PAINT JOB COST

[fishmanjoe]

HEY GUYS,maybe someone can tell me what to expect to pay for a decent driver quality paint job on my 1970 el camino ss.It has been years since I have had one painted. I just take it to the drags some and use it as a weekend cruiser.I am going to keep it the same color,fathom blue.Iwill be removing all the trim before it goes to paint and no body work needs to be done.Any replys will be helpful.FISHMANJOE.

[Tod74]

You can't get an accurate answer without knowing what kind of paint you want put on it as well as what kind of paint is on it now and how much. What is on it now will dictate what must be done to prepeare it for what you want put on it. Example you can't put base clear directly over laquer.
I'd say if you just want it wet sanded and painted with a single stage urethane and zero body work around $1000 by someone who does it at home on the side. If you are talking taking it to a body shop then who knows.

[TheRabbit]

I have no idea about paint. I hate body work 'cause i suck at it. I do know that red paint is as freeking high as Giraffe ..... I bought 1 gal and all the stuff to go along with it for almost $400 in jan or feb of this year.

[fishmanjoe]

I want to repaint it the same color that it is now.That is the GM fathom blue,which I think they used lacquar back when the car was built.FISHMANJOE

[TheYellaBrick]

Your gonna need to go price shopping, Joe. The shops need to have a physical visual to be able to give an accurate or close quote. Just doesn't work on the phone, just too many variables. Take a weekday and go cruise a few shops from the high end to the Maco's. Ask to see some of their current paint jobs. At a minimum for a decent driver job ,figger at LEAST $800 - $1000. Except for the Maco's.

[Tod74]

NOBODY uses laquer anymore. PITA ....at least nobody I know.

I prefer to only use base clear but you would have to use some sort of sealer or a 2k primer first because base coat will lift laquer. If it is the 40 year old paint I'd want it bare metaled but if that isn't an option I'd at least use a single stage urethane paint, not laquer.

jmo

[DirkaDirka]

NOBODY uses laquer anymore. PITA ....at least nobody I know.

I prefer to only use base clear but you would have to use some sort of sealer or a 2k primer first because base coat will lift laquer. If it is the 40 year old paint I'd want it bare metaled but if that isn't an option I'd at least use a single stage urethane paint, not laquer.

jmo

I know back when I painted my Celica I bought some laquer in NV. I always try to find the automotive paint and supply stores that sell the laquer still. It is getting harder and harder to find it tho since they are all going to water base now.


But to answer the original question........

It is hard to tell how much a paint job is gonna cost you due to the fact that prices are different in one town to the next. I know that a 5,000 paint job in California could cost 2,000 in Tennessee. So I say take some of the advice you got here and go around town and check out some shops for pricing. Not trying to be an azz or anything just stating my opinion

[buickcoupe]

For a decient job your looking at 5 to 8K. Materials alone these days can be around 4K or more. Just look at paint costs and sand paper alone. Also are you painting jambs, is the glass coming out? You say just pait and no body work but a good painter will skim coat areas and block. If they dont do that you should just get a compressor and do it your self. Just my experience

[DRTRCR22]

A buddy took his baby blue Ford Maverick drag car and did all the bodywork, sanding priming, trimming and masking himself, then took it to Maco where he finished masking it off himself. They then rolled it in a sprayed some baby blue barrel paint on it for cheap, and it came out really nice... I was impressed. He unmasked it himself and put all the trim back on, and you could not tell it wasn't a high dollar shop job on it.
If your are not a perfectionist, and money matters more than quality, it may be worth checking into to see if Maco or whoever in your area does budget paint jobs, might have a matching barrel paint color like yours for cheaper price.

[TheYellaBrick]

A buddy took his baby blue Ford Maverick drag car and did all the bodywork, sanding priming, trimming and masking himself, then took it to Maco where he finished masking it off himself. They then rolled it in a sprayed some baby blue barrel paint on it for cheap, and it came out really nice... I was impressed. He unmasked it himself and put all the trim back on, and you could not tell it wasn't a high dollar shop job on it.
If your are not a perfectionist, and money matters more than quality, it may be worth checking into to see if Maco or whoever in your area does budget paint jobs, might have a matching barrel paint color like yours for cheaper price.

This definitely the way to go when on a bigtime budget and you can burn up all your own time on it. It's ALL in the prep for a smooth paint job. Have them dump on a coupla extra layers of clear so you can color sand and cut'n'buff it to glass. The paint quality is the defining factor for longevity especially on a driver exposed to year 'round environment extremes. For a race car that is babied, it'll last fine.

[dragonmaster093]

i was told of a paint shop about 30 miles from me that will do a basic repaint with taping for about 400 with a good driver paint job

[roadkill2]

Used to paint race cars . . both paint and the people you paint for have gotten out of control . . State of the Art materials run $250+ for primer/surfacer, $200 to $3500 for a gallon of Base coat and $200 to $350 for a gallon of clear coat, and you haven't bought a single sheet of sandpaper, Tape, thinner or masking plastic yet . . Add to that the fact that you'll put between 16 to 50 hours of labor on paint prep and minor bodywork (little dings and deep scratches) . . There's very few skilled painters that'll work for less than $25 an hour plus shop time or overhead . .

Add in the people who want to spend $400 on something that's the first impression of their car (Nobody can see that $15,000 engine and the $3000 transmission) and they'll always tell you, "I don't want a "Show" Paint job", right up to the time they come to get it and pay for it . . Before you went to work on his car he didn't know the difference between Red and Yellow, and after, he's a freakin' ISCA judge . . And he really gets pissed when you ask what idiot did the bodywork . . Because it was him . .

A professional paint job, using premium materials should cost somewhere between $3500 to $20,000, depending on how shiny and trick you want it . . ad in graphics, signage w/ clear over, rubbed and polished smooth, you have another $1,000-$2,000.

Or, just get it "wrapped" . . that's about $4,000 and up, again depending on who does it and how well they do it . . Extra Glossy costs more . . The average full wrap on a funny car or NASCAR Stocker runs about $8,000 on average . .

Paint is like parts . . there aren't any "Cheap" parts . . Just that some are better than others . . And, Better is almost always more expensive!

[lively]

MY BROTHERS 48 DODGE PICKUP---NEEDED THE ROOF FINISHED AND FINISHED BLOCK SANDED--viper red /base coat clear coat--$2400 last year---

sorry guys--but if your willing to pay 10-20,000 for a basic paint job[no body work] you need to find a different hobbie--like a politician 8)

[coolracing]

Shop around!!! I went to almost every body shop in a 50 mile radius and for just shootin my car with no body work already in primer I was quoted from 400 to 4000. every shop has a different shop rate.

[pbajeff]

I am in the process of painting my car 68 Camaro drag car right now. I plan on getting the primer/sealer on this weekend. I did do some very minor body work on the car - just fill a few minor scratches and pits. Other than that, just lots of sanding.
I have done a few touch up jobs in the past on cars and painted 1 entire car so I am just your typical DIYer.

I think I have all the paint, hardner, and activator that I am going to need, Using Nason single stage paint, I am into this project for $455.

[DirkaDirka]

Used to paint race cars . . both paint and the people you paint for have gotten out of control . . State of the Art materials run $250+ for primer/surfacer, $200 to $3500 for a gallon of Base coat and $200 to $350 for a gallon of clear coat, and you haven't bought a single sheet of sandpaper, Tape, thinner or masking plastic yet . . Add to that the fact that you'll put between 16 to 50 hours of labor on paint prep and minor bodywork (little dings and deep scratches) . . There's very few skilled painters that'll work for less than $25 an hour plus shop time or overhead . .

Add in the people who want to spend $400 on something that's the first impression of their car (Nobody can see that $15,000 engine and the $3000 transmission) and they'll always tell you, "I don't want a "Show" Paint job", right up to the time they come to get it and pay for it . . Before you went to work on his car he didn't know the difference between Red and Yellow, and after, he's a freakin' ISCA judge . . And he really gets pissed when you ask what idiot did the bodywork . . Because it was him . .

A professional paint job, using premium materials should cost somewhere between $3500 to $20,000, depending on how shiny and trick you want it . . ad in graphics, signage w/ clear over, rubbed and polished smooth, you have another $1,000-$2,000.

Or, just get it "wrapped" . . that's about $4,000 and up, again depending on who does it and how well they do it . . Extra Glossy costs more . . The average full wrap on a funny car or NASCAR Stocker runs about $8,000 on average . .

Paint is like parts . . there aren't any "Cheap" parts . . Just that some are better than others . . And, Better is almost always more expensive!

This is why I do it myself. It cost way too much for someone to do it for me especially when I already know how to do it and have been doing it for 18 years off and on. :P

[TS1955]

http://www.mindsciencemotorsports.com/graphics/TEAM%20GXP.htm

This paint job was 24K. It's one of those that looks FANTASTIC in the picture and looks even better in person.

TS1955

[BleedOrange]

I checked with a local dealership to paint my Camaro and they was in competion with everyone else I talked to at $4500 plus a life time warrenty. this is for block sanding and a paint job that i can go to a car show with the car.

[roadkill2]

I checked with a local dealership to paint my Camaro and they was in competion with everyone else I talked to at $4500 plus a life time warrenty. this is for block sanding and a paint job that i can go to a car show with the car.

A decent enough price . . You should jump on it . .

But . . Are they going to strip it, metal finish it, epoxy prime it, block out the surfacer, paint the jambs and underhood/trunk to match the new color, as well as block and polish the clear? There's a hell of a difference between sanding whatchagot and squirting a single stage color on it and building a show paint job . . and 75% of it's just labor . .

Just sayin'