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New Paint Job

8.1K views 9 replies 9 participants last post by  Electric Personality  
#1 ·
Hey all, got my used 2017 Bolt about two months ago. Love it! But I’m beginning to question if I should’ve gotten a different color as I got white and the blue ones I see online are super sharp. Anyone painted theirs after purchase? If so, what color and how did it come out? Any tips?
 
#3 ·
Check out the price of a full body paint job, done to factory paint standards, and you might reconsider keeping it white. Modern factory paint, even on "consumer grade" cars like Chevrolet, is very durable. It requires little upkeep beyond simply keeping it clean, and will stay shiny and new looking for decades. Doing a comparable repaint will require a LOT of time, work, and expensive materials. IMHO, if you really want a blue Bolt, it would probably be less hassle (and less out-of-pocket expense) to just sell your white car and buy a blue one.
 
#4 ·
A friend of mine looked into that as he could get a great deal on a 2019 SHOCK colored Bolt that is sitting on a local dealers lot, but he was not crazy about the color, the wrap was the way he was going to go after comparing costs, but he ended up with a different vehicle. As mentioned factory paint is very good, and repainting a vehicle with a color change is very expensive.
 
#6 ·
The cost of paint and clear coat alone is very expensive. The labor to prep the car and do it right is also very expensive. Skimp on either and you'll have a disaster after a few years.

Also consider that there's more to painting a car than just shooting the outside. If you don't paint the door jambs, areas under the hatch, and under hood area, it looks scabby and tacky. And anyone buying the car later will turn up their nose because it looks like a half-ass backyard slop job.

It is one of those things that if you can do it yourself, go for it. If you are going to pay for it, you better have a car that warrants the investment. To me a Bolt doesn't fall into that category.

Regarding wraps, keep in mind that depending on the color they fade and are subject to peeling and damage if not done right. It won't last nearly as long as a factory paint job and may have to be peeled off when it comes time to sell.
 
#9 ·
I really regret buying a black Bolt. Paint fading like crazy. To be fair, I don't keep it in a garage being that I don't have one.
I am hoping it can be buffed out and new clear coat applied.
VS painting the whole car.
When I got my 2017, it had a little over 17,000 miles back in 2021.