I took my car to a body man (who is a buddy) tonight. He looked at my car to see what he could do for me as far as a paint job. After looking at it he sais " Oh man, I don't think I want to get into that." My car is extremely straight and only has a little tiny size of a dime rust bubble. Actually it really doesn't even need to be painted. I say "why is that?" He tells me that there is a risk "Base/Clearing" over enamel paint. He said that sometimes it works, but sometimes it can have problems and bubble becasue the base clear can actually melt the enamel then causing the paint to bubble. Which, then needs to be completely redone. He also said that sometimes it works just fine. It just depends but there is always that risk. Have you guys ever had any problems painting over the enamel? I am very famaliar with painting cars and I KNOW ITS BEST TO STRIP THE CAR TO BARE METAL, but have any of you had any problems painting over the laquer paint? Thanks, he is wanting me to post this on here because he just doesn't want to get into it if there is a risk of it not setting correctly. ------Jeremy
Paint Question
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jimmymopower
Member
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I recently had mine repainted, the guy doing the work refused to spray ANYTHING over the original paint. Something about it bleeding through and making the base bubble and peel. Paint (and painters for that matter) can be finicky. With such a labor intensive job, I would definitely have it stripped to nothing to be sure.
I have done both, if you choose to chemical strip, make sure you neutralize the acid in the stripper, it will corrode the metal under your primer, you can use a vinegar/water solution, or I like the" metal prep" 2nd step by Dupont, Chem stripping is labor intensive,and messy, now I send the cars to be "media" blasted, Thay use a plastic pellet,or wallnut shells, it does'nt warp or harm metal, it wont even scratch the glass, it's what they strip Corvettes with, cost more up front, but so much easier/nicer
Painting over the factory paint will definitely cause problems later.
The previous owner hit a deer and they painted over the paint on the passenger front fender and door. It now looks like a dried up mud puddle!!
I have made a deal w/ a friend to blast it w/walnut shells for 500.00.
Well worth it and saves me a bunch of time. Stripping it w/chemicals takes a lot of time that I don't have. Plus it is messy.
The previous owner hit a deer and they painted over the paint on the passenger front fender and door. It now looks like a dried up mud puddle!!
I have made a deal w/ a friend to blast it w/walnut shells for 500.00.
Well worth it and saves me a bunch of time. Stripping it w/chemicals takes a lot of time that I don't have. Plus it is messy.
Jerryl
Tall Unvaccinated Chinese Guy
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- Dec 14, 2004
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- 9,644
Interesting. Anyone know what I can expect to pay for a real good paint job for a GN without rust or dents?
My car was in terrible shape paint wise when painted.
Painter stripped hood, roof, & trunk.
Paint job came out better than I every could hope for.
About 1-2 years latter, fish scales on the part not stripped.
Took it back and the sides were wet sanded. Came out great. Now fish scales again on the sides.
I am going to have him strip the sides and re-paint.
Hope he can blend it in good.
My job only cost 2200 so I am not upset just wish I could have gotten lucky.
Painter stripped hood, roof, & trunk.
Paint job came out better than I every could hope for.
About 1-2 years latter, fish scales on the part not stripped.
Took it back and the sides were wet sanded. Came out great. Now fish scales again on the sides.
I am going to have him strip the sides and re-paint.
Hope he can blend it in good.
My job only cost 2200 so I am not upset just wish I could have gotten lucky.
jimmymopower
Member
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- 107
Paint ain't cheap. You definitely get what you pay for though. By the time I got done with mine, doing ALL the disassembly and re-assembly, I had right at $1300 just in materials, and that was at suppliers wholesale 
. Black cars are particularly hard, because the paint will show any (and I mean any) flaws in the body. You have to get them straight as an arrow, but when they are right, nuthin comes close. 
. Black cars are particularly hard, because the paint will show any (and I mean any) flaws in the body. You have to get them straight as an arrow, but when they are right, nuthin comes close. Sam Colalillo
low 9's w/ a 109
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A friend of mine owns a shop, 4 to 5 thousand dollars seems to be the average price for a complete paint job. I completed a frame of restoration on a Corvette last winter for some one. I pulled the body off the frame and took it over to my Friend; he did the bodywork and got the car into primer. Then when I finished the chassis I went back and got the body from him, put it back on the car, and then he painted it, he charged 5 thousand dollars for his end of the work. By the way the thing looks absolutely perfect.
I am currently finishing up my personal car (86 Monte Carlo). I did all the bodywork myself in my shop here at home. I have never done body work before, but my friend taught me allot when I restored the Vette, so I thought I would give it a shot. I now realize why it costs 4 to 5 grand to paint a car. I GROSLY UNDER ESTIMATED how much time it takes to do a project like this. I took the car apart, hood off, interior out, doors off, trunk lid removed, lock cylinders, door handles, lights and quarter glass, all removed. I wanted to do it right. Took the car down to bare metal with 80 grit sand paper, using a 6 " orbital sander. I put the car into primer myself, first step was an etching primer, then a filler primer, I misted the body with black primer so I could see the spots that still needed attention after I block sanded it. Boy there was still allot of bodywork to be done. After three times of priming and block sanding the car, I was finally satisfied with the body panels. Next I edged everything in with color myself (door jambs, underside of trunk, ECT.) and put the body parts back onto the car. At this point I have over 700 hours invested in this project. After that I quit documenting the hours. I did not start adding up the cost until recently, I have over a grand in materials (I also get a really good discount at the auto parts store) (example: 1 gallon of 2002 Corvette Electron Blue Dupont Chromo base is 330 dollars, that is just the paint, no reducer, hardener, and then you have to put a clear coat over this. and don’t forget about all the sandpaper, body filler, and primer that was already used.) Next many hours of wet sanding the final stage of primer before the paint goes on. My Friend wanted the body wet sanded down with 600-grit paper. Now the car is really smooth in my opinion.
I just took the car over to my Friends shop yesterday to have him paint it in his down draft booth. He has a variety of SATA paint guns he uses and did a great job laying the paint down for me, but my body work is not any where near what he can do. He put down 3 layers of clear, it was a little over a Gallon of clear coat, this car looks like glass.
Here is the bottom line: before I did this project I thought 5 grand was allot to paint the Vette I restored, Now I realize this was a screaming deal. I only kept track of 700 hundred hours I put into this car, if I were to only charge 10 dollars an hour for my labor that would be 7 grand, and I have more time than this in it. No wonder body shops charge so much for a complete paint job.
This guy is very meticulous, and he has made it very clear that he would never lay down paint over a factory lacquer paint job.
I am currently finishing up my personal car (86 Monte Carlo). I did all the bodywork myself in my shop here at home. I have never done body work before, but my friend taught me allot when I restored the Vette, so I thought I would give it a shot. I now realize why it costs 4 to 5 grand to paint a car. I GROSLY UNDER ESTIMATED how much time it takes to do a project like this. I took the car apart, hood off, interior out, doors off, trunk lid removed, lock cylinders, door handles, lights and quarter glass, all removed. I wanted to do it right. Took the car down to bare metal with 80 grit sand paper, using a 6 " orbital sander. I put the car into primer myself, first step was an etching primer, then a filler primer, I misted the body with black primer so I could see the spots that still needed attention after I block sanded it. Boy there was still allot of bodywork to be done. After three times of priming and block sanding the car, I was finally satisfied with the body panels. Next I edged everything in with color myself (door jambs, underside of trunk, ECT.) and put the body parts back onto the car. At this point I have over 700 hours invested in this project. After that I quit documenting the hours. I did not start adding up the cost until recently, I have over a grand in materials (I also get a really good discount at the auto parts store) (example: 1 gallon of 2002 Corvette Electron Blue Dupont Chromo base is 330 dollars, that is just the paint, no reducer, hardener, and then you have to put a clear coat over this. and don’t forget about all the sandpaper, body filler, and primer that was already used.) Next many hours of wet sanding the final stage of primer before the paint goes on. My Friend wanted the body wet sanded down with 600-grit paper. Now the car is really smooth in my opinion.
I just took the car over to my Friends shop yesterday to have him paint it in his down draft booth. He has a variety of SATA paint guns he uses and did a great job laying the paint down for me, but my body work is not any where near what he can do. He put down 3 layers of clear, it was a little over a Gallon of clear coat, this car looks like glass.
Here is the bottom line: before I did this project I thought 5 grand was allot to paint the Vette I restored, Now I realize this was a screaming deal. I only kept track of 700 hundred hours I put into this car, if I were to only charge 10 dollars an hour for my labor that would be 7 grand, and I have more time than this in it. No wonder body shops charge so much for a complete paint job.
This guy is very meticulous, and he has made it very clear that he would never lay down paint over a factory lacquer paint job.
RE: Paint
I just came to the point you are at a year ago. Have HIgh mileage Limited.
Was going to just scuff it. Cross my fingers,shoot a prime sealer, then color.
With a cheap enamel job.Was going to leave it.
As it turned out. My buddy who owns a shop. Talked me into pulling all glass.
Sand to metal. Which produced a small rust spot under lower chrome strip.welded new piece in. Car is solid.
Car is white with blue interior. Oh saw that doors in 2-3 years would rust.replacedl trunk.Good fiend. Had white ones
Bottom line. Worth the 5. Choked but 1 year later happy man.
Now to do my motor. Fini :biggrin: .......I hope this helps. If you plan on keeping it. Do it.
I just came to the point you are at a year ago. Have HIgh mileage Limited.
Was going to just scuff it. Cross my fingers,shoot a prime sealer, then color.
With a cheap enamel job.Was going to leave it.
As it turned out. My buddy who owns a shop. Talked me into pulling all glass.
Sand to metal. Which produced a small rust spot under lower chrome strip.welded new piece in. Car is solid.
Car is white with blue interior. Oh saw that doors in 2-3 years would rust.replacedl trunk.Good fiend. Had white ones
Bottom line. Worth the 5. Choked but 1 year later happy man.
Now to do my motor. Fini :biggrin: .......I hope this helps. If you plan on keeping it. Do it.
Got my GN painted in Feb,paid $2200. I pulled all trim,side glass bumpers,fillers etc. Shop did not want to strip. Had lacquer checks on hood and roof,also under body side molding. Picked up the car after 5 weeks,bueatiful. Next day in gargage I was re assembling it and I saw laquer checks in the hood under my flourecent lights. Took it back,they wetsanded couldn't get it out. Re painted hood again,did not strip. Again same problem,striped and 3rd time no probs. However I already have some checks in the roof and on the sides where the side molding was. Bottom line car still looks great,now I know over the years as the paint ages it will get worse. I plan on keepeing her forever so sometime in the very distant future hopefully I'll get the rest of it stripped and repainted,HTH.
Yeah, I guess when I first started with this car, I figured I was going to be able to do it right over the old paint. Now after talking to more and more people, it would definately not be worth taking the risk. But, what do you guys think of BEED BLASTING the car?? I've talked to a bunch of people who tell me that's the only way to go. I also have people tell me that it's better just to sand it. They say that you can have a chance at your sheetmetal "TIN CANNING." They say it reduces the metal and gets flimsy. Any experiences with this? Buy the way, $425 to do all of the beed blasting. I didn't think that was too bad. -----Jeremy
