LDubz735

Had a minor ding to the rear quarter panel just above the wheel well. No structural damage.

I was advised by a reputable local S2000 garage that the "best" way to respray the rear quarter panel, in their experience, involved removing the soft-top lining/moulding so that they can evenly paint and clear coat the entire surface.

They explained that since the lining sits flush with the rear quarter, there are unable to securely tape off the area before working on it, thus risk uneven paint/clear coat along the lining. Removing and re-installing the soft-top would add about $500 in labour costs.

My questions are:

1) Is this really necessary, assuming you want "perfection"? And if not, what would be the likely outcome of just taping down the moulding as best as possible?
2) Since the ding is so far away from the soft-top, could they not just sand the small area, blend the paint, and then clear coat it? Or will this likely just lead to a shoddy job?

LDubz735

Bump. Just wondering if anyone's had their rear quarter repainted *WITHOUT* removing the soft top and having it last?

afzan

I've seen a s2 that just had the molding masked off. If you looked you could see ripply paint along the molding.

pearl_s2k

The body shop is telling you the truth. I've had lots of paint work done on various cars, including my s2k, and I've learned that when it comes to body work, it's waayy less hassle in the long run to do the job the proper way.

When my Integra's rear hatch was repainted, the trim wasn't taken off. Two years later--the clear coat is peeling back. It looks ugly and the car has to be re-sprayed again.

LDubz735

Thanks guys. It makes sense that this would be required, and I'm glad the shop isn't engaging in well-natured extortion.

JUSTINTHECOASTIE

You want them to remove the molding. If not it will look horrible, and over time it will bother you and you will then have it done right. So, do it right the first time

Langelo DeMysterioso

I have the same issue and was told the same thing.

FromaDB2toanAP1

I had a paint job done a while back and the shop told me it would cost more to remove it, so I agreed to let them mask it. They said they would tape it with extra care, but when I got my car back, there was overspray on the trim and the lines were not straight. I regret it til this day. If your damage is far some from the molding, a shop could possibly spot paint it and just clear coat the area and use a blender to melt the the new clear into the preexisting clear coat. Even so, it's still considered a hack job (no warranty) and a reputable shop tends to stay away from doing that, they prefer to blend the base coat and clear coat the whole panel.

s2ka

I took the molding off myself prior to spraying. It's not easy to remove and tricky to install without damaging the new paint. $500 is reasonable.

LDubz735

Thanks man, good to know.