Easy Mike

jb78L-82

Holy crap!! These prices are crazy!

I think that when I am ready for paint on my 78 there are only 2 options:

1. Get a great deal from my friend who has his wrecked/salvage Volvos painted (this is his business)-he has a regular paint guy who does all his work at much less than retail OR more likely:

2. Find an elder someone who no longer paints for a living but still does occasional jobs on the side with experience with fiberglass. First 5-6K gets the job-CASH. No disrespect but this is not brain surgery.

zwede

No worries. We just need to consider that "a paint job" is not a known quantity. A quick scuff-n-shoot job by someone working out of his garage in a make-shift booth may be great for one person, were someone else will not be happy unless it's done to show car levels. Were the first may be $1K, the second can easily be $15K or more.

The paint shop didn't disassemble/reassemble. We dropped off a bunch of pieces, then picked them up painted and reassembled the car.

The shop charged me $1,800 labor (+$1,200 materials). At the shop rate of $45 that's only 40 hours. Thinking of the time it takes to mask, shoot, color sand and buff all those separate pieces 40 hours is very reasonable.

I counted again, and here's what I came up with. I think I'm forgetting a piece or two, though. Still, I get 21.

2x Headlights
2x headlight bezels
1x hood
1x wiper door
1x wiper grill
1x wiper door molding
2x windshield side moldings
2x gills
2x doors
2x t-tops
2x rear deck grills
1x exhaust filler panel
1x gas cap
1x car

gkull

My Vette was 8 or more layers. black base coat then aqua green, then clear then polished, then a ghost flame job with another clear coat, then gold metal flake then 2-3 more coats of clear and the final polish. I get a discount on paint etc. and it all adds up

zwede

$3K for the materials to do that job is quite cheap. Seems some forum members are still in the 1970's or something?

My simple BC/CC in solid red was $1,200 just for BC/CC. That does not include primer. It's done with PPG paint, which I know from experience is extremely durable. Previously I've had that same paint sit in TX sun 3-4 days a week for 10 years and had no fading at all.

jb78L-82

Great price!!

15-20K is ridiculous for painting a corvette though.

zwede

No disrespect, but it doesn't sound like you have done it. After getting a C3 ready for a nice paint job; stripping to 'glass, replacing panels or repairing old bondoed damage, glassing the seams, getting everything straight, glassing and cutting door gaps, primer, and blocking everything.... I can tell you I wouldn't do it again for a measly $15K. No way. It's hundreds of hours of work.

But like I said earlier: If you just want paint, that's easy.

persuader

A lot of folks do not want to face the truth that stripping and repairing and then finally painting a Vette the right way is neither cheap or easy. Everyone wants their car to look like it came from the factory or better and are amazed at how much it cost. I must have more than 500 dollars in materials not parts already spent on my Vette and I haven't even bought the paint, clear and all the solvents yet.
I retired from auto body two years ago and it has always been an uphill battle to explain to people that you get what you pay for.

jb78L-82

I am totally on board that you get what you pay for with materials. Labor charges are all over the board, that is the problem. I am very aware of what's involved in painting a car and no I have not done automotive painting but just about everything else on our cars and many others…. as a hobby.

Here is a great case in point:

I had my house painted 8 years ago by an established local painter. He used Benjamin Mooore paint-1 coat and charged me X.

I am about to get my house painted again by a Gentleman from Portugal who has painted numerous houses of my friends-I have seen his work-for the SAME price as 8 years ago with a better paint-Sherwin Williams Duration and here is the kicker--TWO coats-which is like painting the house twice for the same money 8 years ago. Why? He wants the business, works hard which I highly respect, and does not want to get paid like a neurosurgeon.

See the difference?

Killingsworth 73

I called every "Corvette Shop" in the Kansas City area, and with NO bodywork, they all wanted 12-15k. I found someone who runs a dealership body shop and also does side work. He had my car about a year, but she needed a couple hundred hours body work, including the front clip removed and re-glued. I paid about $1800 in paint and clear (myself), and $5500 for the work and spray. Couldn't be happier.

jb78L-82

I am talking about a basic strip, fixing the front fender seams, and a basic paint job like the car came from St Louis in 1978(factory paint jobs were at best OK-NOT a Concours paint job which none of our cars had from the factory-5-6K is what I consider reasonable. A top flight paint job-to me-12K- no more-to me.

Hpozzuoli

Wow! There are some crazy quotes floating around. Fortunately my buddy owns a body shop. He told me last fall 3k to do my 71. Jams, gutters, bodywork etc. he said it would be less if I prepped it and he shoots it. I did ask how much for an average guy and he said around 5k.

I think some of these high prices are for 2 reasons.
1) you have a Vette so you are rich...pay up
2) they don't want to do the job so if they want to pay 10k I will do it.

jb78L-82

That's exactly what I am talking about-thanks for sharing…….

jb78L-82

Again-Thank You for Sharing

That to me is the target price-5-6K. Any higher on a pretty basic paint job-not crap-I would walk away. Most people don't NEED to paint their cars-not everyone- BUT they want to, which gives you tons of leverage on price.

zwede

And there's the rub. Neither of your examples would be an acceptable job to me. I must have perfect 3/16" door gaps. All panels must be blocked to each other. Not to mention hood gaps, headlights and on and on. So we have different expectations.

Door gaps:



Panels blocked together to create an even suraface:

scottyp99

Ah-ha! See, I have an '80. No wiper door, no rear deck grills, no exhaust filler panel, the"gills" are just black plastic, don't really need painting, and I plumb forgot about the gas cap and the windshield molding!

Scott

jb78L-82

I totally respect the quality of your paint job! Its looks fantastic! You are truly making your car into what should have come from the factory.

Unfortunately, none of the C3's came from the factory that way-none of them. The 81/82's have better paint jobs since they came from the new Bowling Green plant but prior to 81 the St. Louis cars were never show quality, even brand spanking new. I appauld your making the car much better than new.

You are correct. I was talking about bringing the car back to "factory" original.

Killingsworth 73

You can see my gaps pretty well here. They were TERRIBLE when I took it in to him (aftermarket front end, aftermarket door skins, aftermarket hood). Some were almost 1/2" before.
She might not be perfect, but a gorgeous 10 footer, and I like to drive and enjoy it also.

jb78L-82

My car has never been hit/repaired-nothing since new. The gaps are very large as well as overspray from the factory. That is just the way they were-unfortunately.

terry82

I am happy with scuff and shoot .When you put a car on the street you will get stone chips.let it sit and there have been cases where it gets scratched or worse.i don't need perfect. that I expect to cost .I just want a driver .having more in paint than the car is worth, just does not work for me.If you tell me the paint is going to cost 10 plus then I have to assume you don't want to do it.