New paint

[DJK]

What started out as a $400 -$500 wet sand and buff existing paint, went to a $1200-$1300 repaint. Shop called yesterday, it's done, total $4500 !!!!!!!! Love this hobby! Will get pictures when the rain stops.

[knuckleharley]

2 hours ago, DJK said:

What started out as a $400 -$500 wet sand and buff existing paint, went to a $1200-$1300 repaint. Shop called yesterday, it's done, total $4500 !!!!!!!! Love this hobby! Will get pictures when the rain stops.

You mean just the paint job cost $4500?

 

I freely admit I am out of touch with what that sort of thing costs these days,but $4500 seems like a paint job in the "show car range" to me.

[kencombs]

6 minutes ago, knuckleharley said:

You mean just the paint job cost $4500?

 

I freely admit I am out of touch with what that sort of thing costs these days,but $4500 seems like a paint job in the "show car range" to me.

Naw, real show quality is in the 20k range. The hours involved really add up.  I was at my BIL’s shop a couple of years ago when he was finishing up a 55 chev.  He spent all day color sanding and buffing the trunk lid alone!  Not to mention paints, toners etc that are hundred of dollars per qt in some brands. Even using lower tier material it hard to paint an all over job for under 1500 in paint, primers, clear, reducers, sandpapers, tape, masking paper/plastic etc.  

[bartenderfloyd]

Ugg...I have to repaint mine.  I was hoping for a "Monet" job...you know...nice from far but far from nice. Trying to keep it around 2k.  I'm going to take mine to maaco by me and see what they can do.

[maddmaxx1949]

Exactly the reason why mine will probably always stay rusty...

[knuckleharley]

2 hours ago, kencombs said:

Naw, real show quality is in the 20k range. The hours involved really add up.  I was at my BIL’s shop a couple of years ago when he was finishing up a 55 chev.  He spent all day color sanding and buffing the trunk lid alone!  Not to mention paints, toners etc that are hundred of dollars per qt in some brands. Even using lower tier material it hard to paint an all over job for under 1500 in paint, primers, clear, reducers, sandpapers, tape, masking paper/plastic etc.  

Yikes!

 Back when I was a hell of a lot younger,I actually painted a couple of cars with spray cans. Looked ok at 20 feet,and a HELL of a lot better than they did before I scuffed and spray-bombed them.

 

I know there is a LOT of detail and hand work involved in a true show car prep and paint,but that just ain't for me. Even if I had the bucks,which I don't.

 

Then again,the hobby would be boring as hell if everybody did the same things,wouldn't it?

 

Not to mention a LOT smaller if  you had to pay for show car paint jobs before being allowed to drive it.

 

Good for the people who have the talent,the physical ability in both physical form and shop/shop equipment,and the money to put it all together. It's nice to be able to see what CAN be done with enough talent,patience,and ability.

 

Edited July 1, 2021 by knuckleharley

[knuckleharley]

44 minutes ago, bartenderfloyd said:

Ugg...I have to repaint mine.  I was hoping for a "Monet" job...you know...nice from far but far from nice. Trying to keep it around 2k.  I'm going to take mine to maaco by me and see what they can do.

I am suddenly loving the HELL out of Maaco!

[plymouthcranbrook]

I miss Earl Scheib

[Kilgore47]

My 47 P15 has an Earl Scheib type paint job that was done in the mid 70's.  Looks like a quick tape job and lots of over spray.  The PO kept the car under cover for 45 years so it still looks OK.  Since I got it I have spent many hours buffing this paint and it looks better.  There are some rust spots and much of the horizontal surfaces are spider webbed.  The paint is a little crusty like the rest of the car.  I like it just the way it is.

[Young Ed]

1 hour ago, knuckleharley said:

I am suddenly loving the HELL out of Maaco!

About 12 years ago maaco quoted me $4500 to paint my p15 and that was with me stripping all the chrome lights etc off beforehand

[plymouthcranbrook]

I had a couple of paint jobs done at Earl’s. Each time the manager told me if I wanted a really good job to remove the trim, headlights, and anything else removable that would not keep me from driving it in. And suggested that I lightly sand it with 220 grit paper.  I did each time and other than a couple of small runs I was happy with both of them. That was back in the days of single stage enamel paint.    

[Chris-R]

11 hours ago, DJK said:

What started out as a $400 -$500 wet sand and buff existing paint, went to a $1200-$1300 repaint. Shop called yesterday, it's done, total $4500 !!!!!!!! Love this hobby! Will get pictures when the rain stops.

And that's why I've just bought a small compressor and a couple of spray guns... what could possibly go wrong! ?

[RNR1957NYer]

6 hours ago, knuckleharley said:

Yikes!

 Back when I was a hell of a lot younger,I actually painted a couple of cars with spray cans. Looked ok at 20 feet,and a HELL of a lot better than they did before I scuffed and spray-bombed them.

 

 

 

 

 

Two winters ago I started a panel-by-panel body repair and paint project on my P12.  A couple years earlier I shot my newly louvered hood with DupliColor black lacquer and clear through my $10 Harbor Freight HVLP gun, and with a lot of wet sanding it came out pretty good.  Since I was working an hour or two here and there on the panel by panel job and I didn't want to spend as much time cleaning up as painting, I instead used DupliColor spray bomb universal black, and eventually the entire car was painted (except for the roof, which was spotted in).  I saved every receipt for anything I spent - sandpaper, filler, primer, paint, trim clips, etc. and in a year's time I had a little more than $900 into the "fluff and buff".  Buying spray cans is not very economical - probably would have spent $600 if I sprayed quarts, and being black the color was easy to keep matching with the cans.  My only snafu was painting in high humidity a couple times - couldn't  polish the blushing completely out. (yes, I like red wheels - shoot me!)

[knuckleharley]

4 hours ago, Young Ed said:

About 12 years ago maaco quoted me $4500 to paint my p15 and that was with me stripping all the chrome lights etc off beforehand

OK,now I am officially scared.

[knuckleharley]

20 minutes ago, RNR1957NYer said:

Two winters ago I started a panel-by-panel body repair and paint project on my P12.  A couple years earlier I shot my newly louvered hood with DupliColor black lacquer and clear through my $10 Harbor Freight HVLP gun, and with a lot of wet sanding it came out pretty good.  Since I was working an hour or two here and there on the panel by panel job and I didn't want to spend as much time cleaning up as painting, I instead used DupliColor spray bomb universal black, and eventually the entire car was painted (except for the roof, which was spotted in).  I saved every receipt for anything I spent - sandpaper, filler, primer, paint, trim clips, etc. and in a year's time I had a little more than $900 into the "fluff and buff".  Buying spray cans is not very economical - probably would have spent $600 if I sprayed quarts, and being black the color was easy to keep matching with the cans.  My only snafu was painting in high humidity a couple times - couldn't  polish the blushing completely out. (yes, I like red wheels - shoot me!)

Looks GREAT to me.

[DJK]

After closer inspection, there are areas where the trim wasn't removed which shows dull areas which weren't buffed properly. The owner is 76, I have known him for 45 yrs., I will let him know about the areas I'm not happy with. Other than that, the finish has a very deep shine. There were several areas that did require attention(body work), so it wasn't just a paint job.

Edited July 2, 2021 by DJK
update

[desoto1939]

just price a good quality epoxy enamel paint that will cost you a couple of hundred dollar plus the primers.

 

Yes there is a lot of time spent to paint a car correctly and for it to have a quality job last for years. i had mine stripped to all bare metal, all windows removed, new headliners, new glass put into the car, mounted and balanced five tires pin stripped and he also helped reassemble the car.  The cost was $2900.  Thr was a steal but that is all he wanted.  The paint has lasted 25 years and still has its shne and is in fantastic shape.  The seats were all removed and the floor boards and the truck area was also painted the same color.

 

I would hate to know what the cost would be today close to 7-10k.

 

Rich Hartung

[allbizz49]

My average material cost to paint a car inside and out is 3k. That's including consumables. That's for base clear. Kandys and pearls easily double that. 

[plymouthcranbrook]

I used to paint cars semi-professionally back when acrylic enamel was the standard. My late brother in law and I would do minor body work and respray for a couple of local used car lots.  I also did a couple of my own as well as a few for friends and family. I was ok, but not anywhere near show level. Cost for materials(except red paint) was not bad in the 80’s and early 90’s. The cost and need for extra protective equipment of base coat clear coat systems caused me to stop doing it back about 25 years ago. 

[DJK]

[DJK]

[JerseyHarold]

The car looks great.  Did you use solid enamel or base coat/ clear coat?

[DJK]

9 hours ago, JerseyHarold said:

The car looks great.  Did you use solid enamel or base coat/ clear coat?

No idea what they used, but I do know there is 2 coats of clear on it.

[Bryan G]

I grew up in the family business, a body shop, and later managed it. I never had any interest in the hands-on part of it and the tiny bit of bodywork/painting I've done proves that! I closed the business about 8 years ago. We had a reputation for decent quality, and for being the kind of old-fashioned body shop that would do most anything for a buck. Lots of rust repair, old tractors, lawn mowers, refrigerators, whatever. Tons of all-overs. People come to me all the time and tell me they can't find anyone to do the work we used to. Anyway, $4500 sounds very reasonable. Even 8 years ago it was hard to turn a profit charging that much. The main reason I went out of business was because I didn't charge enough. How does MAACO do it? Big discounts on materials by buying in such volume, and working high-production through that booth. I talked to them once about a franchise and they promised me you could turn a profit on a $299 paint job, but that's a job you'll have to do every year or more frequently. I've seen a number of higher priced jobs in the MAACO parking lot and I have to say they looked good to my eyes. How well were they prepped? Who knows. Almost all the labor goes in before the shine goes on. That's where the big money comes in, taking the car apart, stripping it, quality bodywork, and then finishing it off with quality materials which are $$$$.

[DJK]

8 hours ago, Bryan G said:

I grew up in the family business, a body shop, and later managed it. I never had any interest in the hands-on part of it and the tiny bit of bodywork/painting I've done proves that! I closed the business about 8 years ago. We had a reputation for decent quality, and for being the kind of old-fashioned body shop that would do most anything for a buck. Lots of rust repair, old tractors, lawn mowers, refrigerators, whatever. Tons of all-overs. People come to me all the time and tell me they can't find anyone to do the work we used to. Anyway, $4500 sounds very reasonable. Even 8 years ago it was hard to turn a profit charging that much. The main reason I went out of business was because I didn't charge enough. How does MAACO do it? Big discounts on materials by buying in such volume, and working high-production through that booth. I talked to them once about a franchise and they promised me you could turn a profit on a $299 paint job, but that's a job you'll have to do every year or more frequently. I've seen a number of higher priced jobs in the MAACO parking lot and I have to say they looked good to my eyes. How well were they prepped? Who knows. Almost all the labor goes in before the shine goes on. That's where the big money comes in, taking the car apart, stripping it, quality bodywork, and then finishing it off with quality materials which are $$$$.

I understand the $4500 cost, but I was initially told $12-$1300, with no warning of the final price until I picked it up. Not to mention the areas that still need attention.