Cost to Paint my 911

[Buddan]

Hi, I am considering painting my 71 911T from silver to light ivory. The original color was gold. Any idea how much it will cost to paint the car? Also, any recommendations on the east cost?

[RSTarga]

Really depends on where you are and the quality desired. Around here (Texas),12-15. I got a quote from one top painter on the West Coast for 30-40.

[bhmkv]

Color change gets into a full resto normally. Not sure where on the East you are but I've heard good things about this shop in Canton CT.
Home - Automobile Associates of Canton

[rattlsnak]

Totally depends on how far you want to go for the color change. Do you want the interior trunk area or under the decklid changed also? ( most leave it alone or paint it black to save money). At our shop we have painted 911s from anywhere between $3000 - $8000, but I would say 6-7 is about average unless you bring it to us with everything removed already. (bumpers, door panels, etc..)

[Robert Adams]

Painting a car of this vintage is a very slippery slope.
Do you intend to strip to bare metal? Strongly suggest it if you want a lasting job since you have more than the original paint on the car, who knows what prep work was done the last time?
I'm sure if you do some reseach you'll find posts here on the subject. It's not for the faint of heart nor without at least $15k to $20k to do it right; around here anyway. If you're doing it yourself its probably considerably less like any DIY project. If you are in the NY metro area I know I saw a thread on this very subject a month or so ago. Might check the Painting & Body Work section.
Some guys like one guy over another, so best to go talk to a few to see who you're comfortable with. Then work out a game plan with the guy selected....maybe two guys and then chose?

Good luck!

[Jesse16]

Sounds like your car is not a collectors/low mileage/garage queen. If you're willing to do some disassembly and re-assembly yourself and only want to paint what can be "generally" seen then that 3000/8000 estimate is pretty good. Can still be a nice quality job. I did mine for 5k to the painter but I absorbed most of the above work not including door, hood, engine deck removal. Taking all the very old plastic/rubber, glass, glued on bits, etc. off a 45 year old car is not pretty. A great deal will need to be replaced and luckily its all available. If I paid for a real bare metal resto job, I'd be afraid to ever drive it like a real car again. I just had a local guy that has his own nicely done shop with proper paint booth do mine.

[jac1976]

RSTarga,
I am in SA and am beginning to look around for painters. Plan on asking who Bob and Kathy recommend, but would appreciate your input, too. Thanks.

[Cory M]

Should be in the range of $500-$50,000

[Luccia at Pelican Parts]

As mentioned, lots of variables go into the cost of paint jobs. Sometimes just resprays of the same color of the car can be about 5k+, but a whole color change can be costly. Especially, depending on what type of paint quality/clear coat you go with. I know of individuals painting their cars for a very pretty penny. It also depends on if you want every part of the car repainted, door sills, engine bay, etc. I'd recommend you call around local paint shops in your area and get a few quotes and go from there. Be sure to find one with good reviews and recommendations as you don't want your vehicle ending up looking like an orange peel.

Or, you could always do the job yourself depending on how much you trust yourself to do a job like this. Or maybe just the prep work like mentioned above. Some good useful items here if you decide to go that route: Paint and Auto Body Tools, Paint Prep, Sanding, Grinding, Hammers and Chisels - Pelican Parts. Good luck!

[Mick_D]

If it needs any rust repair, all estimates go out the window.

[Trakrat]

Originally Posted by Mick_D

If it needs any rust repair, all estimates go out the window.

THIS!!!!

NEVER paint over old paint... not even worth just etching the old paint.

Proper paint for an older car is to have ALL the paint completely removed down to the bare metal.
Once you get to that... who knows WHAT you'll find.

[Jonny042]

Originally Posted by Cory M

Should be in the range of $500-$50,000

Not only did this make me laugh, it's absolutely correct.

[GaryR]

Originally Posted by Mick_D

If it needs any rust repair, all estimates go out the window.

IF?

[wayner]

Don't forget the potential cost of new seals. The cost can surprise you...

[AskewRSR]

If you are going to do a Color change, I highly suggest going back to the Original Gold color.
For a color change, I would budget $15-25k depending on how much rust you find and if you have to go into the front trunk area and engine bay.

[GaryR]

Originally Posted by AskewRSR

If you are going to do a Color change, I highly suggest going back to the Original Gold color.
For a color change, I would budget $15-25k depending on how much rust you find and if you have to go into the front trunk area and engine bay.

I would only do that for a numbers matching original car, way too much $$ for a driver and when your done it's gold. Not a very desirable color on any car (though my 510 HP ML63 is gold and it's ok... but it's an SUV).

[mickey356]

Originally Posted by Cory M

Should be in the range of $500-$50,000

BWAAHAAA!

[Rodsrsr]

Painting is so 2000 lol. But seriously 15-20k for a paint job is just silly. The wraps nowadays look just as good for a fraction of the cost.

SkinzWraps Galleries, Vehicle Wraps, Truck Wraps, Chrome Vinyl Wrap, Fleet Wraps

[dcarlson]

Originally Posted by jesse16

sounds like your car is not a collectors/low mileage/garage queen. If you're willing to do some disassembly and re-assembly yourself and only want to paint what can be "generally" seen then that 3000/8000 estimate is pretty good. Can still be a nice quality job. I did mine for 5k to the painter but i absorbed most of the above work not including door, hood, engine deck removal. Taking all the very old plastic/rubber, glass, glued on bits, etc. Off a 45 year old car is not pretty. A great deal will need to be replaced and luckily its all available. If i paid for a real bare metal resto job, i'd be afraid to ever drive it like a real car again. I just had a local guy that has his own nicely done shop with proper paint booth do mine.

+1

[T77911S]

i would put a 71 back to original color.
for a 71 no matter how much you put in it you will eventually get your money back.

its kind of like when I use to race bicycles. you invested in a good frame because the bolt on stuff can be upgraded over time,