Nissan Rasheen Complete Exterior Repaint for a Customer in Kochi, Japan
This Nissan Rasheen arrived at our workshop from Kochi Prefecture for a complete exterior respray.
A lasting paint job isn't just about shooting color over visible sheet metal. True longevity comes down to teardown and prep. For this build, we stripped the shell down to bare mounting faces and return edges so no factory seams or hidden corners were left untouched.
Full Teardown and Prep Before Painting
Before laying down any paint, we pulled the front grille, headlights, bumpers, doors, and trim. Stripping these off lets us reach flanges, shut lines, and body openings that are impossible to coat properly on an assembled car.
We then prepped the exposed radiator core support and masked off the engine bay to protect the mechanicals from overspray.
This prep stage takes time, but there are no shortcuts. A quick "tape-and-spray" job on exterior skins might pass a casual glance, but old paint lines, raw edges, and peeling will always show up under the mouldings later. Our standard is a clean, factory-level finish across the entire shell.
Painting Body Openings and Door Jambs
With the doors off, we laid fresh paint across the door jambs, A/B/C-pillars, hinge pockets, and inner sills—the spots you see and touch every time you climb in.
The roof gutters, upper door frames, and weatherstrip channels were also refinished to match the new body color.
Each Door Painted Separately
The doors were hung and painted individually. This let us coat both the outer skins and the inner frames in one continuous finish rather than feathering out at the exterior edges.
Painting panels off the car gives complete, uniform coverage around all hemmed seams and latch points. Once cured, each door goes back on the chassis for precise gap alignment.
Two-Sided Hood Refinish
The hood was unbolted and refinished off the vehicle. The top received the same vivid red as the rest of the body, while the underside was fully coated to keep the engine bay looking crisp and uniform whenever it's opened.
Protection Beneath the Finish
A clean exterior needs proper protection underneath. We racked the chassis and masked off mechanical components before spraying dedicated underbody and arch guard.
The wheel arches, strut towers, suspension pick-up points, and inner tubs received a durable black protective coating.
The underside was thoroughly coated, keeping the drivetrain, exhaust, and mounting hardware clean and fully visible for future maintenance. It provides vital protection where the chassis takes a beating from water, dirt, and road grit, without coating over serviceable parts.
Reassembly and Final Details
After baking and curing, we refitted the refurbished lights, bumpers, mouldings, and fresh hardware. The contrast between the vivid red body, matte black trim, and deep blue wheel centers gives this Rasheen a sharp, purposeful stance.
The finished build keeps everything that makes the Rasheen special—utilitarian, angular proportions, now backed by deep, factory-fresh paint.
More Than a Color Change
For us, a full repaint is about preserving these cars for decades to come. Stripping panels, painting jambs, and sealing the chassis takes far more work than a quick scuff-and-squirt, but that extra effort is what separates a temporary cosmetic fix from a proper, lasting restoration.
We want to thank our client in Kochi Prefecture for trusting Rasheenkan with their car.
About Rasheenkan
Rasheenkan has specialized exclusively in the Nissan Rasheen since 2003. We build, restore, and maintain vehicles tailored to each owner's lifestyle, aesthetic taste, and long-term driving plans.
For international inquiries regarding sourcing, restoring, or exporting a Nissan Rasheen directly from Japan, get in touch the cotact page below. We are always happy to discuss target specs, restoration scope, custom builds, and overseas shipping logistics.