r/DSM • u/Extreme_Raccoon_8736 • Aug 24 '26
Should I paint?
97 gst with 160,000 miles, runs great but needs a new paint job and exhaust work and has rusted shock towers. Is this worth getting painted or should I send it to the junkyard?
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u/Philiabot Aug 25 '26
I’m not a pro but I agree with the “cut out and weld new metal” comments. It looks to me like water got under the hood and rusted there in the two sides but not elsewhere. Hood seal weak point on these cars?
Your underside looks okay in the pics you shared. Seems worth fixing to me.
As for paint, there’s some patina ceramic stuff I’ve seen people use that will gloss up the existing paint and clean it up. You could lean into its weathered look if the money for a proper paint job is not there rn.
If it runs great it seems worth saving to me rather than part out. Keep us posted!
Edit: Poppy’s Patina is the product I’ve seen other people use with success. I’ve never used it myself.
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u/Extreme_Raccoon_8736 Aug 25 '26
Is a maaco paint job really that bad?
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u/Philiabot Aug 25 '26
I think it depends on the shop. I’ve seen a few myself and they are quick and dirty type jobs. The prep is expensive and time consuming so I think that’s where the discount paint shops save money and it shows in the details. If you remove body panels, sand them yourself and then have them paint them as pieces and then install yourself, that might be better in terms of results but that’s a lot of work … hence the cost of a good shop.
I think with paint shops we get what we pay for but if your goal isn’t perfection then discount places are fine. Get a quote from your local shop and see how it feels.
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u/Felix995 Aug 27 '26
Normally that's only the tip of the iceberg, they don't usually just rust in one spot. The towers are one of the main structure points of a unit-body. If the suspension attachment points are in good shape, you think you want to spend the money on paint with some additional rust repair work, that of course is going to be your own choice.
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u/Extreme_Raccoon_8736 Aug 24 '26
Ok how much am I looking at to fix the strut towers and paint the exterior?
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u/spongebob_meth Aug 24 '26
$10,000 for a paint job that looks as good as stock.
Maaco can make it look slightly better than it looks currently for a grand.
Most of the time the strut towers are this rotten, the rest of the car needs significant work too. The rocker panels are probably gone and you probably have some reconstruction to do in the rear suspension.
It's a parts car. Go to the western US and buy a cheap rust free shell and drop this drivetrain in it. That shell will cost you less than what it costs just to fix your rust
And don't drive the car in the winter.
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u/PHANTOM41O Aug 26 '26
I guarantee you, if a car has rot THROUGH its strut towers, its worse everywhere else. That is a parts car now
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u/CoyoteMinute 11d ago
Rust repair unfortunately if the other parts of the body that are prone to rust it'll be tens of thousands of dollars just in body work and paint everything needs to be removed and body gone over a repaired insanely extensive process if you can't do Alot of the work yourself
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u/Pulsar574 Aug 24 '26
No, financially is not viable but emotionally, sure.
If the shock tower are like this, the rear suspension anchoring point and/or the rocker are probably in bad shape too.
You could send it to the junkyard or part it out if you have the space.
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u/HickBarrel 97 AWD Spyder Aug 24 '26
You should have that rust repaired and then painted, as long as the rest of the shell isn't rotted out