How much for new paint job?

[clay1g]

I have an '87 3.2 and the paint on it has me thinking about a new paint job. It has quite a few stone chips on the front bumper, hood and side-view mirrors. But there was also some paint work done prior to when I owned it on the right side front fender, door and rear fender that is noticeably different from the rest of the car. Waxing doesn't seem to help.

How much should I expect to pay for a quality paint job over the entire car?

[crustychief]

It really depends on the body work that needs to be done to repair the body work that was done. I don't know about GA but in California about 3K on up for a proper quality paint job.YMMV

[kenikh]

I will assume no color change. If that is the case, then you can keep costs under control. Will you disassemble teh car yourself? This will save even more.

For example, I have known of guys who wanted to "drive in and drive out" when it came to a paint job. This meant the body shop did the disassembly and reassembly, as well as cleaning, sanding and prep. Final price tag? $15K for the jambs out, $30K for a full chassis respray. OUCH.

If you are handy, disassemble the car, mask it off shoot it in primer yourself, source the paint and take it any body shop, you can ususally pay their top paint guy $300-$500 to lay the paint. Shoot it yourself and its free. Paint, which to shoot windows out on a 911 will cost you $500 - $1000 in color and clear for a middle road 1 or 2 stage. Closer to $2K if you want to shoot the interior, trunk, etc.

So the least is $1500 due to materials costs, the most is...well, you can't put a roof on it. That said, if you disassemble the car and drop it off for all bodywork, primer and paint, $7K-10K is a very fair expectation.

[vulcan300]

I'm doing all dissassembly/reassembly myself as well as any of the large rust repairs and welding. The painters who would do it as a side job gave me a price of 5K which includes sanding, body prep, primer and a top coat in Glasurit 2 part paint. That's pretty reasonable compared to what a body shop would charge for the same work. I plan to do the work myself and hopefully spend a total of 5K including the window and targa seals I'll need to replace in the process.

J

[al lkosmal]

In 2008, I had my car painted. I delivered it disassembled, glass out, interior out, gas tank out......basically delivered as a rolling shell, media-blasted to bare metal. Very, very straight. Very low bodywork requirement. Ended up at $8.5K or so.

Regards,

al

[Wavey]

The PO of my car paid $11K for a full glass-out repaint in the original color (black)! Seems excessive to me.

[Copternaut]

I finally got tired of paying someone else to do something I knew I could learn. I read, researched and experimented on small parts with a cheap gun, and took the time, lots of time, to figure out what worked and didn't for me. After 24, soon to be 25 when the '77 is ready, of my own autos and a few "friends" cars (a conversation to be had later), I know I made the right choice. I have painted in my garage, in an $84K down draft helicopter booth with a "wet" floor, and most recently in my own paint booth. I have had old iron cars become show winners and have had whole panels peel off in one sheet. I will say, if you can help with the prep in any way, and are patient and not too "challenged", you will be rewarded to the happy tune of saving money. However, keep in mind, whatever you do will reflect in the final product. If you decide to fix that door ding yourself and the paint comes off after a year, the painter will not want to redo it. The pro shops are very much against you doing any prep, some even will not spray over your work for fear of a fight later on. I have spent more time re-fixing someone elses work that if I originally did it.

As far as cost, the old saying of getting what you pay for is still true. Buy cheap paint and get cheap results, ie looks pretty good for a short period. However, on the other end, and here is the opening for all the brand patriots, there is very little difference between good paint and great (expensive) paint that is applied well. We, as a group, do not expose our precious German autos to the worst Mother Nature has to offer, so our paint is going to do well for a long time if the car is prepared well and the paint is applied well. You can get an excellent job for a reasonable price if you are diligant in your search for someone that will do the job as you want considering the budget you have in mind and his EPA account.

[Copternaut]

OH, one thing I forgot...it is cheaper to paint a Pinto than a Porsche because the Porsche guy is willing to pay more!!!

[joe payne]

Originally Posted by Copternaut

OH, one thing I forgot...it is cheaper to paint a Pinto than a Porsche because the Porsche guy is willing to pay more!!!

You are correct! They see deep pockets when we ask for a paint job.
They should base the price on square footage not a Porsche emblem.
IMO a strip and re-paint should be in the 5-6 k range.

[ruby911]

Clay - I just had a quote from John Holt at Hot Wheels in Marietta to have a total repaint of the same color for about $4500. This included some disassembly on my part. Shortly after that, I had a small fender bender that John fixed up - very happy with the work. Give him a call at 770-422-8412

[TRE Cup]

We've had Porsches painted at those chain store body shops (race cars! not our full builds ) and we have had cars painted by the best here in So Cal. You get what you pay for it.

Don't kid yourself, the average pinto owner does not care if his paint job has "Sunkist" written all over it , minor runs, un even gaps.
The majority of enthusiast car owners (not just Porsches) expect good quality work and results. And you pay for that.
Blowing smoke up you know where, telling people they can get a top quality job for 3k or so, just is not fair. I applaud the DIY-ers here that do some great paint prep and paint on their own cars. Very cool. But when you add up all the hours spent , materials, tell us really what you would repeat that for week in and week out trying to make a living.

What would YOU charge for it?

rant over

[1bad914]

Do it yourself, even buying a compressor, gun and materials will cost much less than most "paint jobs". I never thought I could do it, until a friend gave me the courage, I have never looked back, it is one of the most satisfying things I have done. Since then I have painted many cars, only one for someone else. Is it easy, no, but it can be done. PM me your email and I will send you a little document I wrote on painting a car in your garage. Here is a pic of my last job.

I'm a software developer , so if I can do it anyone can.

[Copternaut]

I managed to pay for my paint booth ($22K) from doing it for myself and others, and the Pinto guy DOES expect the same quality as the Porsche guy, it's just his pockets aren't as deep. At this point, I wouldn't trust anyone else to do it for me, and I certainly woudn't pay for their labor. Add all you want, it's still less and ,as a rule, better quality on everything I do myself. I certainly don't look down on anyone that cannot do whatever it is they require, for me it is just much more of a true project to do it all. If we were looking for economics, we certainly would not keep these things going!!

[Copternaut]

Good Job 1BAD914. If geeks can anyone can!!!!! Time is our only enemy.

[1bad914]

Thanks! I agree, if you want it done right, do it yourself. Then when it is wrong who do you blame. . I am the same way with just about anything, why pay someone else to do something that I can do my self for less and usually a better job. The first car I painted was a 914, it came out fine, but I did not like the color, I sanded it all off and painted it again a week later. I had that car for ten years, I just sold it last year.

[mgatepi]

I did all the disassembly and reassembly myself. The body was super straight and I stayed with the same color to save on Jams etc. Cost was 6K, and turned out fantastic.

[Zeke]

A 914 I welded GT fenders on and prepped to a point got done for 2500 labor and primer materials.
Paint and thinners for 2 stage was 700. This was glass out, both trunks and engine bay.

Maybe 914's get done for Pinto prices.

[cashflyer]

I'm surprised at some of the numbers thrown around to paint a car.

I can get a Cessna 172 painted for $8k.
That's full strip, alodine, prime, & PPG paint.

[1bad914]

I am sure the prep on a plane is important, but not as time intensive as making a car flat, let alone wet sanding and buffing the clear. I would think that a plane is single stage? Maybe not?

[Zeke]

Well, whatever it is, the cars are going for the money shown here. We checked around and some higher end shops were talking 10K and the car was fully disassembled. All they had to do was take off the doors and hoods and reinstall if they wanted them off. Everything was pre-aligned.