I got my 240 back yesterday from the paint shop... they had it for a week. I took some before and after pictures and posted them on my website.

It was painted the original color with 3 coats of paint and 3 layers of clearcoat, they painted the mirrors and window tape matte black. I'm surprised they could actually paint the mirrors...

It's like a brand-new car... Thank goodness for student loans. :-) The way I look at it is, spending some money to get it painted is still A LOT cheaper than having a car payment.

Here's a link to the before/after pictures:

http://grove.ufl.edu/~smack118/volvopaintjob.htm
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Regards,
Eric Staufer,
1989 244DL 125k,
My 240 Page (newly updated!), (opens a new window)

Eric
That looks great. I need to get my 242 done once its back on the road. Maybe I'll drive it down there and get it done! Its a good excuse to go to a few football games!

Just curious, did he give you a break for removing some of the trim yourself?

Later Gator
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92 745T 124K; 83 242Ti 188K - Brick on blocks for now.

As far as I know, I didn't get a break for removing any of the trim, but the $850 did include tax (which would have been an additional $50). As I stated in the other post, they did me a huge favor for repairing the rust area by the windshield -- it wasn't initially agreed upon when I brought it in. That easily saved me an additional $100-$200!

I would definitely recommend this shop to other people around the Gainesville area.
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Regards,
Eric Staufer,
1989 244DL 125k,
My 240 Page (newly updated!), (opens a new window)

besides the comment that your car looks great, I would like to add that using a local shop at a reasonable price should be commended. Maybe that's a little off topic, but supporting local businesses is always better than using chains, in my mind.

Also- my brother's wagon is that color red, and it had major problems with the paint, despite being 5 years younger than my "ivory" white 242. I wonder if there is something about that red or just darker colors?

Finally I'm wondering what level of detail they went into regarding the trim. You mention that they just pulled back the windsheild trim. Did they remove side trim, bumper, etc, or tape it off?

For the most part, they masked off most of the areas. I removed whatever trim I could (rear trunk trim and moldings), gutted out the entire trunk, removed taillights, etc... items that I was familar with or had removed before. I believe they masked off the rest of the side trim, windshield, etc. As for the bumpers, I believe they masked off those areas and did not remove them. Luckily, I didn't see any overspray onto any of the glass, trim, etc.

As for choosing a local shop, I wanted the more personal attention. I wrote out my concerns and what I wanted, and they adhered to them. Moreover, when they were going to repatch my windshield hole on the passenger front corner with newly painted duct tape, the body shop guy spoke to the owner, and knowing how much I cared about my car, they completely fixed the area with Bondo and other body filler, cleaned it, patched it, and then painted it.

As for the warranty, the owner gave me 3 years from any peeling, fading, cracking, etc. It's also a national warranty through the paint manufacturer, so if I moved to Washington state, all I would have to do is to call the original shop, he would refer me to body shop that uses the same paint and it would be repaired.
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Regards,
Eric Staufer,
1989 244DL 125k,
My 240 Page (newly updated!), (opens a new window)

That sounds great - I'm jealous. My 81 242 is starting to get some cosmetic rust that I've been trying to corral myself. Unfortunately we're trying to buy a a place to live, so "honey we really do need to paint my car" is falling on deaf ears- esp. when she thinks we could replace it for not much more than that.

It is amazing what fresh paint does to an old car - it looks great. Remember, no wax for at least 90 days, no drive through car washes, wash with cold/cool water only......

Jay
84 245 GLTi 227k
88 740 GLE 182k

Stunning car Eric, looking good!!!
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Dave Shannon
Spring Valley, California (San Diego area)
'84-245T 190K+
'88-240 190K+
'92 745Ti 150K
'01 Jeep Wrangler Sahara 10K
www.volvo2.homestead.com

Eric,

I have viewed your webpage many times and always thought your ride was sweet... The "after pics" are fabulous and the paint look great. You did the right thing.

It is amazing what the sun can do to a car. But, the elements are not the sole issue. The painting methods used by many car companies in the late 80's to early 90's were very eco friendly... maybe too eco friendly... if one can say that. In the end, they lacked longevity as a result of water based primers, paints, and clear coats. These materials do not offer the same protection from the elements as the paint systems of today -and the past. My car suffers from the same issues as yours did... and I look forward to getting her repainted.

Peace, Jon

Wow, I'd say you got an excellent deal. Though I'm happy with my paint job done at Maaco, it was only $300 less than what yours cost, and I seriously doubt that they put on more than one undercoat and one clearcoat. I know they didn't touch the tape or mirrors, the former of which really disappointed me. My black tape is cracking and I would have been happy if that had just pulled it off, but they masked it and pulled off the masking when they were done, meaning it looks just as bad as before. I guess I should have told them to do something about it. They also didn't mess with the mirrors, so I will have to paint them myself.

I look forward to seeing who has to get their car repainted first, me or you, and comparing a second second of before/after pictures, hopefully at least ten years down the road!
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'89 244 GL--25/22 ipd sways, Volvo truck amber turn signal lenses

Eric:
What a great paint job! I hadn't realized that your original paint looked so bad. You can really tell the difference. I think that you got a good price for the paint job and the associated work. The mirrors and windows turned out great, too.

Mike
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Mike Brown Greenville, NC 1996 965 105K 1994 940 135K 1986 244 137K

Looks really nice, good deal for $850 can't beat that!

It looks great who did it?

University Paint and Body in Gainesville, FL. The guy who owns it has been in the business for about 20+ years and has a few major contracts in town, such as the transit/bus system. I originally had some floorpanels repaired there about 4 years ago... decided to go back to the same place.
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Regards,
Eric Staufer,
1989 244DL 125k,
My 240 Page (newly updated!), (opens a new window)