The once shiny paint on a car eventually fades, and sometimes, is accompanied by scratches and dents that make it less appealing. This is where repainting comes in. The advantage is not just the aesthetics but it also increases the resale value. However, painting is not about the price! It is about the type of paint and the painter’s skills. If you think that price is all that matters, that’s a big mistake because you might end up paying a premium for nonsense. Quality has nothing to do with price. That you pay 300,000 for a paint job doesn’t mean it’s good quality.
The trick is that we usually look for people who resprayed their car with good paint and find out where they did theirs.
What’s the Big Deal with Repainting?
Some buyers will withdraw their interest when they find out a car has been repainted. It’s very natural to have this feeling, especially if the seller advertised the car as first body. There will be fear of the car being ‘accidented’ and that the seller may have fixed any major damage and repainted it without buyer disclosure.
The average tokunbo has been sprayed before shipping. You wouldn’t know this unless you checked the vehicle history using a report like Carfax. Therefore, the big deal is that a repainted car may have been done poorly with bad paint or used to conceal damage. But if done right, it increases the aesthetics and sales value of the car.
Cost of Repainting a Car in Nigeria
Oven Baked Painting
In an oven baked painting, we apply paint on a car in a dust-free environment in a low oven temperature of 160-175F that dries the paint instantly and prevents drips caused by the application of multi-coats of paint on a car. It takes about 20-30 minutes to oven bake a car. The cost of oven baked painting is 160,000 to 250,000 naira. An oven baked car on first body also sells costlier.
Auto Base Car Painting
We have auto base car painting service at 50,000 naira and up to 85,000 naira per service, depending on your vehicle. Lexus SUV, for example, will cost you 85k.
Regular Automotive Spray Painting
With 150,000 naira, we can spray paint a car in Nigeria. It’s a cheap method that uses up a lot of cans. It can be cheaper if you use a random roadside mechanic.
Does Repainting Your Car Devalue It?
It depends on the quality of the paint job and the craftsmanship. Give your car to our skilled painting experts in Nigeria, and they’ll deliver something similar or equal to factory standard. If you pay for a poor service, you’ll get just that, even if it’s oven baking. They’ll just use cheap, generic paint for any auto body, whether it’s made of steel, aluminum or fiber.
The truth is that painting a car to factory specs will cost you thousands of dollars. You can get this done in Nigeria if you want, but how many people would want to pay quarter or half the cost of their vehicle to paint it? Not many! Instead, a lot of people will settle for cheaper alternatives to save cost while increasing the resale value.
So, yes, you may not get the exact OEM (original equipment manufacturer) standard in Nigeria, but if you decide to pay a premium, you’ll get it. OEM paint jobs can last for 15 years compared to some oven baked cars in Nigeria that barely get through one year.
Would You Respray Expensively to Sell? It Isn’t Economic!
If you are going to spend 50,000 naira on a paint job, don’t expect it to be factory specs. Look at spending 200k upwards but this does not guarantee quality if the craftsmanship is poor.
You wouldn’t want to spend so much to repaint a car only to sell it. If you want to increase the sales value, you probably will get a 70,000 naira paint job to attract buyers. Unfortunately, it comes with scratches after a few months.
Economically, it’s not wise to respray and sell. But if the car has really terrible looks, then it may be worth it just to get more money from the seller.
Tips to Maintain a Paint Job
There are some ways to maintain your car paint after repainting.
- Avoid using dry, dusty, or sandy rags to wipe your car. It will destroy the clear coat of the paint work.
- Only use a soft, microfiber cloth for wiping or washing.
- Use mild liquid soap such as car wash. Do not use detergent or toilet soap when washing, except for the tyres.
- After rinsing out suds, dry the car with a clean, wet microfiber cloth. You can apply hydrate on the microfiber cloth if you have one to protect the paint and clear coat from harsh conditions and extreme sunlight.
- Once in about 6 months, bring your car for waxing.
- If you can’t properly wash your car in the morning, do not use a rag to wipe off the morning dew because it scratches paint faster than anything else.
Conclusion
Our Nigerian car painters know their onions, and are not even expensive. During negotiations, deliberately allow our craftsmen some room to make profit and do the job like it’s their own. You think it’s being smart when you drag the price but sometimes it’s underpaying an honest expert.
Remember that buyers are more careful once a car has been repainted due to the reasons we have discussed. The question here bothers on resale, and it’s easier to sell a car with original factory paint.