About how much do you think it would cost to get my '98 civics hood painted?

Question

the paint on the rest of the car is fine, and the color is the original one. the hood is the only area with problems. just wondering how much itd be if i brought it into a shop. or if itd be easier to do myself..i have no idea?

Answer 1

A hood usually costs $200 or so to paint. Sometimes more or less depending on colour, shape, etc. Could be much more at certain shops.

Get it done professionally.  If you have never done automotive or sprayer painting before I guarantee you it will look awful - there will be runs, orange peel, dust particles in the paint etc.  Painting a car (properly) requires a steady hand and a great deal of skill and technique and there is little room for error. A paint shop also has a spray booth where dust and contaminants will not get in the finish.  

The colour may not match perfectly even if professionally done due to fading of the existing paint - but it should be very close at least.

Answer 2

I'd say try it yourself with Duplicolor paint. Get your paint code and get the correct color Duplicolor (it's a spray paint made to match factory paint) from any auto parts store.

Scuff your paint with 250 grit sandpaper to take the gloss off and give the Duplicolor something to grip. Mask your car very carefully to prevent over spray - buy plastic to use; paint will soak newspaper and bleed through.

Blow the hood off, and wipe it with a lint-free cloth. Make sure you get ALL the sanding dust off.

Now spray your paint. Do light coats; follow the instructions on the can. If you hold it too close, it will run. If you hold the can too far away, the paint will dry a bit before it hits the hood, and you'll get 'orange peel' - rough looking paint. Put on 3-5 light coats.

If it looks bad, you always have the option of taking it to a shop to have them re-do it, but if it looks good you've saved a ton of money.