How does everyone feel about paint jobs?

[viperWanaB]

As I look for my viper, I can't find any where the color is what I like. It doesn't seem that a lot of people here have paint jobs done after the fact (except for damaged). Is it a sell out if I buy a red viper and paint it graphite? I realize that there weren't graphite colors in 97, but I think that is my favorite color. Don't get me wrong though, I think all of the colors are sweet!

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

It's your car do whatever you want. For me it wouldn't be worth the hassle. If you like graphite get one of the graphite years and be done with it.

 

[Casey]

Paint it however you like! It's your car, and if you do it correctly it shouldn't hurt you when you sell it. Although, it won't add to the value unless you put Dolphins on it! lol

But if you like another color that is made from the factory, why not buy one of them?

Good luck, and whatever you do with the paint, just get a Viper asap, cause you are wasting valuable time!!

 

[viperWanaB]

I was looking for one with dolphins already painted on so that I didn't have to, but I'll just have to keep looking. Not many of them around.

 

[Jerry Dobson]

Anyone that has a near perfect Viper either:

1) Never drove it
2) Has had paint work

I don't have a problem with good paint work.

I would think changing the factory color would hurt the resale. But if you plan on keeping it, it does not matter.

 

[Lee00blacksilverGTS]

What Chuck said. And, be aware that if you buy a non graphite car and paint it graphite you WILL no doubt diminish the value of the car both by the fact that it is no longer original and that it is a "repaint" thereby subjecting you to endless speculation that the car is "an obvious repaint" so it must be a salvage wrecked car. Just do a search here under the word repaint and I bet you will find endless advice not to buy an obviously repainted car. Having said that if you like a particular non stock color I encourage you to do it anyway, you want a yellow srt, do it. It just seems real dumb to repaint in a factory color when you should really shop till you drop and find one in the original color. Should also be cost effective to do that rather than a repaint. Paing a Viper ain't cheap if you do it right.

 

[GraphiteGTS]

My bodyman's 11th commandment: "Thou shalt not change paint colors".

 

[Bonkers]

I realize that there weren't graphite colors in 97, but I think that is my favorite color.

A good graphite paint job on a 97 could end up costing more than just buying a Graphite. If you ever plan to sell the car don't mess with the paint - if you plan to keep it forever then do what feels good.

 

[ViperJoe]

I personally would never buy a repainted anything let alone a Viper regardless of the "story".

 

[SylvanSRT]

buy the newer car w/ the color you want, the updates on the car are well worth the additional money.

 

[01sapphireGTS]

viperWanaB: I think re-painting an earlier car to a later stock color is a poor investment all the way around. The first glaring issue is that you have to pay for a quality job, and that is money you could put toward what you really want. If you are doing some sort of "custom" paint scheme and plan on keeping the car, that is a different issue all together. I like most people would not buy a re-paint, so your resale is limited.

One suggestion would be to look for a 2000 Steel Gray. I assume you are looking at a 96 or 97 GTS because they are less $ than the 01-02's you see for sale in graphite. I understand your position and you can usually find pre-01's to be a great value for the $ spent. (Although you do give up some options, one being ABS.)

You can find some great information about color availability on this website at The Viper Registry[url]. Follow the "BUILD INFO" link there...

To your advantage, striped steele gray's are even more common than the graphites. See you're savin' money already !

 

[01sapphireGTS]

sorry url typo...

The Viper Registry

 

[Sam 01 RT10]

I would try to find one in the color you like, even if it takes more time/effort/money.
That said, I took my last car and had completely repainted, and loved it. My '98 T/A was white, and I'm a yellow fan, so I had it painted Millenium Yellow, since they couldn't be had from the factory in that color. I got more than the car was worth when I sold it last year on Ebay, but it was well known in the F-body community. On a Viper, I'm not sure if I would do a color change, since there are very few produced each year, and each year seems to hold something special/different from the others.
Here's the T/A, btw...

http://www.radiantvegas.com/sam/sam-1.jpg
Notice the background, LOL?!

 

[Magicboy2]

Here is my custom paint, done for purely cosmetic reasons. Cost in the neighborhood of $7k and is an absolute A+ quality job... I love it. Just a tad deeper red than stock.