painting door panels 2005 ES330

[Matthew]

Anyone here with auto body experience this post is for you...
I have an '05 ES330 Alabaster. I have unfortunately gotten both passenger
doors scratched on the lower parts of the doors below the side molding.
noticable enough to need repainting, too deep to polish out (not to bare
metal tho)
Lexus recommends painting practically the whole side of the car to promote
proper blending including removal of all the moldings, window trim, door
handles etc. Basically $1250 to fix scratched door panels
There is no body damage and the rear door may need new bottom door molding.

My question here is I am not going thru insurance and prefer not to spend
$1250 to repaint especially since it disturbs me to paint perfectly
beautiful front fender and rear quarter panel.

What are the "correct" recommendations in this case? I want the car
essentially perfect as it was pre incident. Am I unreasonable to think it
can be done with less painting and thus less $$ but still excellent cosmetic
results??

Pro input appreciated.

Thanks,
Matthew

[Ray O]

Post by Matthew
Anyone here with auto body experience this post is for you...
I have an '05 ES330 Alabaster. I have unfortunately gotten both passenger
doors scratched on the lower parts of the doors below the side molding.
noticable enough to need repainting, too deep to polish out (not to bare
metal tho)
Lexus recommends painting practically the whole side of the car to promote
proper blending including removal of all the moldings, window trim, door
handles etc. Basically $1250 to fix scratched door panels
There is no body damage and the rear door may need new bottom door molding.
My question here is I am not going thru insurance and prefer not to spend
$1250 to repaint especially since it disturbs me to paint perfectly
beautiful front fender and rear quarter panel.
What are the "correct" recommendations in this case? I want the car
essentially perfect as it was pre incident. Am I unreasonable to think it
can be done with less painting and thus less $$ but still excellent cosmetic
results??
Pro input appreciated.
Thanks,
Matthew

When you say "Lexus" I assume you mean a Lexus dealership, but if you want
the car to be essentially perfect, then the paint should be blended into
adjoining panels, otherwise, over time, the door may appear to be a
different color from the adjacent panels.

[old man]

Surely you most have plenty of 'scratch/chip/dent' specialists on that side
of the pond?
They are used extensively by dealerships here.

Post by Ray O

Post by Matthew
Anyone here with auto body experience this post is for you...
I have an '05 ES330 Alabaster. I have unfortunately gotten both passenger
doors scratched on the lower parts of the doors below the side molding.
noticable enough to need repainting, too deep to polish out (not to bare
metal tho)
Lexus recommends painting practically the whole side of the car to promote
proper blending including removal of all the moldings, window trim, door
handles etc. Basically $1250 to fix scratched door panels
There is no body damage and the rear door may need new bottom door molding.
My question here is I am not going thru insurance and prefer not to spend
$1250 to repaint especially since it disturbs me to paint perfectly
beautiful front fender and rear quarter panel.
What are the "correct" recommendations in this case? I want the car
essentially perfect as it was pre incident. Am I unreasonable to think it
can be done with less painting and thus less $$ but still excellent cosmetic
results??
Pro input appreciated.
Thanks,
Matthew

When you say "Lexus" I assume you mean a Lexus dealership, but if you want
the car to be essentially perfect, then the paint should be blended into
adjoining panels, otherwise, over time, the door may appear to be a
different color from the adjacent panels.
--
Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

[Matthew]

Fist off, we are talking far too many scratches to be properly "touched up"
or polished out. It needs to be painted.
In reply to Ray O; my referral to Lexus meant the body shop my dealer uses.

One shop who worked on my Honda and did a very nice job, told me they would
paint both doors below the side molding for $300, Sounds like a shortcut to
me. I'm looking for a compromise between the whole side of the car and the
bottom of the doors. I'll do whatever I need to get a "perfect" cosmetic
result.

Post by old man
Surely you most have plenty of 'scratch/chip/dent' specialists on that side
of the pond?
They are used extensively by dealerships here.

Post by Ray O

Post by Matthew
Anyone here with auto body experience this post is for you...
I have an '05 ES330 Alabaster. I have unfortunately gotten both

passenger

Post by Ray O

Post by Matthew
doors scratched on the lower parts of the doors below the side molding.
noticable enough to need repainting, too deep to polish out (not to bare
metal tho)
Lexus recommends painting practically the whole side of the car to

promote

Post by Ray O

Post by Matthew
proper blending including removal of all the moldings, window trim, door
handles etc. Basically $1250 to fix scratched door panels
There is no body damage and the rear door may need new bottom door molding.
My question here is I am not going thru insurance and prefer not to

spend

Post by Ray O

Post by Matthew
$1250 to repaint especially since it disturbs me to paint perfectly
beautiful front fender and rear quarter panel.
What are the "correct" recommendations in this case? I want the car
essentially perfect as it was pre incident. Am I unreasonable to think

it

Post by Ray O

Post by Matthew
can be done with less painting and thus less $$ but still excellent cosmetic
results??
Pro input appreciated.
Thanks,
Matthew

When you say "Lexus" I assume you mean a Lexus dealership, but if you want
the car to be essentially perfect, then the paint should be blended into
adjoining panels, otherwise, over time, the door may appear to be a
different color from the adjacent panels.
--
Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

[Ray O]

Post by Matthew
Fist off, we are talking far too many scratches to be properly "touched up"
or polished out. It needs to be painted.
In reply to Ray O; my referral to Lexus meant the body shop my dealer uses.
One shop who worked on my Honda and did a very nice job, told me they would
paint both doors below the side molding for $300, Sounds like a shortcut to
me. I'm looking for a compromise between the whole side of the car and the
bottom of the doors. I'll do whatever I need to get a "perfect" cosmetic
result.

The problem with painting just one panel or a section of the door just below
the moulding it that it will probably fade at a different rate from the
factory paint over time, so even though the match is perfect right after the
repair work is done, it will gradually appear to be a different shade over
time, especially if you have an adjacent panel to compare it with.

Blending the paint gradually over a larger area makes the difference in
paint fade more difficult to detect over time.

[Matthew]

So then it sounds like I would have to paint both doors in their entirety as
well as blending in the front fender and rear quarter.
My concern with the blend is that since the clear coat of the blend feathers
out into a very this layer at its edge isn't it then possible that the blend
may actually become visible as a line over time??

Post by Ray O

Post by Matthew
Fist off, we are talking far too many scratches to be properly "touched up"
or polished out. It needs to be painted.
In reply to Ray O; my referral to Lexus meant the body shop my dealer uses.
One shop who worked on my Honda and did a very nice job, told me they would
paint both doors below the side molding for $300, Sounds like a shortcut to
me. I'm looking for a compromise between the whole side of the car and the
bottom of the doors. I'll do whatever I need to get a "perfect" cosmetic
result.

The problem with painting just one panel or a section of the door just below
the moulding it that it will probably fade at a different rate from the
factory paint over time, so even though the match is perfect right after the
repair work is done, it will gradually appear to be a different shade over
time, especially if you have an adjacent panel to compare it with.
Blending the paint gradually over a larger area makes the difference in
paint fade more difficult to detect over time.
--
Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

[David Z]

The body shop I go to (recommended by the Lexus dealer) guarantees their
work for as long as I own the car.

In fact, on my 1997 ES300, the clear coat started pealing at about 4
years and they fixed it for free. Even paid for the rental car.

You might want to ask about that.

Post by Matthew
So then it sounds like I would have to paint both doors in their entirety as
well as blending in the front fender and rear quarter.
My concern with the blend is that since the clear coat of the blend feathers
out into a very this layer at its edge isn't it then possible that the blend
may actually become visible as a line over time??

Post by Ray O

Post by Matthew
Fist off, we are talking far too many scratches to be properly

"touched

Post by Matthew

Post by Ray O

Post by Matthew
up"
or polished out. It needs to be painted.
In reply to Ray O; my referral to Lexus meant the body shop my

dealer

Post by Matthew

Post by Ray O

Post by Matthew
uses.
One shop who worked on my Honda and did a very nice job, told me

they

Post by Matthew

Post by Ray O

Post by Matthew
would
paint both doors below the side molding for $300, Sounds like a

shortcut

Post by Matthew

Post by Ray O

Post by Matthew
to
me. I'm looking for a compromise between the whole side of the car

and

Post by Matthew
the

Post by Ray O

Post by Matthew
bottom of the doors. I'll do whatever I need to get a "perfect" cosmetic
result.

The problem with painting just one panel or a section of the door

just

Post by Matthew
below

Post by Ray O
the moulding it that it will probably fade at a different rate from the
factory paint over time, so even though the match is perfect right

after

Post by Matthew
the

Post by Ray O
repair work is done, it will gradually appear to be a different shade over
time, especially if you have an adjacent panel to compare it with.
Blending the paint gradually over a larger area makes the difference in
paint fade more difficult to detect over time.
--
Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

[Ray O]

Post by Matthew
So then it sounds like I would have to paint both doors in their entirety as
well as blending in the front fender and rear quarter.
My concern with the blend is that since the clear coat of the blend feathers
out into a very this layer at its edge isn't it then possible that the blend
may actually become visible as a line over time??

Generally, the blending or feathering is done around a foot or two past the
area of the actual repair, with the color coat getting thinner the farther
away from the center of the repair. If there is a seam or a gap nearby, it
is usually included in the painted area because the seam or gap would make
the difference in color noticeable. The new clear coat is painted and
featherd over an even larger area so lines to not appear.

Body shops now have scanners to get very good paint matches, and so color
differences would not be evident immediately after the job is done.
--
Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

Post by Matthew

Post by Ray O

Post by Matthew
Fist off, we are talking far too many scratches to be properly "touched up"
or polished out. It needs to be painted.
In reply to Ray O; my referral to Lexus meant the body shop my dealer uses.
One shop who worked on my Honda and did a very nice job, told me they would
paint both doors below the side molding for $300, Sounds like a
shortcut
to
me. I'm looking for a compromise between the whole side of the car and

the

Post by Ray O

Post by Matthew
bottom of the doors. I'll do whatever I need to get a "perfect" cosmetic
result.

The problem with painting just one panel or a section of the door just

below

Post by Ray O
the moulding it that it will probably fade at a different rate from the
factory paint over time, so even though the match is perfect right after

the

Post by Ray O
repair work is done, it will gradually appear to be a different shade over
time, especially if you have an adjacent panel to compare it with.
Blending the paint gradually over a larger area makes the difference in
paint fade more difficult to detect over time.
--
Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

[Matthew]

Thank you guys for your input.
I have decided to go with the Lexus recommende dealer who will do the repair
as it SHOULD be done. (pretty much how Ray O.explains).
The shop also has a lifetime watrranty on the work.

Post by Ray O

Post by Matthew
So then it sounds like I would have to paint both doors in their

entirety

Post by Ray O

Post by Matthew
as
well as blending in the front fender and rear quarter.
My concern with the blend is that since the clear coat of the blend feathers
out into a very this layer at its edge isn't it then possible that the blend
may actually become visible as a line over time??

Generally, the blending or feathering is done around a foot or two past the
area of the actual repair, with the color coat getting thinner the farther
away from the center of the repair. If there is a seam or a gap nearby, it
is usually included in the painted area because the seam or gap would make
the difference in color noticeable. The new clear coat is painted and
featherd over an even larger area so lines to not appear.
Body shops now have scanners to get very good paint matches, and so color
differences would not be evident immediately after the job is done.
--
Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

Post by Matthew

Post by Ray O

Post by Matthew
Fist off, we are talking far too many scratches to be properly

"touched

Post by Ray O

Post by Matthew

Post by Ray O

Post by Matthew
up"
or polished out. It needs to be painted.
In reply to Ray O; my referral to Lexus meant the body shop my dealer uses.
One shop who worked on my Honda and did a very nice job, told me they would
paint both doors below the side molding for $300, Sounds like a
shortcut
to
me. I'm looking for a compromise between the whole side of the car and

the

Post by Ray O

Post by Matthew
bottom of the doors. I'll do whatever I need to get a "perfect" cosmetic
result.

The problem with painting just one panel or a section of the door just

below

Post by Ray O
the moulding it that it will probably fade at a different rate from the
factory paint over time, so even though the match is perfect right after

the

Post by Ray O
repair work is done, it will gradually appear to be a different shade over
time, especially if you have an adjacent panel to compare it with.
Blending the paint gradually over a larger area makes the difference in
paint fade more difficult to detect over time.
--
Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)