How common are repainted cars?

Discussion on body issues/mods, appearance, interior/trim, and detailing (i.e. how to keep your car looking showroom new, or a reasonable facsimile thereof...).
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toadson
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Feb 13, 2018 9:53 pm

How common are repainted cars?

Post by toadson »

Hey everyone, I'm new to the forum. I've been looking at the Caprices for about a month or so. Originally wanted to get a GTO or G8, but the prices are too rich for my blood considering the miles on most of the cars now. I didn't know about the Holden Caprices until a few years back when I saw a police cruiser on the side of the road.

Anyway, I went and looked at one on Craigslist that was black and had some body panel damage. Once I started looking at the car, I could tell the entire thing had been repainted. It had clear coat peeling in several spots, chips that were just painted over, so I knew it was a bad paint job. I was told it had no holes drilled it in. Well.... someone had literally filled a quarter sized hole with bondo in the trunk lid, and on both side of the quarter panel, and where the spot light was on the A-pillar. The bondo had shrunk and started cracking. The car was an obvious pass for me.

I'm just curious how many of your cars have been repainted before you got them? Being that they were police cars, I would expect a lot of them to have some panels repainted. I was really hoping to buy the car but I just can't do it after seeing the shoddy body work.
smwalker
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Joined: Mon Jul 29, 2013 1:44 am
Location: Azusa,CA

Re: How common are repainted cars?

Post by smwalker »

I do not think it is that common for the departments to do it since they do not want to invest any time or money into an old asset. Once they get into the hands of the public is where the shotty work can begin. Many guys are reselling them to make a quick buck. No professional restoration shops are getting that paint and body work.

Sometimes departmens may paint a two tone black and while all one color to less resemble a police car when sellng at an auction. And sometmes the two tone is actually a one color car with a opposite color vynal wrap to make it a two tone.

But yea there is quite the span of qualty in this market, also a lot of salvages as well so be careful and look hard.
Steve Walker
Azusa, CA
'11 PPV 9C3 Huron White
thirdgenfarmer
Posts: 67
Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2017 11:47 am

Re: How common are repainted cars?

Post by thirdgenfarmer »

I believe that my front bumper and hood were resprayed, as I believe the car was in a minor front end accident at some point. There is nothing on the car fax or any other report, but the bumper and hood clear coat aren't great and definitely different than the fenders and the rest of the car. Whoever did the work also got clear coat on the headlights. :evil:

My car was only in service for ~2500 miles, then in the hands of a second owner for ~55k. Hard to pinpoint when any of this would have happened.
2011 9c1

"It's got a cop motor, a 364-cubic-inch plant. It's got cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks..."
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No Moa
Posts: 472
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2016 9:30 pm
Location: Maine

Re: How common are repainted cars?

Post by No Moa »

The department I bought my 13 from, takes all the cars after 50k miles and swaps them to Detective and resourses. They are all repainted expect the explorers which are vynal they just peel it off. they have several caprices still in service and all but 2 have been repainted for service elsewhere except mine, it is still black and white and decaled.
2014 Caprice PPV silver
2017 Ram 3500
2002 CETA trans am
1996 Impala ss (soon to be t56)
1995 9c1
1977 Trans am SE 4spd.
1978 trans am 400 4 spd.
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