So I've been in the market for a while now. I've come close once or twice to making a purchase, and probably made mistakes on good cars, and still lusting after one or two. But as I look at various examples of the cars out there, I find myself thinking things like...

"...cool car, but that paint looks tired..."

"...cool car, but I really don't want vinyl on the sail panel, and what's underneath isn't exactly pretty anymore" (this is probably THE biggest one for me)

Is it possible, or rather, worthwhile to think about respraying a 914 without fully disassembling it? Has anyone done a non-restoration style paint job and are willing to share thoughts, costs, pitfalls, triumphs? Is it just not that big of a task to take apart the things that'd need paint and reassemble them? Maybe even a good shop in the California Bay Area that could help?

Perhaps I'm just being vain. But as I'm sure you all do, I look at cars and do mental calculations of time and money. Paint is one that's currently a mystery to me.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts & advice!

If you are painting the same color, you will save a lot of money because you don't have to paint in the door jams, trunks etc. I painted mine 32 years ago it still looks good. Of course, it stays in a garage. I used rubbing compound and good wax on the jams to make them look new.

914Rubber sells new sail vinyl at a reasonable price and it is not hard to replace if yours is tried and worn out.

I didn't take this one all apart. Time was an issue, so was money.

I think if you go over everything carefully, the car will be fine.

Some are just DDs and that is that.

From experience I would say take it apart to paint it if you are changing color. 20 years after a respray and I still see numerous things that bother me. The person painting will always miss something in the masking process that should not have been painted. Small things that just could have been avoided if they knew the car a little better. Dad wanted it red, well now it is and I would love to have the white back. Stop by anytime and I can show you what not to do.

Thanks for the thoughts! I don't think I'd change a color on a car. My biggest need would be to paint the sail panel. Something about that vinyl, whatever the condition, just doesn't do it for me.

Well if that is all you want to paint then I would say go for it. That would be simple enough and Any good shop should have no problem.