black

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/93-02...Q5fAccessories

adm030

Bondo kitty hair is what you need for the door you can get it from most part stores I paint on the side and have friends that do also I'm in louisiana though but you could get that door and bumper done for about $500 here also if you do the work yourself sand down the bumper block it out and fix the door when you take it to the bodyshop to fix your fender ask them how much they will charge to spray those parts shouldn't be but 350-450 if there prepped already. You can always look for the donks , caprices, monte carlos etc that have new paint and ask them who painted theirs and get it done that way thats what I mostly paint. If you ask around you ll find a good deal.