59 camaro

iTrader: (29)

i paid 2600 for my 67 and changed from pewter to SOM that was body work and materials

onebadredz28

iTrader: (1)

i was quoted about 2800 from a buddy that owns a body shop. when i had my 85 cutlass done i had them paint just the front because the back was mint and they blended it super well. might save a little money if they can blend good and buff. wax the rest of the car to match.

CGCBandit

I do this for a living. For a basic overall paintjob, fix a few dents etc, looking at 3500 or so. If you want it all taken apart, primed/blocked, start at 6k and up easily. Just a gallon of the clear we use at wrok is $550, and that's without the hardner/activator. Materials are expenseive as hell if it's top end paint. Shop labor rates vary across the country, but $50 on average is about what to expect. Biggest thing is the prep work. If that get's rushed, than u will not be happy with the final outcome.

merim123

iTrader: (11)

to each his own on this one. It's hard to imagine spending 5-8k on a car that is getting older and really isn't a collectible. now take that with a grain of salt from a guy that has sunk at least 3 times that into the rest of the car and it still looks like it's 14 years old :-) The reason i wrench on this car is that i find it enjoyable and fun. If I had the access to the right tools, i might consider painting it myself. I would paint it myself not so that I can show off my work to others, but to feel good for myself in painting a car myself. I painted two cars in my time. One we sprayed in a dock at a buddies shop, not pretty... Then I sprayed a convertible (scuff, respray same color). What i learned was if you don't have the right environment to do it in, it's not worth it. But I still can't come to terms with 5-8k when my labor is free. So i've been going around to body shops around here and seeing what i can work out. I think I'm going to land on stripping everything and making an appt and getting everything over there, have the shop do the final prep and paint that way (that will cost about 2k)

Pheonix

iTrader: (16)

And that my friend is the way i learned how to paint, and pretty much all the skills i have now. School of hard knocks.

wein77

best way to do it is do it yourself... who cares what it looks like... you have to pride in doing it yourself

tleonzo

iTrader: (1)

You forgot to mention that the hood stripes were a different size.One was bigger than the other

By the way do you still have the airbox for that lying around?Might want to purchase it from you.

XTrackStar06X

i paid 7500 for a full body paint, both my rear quarters redone, aftermarket lip kit molded to the body. oh ya and a full 2 tone. lifetime warranty on the paint also. if you want a full repaint then shell out the money for it to be done right the first time

20sickss00

iTrader: (19)

your lookin anywhere from 3-4000, depending on the quality, you can get it done cheap but it will be junk, or just spend the money to have a showroom car, Showroom/resto could bring ten grand, depending on who does it. I'm a full time painter at a body shop and deal with this stuff all the time. I'm painting mine this winter and lookin to only buy materials (about $1000-$1500) but im putting all the time and labor myself. you dont want to have to get it redone again in a couple years, just spend the money the first time and get it done right.

OneBadTA

I just signed up on autobodystore.com. They have alot of good info on body work and techniques. Being mines a 94 TA and its not a show car, im willing to do as much research as possible and repaint mine myself using a Single Stage Urethane paint. Probably use some flattener in the paint for a Satin/Matte Black finish. I could care less if the door jams and engine bay are still gloss black. As long as i do a good job prepping the exterior, the paint should stick nicely and being more of a Satin finish, it wont show imperfections too easily. The best way to learn is by doing it yourself. Ive been detailing for the past 5 years so the buffing will come in handy in the end. I couldnt imagine spending a ton of money on a SS paint job. Just lots of prep hours.

kgkern01

iTrader: (10)

Would it be cheaper if the car was brought in already with bumpers, lights, etc. already removed and wasn't needing the door jambs painted? I have been considering getting my Mystic Teal TA repainted this summer and I have no problem towing it in myself ready for prep and paint if it will save me some money by disassembling/reassembling it myself.

Hawk170

iTrader: (4)

thats what i was thinking ?? But i would prolly scratch my shitt up putting it back together... my luck

WICKED SS

iTrader: (36)

I wish I paid what some of you are posting....$3,500 is a hell of a deal!

I cant remember exactly how much I spent but I think it was around $6,500 for a complete color change, door jams, truck and engine bay. This was in 2002 and when the economy was good, I guess painters are offering better deals now

BLULS1Z28

iTrader: (1)

you had everything cut in a diffrent color engine bay lot more work than a 3500 respray color changes are tons of work just in fitting hatch and doors there hours of work

ws6dude

I am going to have my car painted this spring. Anybody know of a good shop in the Plano area that will not rape me?

Opher

As a painter and shop owner I read these threads all the time. I always read that people want a "good" paint job, does not have to be show quality. It cracks me up.

I would love to know what makes the difference between a "good" paint job and a show quality job??

Are more runs and defects allowed in a "good" job vs a "show" job??
Can the color be off on a "good" job vs a "show" job??
If the paint doesnt flake off does it make it a "good" job??

Through my shop an average color change is about 8-12k. Some cars more, some less.
Color also plays a factor. The thing with a color change is that most of the car needs to be disassembled. Its labor intensive to do it correctly. If a car needs body work, that just adds to the time.

For me , if Im going to do a color change Im going to make sure there is no tell tale sign of the original color if I can. This includes underhood if the client wants to go that route.

One thing to keep in mind is to compare apples to apples. Most of the time you get what you pay for. If somebody is charging $3k for a color change and another guy is charging $7k for a color change, Im sure there are major differences in the labor. You need to know what the differences are. I do not know any painter that works for free, I surely will not. The statement of "If its too good to be true, than it probally is" is very factual in this instance.

OneBadTA

The orange peel aspect of it. A show paint job should be like glass. No orange peel or anything. I work at a Toyota dealership and the new paint on those cars always have a small level of orange peel. It's nothing you see unless your looking closely in flourescent light. There is a big difference in the level of appearance between a good job and a show job. It all comes from the level of detail the painter will spend so I fully understand why prices can go from 2500$ to over 7k$ for paint jobs.

Opher

Orange peel?? Thats it?? Wet sanding and buffing the finish is probably the easiest part of the whole job

So if a car is slicked out, no orange peel that makes it a show car??

So a shop would do poor bodywork, not straight, sand scratches, poor prep but if the finish was wet sanded and buffed flat it would be a show job??

One thing you need to remember you can not correct poor prep and body work after the car is painted.

You can however do a little wet sanding and buffing over perfect body work.

This all goes back to the Macco threads. I've seen guys do their own body work, make sure its perfect, make sure its prepped perfect. Send the car out to a Macco for their $1000 special. Get the car back and spend a day or two wet sanding a car and it would look like glass.

In the end the car doesnt care who paints it, what paint goes on it, etc etc.
It all depends on whats underneath.

A paint job is only as good as the prep and body work underneath. Thats where the cost comes in. The actual spray time is minimal compared to the time it takes to get a car ready to paint.

I still would like to know what makes a "good" paint job good, and a "show" paint job a "show" paint job.

bdyman

^^^i like this guy, are you sure you dont want to hire me??

OneBadTA

All i'm trying to say is the finished look is the difference. That's what's being judged in a show.