Dear Tom and Ray:

I've still got my first new car, a red 1987 Toyota MR2. We had a party for its 100,000th-mile birthday a year or two ago and it's still running well. I have a repainting question. One firm recommends painting it the same exact color, so they can cut corners and not paint the door jambs and other places where I won't really notice it. They say this will save me money because they won't have to take off body parts and hardware. I have no objection to saving a little money, but I want to make sure I get a good paint job, since I plan on keeping this car through its 200,000th- and 300,000th-mile birthdays. Rust isn't a problem where I live. Should I have the car thoroughly repainted inside and out, or is it OK to save a few bucks and just paint the parts that show. -- Marcy

Tom: If you were planning to, say, sell the car to your brother, then I'd say fine, cheap out and don't paint the door jambs.

Ray: But since you obviously love this car and are planning to keep it for the long haul, I'd get a real paint job, Marcy. It's not much more expensive, and a real body shop might even, for example, roll up the windows before spraying on the paint.

Tom: More important, Marcy, in my opinion, you can't paint the car the same color. After spending all that money, the goal is to feel like you've got a brand-new car. And to do that, it has to be a brand-new color.

Ray: Just don't make the same mistake my brother did. Be sure that the new exterior color you pick goes with the car's existing interior.

Tom: How was I supposed to know that a metallic burnt-orange body clashes with snot-green seats?

It's NEVER cheaper in the long run to buy a new car. Want proof? Order Tom and Ray's pamphlet How to Buy a Used Car: Things That Detroit and Tokyo Don't Want You to Know. To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1997 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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