Custom Paint Job - Things To Do First

Daniel Harris possesses a creative mind that drives him to express himself with any medium he can get his hands on. He currently funds his artistic endeavors by writing for BYK Additives & Instruments who specializes in color measurement.

In a world of increasingly similar people, there is the urge to be unique, to mold your vehicle into an outward vision of your personality. It grants a certain status. You are the person that has the guts to proclaim to the neighborhood who you are. Unfortunately guts and courage will not counter the accidents, changes in personal taste, or the very real potential of a resale that might dampen any urge to buy a custom paint job.

Accidents Happen

Inexperienced drivers, slippery weather conditions, and the occasional mistake in judgment mean that your car is an accident waiting to happen the moment that you drive it off the lot or out of the shop. Accidents lead to chips and scratches on your car and the potential need to replace entire doors that are beyond repair. Not a problem, right? You just have to touch up that cool custom paint job that all your friends’ envy. Easier said than done.

Custom paint jobs, while cool, deviate from the normal colors that a car is typically painted. This isn't a problem until it’s dragged into the shop and the car mechanic has to try and match your cars color code, which can be unique if you had the pain custom made which turns the matching game into a guessing game. Because of  how color is measured, it is difficult for the mechanic to find that exact shade of blue when there are ten million possible color variations. Depending on the quality and resources available to the mechanic that will be in charge of the repaint, they may not have the material available that will allow for the identification of the exact shade that was used on the custom job. The wrong choice and your car could be painted two different shades of blue. What was once cool and visionary becomes a mockery of what it once was.

People Change

Custom designs, especially custom designs that have flames, thunder bolts and any other number of symbols might lose their significance as individual’s age. Cars for many are an investment. They are meant to be the mode of transportation that can last years and sometimes decades. It is important to project ahead when considering a custom paint job. At twenty-one purple and blue lightning bolts running down the side of the car may seems cool, but will the cool factor be maintained as the years pass? Before making any big purchases or decisions you should project ahead and ask yourself: “in twenty years will I wonder why I wanted this?”

Resale Plans

If you get to the point that you’re wondering why you purchased that unique paint job, you might decide to sell it. Selling the car is problematic because the second that you deviated from the norm you opened yourself up to a potential loss in resale value. The problem is that the demand for a car with lightning bolts down the side is not high. This is reflected in the price.

There is the possibility that the modifications in the paint job could fall into a niche of people eager to buy the car for or above resale value. There is the possibility that the car mechanic has the gadgets necessary to pin point that exact shade, and there is a slither of the chance that you will never get into an accident. This possibility should be considered remote for the potential buyer. The odds are not in your favor. After you have considered the potential pit falls of a custom paint job, and still desire a lightning bolt covered car go for it. Or the time being at least you’ll be the coolest person in the neighborhood. And that is something that money can buy.