How much should the average paint job run me?

 

$3k ~ $5k for "average". $5k & up for "above-average". $10k & up for "show".

 

Depends on the quality you want. I was tempted by the low prices of Maaco's http://www.maaco.com/ but did it myself with Dupont paints instead. Has anyone tried Maaco's? I certainly would have saved money with their under $1,000 paint jobs but I've heard mixed reports on them...

 

in those approx ranges.

 

heres the maaco answer:

every PAINTER is different - not even every shop. visit a few local maaco's and when you see a car that is really well done, ask who painted it - tip the painter $250 up front to do it right and you can end up with a sweet paint job for cheap. it still won't be a 10k show job, but....

all in all nobody can tell you that maaco is good or bad - it depends on who works there and how well they prep your car.

 

When I decided to get my car painted I had no idea. I figured I could get it done for 2-3k. In the end I paid more like 7k.

Make sure you consider everything.

1. Doing it right. You can go with maaco, or you can with someone who specializes in vettes. I chose the latter, but as has been stated, even at Maaco, some of it is company policy, but it really does come down to the painter. I'm sure there are plenty of excellent painters that work for Maaco as well as a decent number of half-*** painters. The individuals prepping and painting the car matter more than the name on the door.

2. Consider everything, not just the paint. Ex. Initially, I didn't figure in all of the things you "should" or could replace when painting a car since if done properly, quite a few parts come off of the car that are worth replacing with new before they go back on since the labor involved is the same (ex. emblems, door handles, lock cylinders, gaskets, rocker panels, lenses, weatherstrip, under hood insulation, etc...).

3. Consider turnaround time. In some cities it's hard to find a reputable painter that can get it turned around quickly. In Dallas this wasn't a problem, but some places have a waiting list a mile long especially if you're not able to pay top dollar.

4. Working with fiberglass is a different beast from most other cars. Not to say the cheaper places can't handle it, but a corvette specialist is typically going to know more about doing a proper job.

5. The details. The corvette specialist I used not only painted the car, but paid attention to other details. Ex. Some of it was at my request, but he painted the hood hinges, door jambs, wiper area, front grillls, mirror to car gaskets, all trim, wheel wells, spare tire carrier, underneath the t-tops (not the headliners, but underneath and around them), even my old rusty mufflers (I'm going to replace them, but a nice coat of silver paint sure makes them look better in the short term).

Just my 2 cents. Hope it helps.

 

This question comes up once a month. It all depends on where you live as prices vary in different states. Preparation is the key to a good paint job and sometimes places that charge less do less prep work. You can get around that by removing everything from the car yourself so that you are only paying for them to do what you can't do. I stripped my 68 coupe and removed all emblems, bumpers, everything and it cost me $7,000.00 to have it done by a Corvette shop that knows and understands fiberglass. There is a difference between painting metal and fiberglass.
I had a Maaco paint job on a Camaro and it barely lasted a year.
Bottom line: like most things in life, you get what you pay for.

 

in my area (south florida) a good paint job on a corvette by someone qualified to do it, assuming 2 things: no glass work is necessary other than some simple binding stip stuff, and the color is the same (no change) will run you in the 7000 to 8000 dollar range at most better shops. i'm certain you can shop around and find someone to do it for less, but believe me for the most part you will get what you pay for in a paint job. to do it right, not even "show", all the moldings, door handles, etc should be removed and those areas prepped and painted correctly. all that takes time and time is money. as with most things, if the appropriate energies are expended in the preparation, the end result will show it. my best guess is that well over 50% of the job is prep. short cut that (and save $$$) and the end result will show it. it all comes down to what you expect and what you are willing to settle for. they relate directly to the cost.

 

SRS244,
Well said. I hate seeing a nice Corvette and upon closer inspection seeing masking tape lines around weatherstripping or door handles or even worse, seeing the old color show through or seeing overspray where the masking job was not done properly. Better to remove everything and do the door jambs, hinges, etc especially if a color change is being made. Even without a color change, the jambs and sills should look as good as the rest of the car or it looks like it was only done half way.

 

Mine is going in the shop next week here in ft lauderdale: I bought the body parts that te body/paint man recommended be replaced (front clip and another set of parts I cannot remember the name of right now, and its going to be around 6000, (for the body and paint work + the 2000 on the body parts)