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How much did everyone's paint job's cost?

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Old 06-29-2001, 05:12 PM
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How much did everyone's paint job's cost?

I was just trying to figure out about how much it's going to cost to get my 89 RS painted. There's damage to the front end, so it's going to need to be sanded all the way down. Any idea how much that will cost?
Old 06-29-2001, 05:49 PM
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Car: 91 RS Convertible
Engine: 305 TBI
Transmission: 700R4
Hmmm, how much?¿

We just had a custom paint job done on our 91 RS Convertible and the total was just under $3,600.
Factory Color Mystic Teal PPG paint and clearcoat.
I saw the ticket on the paint and it was $700 due to the amount of pearl in the paint. The clear coat was around $200. So that's $900 in materials alone not including other materials and LABOR.

The came back looking ten times better than when my girlfriend bought it off the showroom floor back in 91.

It was alot of money but well worth it in our opinion. We get comments all the time on the paint.

So you can take it down to one of those $99 places and save plenty of cash. But don't expect the paint to last more than two years.

The guys at the paint shop told us our paint job should last at least 8 years with proper care.

You truly get what you pay for.
Definately shop around and look at cars that are completed by the paint shop you are considering.
And don't fall for the, this is the owners car and look how it shines routine. You know they are not going to treat your car as well as the owners car. Look at customer cars.

I'd go for the basecoat and then clearcoat paint job. Not basecoat/clearcoat mix. You get a much deeper shine with a two step paint job.

Biggest thing is to pop in from time to time and check the work!
Stop in when they prep the car and then stop in when they are painting.
This way you can point out flaws before the job is done. This will wind up saving a bit of time in the long run.
Old 06-29-2001, 11:03 PM
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Well, my paint job was right around $12K, which included stripping the complete exterior of the car to bare metal and urethane, repairing the accident damage from a kid running a stop sign in front of me (core support, frame horn, and drivers fender), lots of work to my custom fiberglass hood, color sanding, etc. You definately get what you pay for, and my trophy wall bears that out in spades. Its been 2 and a half years now, and the paint is still absolutely perfect.

------------------
'86 Camaro Sport Coupe
Old 06-30-2001, 08:19 AM
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8 years!? thats it?? my dad owns a body shop, he painted the IROC roughly 10 years ago and it still shines just fine. im sure you can get it to last longer..
Old 06-30-2001, 08:26 AM
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Car: 86 T/A
Engine: 5.0 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
The 3600.00 that sunbitz spent is very typical and the amount for quality paint is very typical 500 to 900. If you have some repairs or you are doing a color change it could run a bit more.

I would budget 4000 if I were you. Blue502 you could probably double that lifespan at least. Especially since you probably care properly for a paint job like that. I'm thinking 8 year life span if you don't do anything. My 86 T/A still has an excellent appearing paint job 16 years old and it was from the diasterous Van Nuys plant using the water based primer.
Old 06-30-2001, 07:31 PM
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just under $4000.00 but i got a new windshield and everything was taken apart and stripped. but thats it, and you get what you pay for.

------------------
Jarrad
1990 IROC-Z L98 350 TPI
TH-700R4
G92- 9 Bolt Borg-Warner 3.27gears
Bright Red Hardtop/ Grey Interior


DAILY DRIVER: 1991 GREY S10 2.5L/5SPD -FOR SALE.
Old 06-30-2001, 07:48 PM
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Yep, quality costs money. Mine was right near $5000 and according to my wife it has to last at least ten years! Since all I do is show the car I'm sure I can get at least that out of it.

------------------
1984 Z28 350
Never argue with an idiot, they'll just bring you down to their level and beat you with experience
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Old 06-30-2001, 10:48 PM
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Car: 91 RS Convertible
Engine: 305 TBI
Transmission: 700R4
Hey,
The 8 year span is what the shop told me. I think it will last much longer, but they're just tryin to cover their butts.
I wash the car every weekend and do a wax job once a month. So I think it will last much longer.
I use only Meguiars products so I think the shine will be there for many moons.

I'm a perfectionist, so if the car has some puddle spots on the fenders it's time to was the entire car.
Old 07-01-2001, 01:41 PM
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My paint job cost me 1200$ and it looks killer. It had a lot of rust on the t-top section that the guy took off and well it looks great. I love the way he left the hood and the car shines. I take care of it but like the guys that spent 3k to 12k thier car is going stay shinier forever. Still though when you don't have money to spend like me 1200$ and a car without too much work needed on it will look awesome. Take a look at my car and tell me what you think.


http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?...728&Sequence=0

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/Thumb...100&Sequence=0

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/Thumb...100&Sequence=0
Old 07-01-2001, 02:21 PM
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Here is the pics of a 1200$ paint job if you want to tknow what one will look like.

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?...733&Sequence=0

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?...727&Sequence=0

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?...730&Sequence=0
Old 07-01-2001, 02:31 PM
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Car: 1991 Camaro Z28
Engine: 350 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Just spent 2438$ on mine. 500 in materials with three coats of clear. They charge 36$ dollars an hour... so add in the rest.

------------------
91 Z28
Best Time Slip:
60' - 2.098
1/8 - 9.137 , MPH - 76.21
1/4 - 14.213, MPH - 97.55

Mods: SLP Exhaust, umm...nothing else..sorry

Stereo: Alpine 855, Infinity Kappas all around, Infinity 150x2 amp (POS), Infinity Perfect 10 in hatch.

Webpage coming soon.
Old 07-02-2001, 01:32 AM
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$7500 for my candy
Old 07-02-2001, 08:12 AM
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I had $1300 - $1400 just in material.

------------------
88 IROC convertible
-=ICON Motorsports=-
Old 07-02-2001, 08:19 AM
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Car: 1991 Corvette Coupe
Engine: L98
Transmission: 700R4/4L60 same trans different name
$1000 at Maaco

had it done 1 year ago
it still looks REALLY good (considering where i got it done)
no chipping at all (well, except for where my friend hit my car with a road sign while we were stealing them, idiot )
they oversprayed in some spots a little bit, but for my budget,it couldn't be beat
Old 07-02-2001, 08:27 AM
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Just remember that cost has nothing to do with quality. You need to visit some car shows and talk to the people about where they had their cars painted. Ask lots of questions. If you go to a guy and he is ready to do it the day you get an estimate then chances are they guy is not busy for a reason. I know places you have to wait a year or more before they touch your car. This is the kind of place that you will get a quality product if you budget allows. Good luck!
Old 07-02-2001, 09:03 AM
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Car: 86 T/A
Engine: 5.0 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
89Red you bring up a very good point BUT I want to bring up another side. Most body shops do not make their living doing complete repaints. As a matter of fact most body shops don't like completes.

The reason is they make 90% their living doing collision repair. (This is with the exception of a "speciality" shop.)

For the business owner it is far more profitable dealing with insurance companies repairing their clients car or someones car their client ran in to.

You can do 4 or 5 $1500 to $3500, or more, insurance jobs in the time it takes to do one $2500 to $4000 complete.

Since most of your work is from insurance the body shop business is either feast or famine. Either too much to do or not enough to do. You really can't go out and drum up new business by beating up someones car so you are dependant, oddly enough, on mainly the weather.

Hailstorms, wind storms, ice & snow storms generate the most collisions and therefore most of the work.

So here are some inside tips to get the lowest price:

1. Don't take your car in for repaint after major storms. Even for a couple of months.
2. Ask your bodyshop when their slowest time is and schedule your car for that time. You will get the lowest price and the best work. Even if you damage your car in one of these storms settle with the insurance company and schedule your car for a later date.
3. When possible if you have a second car leave your car for the body shop to "work it in" between jobs. Some complete restorations we keep for a substantial time which allows the customer to raise funds for major projects and allows the body shop to reduce the cost of extremely fine work by doing it in slow or "off" times.
4. Unless you really know what you are doing don't try to save money by doing some of the work yourself. Removing someones improper work takes more time and money than doing it right the first time.

A couple of tips for a better paint job:

1. Don't get your car painted when it's cold.
2. Get your car painted at the least humid time of the year.

So what I'm saying is a shop may not be busy because of what you say.....OR..... because they are at the mercy of the elements. Use this to your advantage.
Old 07-02-2001, 09:10 AM
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Engine: L98
Transmission: 700R4/4L60 same trans different name
89RED, did i ever say my camaro is a showcar, NO I DID NOT!!!

my car is a daily driver and the job turned out cool and fit my budget perfectly........

i went to one "pro" (as people like you mite call them) and he said not to even bother to ask what a paint job would cost!!

so i didn't ask, cuz i knew i couldn't afford it anyway
Old 07-03-2001, 01:30 AM
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Car: '82 Z28
Engine: 350
Transmission: TH400 4,000 stall
Axle/Gears: Currie 9", 4.56 gears
About 400 dollars in materials and lots of hours of sanding. Painted it myself over a year ago.



------------------
'82 Z28
LG4 305 .030 over, performer intake, holley street avenger 670, xe 256 cam, tes headers, 3 inch single exhaust, spintech muffler, 14 x 3 inch drop base k&n.
Old 07-04-2001, 11:21 AM
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<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by 1991tealRSt-topGuy:
89RED, did i ever say my camaro is a showcar, NO I DID NOT!!!

my car is a daily driver and the job turned out cool and fit my budget perfectly........

i went to one "pro" (as people like you mite call them) and he said not to even bother to ask what a paint job would cost!!

so i didn't ask, cuz i knew i couldn't afford it anyway
</font>
you can obviously tell hes not talking to you genius.
Old 07-04-2001, 10:59 PM
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i wonder how a nice black paint job with some minor dent repair would be.

------------------
My 1988 Firebird-the liscense plate on that was temporary :-)

90k miles, 305 5.0L, TBI, auto, black exterior, red interior.
Mods: Hi flow exhaust
Old 07-05-2001, 05:06 AM
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hey here is a link to just some of the pics i got from the body guy as he worked, i have 26 total pics. and it was worth every penny.

my next car i will do myself though, i really want to learn how.


http://albums.photopoint.com/j/Album...a=13240429&f=0



------------------
Jarrad
1990 IROC-Z L98 350 TPI
TH-700R4
G92- 9 Bolt Borg-Warner 3.27gears
Bright Red Hardtop/ Grey Interior


DAILY DRIVER: 1991 GREY S10 2.5L/5SPD -FOR SALE.
Old 07-10-2001, 04:26 PM
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Car: 89 IROC-Z
Engine: LB9
Transmission: 700-R4
If you REALLY want to know how bad these shops screw the insurance companies (hey, I'm glad SOMEONE's doing it!) check this out. I put down a Honda Nighthawk a couple months ago from around 30mph. A "reputable" shop wanted 4000 to fix it. When they heard it wasn't insurance, they wanted 1600. We got it fixed perfectly (aside from some minor paint touch up and a new brake handle) for 65 from a guy who just fixes them in his spare time...you get what you pay for but always diminishing returns...haha

------------------
"Life is pain! Anyone who says differently is selling something."
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