Cost to Paint our cars?

[getchasum]

Materials are not cheap (here's some an examples, 1 roll of 3" tape is $11, just one gal of my clear was $337, 1 qt of wax & grease remover $38). I'm sure I have well over $4000 in my project, me doing the work. Stripping materials, epoxy primer, utherane primer, G2 Slick sand primer, 2.5 gals of ppg base, 2.5 gal ppg clear, thinner, reducer, sand paper, masking tape, seam sealer, masking paper, plactic, cutting compound, polishining compound buffing pads, Iwata paint gun....the list don't stop. If I could of got the car painted like it was for $6000-$7000 I'd have jumped on it. Not to mention the last year and a half of my spare time......

When it comes to a quality paint job, you are going to get what you pay for either in materials or labor


http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/sh...02178-finally-paint-after-1-5-years-prep.html

 

[rag231]

painting

I personally think that a painters dream has to be a GN or Corvette needing paint. The 2 most expensive paint jobs that I have seen were on these cars. My brothers Mustang was $2300 sanded down to bare metal and all of the "special" paint prep that goes into those bumpers, so I took my GN there and we were at $5800 with my car being media blasted before it gets there. So I put my cracked paint on the back burner. We took my 68 camaro there and he recommended changing the front left bumper ( rust bubbles) , and us media blast the car and we were still under 4 grand. I call it DISCRIMINATION!!!! I know that I am not the only one that this has happened to, I am 100% sure that if I took a regular Regal it would be about $2000 max. :biggrin: All I want is a decent daily driver paint job on mine also.

 

[thutch]

cost of a paint job is what you are going to do with a car,if your going to drive it dont spend 6000 grand.and do as much prep work you can do yourself.i have seen 2000 dollar paint jobs that look much better than,
6000 grand jobs.i will finally have my t painted this winter.it also pays to
be in good with a body shop.

 

[davidf]

1st you need to decide how long you'll keep the car. If your plans include selling in the next couple of years then it's 4/6 grand you won't get back. If your mechanically inclined, do all the parts removal/reinstall yourself. You'll save a bundle in labor. The money you'll save you can replace all the weatherstipping ect.

 

[JC3569]

paint

I will be posting some picts up as soon as i no how to do it.My 69 ss painted 22years ago still looks like the day i painted it.I'll also show picts of my 86 gn that i painted in 06.Both of these car were striped down to bare metal.Witch u should if your going to keep it.

 

[Dennis Kirban]

kirban 2 cents worth

In quick review of your post....cracking in the original paint means it has to be taken down to bare metal. To do the car rite 1/4 windows get pulled etc.

Paint supplies have skyrocketed in the last several years. My son Darrell has done several top notch full paint jobs on Turbo Buicks. You are looking at a minimum of 10 grand unless someone does it on the side and has proper equipment and use of a good paint booth.

A top notch job would be superior to anything Buick did originally on these cars.

I realize you being in Canada the exchange rate even adds more if you do it in the US. The old saying holds true you get what you pay for. Save on time and don't pull quarter glass and you can tell. Overspray in door jambs you can tell versus a nice line.

Leaving mldings intact you can tell. If you have a body side molding that is not factory good chance it is riveted meaning you got a series of small holes down both sides of the car that need to be addressed all adding to costs. Spend the big bucks....only if you are sure you want to keep the car a long time.

denniskirban@yahoo.com

 

[GNBRETT]

I don't think I'd pay 5-6K for an "ok quick job." I think you should expect something pretty nice for that price range.

Think again. No way unless it's a friend doing u a favor. $8k would get you something pretty good. You get what u pay for.

 

[GNBRETT]

I don't think I'd pay 5-6K for an "ok quick job." I think you should expect something pretty nice for that price range.

nope

 

[DJ Red Barron]

Id say $5-6k with you bringing the car to the shop with no molding on it and them doing an ok quick job. It should be media blasted all over including the door jambs which will add some $. If you want the car to be really flat and straight plan on paying a body guy a lot of extra $ skimming and blocking the car. The doors need a lot of work and the pillars are always a wavy mess. You could spend 50-100hrs prepping and sanding. $75/hr. You will never get more than you pay for in body work unless your best friend is a body expert and your getting a hookup. No guarantee that spending extra will get you a gem either. Look at previous work done and choose wisely. Under $5k you can forget about anything decent especially with the strip down required

I don't think I'd pay 5-6K for an "ok quick job." I think you should expect something pretty nice for that price range.

A lot of the terms used to describe the quality of work and time-frame are variable. "Quick, good, decent, ok" etc... I can tell you my paint job alone ran a touch over $5k. Total overall time in the shop was probably 10 weeks. A lot more went in to the build than just painting, however, and there were several other cars in the shop getting worked on at the same time. I know the car itself was in pretty good shape before the first section of metal was sanded. The body was straight with only a minor ding or two here and there. And lastly, I told the painter I wasn't looking for something so nice that I would be afraid to drive it. I didn't want a 100 point restoration, but rather a really sharp looking driver. All body panels, trim & glass were pulled. But the body didn't come off the frame, the engine wasn't pulled, no media blasting was done.

The end result is a paint job that, at first, I was gun shy about even getting it on the highway. The thought of a rock chip frightened me. I know I ended up with a paint job worth a LOT more than $5k just based on the hours I was out at the shop hanging out while the work was getting done. He probably should have hit me for somewhere in the $8k range. And when I take the car places, people look over the paint and comment on how amazing it looks. And not to be the least bit arrogant cause I'm not that way, it does look absolutely stunning. But if one were to nitpick it at a car show and really start looking into things, it has flaws. I am not knocking the work my painter did in the slightest. He did far more than what I ever could have expected and in a VERY short period of time & I have a paint job that I honestly got at a HUGE discounted price.

All of that to say yea, if you want what is a good paint job in my opinion and one you will likely be happy with, $5k might get you there. If you want something that is perfection, expect to pay upwards of $10-$15k easily.

 

[Bobs rare 6]

Barrons car looks AWESOME!!! Trust me. Later, Bob.

 

[DJ Red Barron]

Barrons car looks AWESOME!!! Trust me. Later, Bob.

Many thanks, Bob! Every since you lined out that Alky, it RUNS awesome too!

 

[monteperformanc]

Originally Posted by monteperformanc
I don't think I'd pay 5-6K for an "ok quick job." I think you should expect something pretty nice for that price range.

Think again. No way unless it's a friend doing u a favor. $8k would get you something pretty good. You get what u pay for

I have personally seen really nice paint jobs for UNDER $5,000 and I consider myself pretty picky. I am not talking 100 point concours show car paint, but something way better than factory and good enough to show in your average car show. And this included changing the color of the car which meant painting all the jambs, underneath the trunklid, bodywork, etc. This was at a restoration shop in NY and it was not a friend or a favor. If you have a GN that doesn't need much bodywork and you are not painting the jambs it should not cost $8,000 to get something you are happy with. That is just my opinion from what I have seen.

 

[Joe 1320]

In a way, I cringe every time prices come up on what it costs for a paint job. The paint job itself is relatively inexpensive compared to all the prep work leading up to the point of spraying the color. Besides, until you take off the existing paint and see the condition of the metal underneath, it's hard to come up with an accurate figure. I've seen a $3500 paint job come out a show stopper because the metal underneath was pristine. Put a $3500 paint job over the top of crappy metal work and it will look like a $1500 job.

I totally agree with the line between making it so mint that you are afraid to drive it vs a more conservative but nice job that gives you an easier feeling having it on the road. It's a tough line to walk.

 

[bison]

If you want something that is perfection, expect to pay upwards of $10-$15k easily.

Id say it would be more. Probably a lot more. Time wasted on panel alignment and wet sanding would drive the price through the roof. Id be afraid to do anything with it a so to me it woudl be a useless toy sucking up space and insurance $.

 

[1chance]

$1,500 is all you should pay! IMO

 

[BEATAV8]

$5k will get you something shiney, but you better be OK with orange peel and wavy body panels and bad body work and dirt in the paint and etc.. etc.... That assumes you had a clean car to start with!

Nice paint on a clean car starts around $10k and goes way up from there. If you want a mirror finish with no orange peel and lazer straight body work be ready to pay for it.

 

[blipmode188]

Ill probably get blasted for this, but unless your car is a keep sake, or some other very very good reason, for anything like $6000 to $8000 to paint it, sell it and buy another one thats done with a nice paint job on it !
Check out the prices of some very decent and I mean decent cars particularly on the for sale site on this board.
For about twice the price of just a paint job alone you can buy a very good car.

Go look before you leap.
Is this car is special to you, then ignore the above.
If not you'll be dollars ahead in the long run.
Steve

 

[BEATAV8]

Ill probably get blasted for this, but unless your car is a keep sake, or some other very very good reason, for anything like $6000 to $8000 to paint it, sell it and buy another one thats done with a nice paint job on it !
Steve

That's solid logic. I agree it's always better in the long run to buy a nicer car up front.

 

[Mark Parks]

I bought my 1 owner 86 GN a year ago. It had the original paint which was cracking. I took it to Maaco,and talked to the owner. He stripped the hood,top,and trunk,took off the mirrors. I removed the rear spoiler. It was painted a Dupont base/clear Chromabase,and wet sanded and polished by the owner. He also removed some minor dents in the rigt quarter panel. He then reinstalled the mirrors and spoiler. It was also painted under the deck lid.
ALL THIS FOR $2152. Not perfect ,BUT a very nice paint job!!!

 

[JC3569]

bodywork and paint

Some Pics of my 86 that I redid in 2006. Car still looks good, done w/ PPG.