Pay 'n' Spray

Pay 'n' Spray is a spray shop/garage in which vehicles can be mended, repainted, and have the engine replaced. It serves three main functions - to repair a vehicle, to change the paint color,

and subsequently allow the player to lose wanted levels. The Pay 'n' Spray has been featured in all Grand Theft Auto games except GTA 2 (However, in GTA 2 there are Max Paynt garages and the two garage types' functions are almost the same).

Vehicle Repair
Driving a damaged vehicle into a Pay 'n' Spray will repair any body damage the vehicle has incurred, and will result in a re-spray of a different color, with a few exceptions. However, emergency vehicles cannot be driven into a Pay 'n' Spray, as the player receives some variation of the message, "WHOA! I don't touch anything THAT hot!" or "No way man! I don't touch those!” The only exceptions are the VCPD Cheetah in GTA Vice City and GTA Vice City Stories, and the FBI Car in GTA III, which is re-sprayed from black (pursuit version) to gray (road block version). In addition, bicycles weren’t allowed in Pay 'n' Spray, prompting the message, "I don't do toys!"

Wanted Level Reduction
Pay 'n' Spray allows the player to rapidly lose any wanted level, from 1 star to 6. Visiting a Pay 'n' Spray after incurring a wanted level results in a gradual reduction in police attention. During this probationary time period (where wanted stars flash), if any crimes are committed in view of a police officer, the full wanted level will be immediately reinstated. In GTA IV, the player can only enter a Pay n' Spray when they are out of sight of the police.