RacerGuy Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 It's been years since I paid for a custom paint job. I know this is very subjective and varies by region. What is now considered a reasonable range to pay for a quality paint job? This would be frame-off media stripped and pre-primed with a minimum of prep work by the painter. No exotic finishes.Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Wolk Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Without the bodywork the insurance company paid $16,000 for this paint job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Have FIVE GRAND ready, with access to more. Letting us know what the vehicle is would help also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbirchmire Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 In my neck of the woods. A good paint job on a Mustang will cost between $10.000 to $12.000. Which includes molding removal and the car striped to bare metal. The main cost is labor, but paint and other items are very expensive today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Asking what a paint job costs is like asking "how long is a piece of string?". It depends. Rattle cans cost $2.79 each and are available in many colors. On the other hand the materials alone to do a base clear job over urethane primers and sealers will cost $1200-1500 just for the materials. Do you want the insides of the hood, fenders and trunk lid painted? Door jambs? interior trim? For a show quality job on most cars figure $12000-15000 plus materials. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest windjamer Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 I had a 49 merc. I wanted to paint it with rattle cans, local store sold them for less than a buck a can. Someone told me I did not need to mask it, just spread a thin layer of visaline over the chrome.BIG MISTAKE, you get what you pay for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bluesky636 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 I did my own bodywork (as best as I could) and paint prep. I stripped everything off the body and primered my car in the garage with Duplicolor high build primer/filler. I sanded her a lot. I had MAACO paint her for $1000.00 (primer sealer and single stage urethane) which included under the hood and trunk lid and all the door jambs. Its not a show quality paint job as some of my bodywork flaws show through and there are flaws in the paint, but it is shiny!Before:http://rides.webshots.com/album/558688729dlkpecAfter:http://rides.webshots.com/album/558393245MKLxww Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BJM Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Consider MAACO or shop around. Most places won't do restoration type work. They roll their eyes - give them the accident work with gauranteed checks. But I know the local MAACO guy and he does everything because they need the work. And it's good. It's not Earl Scheib-ish but you won't get the $10,000 quote either. Be practical. What you are talking about is quality. Quality means: simply a level of satisfaction at a certain price. If you spend, say $3,000 on a paint job and get 90% of what a $5,000 paint job might cost - I would say get the $3,000 paint job because if the application is good, paint can be buffed. Sometimes the extra cost only yields a very small percentage improvement in outcome. You decide - 400 point show stopper spare no expense? Or very nice paint job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Bond Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 I'd say at this time you're in the driver's seat! Lots of people eager to earn some side money, so shop around carrying the $5K that Bob recommends for starters. If you are going to a commercial shop where insurance money is their major source of income your car will probably sit in a corner someplace for quite a while. On the other hand, a custom or rod shop will get you in on a schedule and give you the kind of attention you deserve for all your hard work in prep. I guess it all depends on what kind of result you want. In my opinion, you should go for the best you can afford. Your're going to be the one polishing it and standing beside it at a show or cruise-in, and you'll know where all the flaws are. Do you want to be proud of it or do you want to try and hide it? The painter you choose should consider the final result as a piece of "advertising" for his work - that's the kind of person you want doing the job. Get a couple of quotes and don't go cheap unless thats what you want it to look like. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Many shops are reluctant to paint a car someone else has "prepped". If the paint fails who takes the blame? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Skyking Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Most any shop can paint. Laser straight bodywork is a different story. That's what cost in a quality paint job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Skyking.....you are soooo right! Body work and prep IS everything. I have seen some beautiful paint jobs peel from bad preparation. My 1931 Dodge is a good example. The previous owner had a friend in our local club paint the car. When I bought it, it was absolutely beautiful. Now there is a big (half dollar size) bubble on the rear top area. Othere areas are starting to erode. Poor prep work is the culprit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bluesky636 Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: keiser31</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Skyking.....you are soooo right! Body work and prep IS everything. I have seen some beautiful paint jobs peel from bad preparation. My 1931 Dodge is a good example. The previous owner had a friend in our local club paint the car. When I bought it, it was absolutely beautiful. Now there is a big (half dollar size) bubble on the rear top area. Othere areas are starting to erode. Poor prep work is the culprit. </div></div>My invoice from MAACO states "Bodywork and paint prep performed by owner. No warranty." Car was painted in 2005, last summer (2008) I had some problems on the trunk lid which was the worst of my prep. MAACO fixed it, I paid for it. But, they also fixed several other areas that were problems on the car from the original paint job and WERE their fault, at no charge. They did a complete power buff of the paint (no charge) that looks better than anything I was able to do. So I feel I came out even and maybe a little ahead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrbartlett Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Be aware that the problem on the right rear top could be related to a lead joint where separate body panels come together. Might have to take some specialized steps to seal off the lead. Had this issue on a '29 Packard sedan back in the '60s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 jrbartlett...the area where the blister showed up is in the middle of my coupe roof (nowhere near the lead seams) just above the rear window. I have heard about the lead seam problems, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R Walling Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I will spray a car or truck for someone that has prepared it himself. I quote a price for spraying only. No prep work or guarantee! What I don't tell the customer is that there is an amount in there for about 2 hours of prep. time for the most glaring areas needing a little TLC. Once I did a 46 Chevy coup that the owner wanted the paint to stick well, so he DA’ed it with 36 grit paper! For those that don’t know how rough it is, it is like honing out a cylinder with a wood rasp. I sprayed it with a sanding/filling sealer and after a quick sanding it was surprisingly acceptable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AntarcticDave Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I had my 47 stripped to bare metal and repainted in basecoat / clearcoat by a local Maaco into old cars this year. The body was in excellent shape, no rust, no bondo. The old lacquer was crazing though. They did all the trim removal, stripping, etc. They put 32 hours of body work in fixing any old waves and ripples. They painted the wheels and door jambs as well. I did not have them do the engine compartment or trunk as the old maroon paint was ok in those areas, and was not highly finished back in 47. They did a full color sand after the paint had cured. They use the classic cars as filler work between modern jobs. They had the car for about 8 months. All together I paid about $7,000 for everything. Here's a picture: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Roger....now we all know about your "2 hours of prep" secret. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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