Frankie the Fink

Since the paint is fresh (not faded) and they prob have some of the original mix ready-to-go, you'll never know it happened IMO....and yes re-clearing the front is what you want; insist on it....."blending" clear coat will only hold up for a while, if at all...

Sounds like the shop is being totally honest about it and trying to do a correct repair.

I hope the dolt that parked next to you has his insurance premiums double.....jerks like that just make me do a slow burn.

Frankie the Fink

Or take short cuts, like having the kid that was sweeping the floors suddenly promoted to bodyman and he's gluing parts on your Corvette and prepping it for $15/hour...

..

MikeM

I used to hand the the guy that built this car a paycheck every week. He made about $15/hour.



https://www.hotrod.com/articles/0201...om-1948-chevy/


Several others with similar (but not quite) talent worked there as well for the same money.

kenba

YEP & with inflation & the EPA the 2000.00 30 years ago is the same as 15,000.00 now.

kenba

That's great but most people cant live on 15.00 a hour especially any of us that choose not to live south of Indiana stone cutter country

GTOguy

Nope. just did the calculations on a $2500 paint job I had done in '82 on a GTO. 1982 dollars to 2019 dollars? That $2500 is now $6400. So Roy's car would now be about a $5500 paint job. And I've seen his car....it is gorgeous in person. If I could get a show paint job for $5500, I would be all over it. Not happening, though.

1snake

Your calculator only shows the current dollar value due to inflation. It doesn't take into consideration the cost of materials then vs. now. A gallon of top end paint back then was $20-30. Now it's over $600.

dplotkin

This thread needs to die a quiet but assured death, it isn't helping anyone learn anything other than the disdain some have for the way others elect to spend or refrain from spending money.
To all of you $3,000 paint job owners and you $30,000 paint job owners - those in-between and most importantly, those who ask the question what it should cost I say the following and will say no more about it:

1. Paint is a commodity with a price. Some costs more, some less. The only control you have over the cost of paint is your selection of dealer and manufacturer.
2. The amount of labor required to paint a car to a standard under which most Corvette enthusiasts would agree appropriate and desirable is discernable. No two (or three or four) experienced contractors would likely arrive at a significant disagreement as to how many hours are necessary to paint a given car provided they are all looking at the same car.
3. That pretty much leaves the variable as the cost of labor. If you hire a well equipped, experienced shop with a nice paint booth you will pay the going hourly rate. Multiply that by the hours and the cost of paint and supplies and there you are.
4. If you, your friend, your brother-in-law or your brother-in-laws ugly sister have the necessary skill set and will do it for $10 an hour rather than $70, there's your $3,000 paint job in 1983 that is likely $12,000 to $15,000 today.

The idea that one or more of you has or can get a $3,000 paint job from an arms length third party auto painting pro - that measures up to what most of us have in mind - is nonsense and ought not be further debated here.

Dan

LouieM

A tactic I've thought of should my 67 ever need paint.

MikeM

You were doing pretty well until you got to here.

a) you don't know what most have in mind.

b) you don't know most of the Corvette people

c) prices vary widely, as you described. I think many here would like to know what the range is

d) if you don't think the subject is worthy of input besides what you and a few others think, you can always move on to the next thread.


Further, no way of knowing but I'd bet many readers here could not/would not be able to afford the higher end prices being thrown around here either because they were short of jingle or long on common sense.

It's also entertaining to watch during these "how much does it cost" threads of what geographical location of the country talks about the highest prices, the lowest prices and then there's the basically silent majority that just doesn't say anything. It takes a decent sample size to get a true average. Just using a sample from the highest rent districts in the country is misleading.

MikeM

A reference was made above that somehow, $15/hour was below the threshold of quality work and would result in less than desirable quality work. I don't see anything wrong with the work. How about you?

My post had nothing to do with how many garbage cans this person has in front of his house. But, I think it's two?

gjhinc

You know there are people who can afford whatever-it-costs and also have common sense. Just sayin'

tuxnharley

dplotkin

Mike-
I would have kept my promise but for your response which begs mine, to wit:

I believe I do know what most have in mind. I may not have your tenure in the collectable Corvette hobby but I know many folks in the old car world. Among us, "good paint work" is a recognizable and largely agreeable standard. I find there is always an outlier, a contrarian like you, who says otherwise.

I know few Corvette people. But my hunch is that fastidious Corvette keepers are little different from those who keep other cars of value, they all like a good paint job. Those that like them and can afford them, have them. Those that like them and cannot afford them go without, save up for some day, or go to a fella you might know and get a paint job short of what most folks would consider top notch.

Prices do not vary as much as you allude. I agree its cheaper in Ripon Wisconsin than it will be in Nyack NY. But not so much so that it would make sense for the NY guy to ship his car to Wisconsin. The process is the same. There is only one right way to paint a car. This doesn't mean you must do it the right way, or that you ought to be admonished for being willing to live with a lesser result than some of us. But it does mean that when you make the case that what I want is unreasonable or if not achievable for far less in your locale, I say BS.

The subject, Mike is fine. Your responses have turned it into a sort of circular argument that establishes nothing beyond your assertion that one man's paint job is not necessarily another's. So what? What does that demonstrate? That you know how to disagree?

Ps. I know you are just weighing in with your opinion, you are entitled to it, and based on other things I've read from your fingertips, you are a valuable resource around here. So why beat this differing paint job standard to death? Its beneath both of us at this point.

Dan

MikeM

It is my opinion. In spite of evidence presented to the contrary, some here dispute the numbers, dispute the quality of the work, dispute how much work is required, and yes, sadly, what your financial standing is and how much your rent is. Sad.

I have tried to point out exactly what you say. One man's paint job is not another's. For whatever reason. Many reasons according to what's been written on this forum.

Seems to me you (and a few others) can't accept that premise and you and a few others just want to disagree. For whatever reason. There are alternatives.

Rob_64-365

One of my friends has a shop, does lots of restorations & custom paint, including corvettes. He said the friend deal would be to prepare for $10,000 if the car is near perfect under the paint, but e prepared for an extra $5-7000 very easily. Which I am ok with spending the money, I just hate that I am spending it to get it back to its born with factory Riverside Red, which I am not a fan of!! Oh well, that's just how it goes.

dplotkin

I can and do accept any premise that has validity Mike. And of course there are alternatives and exceptions to any dogma. And I agree with a lot of what you say. However when you suggest those who pay upwards of $20,000 for a paint job have no common sense, I suggest in response that you are either ignorant of the facts, which I doubt, really know someone who will body prep and paint a Corvette to look as it did from the factory for $5,000 which I also doubt, or that you harbor some inexplicable resentment for those who can and will pay $20,000 or more to get what they want. I want to doubt that.

I'm with you on the lid for every pot theory. My cars reflect that. I have 4 cars with very nice paint, two with some original some remedial work, and one with a discount mask and shoot I live with. We can agree that some can live with the results from paint work that is affordable. I'm among them. I can't abide however by those who want to apply relativism to paint jobs. There has to be a standard. Otherwise we can't talk intelligently about anything. I think there is but 1 way to paint a car to result in the standard I have in mind. The cost of that varies but the standard does not. That you or others are content with something short of my standard is of no consequence to me.

Recall that the OP asked what it costs to paint a car. Others chimed in. Yet rather than respond with what you believe it costs you went on to editorialize your view of the motivations and/or ignorance of others. I don't come here to scold, but I am one to argue if that's what you want to do, provided the subject doesn't bore me. This one is going boring fast.

Dan

ricks327

You bring up a very valid point, "under the paint". Not sure if that issue has been raised earlier but it deserves discussion.
One other issue, who is removing bumpers, emblems, trim and getting the car ready for the paint to be stripped. Are you leaving the original wheels(knock-offs, etc.) and great tires on, where the shop just covers them or are roller wheels/tires going to be switched out? Who is reinstalling these items? So many things come into play when it trying to estimate what a paint job will cost and who is doing what.

Kingtal0n

Around me there is a shop that has everything: motors on the shelf, 6 lifts, paint booth, frame machine, fork lifts, imported goodies, etc...
They install engines AND paint their cars, without the motor/interiors/glass etc... and you can always see their finished, painted cars sitting out front. Some are theirs for sale, some are customers cars waiting to get picked up or for more parts.

A decent job that includes 'everything' starts around $3500, and it takes them about 2 days. They usually get the engine out and the car painted on the first day. They do it all the time, experience counts.

I suggest you find a place like that, 2-3 day turn around, with lots of finished cars you can inspect. So you know what work you are getting before you pay.
Also they will do the job without getting paid up front, and wait for customer approval before taking the money.

GTOguy

I already covered that in post #143. You need to read the thread before you nit-pick.