real cost of a great paint job

or do body panel alignments (or reassembly after it was taken apart for painting..

 

In California, if you get a NICE paint job for under $20,000 time+materials you did very well. Panel fit alone can eat up a week and an average shop rate in this area is $85 an hour. Depending on the condition the car is in when delivered to the shop, it could EASILY take 150 hours to get the car ready for the final coat. Mud+primer+sandpaper+tape etc. you'll probably be looking at $3,000+ in materials & $13,000 in labor just to get it to the point that it can actually be painted.

Then you pay for the paint & clear and the labor to apply it and you'll still have to shell out for them to buff it. If the shop is doing reassembly for you, it could end up costing QUITE a bit more than $20,000.

Some painters shy away from delivering big figures up front so they don't scare off the customer. I understand the tactic, but don't like it. Honestly, a nice job for less than $20,000 - you stole it.

 

I use to paint cars for $75 in about 1972 and could eat a little but never got rich

had a NAPA paint contract once long ago that was about 40% off for being a industrial painter, that was a good profit item

still got posters with that price on it

also beer was 10 cents in Nam in 1967

what has happened to our country????

 

Well....If you went to the Chevy dealer, and bought every part to assemble a brand new Camaro, for example....how much do you think the parts would cost?
Probably about 10 times what a Camaro cost new. Doing anything is going to cost far more than a high volume assembly line manufacturer pays.

 

i'll say this anyone that does low volume should at least consider looking into Turbine Spray Systems. with material prices so high a turbine system will pay for itself in pretty short time. my apollo system is one of the best investments i ever made. i'd say it easily cut my material usage by 20-30% maybe more. clean, warm, DRY air. no moisture worries(a blessing here in the south), oil free lines(no fish eye problems).

i looked into it for years before lucking up on my unit lightly used for about 1/3 it's regular price. mine's an older unit with an old siphon feed type gun but i'm about to order a gravity feed set up in the next week or two...ken....

 

You guys have pretty much have said about all there is about painting .There is the good and bad,but a lot of work and money.The times are changing things just cost a lot more then we like.Yes after over 40 years I don't like where we are going.

 

What a joke.

I contacted Macco just for grins. Asked them to give me a quote to paint my 66 C10, with no body work, just paint. This is what they replied with:

"To paint the entire vehicle, you are looking at approximately $600. To change the color, you are looking at approximately $850.
I would have to see the vehicle in person to give you an exact estimate.

Maaco Collision Repair & Auto Painting
1011 N Main Street
Pearland, TX 77581
(832) 230-8989"


When I asked them what happened to the $299 special they replied:

"That is for a regular size vehicle. (car)."


I can only assume for $550 difference they must consider a Crosley a normal sized car! What a giant bait and switch scam!



And maybe this car but the flames would cost you another $800!

 

A paint job under $20K is not readily available in my area but they can be had. If you want a real nice body and paint job at one of the famous shops or builders you should plan on $40K minimum. Sounds high to an old man like me but a gallon of paint for a $1000 seems a bit out touch with my world also. Primer is in and tenting your garage is real popular today in my area. Hot Rods will be built no matter what materials and labor cost. DIY has always been popular. End of sermon.