383scuda
Well-Known Member
If so, did you do it yourself or pay someone? What did you pay to have it done?
Anyone get their car painted?
- Thread starter 383scuda
- Start date
Probably not a lot of people that have both the facility or skill do it. I fall into both categories. Had my 5A painted the factory color about eight years ago and cost me $2500. Pretty damn cheap looking back at it. I removed all of the trim and door panels in preparation.
M_Body_Coupe
Well-Known Member
Well, it goes a little bit like this...
M_Body_Coupe
Well-Known Member
That photo with the guy wearing a RED HAT...hmmm...ring a bell anyone...anyone (Duke5A)?
So I lived ATMOBS: having started the body work with a guy who than bailed on me about 2/3 through...car sat in my garage, I tried a few local guys but no one wanted to touch it, for understandable reasons (they didn't want their name on someone else's body work), and I wasn't willing (no budget) to re-start (strip it all down, remove some sheetmetal, etc.).
I eventually hooked up with a guy Mark knew, and that's what got me the end results you see here.
Is it all perfect??? Nah, but pretty darn good. Don (the gentlemen who took the project on) did his best, I think he really trully cared for the work, heck he did all the pieces separately (I literally brought the rolling shell and a shit-load of stuff over to his place). Took some time to get through it all, and some things got missed, but it made me happy to finally see the finished results!
If I was to do this again, I would get very business-like with any shop: spell out EXACTLY what it is that you are looking for, have them show you the work they've done, work out the payment details (work doesn't get done by the time agreed upon, the shop doesn't get paid).
Finally, I would say this: pay more to get a hassle free outcome! Once you start talking with the shop you'll know if they stand by their stuff, or whether they see this as a "cash cow" and will run the minute they get your money....
So I lived ATMOBS: having started the body work with a guy who than bailed on me about 2/3 through...car sat in my garage, I tried a few local guys but no one wanted to touch it, for understandable reasons (they didn't want their name on someone else's body work), and I wasn't willing (no budget) to re-start (strip it all down, remove some sheetmetal, etc.).
I eventually hooked up with a guy Mark knew, and that's what got me the end results you see here.
Is it all perfect??? Nah, but pretty darn good. Don (the gentlemen who took the project on) did his best, I think he really trully cared for the work, heck he did all the pieces separately (I literally brought the rolling shell and a shit-load of stuff over to his place). Took some time to get through it all, and some things got missed, but it made me happy to finally see the finished results!
If I was to do this again, I would get very business-like with any shop: spell out EXACTLY what it is that you are looking for, have them show you the work they've done, work out the payment details (work doesn't get done by the time agreed upon, the shop doesn't get paid).
Finally, I would say this: pay more to get a hassle free outcome! Once you start talking with the shop you'll know if they stand by their stuff, or whether they see this as a "cash cow" and will run the minute they get your money....
Aspen500
Well-Known Member
I painted mine myself. I had bought a supplied air respirator in the early '90's when I first painted it and used base/clear. The isocyanurates (sp?) in the clear are NOT filtered out by a conventional carbon respirator, and are something that could potentially kill you, or at least give you a night in the ER (don't ask me how I know that). This time (early 2010's) I also invested in HVLP spray guns to stay legal, and with the cost of paint to put more paint on the car than in the air. Rib Mt. has an ordinance that allows you to paint your own car, provided you use HVLP. If someone complained, and you weren't using HVLP, it could be a $2,500 fine. Either way, with HVLP. you save a lot on paint and overspray clean up. Anyways, even without the equipment, it was still about $1,500 for all the paint materials from primer to sealer, base, clear and all the activators, reducers, etc. I did get an estimate from an excellent body shop just a couple blocks from my house, and it was for around $10,000 to finish bodywork, do all the paint steps, sand and buff the clear, etc. plus sand paper, fillers, masking tape/paper.................It adds up. He saw how the rust repairs an initial bodywork had been done, and was comfortable putting his shops name on it, which I considered a huge compliment! I know it would have been absolutely flawless but $10K was more than I could comfortably afford. Body and paint are expensive to have done, and not cheap to do yourself, especially if you have to buy all the equipment to do it correctly and safely.. There is a sign at the body shop I mentioned that says "cheap body work is not good body work", and t's true. They've has been in business, in the same location, since 1953 and I've seen cars that were smashed half way to the windshield, and when they get done you'd never know it had ever had so much as a ding. I'm talking outside, under the hood, underneath, no matter where you look, it looks 100% factory untouched original. It's almost like magic! That's the kind of shop you want to seek out if having your car done.
Should mention $10,000 included doing the engine compartment, door jambs, inner doors, underside of the hood and deck lid, etc, plus bolting the panels back to the body, lining them up, things like that.
Should mention $10,000 included doing the engine compartment, door jambs, inner doors, underside of the hood and deck lid, etc, plus bolting the panels back to the body, lining them up, things like that.
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383scuda
Well-Known Member
Well, I should explain myself. I owned my own body shop for 25 years and have painted hundreds of cars personally. I sold my shop in 2015 and am now retired (I am 65). Before I sold, I made up all the paint I would need for this project. I have all the bodywork tools and spray guns I need (including a frame machine). I COULD paint it myself, I just hate overspray in my shop and hate polishing. I am trying to decide if I should bite the bullet and do it myself, or hire it done. I spoke to one local shop and they quoted me $7,500 to paint it. That would be with NO bodywork and me furnishing ALL paint. I feel that is about $2500 to much. I have completed almost all the bodywork just need to do minor touchups, which I will perform.
I am good with spending up to $5,000 on painting and some bodywork. I do not expect a show finish, but I do expect an Insurance quality job. Trying to get a feel for what I should expect to pay so I can make an informed decision (DIY or hire it done).
One problem with DIY is because it is a Super Coupe, half the car is flat black. You can not polish dirt out of flat black so keeping the dirt out is the key.
I am good with spending up to $5,000 on painting and some bodywork. I do not expect a show finish, but I do expect an Insurance quality job. Trying to get a feel for what I should expect to pay so I can make an informed decision (DIY or hire it done).
One problem with DIY is because it is a Super Coupe, half the car is flat black. You can not polish dirt out of flat black so keeping the dirt out is the key.
383scuda
Well-Known Member
My last major project
Holy smokes, how long ago was that?? I was just a kid. Early ought's??
I should add the price I gave in the first post didn't include the door jams, engine bay or body work. Body work had been done by another shop a few years before and it's still holding up great to this day.
I should add the price I gave in the first post didn't include the door jams, engine bay or body work. Body work had been done by another shop a few years before and it's still holding up great to this day.
383scuda
Well-Known Member
Done in 2004. Purchased wrecked. Figured that was the only way I could ever afford a Viper. Almost every panel was worked over and entire truck was repainted except the tailgate. Clean title truck with 1500 miles on it (now). I still own it.
Mikes5thAve
Well-Known Member
Mine was done years ago and being from up north it had additional body work . I forget what it cost now but it was 5 grandish. The original estimate was less until they sandblasted the rust and by that point it was keep going or junk it and i couldn't do that because first off I had already done a 360 swap along with other work and with emission testing I was grandfathered in but wouldn't have been if I started fresh with another car, plus between the cost of buying a clean car which would probably need some paint work anyway and the time to do the rest of the work all over I wouldn't have saved much anyway. I would have kept driving it as is and gone another route had I known the final cost.
I do my own. I use Spies or Axalta (Dupont). I have a Garmat booth. The most recent car I have done was a Porsche Cayenne, it cost me $4,300 in materials. I had some left over stuff like activators, tape, primer etc. I don't use cheap stuff EVER. My paint jobs last around 20 years or more. A paint job is a chore to do it right. The last time I went to the PBE to top off some materials, the costs are up something like 40% or more. It's drastic to say the least. I saw some guys buy the absolute cheapest junk auction house type enamel they had and it was just under a $800 for enough yellow enamel to do a peekup truck. They wern't buying tape or anything else.
