To paint or not to paint

["hugh hemphill" <hugtrees@xxxxxxxx>]

Steve,

You and I share the same dilemma.  You don't mention how much the cheapie
paint job is going to cost, or how much labour on your part is going to be
involved.  However, keeping Eileen off the road for five years because you
are too embarrassed to be seen with her is not a tenable option.  For many,
many people on this list, their Imperial is their sanity lifeline.  When all
else fails, you get in your car, take it for a spin and get back to the
house thinking, "What was the question, again?"

Its got to be a good idea to take care of the rust now.  If you are going to
be doing the chrome pulling yourself, you will also get the chance to
prepare the car maybe better than the cheapo shop otherwise might.  I have
always been told the better the prep the better the paint job.

So, I say "GO FOR IT!"  Drive the car as much as you like over the next few
years and smile like a crazy person.  I know so many people who have
incredibly expensive restorations done on their cars and then are too afraid
to drive them.  If the $6K job entails stripping the car down to the bare
metal anyway, what have you got to lose?

Hugh

----- Original Message -----
From: "Imperial 59" <imperial59@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, April 07, 2002 9:17 PM
Subject: IML: To paint or not to paint


> That is the question.
>
> So tell me what you would do....
>
> Eileen the '59 Imperial has paint that has seen many a better day along
with
> a dent in the driver door and a scrape on the passenger side.  There is a
> little rust on the bottom of the fenders in front of the doors but that is
> about all.
>
> I have had a couple of estimates from the high quality body shops in the
> area in the 6k range to do everything.  Unfortunatley after being out of
> work for a few months and working as temp for a few more money is tight
and
> I honestly can't see myself being able to spend this kind of money on the
> car for several years (probably five).
>
> I am now considering pulling all the chrome myself and having a "low cost"
> shop fix some of the body stuff and spray the car. Would I be worse off in
> five years for having done this?  I really want to be able to drive the
car
> more and mechanically it is in pretty good shape.  I just don't drive it
due
> to the needed bodywork and bad chrome.  Fortunatley I got lots of decent
> chrome off of the parts car before it moved on to parts car heaven.
>
> So tell me what you would do!  Positives and negatives would be
appreciated.
>
>                                Steve B.
>
>
>
>