Paint help

[luvthyapril]

Okay I give up I'm in Southern California and I just can't find anyone to do the Paint & Body on my cornet for under $16,000 so I'm willing to drag it to Nevada or Arizona if I can find someone willing to do it for under 10 grand or do they any one in Southern California that does pain body on the side we can talk I need help anybody have any recommendations thank you in advance for any and all help. Anthony

 

[rlem1977]

Sort of depends on what needs doing and what paint job you are wanting. $16k may be too high, or it may be right on. Pictures would help this audience help you.

 

[luvthyapril]

Well I want to make it a nice daily driver both front floors need to be replaced I have the pants to do it the rest of it is basic body work and I want to send black paint job and here are some photos of what it currently looks like

 

[Cncguy1]

I can remember back in 1995 my brother getting his 68 charger done, new quarters, a rocker, trunkpan and extensions and a floorplan patch, painted Black for $3500.

 

[rlem1977]

I'm sure that most shops would want to either blast it or dip it so they know what kind of metal they're working with. It does look like there are rust areas from the pictures. There are body guys on this forum, maybe they can add some insights.

 

[WP29440SE]

I can remember back in 1995 my brother getting his 68 charger done, new quarters, a rocker, trunkpan and extensions and a floorplan patch, painted Black for $3500.

that's great and totally irrelevant , because this is not 1995, and the guy lives in commiefornia.

 

[vintage chromoly]

Regardless of where you are located, getting that much work done for less than 10 grand isn’t going to happen, IMO.


If you find someone to do it for that price, be very careful and check a few of the guys finished paint jobs.

 

[powermyster]

$16k and the vehicle is stripped for them. I’m moving to Cali

 

[pturner]

Just brought my 68 Roadrunner back home a few weeks ago from paint shop. Car had been blasted totally clean 100%. Normal B-body rust, trunk, quarter panels, window track and many other small parts. Replacement body parts AMD were $4900. I did all the metalwork, and painted the underside with single stage paint. About 250 hours of my time, Cost ??
Car at the body shop for primer, filler, more primer more filler and block sanding five times.
Invoice for primer, filler, sanding supplies, base (white carerra white) and clearcoat was $4800.
Labor to prep, sanding, clear and base--then cut and buff was $8,500.
So you add the numbers, and this is in Tennessee where i can still get Axalta Solvent Based Paint.
NO, sounds like a good price depending on what you want the finished product to be.
PT in Tennessee

 

[Cncguy1]

that's great and totally irrelevant , because this is not 1995, and the guy lives in commiefornia.

I was simply observing how much prices have risen since then. Sorry to offend you.

 

[wagonman]

Without dipping,stripping it will be a crap shoot as far as the final outcome and longevity of the paint. Weld in floorpans and fix rust, assemble, set gaps, prime,block and paint. 16K is a Very Fair Price.

 

[luvthyapril]

Well after reading my post i definitely have too double check the auto correct, but anyway I guess I'm in the wrong business and need to open a body shop looks like that's where the money is either that or politics but at least Body Shop is honest money I just sawed 16000 with a little high and since I'm not a politician that's kind of more than I can afford and being in commiefornia the epa and aqmd is stationed in the corner of every body shop. But thanks for the input I will keep looking

 

['68 Coronet R/T]

I have restored and painted a number of vehicles.
As stated earlier cutting out rust and replacing panels is very time consuming and must be done right or your new paint will be flaking off in a year or two.
The cost of materials for these big cars is very high and if you skimp on quality with primers, base and clear it will come back to bite you.

I recently painted a custom 55 Chevy truck with a Subaru Spruce Pearl paint the customer wanted. The paint was what they call a tri-stage with a base color sprayed first followed by a second color with pearl and metallics. Not counting the clear coat, just the cost of the color was over $800 a gallon. It took two gallons to get the entire truck painted, leaving just a little left for touch ups.

My point being that things add up very quickly when fixing and painting these older cars. If a shop shoots you a low price, you need to ask some questions. The last truck I painted was a '62 Chevy that the owner had painted in a shop in California. They had simply sprayed about 8 coats of polyester primer and then sculpted the body lines with a sanding block. The paint job didn't last 6 years and the paint was cracking and falling off the truck. I stripped the truck back to bare metal and couldn't believe the lousy body work the shop had done. Half welded patches, areas that looked like Swiss cheese from the holes they drilled, rusted areas were painted over. (I have pictures of all of this.)

Add to the mix that Black paint shows every flaw in the body work, I wouldn't be too quick to condemn the shop for the 16k quote.

 

[WP29440SE]

I was simply observing how much prices have risen since then. Sorry to offend you.

I'm definitely not offended. I think location has a LOT to do with it

 

[rlem1977]

Here is a chart I found on body shop labor rates. They're a heck of a lot lower than mechanic rates.
http://www.repairerdrivennews.com/2...-gets-another-one-sided-legislative-analysis/

 

[whayden2003]

Those rates are for collision work. Doubt anyone can find "restoration labor rates" anywhere close to 56 a hour. Hell. I'm a part time back woods shop and I'm more than that. This is harsh but it is the way. 16K for a paint job sounds expensive but your not asking for a paint job. Your asking for a restoration. Two different things. You know that thou. Now. If you want it right pay the 16K if you've seen that shops work. I can tell you what you don't want. You don't want it in a insurance work biased body shop with a low quoted price. It will be picked at and forgot about. The body techs will be fighting for insurance jobs to pay their bills.

 

[pturner]

i totally agree with whayden2003. sanding, preping, and paint is easy. restoration is another story. most (insurance) paint shops today have no concept of full metalwork restoration. i had a lot of metalwork experience from many years previous. i did get my paint guy to $40 per hour to finish, and prep for paint. this was based on him using my Roadrunner for fill-in work between insurance jobs. He also brought in a retired part time filler guy to to finish filler and prime. My car was at his shop for three months. i also has a small written agreement i would pay him weekly for work done and supplies used. (0h, he did gripe every day that the filler guy was making a giant mess in his shop). now days 1. get plastic parts 2. paint parts 3. put on car with plastic fasteners 4.done 5. get money. What happened to metalwork??
just my 2 cents.
pt in Tennessee

 

[Officer Higgins]

I see this frequently product lable will read, not available for sale or use in California. Then place of manufacturing reads made in California. That kind of foolishness should explain much to the prices out west. Go midwest young man. My understanding is much of the body and paint shops are like roofing industry Hispanics. No dirty beaner going to work on my mopar, have tassles, with hydraulics , lace, and general smell of tacos to it when finished..noooo thanks raulo.

 

[tak419]

I only do paint work part time so can't speak of the big business end of it but 16k isn't bad no matter what state. The prices have went thru the roof on paint supplies in every state. I've given a few estimates and most won't spend the money, or they say I'll do the rust repair and spray the primer (nope cause it'll be a huge wavy mess)..I'll help you sand ( that's my favorite, and they wanted black lmao). Cars are toys, money pits, stress relief and enjoyment. Pay the 16k or you'll regret it later.

 

[rlem1977]

Those rates are for collision work. Doubt anyone can find "restoration labor rates" anywhere close to 56 a hour. Hell. I'm a part time back woods shop and I'm more than that. This is harsh but it is the way. 16K for a paint job sounds expensive but your not asking for a paint job. Your asking for a restoration. Two different things. You know that thou. Now. If you want it right pay the 16K if you've seen that shops work. I can tell you what you don't want. You don't want it in a insurance work biased body shop with a low quoted price. It will be picked at and forgot about. The body techs will be fighting for insurance jobs to pay their bills.

My point with the chart was to show that generally speaking, nobody's getting rich doing body work, collision or restoration. It's a lot of manhours that has to be paid for. Plus, coatings today are expensive, paint booths have to paid for. Of course there are always variations between shops, that's why customers should always underatand what they are getting for the $$$.