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 Need your advice, painting mini's roof....

 Created by: JZG88
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 Posted: Dec 2, 2012 05:08PM
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a friend here had his entire car painted but before they started painting they flowed an epoxy in the gutter to make it smooth and eliminate the chipping from jagged edges. Just another suggestion to add.

Next I'd add checks or a flag, but to each is own. I personally did 4 inch squares of gloss and dull clear coat.

Mark Looman, Ada Michigan 1967 Austin Cooper S
 Posted: Dec 2, 2012 11:09AM
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I"d check out the work in progress at any shop I would use, and follow a job or two through completion and view the finished product. Any body shop that is decent can paint your roof.   A chain shop like Maaco here in the NE can do a job like your roof for much less than an individual.  Paint and labor is what makes up the job cost. Paint is expensive. some colors are more expensive and require more coats (red is one).  The finished product is a result of the prep work. The flaking around the sunroof must be dealt with properly. Typically, it would be sanded down, feathering in the layers so there is no ridge to the touch. I would ask for epoxy as a primer, but it's not commonly used much by production shops. It will cost more. I can't see any detail on the rain gutter, but that area also needs to be prepped correctly to acheive a nice finish. The above shots of the black roof with the great reflective quality appear to be a base coat/clear coat finish.  And it's been rubbed out and buffed. Make sure your shop will buff out the finish and ask for single stage or 2 stage paint per your preference. If you don't know what I'm referring to, ask a shop if they can show you and explain the difference.  Base coat/clear coat is easier to effect repairs to  defects with out repainting the entire panel. (roof in this case).

Take lots of pix and let's see how it turns out.

 Posted: Dec 1, 2012 08:54AM
 Edited:  Dec 1, 2012 08:56AM
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Be sure you are clear with the shop on your expectations. If you decide to do it yourself take you time and do it right. 

 

 Posted: Nov 30, 2012 08:45PM
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Thanks you guys for your input, much appreciated.

 Posted: Nov 21, 2012 08:32AM
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CA


Make sure they know not to paint the outside of the gutter roof colour ( if you're going a diff colour than the rest of the car that is )

 

"Everybody should own a MINI at some point, or you are incomplete as a human being" - James May

"WET COOPER", Partsguy1 (Terry Snell of Penticton BC ) - Could you send the money for the unpaid parts and court fees.
Ordered so by a Judge

 

 

 

 Posted: Nov 21, 2012 07:18AM
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The roof was obviously not prepared correctly before with paint flaking and peeling now. The only way to make this right so it lasts is to remove the sunroof and prep the roof correctly especially in the gutter areas where it is likely to lift and peel again if not done correctly. With regards to the price i pay that much to have a roof painted after i have done all the prep work so that is a decent price but it also depends on how the finished product will look and last especially if it is going to be black as that color shows all the flaws.

Painting the roof now will not interfere with painting the body at a later date.

BTW Doug SE Mini's in the 80's and 90's came with pop up sunroofs some factory some optional.

If in doubt, flat out. Colin Mc Rae MBE 1968-2007.

Give a car more power and it goes faster on the straights,
make a car lighter and it's faster everywhere. Colin Chapman.

 Posted: Nov 21, 2012 07:13AM
 Edited:  Nov 21, 2012 12:29PM
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JZG88,

You don't show where you are located, but I assume you are in the US with the Dodge in the background.  With that assumption, I am of the opinion your cost estimate is too low.  Automotive paint is very expensive these days.  Add the cost of the other materials, such as tape, paper, solvents, razor blades, sand paper, then shop overhead, the cost is likely to be $500 or more, since the paint is peeling so it will have to be faired back to good paint.  Masking around the sunroof and the drip rail will be time consuming, so do not under estimate the shop time involved.

 Posted: Nov 21, 2012 05:06AM
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If your bodyshop has painted roofs before (as in they have painted whole cars, not just panel repairs) they already know how to paint a roof.  They will likely take offense if you try and tell them how to do it.  However, I certainly would point out the areas you have concerns about so they know you have taken a good "before" look.  That should keep them on their toes to address your concerns and do a good job.

A classic Mini would not have come from the factory with the sunroof so there will not be drainage channels/paths in the roof for rain water.  The shop will have to wet sand the roof as part of their paint preparation.  If you remove the panel, you will have a big gapping hole there for water and debris to get in the car during the prep work.  While the shop would mask that off, it is likely that water would still find its way into the car.  I would leave the sunroof in place.  If the shop is any good, they will lift the outer edge of the rubber seal off the bodywork and put a filler strip in there to keep it off the metal panel during painting.  That will allow them to paint right up to and under the seal so the finished results will look like they removed the panel.

My experience is dated.  However, over the past few years I have noticed when friends talk about accident damage to their cars any time a panel has to be painted, the cost is roughly $500 per panel for repairs and paint regardless of how much damage is involved.  Based on that, $200-300 for your roof sounds quite good.  

Doug L.
 Posted: Nov 20, 2012 09:02PM
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Howdy partner, I'm thinking about painting the roof of my mini. I already have an idea of the price around 200-300, however my mini has a sunroof...So, I don't know if I should try to take the sunroof out, or if they should just paint it with the sunroof on. The paint is peeling around the sunroof, and I don't want that to happen, if I were to get it painted. As of now the roof has 3 layers of paint...red, primer, and black. The roof gutter is peeling too. So, my questions are...

1. Is 200-300ish a fair price on getting the roof of a mini painted?

2. What would you do, try to take the sunroof out to get a better paint job? (but I have no clue, on how to do so)

3. Is there any tips or advice on how to paint the roof of a mini, that I should tell the man who may be painting it?

4. If I were to get the roof painted only, it wouldn't effect getting my entire mini painted later down the road, basically should I just wait to get the body and roof painted together. (which would be a long time down the road)

 

Here are some pics to get an idea, thanks you guys.

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