Trying to decide if it's time to paint or should I leave it alone? Been struggling with the idea of painting my 79 L82 survivor but getting some mixed advice. I think I posted about this a few years ago but still at a loss as to the best direction to take.

Background on the car, it was originally bought in Indiana and when the owner retired to Florida he took the car with him. For whatever reason, he put the car in storage in 1988 with 14,000 miles and left it there for 26 years when it was purchased in 2014. That owner put another 1,000 miles on it and I bought it from him with 15,600 miles. The car currently has 17,050 miles and I have had a considerable amount of work done to get it roadworthy, don't let anyone fool you, low mileage cars are expensive to get right once they've sat for years. The only things not really original about it is it's been converted to dual exhaust, and I've had a Holley Sniper FI system put on it for better drivability. The car has always had some thin spots on the paint from the tarp where it laid on the car all those years and I can live with that. The main issue is the bonding seams are starting to bubble on both sides. It had some when I bought it, but I believe it may be getting worse. Is there any way to stabilize this, should I leave it be or repaint an otherwise perfect factory paint job? Here's a couple pics, hard to see on a black car.

Any input is appreciated.

 

I think I said the same thing in your other thread, but I like it the way it is! Nice color combo that presents well, at least in photos. 10-15k or the equivalent large amount of work to do a paint job correctly is quite a lot to justify to make the car look a little better.

 

As long as I can stand back 5 feet and the car looks good to me I will pass on painting it because I drive my 69 maybe 4 a days a week . When you drive them that often things happen because it's a driver not a garage queen

 

If you want to paint the car and you think it needs new paint, it’s yours, paint it.

 

I think the car looks great and the flaws would not really bother me because it's original, but it's not my car. You asked the question because you're obviously not completely happy with the paint. The car has very low mileage, and original "survivor" paint is desirable. But if you're willing to put the money into the car to increase your enjoyment, then go for it. I would just make sure it's done right... get a quality job. And don't expect to recoup the additional investment if you sell the car anytime soon.

Maybe another option?? I'm not a paint and body guy, but I know lacquer is known for being easy to repair. It's also very hard to find now, but the good thing is that black is black so maybe it's possible to find real lacquer in black. If the flaws can be repaired and the paint blended in, you'd have the best of both worlds... you'd keep it mostly original AND get rid of the flaws, and save a lot of money over a quality complete strip and repaint.

 

Just remember, it's not a survivor anymore if you paint it. This car is good enough to be judged.

 

Just sayin- my cars that I have enjoyed the most?
The ones that had a decent paint job when I bought them- just polished them out and DROVE them!!!
The next in line- great paint jobs- didn't drive them as much because it was too nice of a paint job....
Least favorite- stripping the paint- removing trim- perfect paint job- putting back together-. Then the first chip or scratched killed me!!!

I would just drive it- Oh saw this the other day- and got me laughing about "original" cars!!!

 

I’m in the leave it and drive it crowd. But it is your car so ultimately it’s your decision. Very good looking vette by the way.

 

Hi Jon.

Obviously do what you want however, if I owned that beauty I’d leave it.

There is a never-titled 78 close to me still at the original dealer. Pace car. The dealer (.really no longer a dealer but the business is still there) has tried to sell it over the years but wants too much. If I recall it has about 14 miles on it.

Regardless, I had a chance to see it up close (long story) and the factory paint was horrible compared to something you would see today. This is a car that has sat in a show room for almost 50 years.

To me, it’s perfect because that is how they were done back then.

Your car is spectacular!

 

I've gone full circle on this. When I bought mine new the paint was anything but perfect & I dreamed of the day I could afford to make it right.

Now it's the last thing I'd ever do...

 

Thanks for the kind words, all, it is a very pristine car and I'm lucky to have it. My biggest worry is about the bonding seams getting worse, wish there was a way to stabilize them,

 

You are absolutely right concerning the quality of the paint jobs from the factory in this era of cars. Up close on mine you can also see a lot of imperfections from the factory ranging from poor application of paint to bad surface preparation. I'm OK with those, adds to the story.

 

I wouldn’t worry about bonding seams unless the car has been in an accident and the repair shop used incorrect materials during the repairs.
When the shop stripped my car down to the fiberglass, they found that both rear quarter panels had been replaced with factory panels, however the shop used the wrong materials to bond on the new panels.
The shop owner said they wouldn’t paint over the repairs without removing and re installing the panels using the correct materials and techniques.

Depending on the shop you take it to a professional repaint at a reputable Corvette restoration shop could start at $25k to $35k.
If you have them completely strip the body, repair all the imperfections, normal stress cracks, and do any additional work, those figures could easily double.
Another thing to keep in mind is taking a Corvette to a shop for paint is commonly known as paint jail and for good reason.

 

Jon, I've read various posts from you regarding your car, many with photos that have made me very envious!😄 It's a fab looking car and to me the originality is "the" thing. Those little imperfections, that no doubt only you really notice, are all part of the car's history and story. Re-paint it and it's just another nice looking 'Vette.

I'm not going to pretend that our '78 is anything like as nice as yours and indeed, the paint is not original - it was re-painted in around 1985, back in the US before it was imported to the UK, where we bought it in 1990. A year or so after we bought it I spoke to a friend who runs a highly respected paint shop about having it re done to take out a few little blemishes. His advice was to drive it for a few years and enjoy it, then maybe bring it back and have it done. But now, 36 years later those and the other little marks in the paint tell the story of road trips in the UK and much of Europe and a live well lived by the car! Much as I would love to have it re-painted and get a perfect glass-like finish all over, I know I'd then be scared to use it at all.

So I'm content to leave it in the knowledge that when mine is parked next to a pristine, low miles example, mine will have so many more stories to tell it's neighbour, and the odd battle scar to illustrate them!😄

 

Your car is beautiful as is. If you want to repaint it, do it. It’s your car. Just remember use a shop you trust. They could match it, you’ll pay more probably for lacquer, but if that’s what you want. Give them the OE color code so they match it. There are many colors that are added up to make the final color. I had my black 5.0 in for some paint work, and there was a black Ferrari there. Mine looked grey next to Ferrari black! Good luck!

 

My 2 cents: i would cut and buff it with Rupes long throw buffer and Rupes blue/yellow/white polish then decide.

Read online how to use Rupes correctly.

My guess is it is going to look much much better and you will not want to paint.

Hope this might help

Thought for you too. If it were mine and if i decided not to paint after cutting and buffing, to try to stabilize the bonding seams, i would try 80grit/fiberglass cloth/resin on the backside of the deteriorating areas.

Nice Corvette and congratulations on a great find