I thought it needed a bumper
When I bought my S4, I figured the body needed light work. A bumper respray, a few dents pulled, and I would be on my way. The closer we looked, the bigger the job got. The car needed a full exterior restoration and a complete respray in its factory Nogaro Blue.
That is how these things usually go. The paint you can see is only part of the story.
The prep is the job
I sent the body to Robert Tusell at Final Touch Collision in West New York, New Jersey. He has painted countless Ferraris, Porsches, and Lamborghinis for us over the years, so I trusted him with a color as unforgiving as Nogaro.
What surprised most people following the build was how much work happened before any color went down. The car was stripped, panels were prepped, and a long list of parts went on in the process. An RS4 grille, the European front filler plate, new seals, new glass, and fresh door sill trim. By the time it was ready for the booth, it was practically a new car underneath.
A proper repaint is mostly prep. The spraying is the short, satisfying part at the end. Everything that makes the finish look right happens before the gun ever comes out.
In the booth
Once everything was prepped, masked, and ready, the car went into the booth for its Nogaro Blue.
When it came back, the body work was flawless. The panels were straight, the color was deep, and the foundation was finally there. From that point it was on us to make the paint perfect and protect it, which is a story of its own.
Why a factory color is worth doing right
Nogaro is a special color, and there is no version of faking it that looks correct. A cheap repaint shows itself in the details, in orange peel, in mismatched panels, in edges that were never prepped properly. Getting a factory color laid down correctly takes the right shop, the right prep, and the patience to not rush any of it.
It cost more than I planned, and it took longer than I wanted. It was also the right way to do it, and it set up everything that came after.
A repaint is only as good as the prep and the shop behind it. If you are planning a restoration and want it done to this standard, reach out and we will point you in the right direction.
