2000 Sport Premium - Worth Repainting?

Fix4Dirt · July 4, 2023

Sportster said:
Hey all. Hoping the community can help me figure out if its worth repainting my two door Sport.

Apologies as this turned into a long post. But wanted to give the full story on this rig so you all know how to evaluate it.

I'm trying to get an idea of cost for a repaint and if the increased value of the vehicle would be worth the painting cost.

So here are the details and backstory.

Details:
2000 Sport Premium
4.0L SOHC 4x4 (4.10 Gears)
Oxford White with Medium Titanium Metallic factory body kit
Light grey interior
Every option minus leather/sunroof
Mileage: 80,000

Backstory:
Back in 2001 I bought this as a low mileage salvage title vehicle. The damage was exclusively sheet metal; only reason I decided to buy it. Left fender door and quarter panel were replaced with Ford OEM metal. No frame of mechanical damage. I repaired and repainted the vehicle.

Unfortunately I was sold some shoddy clearcoat that started peeling after a number of years.
The vehicle was garaged and always full detailed/waxed 3-4 times a year and a Quick Detailer/Protectant (EagleOne wipe and Shine) after every hand wash, never took it through auto washes.
Note: Some might question my painting or application. But the door jams which never see sun/UV have been perfectly fine. So I blame the clearcoat product for lack of UV stability.

So, the result is the top side surfaces clearcoat is severely peeling. The lower portion of the sides are ok.
I feel all the clear should be removed for a repaint except for the jam areas as those don't see UV exposure.

There are no dents at all, zero. Some rust on the edges of the running boards, nothing some sand-down and naval jelly wouldn't solve.

So the big labor is sanding off the defective clear. I would have considered doing it myself again but no longer have the shop I had to to do it in.

Interior and mechanically its tip top shape. Interior still looks practically new. Mechanically it runs like a top, always maintained.

I do have concern about the timing chain issue these SOHC engines are known for. But so far it hasn't had any issues.
I don't hear the dreaded timing chain death rattle these are known for. But this does have 80K on it, around the miles many started to experience issues. However, this rig has also had a very easy life. No towing, no aggressive driving, no real off-roading. Basically its an urban 4x4 that's seen winter snow driving in the Northwest.

Not expecting a show quality job (I color sanded it to zero orange peel). But I don't want the Earl Scheib special either.

I don't mind investing if the value it brings back is there. I know these two doors are somewhat rare and this one I think would be one of the best condition examples out there if the paint were fixed. But obviously vehicle value to cost is still important.

It was a darn nice rig... before the clear went.

Picture of after I repaired and painted it in 2001. Its still the best looking Explorer generation I think. And the Sports just look sharp.

View attachment 443574

Any bodymen out there that know the cost of repainting this would be?
Is this rig worth trying to bring back to its prime days?
Or perhaps this is now a candidate for some kind of alternative finish, looks decent but is inexpensive job for an average driver?
Or, is it now just a good running peeler not worth anything more than general maintenance?

So... Comments? Ideas on cost, value, etc? Not sure what direction I should go on this explorer.

id guesstimate for a good job maybe 2500? honestly depends on where you are etc. for example DTLA price vs victorville here is going to be didferent, and you just list WA, but no city. id go to your local places and get quotes, even from maaco to benchmark pricing

if the clear is peeling, sometimes it can be sanded down and you can rattle can clear on, sometimes base too, or if you have a sprayer, more poeer to you. if you hace driveway space its been done under canopy that have been sealed off its not showroom but its certainly alot better. spraymax 2k clear very good

for rattle can

Sportster · July 4, 2023

Fix4Dirt said:
id guesstimate for a good job maybe 2500? honestly depends on where you are etc. for example DTLA price vs victorville here is going to be didferent, and you just list WA, but no city. id go to your local places and get quotes, even from maaco to benchmark pricing

if the clear is peeling, sometimes it can be sanded down and you can rattle can clear on, sometimes base too, or if you have a sprayer, more poeer to you. if you hace driveway space its been done under canopy that have been sealed off its not showroom but its certainly alot better. spraymax 2k clear very good for rattle can

Its in East Washington. Yes, The price can vary widely like you said. I do plan on looking locally as well. But willing to take it anywhere in the NW if the price makes up for "location inflation".

Thanks for the comments Fix4Dirt. Its not something I can do in my driveway. I live in an HOA neighborhood and no way would they allow vehicle work or spraying be done in driveways. I could sand down take off parts/trim in garage for prep work. But that's about it.

Fix4Dirt · July 4, 2023

Sportster said:
Its in East Washington. Yes, The price can vary widely like you said. I do plan on looking locally as well. But willing to take it anywhere in the NW if the price makes up for "location inflation".

Thanks for the comments Fix4Dirt. Its not something I can do in my driveway. I live in an HOA neighborhood and no way would they allow vehicle work or spraying be done in driveways. I could sand down take off parts/trim in garage for prep work. But that's about it.

maybe @410Fortune knows a guy since hes in north idaho. maybe asking some local classic car owners where they got theirs done if they've done restos, since they usually know their stuff

once you said HOA, i already knew the rest of the comment

that said, i wonder if it could be done in a garage if you use plastic sheets (like theones when you paint walls or cover furniture with) on all the walls and roof to keep dirt out, and put a big box fan by the door to circulate air? but that might be too involved, lol

Sportster · July 5, 2023

Thanks, I'll send 410Fortune a PM.

Yeah, HOA for sure does have its limitations when you want to do certain types activities. My garage is full. Not doing anything more than light duty stuff in there.

I was at a local auto paint store having a paint match bottle mixed up for another vehicle.

One of the guys behind the counter paints on the side. So I had him look at the vehicle and give me a quote. He quoted $2700 for a base clear repaint that matched the colors i have on it. Only quote I've gotten so far so not sure about fair price.

I had the paint shop work up a materials quote as if I was going to spray it. Which was about $1200 in paint. Granted I know the painter would get the materials much cheaper than I can.

The paint brand is Valspar. They told me its a lower cost paint but still good quality when doing a complete respray. Uses a binder and less color solids vs all pigment solids of a more expensive paint brand.

Anyone know anything about Valspar auto paint quality? Fade, peel, durability etc?

Fix4Dirt · July 5, 2023

Sportster said:
Thanks, I'll send 410Fortune a PM.

Yeah, HOA for sure does have its limitations when you want to do certain types activities. My garage is full. Not doing anything more than light duty stuff in there.

I was at a local auto paint store having a paint match bottle mixed up for another vehicle.

One of the guys behind the counter paints on the side. So I had him look at the vehicle and give me a quote. He quoted $2700 for a base clear repaint that matched the colors i have on it. Only quote I've gotten so far so not sure about fair price.

I had the paint shop work up a materials quote as if I was going to spray it. Which was about $1200 in paint. Granted I know the painter would get the materials much cheaper than I can.

The paint brand is Valspar. They told me its a lower cost paint but still good quality when doing a complete respray. Uses a binder and less color solids vs all pigment solids of a more expensive paint brand.

Anyone know anything about Valspar auto paint quality? Fade, peel, durability etc?

Valspar??????????? my house siding is painted with valspar... good stuff overall and holding uo well, but i am probably thinking of the wrong valspar, since ive neevr seen valspar auto paint????

Sportster · July 5, 2023

Yeah, was news to me they made auto paint. I know their house paints are good. No idea on their auto paint. And i can't find any reviews by anyone about quality of it. Just their website.

Valspar Automotive | Valspar Refinish

www.valsparrefinish.com

410Fortune · July 6, 2023

Paint is super expensive right now
$2700 is a good price if he is doing a good job
Some
Of the paint store dudes really know their stuff
We go to post falls for paint and supplies there is a really good shop there and the dudes know their stuff, they even have how to videos posted.
As for the value of the sport being worth investing in paint… well not so much. 3 door fords have never been worth much unfortunately. However it appears that sport is worth it to you! And it would for sure sell easier if it had good paint. Getting your $3000 back, that maybe tough with a 23 year old 2 door truck is worth $3500-8000 right now I would say in that condition with those miles

Perhaps color sand all the clear off and then re paint just the clear
The titanium white trucks all need paint! Crappy clear coat was a real thing and sucks!
If we paint a whole truck we do not use clear we use a single stage it is cheaper and excellent results

Fix4Dirt · July 6, 2023

Sportster said:
Yeah, was news to me they made auto paint. I know their house paints are good. No idea on their auto paint. And i can't find any reviews by anyone about quality of it. Just their website.

Valspar Automotive | Valspar Refinish

www.valsparrefinish.com

woahhhh interesting!!!! gotta look into this valspar auto paint

for a split second i was thinking someone was gonna come out with a roller and stain

Sportster · July 6, 2023

@410Fortune, Yeah, The Valspar quote for base/clear paint was $1200 and that was about what I paid 20 years ago for PPG Deltron for ALL painting supplies to do the rig (I ended up with a fair bit extra paint). Though maybe with improvements in materials/formulations this Valspar is as good or better than the old PPG paint.

Value, yeah. I was trying to determine value in its current state. A dealer wouldn't probably give me a $1000 for it if that. Private, maybe $2000? I'm not sure, maybe more, or less. The paint looks bad at this point, the hood and roof there are just patches of clear left, and the top of the sides have peeled away on the clear, the base under it isn't good enough to sand and re-clear anymore. So its a respray at this point.

But, if this was worth 5 or 6K painted then I'd say its worth the 3K for paint to myself.

I'm not sure how good the guy is that quoted me $2700. First time meeting him and we all know how "promises" of good quality works out. Its a gamble. I'd for sure have to see jobs he's already done. I wish people could still shake hands on a deal an it was honorable and trustworthy. But, not the age we live in anymore it seems.

I plan on getting a few more quotes around town. But if anyone knows someone who can do nice work for the price in the Northwest, let me know. I actually have a full size white van that is a peeler I'd consider doing a package deal on, maybe even my old foxbody mustang as well. Depends on quality of work and price (as it always does or course, lol).

Just for grins, here is the quote I got locally. Primer, Sealer, Base (white and the grey), Clear, with hardeners and reducers.
Basically a sprayable gallon each of white and clear, 1 quart of grey sprayable.

Question: 410Fortune; What kind/brand of paint are you using for single stage, how does it shoot and turn out, and what kind of price are you paying? Is it a Urethane or Polyurethane, or is it Acrylic? That might be a possible option I'd consider.

Metalface · July 17, 2023

Well.
It's got 80k miles, it's original. It's nice. It has every feature available at time of purchase, like my truck also has. These trucks are becoming sought after (finally, lol,) in a mainstream way.
I'd say throwing up to $2.5k at something that is going to appreciate in value is probably a smart move. (;
But on a more real note, even if I were in your position (and I sort of am, sort of am not,) I would weigh it down to "do I really want to? Does it mean something to me." That would be my deciding factor. I really think if you get the guide job done in the motor; have the pan dropped and checked for debris... And the paint job.. This would be one of the most valuable sub 100k Explorers that exist out there. Not just in dollar signs, but in sentiment.

Mbrooks420 · July 17, 2023

I don’t think it’s a lucrative move. The value is always going to be hurt by that branded title.

That doesn’t mean it’s not worth it to you. Just depends on how much you’re willing to dump into it as stuff happens, and how long and much you plan on driving it.

Metalface · July 17, 2023

Mbrooks420 said:
I don’t think it’s a lucrative move. The value is always going to be hurt by that branded title.

That doesn’t mean it’s not worth it to you. Just depends on how much you’re willing to dump into it as stuff happens, and how long and much you plan on driving it.

Easy depending on state to get the title sorted out. Maybe not the most ethical or straight cut legal methods but it depends.
I think when the time comes a collector would not care if it had a rebuilt/salvage title.

Mbrooks420 · July 17, 2023

metalxface said:
Easy depending on state to get the title sorted out. Maybe not the most ethical or straight cut legal methods but it depends.
I think when the time comes a collector would not care if it had a rebuilt/salvage title.

Have you purchased many classic collector cars? A collector absolutely cares about the title status. There’s no legal way in most states to ever get a clean title again.

Fix4Dirt · July 17, 2023

Mbrooks420 said:
Have you purchased many classic collector cars? A collector absolutely cares about the title status. There’s no legal way in most states to ever get a clean title again.

you can title wipe in a state like SD where theres no inspection just hit the road they dont see the car and then the SD title is clean, and then i assume you can bring back to other state w clean pink. that said, on a carafe it would still be branded.

edit: you said legal- nevermind

Mbrooks420 · July 17, 2023

You won’t be able to get a clean title status without doing illegal things. Not worth the risk on an SUV worth a few thousand.

Metalface · July 18, 2023

Mbrooks420 said:
Have you purchased many classic collector cars? A collector absolutely cares about the title status. There’s no legal way in most states to ever get a clean title again.

Have you?
The collectors I know care or don't care, depends entirely on the vehicle. Depends on the collector. Don't worry, I do make sure not to talk clear out of my ass. And cover it at the same time. Lol.

Guy could always body swap this with something else with low miles and register it as the other. Not illegal, unless you live somewhere really backwards. Still special. Not perfect or original then. Dunno. World's your oyster whatever.

Mbrooks420 · July 18, 2023

metalxface said:
Have you?
The collectors I know care or don't care, depends entirely on the vehicle. Depends on the collector. Don't worry, I do make sure not to talk clear out of my ass. And cover it at the same time. Lol.

Guy could always body swap this with something else with low miles and register it as the other. Not illegal, unless you live somewhere really backwards. Still special. Not perfect or original then. Dunno. World's your oyster whatever.

I’ve owned several classic cars. Unless it was super cheap I wouldn’t bother with a salvage title, unless it was going to be a daily driver. And, even then, it’d have to be considerably cheaper.

And cab swapping? You’re not going to recover the cost of purchasing a good body, let alone all the work of swapping one.

You could also get a clean title much easier by just buying one.

Metalface · July 18, 2023

Mbrooks420 said:
I’ve owned several classic cars. Unless it was super cheap I wouldn’t bother with a salvage title, unless it was going to be a daily driver. And, even then, it’d have to be considerably cheaper.

And cab swapping? You’re not going to recover the cost of purchasing a good body, let alone all the work of swapping one.

You could also get a clean title much easier by just buying one.

I think it shouldn't come as any kind of surprise that these are all speculative options. They would all work, I never said it would be easy. For someone who has the resources, these things are not expensive because they are relatively DIY. They just take time.
You ought to know that, though.
Owning a few classic cars is not exactly what I would describe as "a collector" per se, that also goes very much without saying. If I have to explain it this much, I don't think it's worth explaining any further.

Mbrooks420 · July 18, 2023

metalxface said:
I think it shouldn't come as any kind of surprise that these are all speculative options. They would all work, I never said it would be easy. For someone who has the resources, these things are not expensive because they are relatively DIY. They just take time.
You ought to know that, though.
Owning a few classic cars is not exactly what I would describe as "a collector" per se, that also goes very much without saying. If I have to explain it this much, I don't think it's worth explaining any further.

How many classic cars have you purchased yourself? Asking for a number, not just asking back “hAvE yOu? That’s an obvious non-answer. You can do better.

I’m sure you’re quite the seasoned collector.

You’re simply wrong. A branded title hurts a collectibles value. Period. It hurts a non-collectables value as well. It’s the entire reason they brand them.

THIS is an EXTREMELY Basic concept I shouldn’t have to explain to anyone who really knows anything about cars, or collectables.

How much do you think a rust free cab NOT needing paint will cost?

2000 Sport Premium - Worth Repainting?

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