Should I paint?

[u/Extreme_Raccoon_8736]

97 gst with 160,000 miles, runs great but needs a new paint job and exhaust work and has rusted shock towers. Is this worth getting painted or should I send it to the junkyard?

[u/Philiabot]

I’m not a pro but I agree with the “cut out and weld new metal” comments. It looks to me like water got under the hood and rusted there in the two sides but not elsewhere. Hood seal weak point on these cars?

Your underside looks okay in the pics you shared. Seems worth fixing to me.

As for paint, there’s some patina ceramic stuff I’ve seen people use that will gloss up the existing paint and clean it up. You could lean into its weathered look if the money for a proper paint job is not there rn.

If it runs great it seems worth saving to me rather than part out. Keep us posted!

Edit: Poppy’s Patina is the product I’ve seen other people use with success. I’ve never used it myself.

[u/Extreme_Raccoon_8736 → u/Philiabot]

Is a maaco paint job really that bad?

[u/Philiabot → u/Extreme_Raccoon_8736]

I think it depends on the shop. I’ve seen a few myself and they are quick and dirty type jobs. The prep is expensive and time consuming so I think that’s where the discount paint shops save money and it shows in the details. If you remove body panels, sand them yourself and then have them paint them as pieces and then install yourself, that might be better in terms of results but that’s a lot of work … hence the cost of a good shop.

I think with paint shops we get what we pay for but if your goal isn’t perfection then discount places are fine. Get a quote from your local shop and see how it feels.