Is it reasonable to expect a fairly accurate quote? I've heard a few times "around $X but we won't really know until we get in there".

I am looking to get my the outside of my car fully repainted. Everything minus pulling the motor and interior.

It makes me nervous that if a shop can't give me a fairly accurate quote. Once the car is started there no going to back really.

 

You need to get a quote in writing....and have it state in the quote exactly what it includes, broken down by each item they will do. All prep work, body repair spots if needed should all be listed, tape and tape labor, painting (# of coats), clear coat (# of coats), exact brand of paint to be used, exact brand of clear to be used, wet sanding of all orange peel areas, buffing and polish.

Also, have it written in the contract or quote sheet that they will repair any runs, orange peel, paint chips, paint accidents in the paint like letting their damn sweat drip onto the car while painting it...LOL...., any areas that do not look color matched perfectly, etc.....

If they don't list each item and include it in the price.....then YES...you are looking to get screwed by a shop.

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LS6427 Is speaking of a binding quote, which you will most likely be hard pressed to receive for a total repaint of a 20+ year old car. There are far too many surprises that pop up when ground effects are removed or paint is stripped. Look at the following picture, I thought I was in for a simple scuff and squirt when I found out that many panels had been repainted multiple times.



On one of the doors I found a broad area of bondo-- rather than try to fix the metal somebody had decided to cover it up with body filler.

There is also the question of what paint they will use, two coats of off brand paint are way different than two coats of DuPont Chroma Premier.

Many body shops now a days want insurance work and as such may only offer you an expensive quote hoping it turns you off.

 

I got lucky, because when I had my car painted I was also having damage repaired from someone that side swiped me when pulling out of a parking space next to me. The scrape went from the front left fender, down the door, across the quarter panel and cut into my rear bumper. So State Farm was covering the new door, front fender and a new complete rear bumper because it was pulled out of its screw holes. They were just paying for the new parts and to paint that side of the car and rear bumper.

Well, no way was I going to just have new paint on one side of a 16 year old car. So I put in an extra $1,500 for him to paint the whole car.....everything.

So I was safe because he was a State Farm approved shop and the last thing he wants is an upset Insurance Customer.......he had to make sure it was perfect or he would be doing it over or fixing anything that was not perfect.

The body work was easy....bolt new parts on the car. The guy was known to be an amazing painter and thats why I went with him. He did a nice job and a double clear. But when it was done there was some Orange Peel on one of the sides in a few places. I told him to wet sand it until its all out. He did and I came back the next day to pick it up. It wasn't good enough, peel was still there a little bit. I told him he can do better and I wanted no orange peel in my paint. He argued a little saying that its all he is paid for by insurance and that if I wanted a show car finish it would have cost more.

I called State Farm and told them the paint is not like factory. The State Farm rep that came out told him to either wet sand it to get the orange peel out or I can take it to another shop to have it wet sanded and they will cover it, but they would decrease the first guy's reimbursement.

I asked the rep can I just take it to another shop right now and not use this same guy again? He said yes. I went to another shop and had them wet sand it and they buffed it afterwards. Got every bit of peel out and the car looked like a show car quality paint job. They decreased the first shops reimbursement by $250.00 and paid the second shop the $250.00 to wet sand and buff.

But yes....it might be tough to find a shop that will put a lot of things into a written contract. But I would try......

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I guess it depends on the reputation of the shop. I wouldn't take it to someone I don't know. The guys I do know I would just ask them ballpark, and trust them to do me right. I had my 2nd gen firebird scuffed and shot for $800 cash, with PPG, he mixed on his blend system they put in his shop, by a small local guy. I took it over him and told him I was in no hurry, and just to do it when he was slow and needed something to keep his guys busy. It came out quite nice, it looked as good as any collision repair work I'd seen, it was not a show car finish, it was not wet sanded, to any great extent. It had moderate orange peel, about the same as a new GM car, no visible dirt, or runs.

On the other end of the scale, I did get a quote on my '41 Oldsmobile for a show car type candy paint job by a well known guy that does high end show cars. That did include removing the glass, the interior, the engine, etc. and painting the firewall, inner fenders, the underside etc. Pretty much taking the car apart and panel painting it all and putting it all back together. It was quoted at $46K. Yes you read that right $46,000. So it can range quite a bit depending on who does it and what you get. That is about all the car is worth, so I chose to go with a little lower cost option.