Rough estimate of "Show Quality" paint job

[Roc87]

It's been 4 years since I painted the GN, it looks great from 5 feet away as long as you don't notice the screwed up Bondo job on my shaved handles, but the paint is starting to crack at the top of the roof behind the opera windows and some spots in other places. I am not absolutely sure if the car was stripped when the previous owner painted it Kandy purple , but I know he had a "cheapy" black paint job put on after that, I'm guessing that no one would buy a purple GN, and then I painted over that, so there is 3-4 coats of paint. It NEEDS to be stripped to bare metal and start over. What is the going rate for a show quality job? The car is NOT a daily driver anymore and will only go to the track, a show, and an occasional weekend drive. There are very few shops around here that will even bother with what they call a custom. I do want all the trim pulled and stripped (Whoever painted it kandy purple painted all the trim on the car) and strip all the jambs.

 

[Westside500]

It's been 4 years since I painted the GN, it looks great from 5 feet away as long as you don't notice the screwed up Bondo job on my shaved handles, but the paint is starting to crack at the top of the roof behind the opera windows and some spots in other places. I am not absolutely sure if the car was stripped when the previous owner painted it Kandy purple , but I know he had a "cheapy" black paint job put on after that, I'm guessing that no one would buy a purple GN, and then I painted over that, so there is 3-4 coats of paint. It NEEDS to be stripped to bare metal and start over. What is the going rate for a show quality job? The car is NOT a daily driver anymore and will only go to the track, a show, and an occasional weekend drive. There are very few shops around here that will even bother with what they call a custom. I do want all the trim pulled and stripped (Whoever painted it kandy purple painted all the trim on the car) and strip all the jambs.

Take all the trim off. bumpers..etc.. take it to bare metal... minumum of at least $5000 to$8000 or higher.. have a buddy that owns a body shop here in Houston.. does impecable work.. not cheap!

 

[turbo39151]

If you're willing to stirp the easy parts to make it easier (like the interior). You should take a road trip to San Diego. The guy I use is awesome.

He did my basket case Gn with multiple dings etc., and it was $2800. I removed the interior, wing,bumpers,lights and weatherstrip.

His people removed the door handles, locks , emblems, opera windows. They did a spectacular job. Base coat/Clear coat, blocked and wet sanded. PPG Paint.

He does lots of TR's.

Yours will be a little more expensive because of needing to go to the metal and fixing bad body work (bondo, etc). LMK, if you're interetsed and I'll give you more details.

 

[Roc87]

I'd have no problem taking a road trip to San Diego to have a nice job done, and I know I could talk the wife into going (we LOVE San Diego)but would hate to drive that far without parts on the car, and don't know about taking the parts off once I got there. Any pictures of yours? PM the guys info and I'll give him a call. Thanks

 

[turbo39151]

You can pull the stuff off the car when you get here.

I'll shoot you a PM

 

[Cme2fly]

minumum of at least $5000 to$8000 or higher..not cheap!

We have a winner!

 

[Roc87]

I haven't called the guy that turbo39151 told me to contact yet, it'll probably be spring before I get a chance to take it out there.

But, yeah, $8k was what I was quoted nearby and that's with me removing most of the interior, bumpers, head/tail lights, window trims, etc... ...........So for right now, I'm replacing the headliner/slider board, weatherstrip on astroroof & going to redo the seats & carpet. We'll see if I have anything left to do the paint after.

 

[turbo39151]

Any paint job over $4-5 k is a waste of money, IMO, if you plan on driving the car... Mine is not a show car by any stretch but it can hold it's own. (you're welcome to come and take a look)- Actually I have two TR's with paint and body from the same shop...I take her out on the weekends and I dread the day I get a chip.

How would you feel paying that kind of dough just to get chips and nicks. I'd save the high dollar paint for a stictly trailored show car. (of course that's just me )

 

[Project TNX]

Once you do all the work, and I mean all the work, you soon realize that the work involved is easily worth $4-5k.

I did everything for my current T, down to bare metal, everything removed, primed, ready for a full color change and I expect to pay $2,500 just for them spraying the base and clear coat and any small thing I missed.

BTW, stress they use a flex agent, I would bet they don't use it 80% of the time unless the owner let's them know they know what is up.

 

[tom h]

... BTW, stress they use a flex agent, I would bet they don't use it 80% of the time unless the owner let's them know they know what is up.

Do you really mean on the "rigid" body sheet metal? I thought flex additives were strictly for bumper filler panels, plastic bumpers, etc.

I know the rear pillars can crack under repeated hard launches, but is that a concern for mainly street cars, especially if outfitted with rear-seat braces & GNX#5 body bushings??

 

[87 Pete]

Once you do all the work, and I mean all the work, you soon realize that the work involved is easily worth $4-5k.
)

Yup, I've been working on stripping my GN, fixing dings, replacing weatherstrip, etc... it is TONS of work, at least for the layman.

Getting your doors/quarters/fenders laser straight is also very time consuming. To some extent, it amazes me that a pro body shop can make a good profit on this kind of work. They must move super fast!

Pete

 

[Project TNX]

Do you really mean on the "rigid" body sheet metal? I thought flex additives were strictly for bumper filler panels, plastic bumpers, etc.

I know the rear pillars can crack under repeated hard launches, but is that a concern for mainly street cars, especially if outfitted with rear-seat braces & GNX#5 body bushings??

No I meant on the little flexible pieces. They will often not do it because you have to mix up a special batch for those parts and it's best to do it off the rest of the car, and in 6 months to a year you get those little spider cracks.