Paint questions

First off, I would like to say that I know nothing about body work. All I know is that my 1980 Diplomat coupe has no rust holes or dents, but it does need a paint job. Previous owner painted the hood and lower half of the car matte black, with the rest being original dark brown. It doesn't look terrible, but I would like a fresh look with no scratches. I'm wondering what the "average cost" of a driver quality paint job is. I understand there are different types and qualities of paint used, in addition to any necessary body work, rust removal, etc. And I'm wondering what colors would look good on the car - factory colors or not. Tax season is upon us, and I plan on using mine for paint.

it takes about 40 hours to paint a full-size car.
I will figure 10 hours of body work your eye can't see.
Next 40 hours of paint materials .

40+10=50×$65.00=$3250
40×$55= $2500
total plus tax $5750

so $5750 for color and a little body work, it will only go up once the car is in the shop and new work is discovered..

Body and paint work is not inexpensive, that's for sure. Just the materials alone add up to big bucks. Just always remember, cheap body work isn't good and good body work isn't cheap.

20 yrs ago, I had the Lebaron painted for $1200.
Had no rust, but there was door dings from the previous owner.
That included removing/replacing all the trim too.

Paint still looks real good.
Still get asked 'just get it painted'?

now days you can pay $1000 for a gallon of red.

Likely one of the reasons that the "unrestored" "original patina" look has become so popular in recent years. The paint on OY is not really that bad, but I would still like to get it repainted in it's original "Classic Cream" yellow at some point. It also has a few small dents in the roof, likely from hail damage from southern CO, that I want to have fixed. Until then, I still love it anyway.

Hello SSS: Your best bet is to go get a couple of estimates. A "real" paint job is going to easily cost $8,000. That being said, I have had several cars painted at Maaco and have been more than pleased. If you're looking to put some lipstick on a pig, it's a fine choice. Just realize what you're going to get if you pick one of their low cost options: A 10 footer. They'll be runs and overspray, but that might be better than rattle-can matte paint. If you're willing to pay a little more, you can have them do more: Some body work, trim removal, better quality paints, etc. I had Darlene the Cordoba painted at MAACO, check out the pictures: 1981 Chrysler Cordoba LS I will say that the paint is very delicate -- If you look at it wrong, it makes swirl marks -- it's not the hardest, highest quality paint. But since it is my "fun" car, I take great care to polish and wax the paint frequently. I get lots of compliments on the paint, even though I know there are many flaws. If your car is a daily driver, a MAACO paint job probably isn't up to the task and won't last long. So it's really up to you. Lipstick on a pig, or go all out and have a "real" paintjob applied by the pros. My MAACO paint job isn't the $400 special, so I went with something in the middle. I hope that provides another point of view and some insight.

Aspen500 said:

Just always remember, cheap body work isn't good and good body work isn't cheap.

Click to expand...

This is worth quoting!

The best paint job in the world, will look crappy if the body work underneath it is, err, um, done poorly.


There are places that will do “quickie” paint jobs, for $500 (or less) but the only thing that gets taped off, will be the glass (if they tape that off) – so any/all chrome will be painted, emblems, lamps, tires, etc. will all get painted at same time. The existing paint “might’ get sanded first (which is needed for new paint to stick/bind to it).

$4000 or $5000 “might” be a good guess – but honestly, I don’t know.

I do know that your labor is cheap. Any work you can do first, like removing (and later reinstalling) lamps, emblems, glass trim, and so forth.
Even removing the front and rear bumper fillers will aid the painters a lot - plus get the flexible parts their appropriate paint (which is slightly different).

If would be good if you had a friend in the business who can show you how to sand, block, bondo (if needed), and so forth – because that can also save you some coin.
The actual paint might be done in a garage – but not me. Painting without the correct protection (from fumes, etc.) can be dangerous – and we (I?) want to see you be in our forums for a long time to come. Some people has done successful paint jobs in a garage (like BruceNZ, and others) - but I would recommend having someone else do that part of the job.
BudW

Thirty years or so ago I spent a long HOT south Fl. summer prepping a 1971 CJ Torino for paint. I got to watch a good friend paint it through the booth windows. Came out very well! Told the friend that would be the last car he would ever paint for me, I did all the work, he had all the "fun"!!! Been doing All my own body work since. Learned to cut, weld , paint. The subject continues to keep me learning "product" and methods...never ends but even at 77 I still enjoy the constant changes. The comments are very true, seen high end work go upwards of 30K, have to turn away tightwads who think Maco is the standard!!! Shop around.

Just pulled my truck into the shop this AM to do some touch-up. Last spring I redid the hood ( both sides) now its time for the roof and some other spots. south fl. can be as hard on paint as any place in the country. Glad I learned to do this because I could NOT Afford the hobby If I had to hire it out!!!

I was going to suggest wet sand and buff the paint. At least the factory paint. But thats not really what you need. Do as much of the work as your capable of doing. Removing trim bumpers lights door seals etc. If you dare, grind out the rust and any bondo then immediately rattle can epoxy prime the bare metal. The more you do the farther your money will go and the happier you'll be with the finished project. For $99 Harbor Freight sells an excellent stud dent puller with studs and slide hammer. Each dent fixed, pays for the tool. I would do all above, then block the body for a perfectly straight finish. It doesnt take much. Then you only have to buy the paint and booth time. And painters will do much better work if your body work is straight and see's the effort you've invested. After all this is an investment.

I got the name of an independent body man that did the body work and paint on this Buick Riviera. It is flawless! The Riviera is owned by my retired neighbor mechanic who has worked on OY for me. He completely rebuilt it out of two Rivieras. I am going to have this man take a look at OY and see what it would cost me to have him take out the few small dings and dents and repaint in the same "Classic Cream" yellow. I would take off all the trim, bumpers, lights, etc. Also, because I want the door jams and such painted, I am kind of reluctant to install my new interior before painting. I want to take it over and have him look at it sometime this spring. OY never ventures out of the garage when there is ANY salt on the roads.