C3 repaint price?
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 29,085
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From: Cary IL and Parrish FL
St. Jude Donor '10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17
C3 repaint price?
I am about to buy a brown C3 (from a corvette forum member). My wife is asking me to repaint it to black or red or some other color. I really like the brown since it was just painted. What am I looking at, in terms of cost, to repaint it? Keep in mind, this C3 is not stock at all. I am getting it for the looks (love c3s) and it has a lot of cool upgrades. The owner took immaculate care of it.
Anyway - I am not looking for OEM, near stock kind of paint job (not looking to win any car shows).
Thanks!
Anyway - I am not looking for OEM, near stock kind of paint job (not looking to win any car shows).
Thanks!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,763
Likes: 820
From: SUFFIELD CT USA 2023 C8 CORVETTE UN-MODIFIED FINALIST
2023 C8 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
You can pay anywhere from $1000 for a scuff and paint at Maaco to $10000-$15000 for a show quality job!
Last edited by BPHORSEGUY; May 30, 2011 at 08:02 PM.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 29,085
Likes: 14
From: Cary IL and Parrish FL
St. Jude Donor '10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,086
Likes: 22
From: Crystal Lake IL
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
Hey HyperXXX, get in touch with Freddie Zee in Rockford. He should be able to take care of you reasonably. He's been doing vettes for over 40 yrs. Great guy. Great service.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,201
Likes: 2
From: Frederick Md
I normally used to figure on $10,000 for a Show quality paint job DONE RIGHT.. at a show that has painted dozens of Bloominton Gold cars ... but I have a funny feeling that it may be more then that today...
Major reason I buy cosmetics...
Bob G
Major reason I buy cosmetics...
Bob G
Administrator
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 54,006
Likes: 6,215
From: About 1100 miles from where I call home.
I am about to buy a brown C3 (from a corvette forum member). My wife is asking me to repaint it to black or red or some other color. I really like the brown since it was just painted. What am I looking at, in terms of cost, to repaint it? Keep in mind, this C3 is not stock at all. I am getting it for the looks (love c3s) and it has a lot of cool upgrades. The owner took immaculate care of it.
Anyway - I am not looking for OEM, near stock kind of paint job (not looking to win any car shows).
Thanks!
Anyway - I am not looking for OEM, near stock kind of paint job (not looking to win any car shows).
Thanks!
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 10,362
Likes: 5
From: San Diego - Deep Within The State of CONFUSION!
you don't do that kind of paint on a 'driver' - 2500.00 to 3 grand
Instructor
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 197
Likes: 1
From: Broken Arrow Oklahoma
i was told the other day here for a sand and paint $400. to $500 plus parts/paint etc.. to $4000. to $5000. to do it right. course I wouldn't use them as I have seen their work in the past.
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From: Southbound
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Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2008
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From: In limbo
St. Jude Donor '13-'15, '17 thru '22
As others have said, it depends on what you want, but also, how much of the work you are willing to do yourself. If you are talking about a driver, you can get a good quality job done in Jersey for $5000 where they do EVERYTHING. Meaning, they take the car apart properly, strip and sand everything, take care of any body work that needs to be done (minimal stuff, I'm not talking about a wrecked car here), prime, paint, sand, buff, and re-assemble. So that should be your top end.
When I had my last car painted, the guy took $1000 off the price because I took the car apart and put it back together. He wanted to take more off, and have me do the stripping, but I didn't want to do that. Not everyone is going to be interested in doing that though, as I did the disassembly and most of the assembly in his shop, and some shop owners will not like that. But if you can find someone to work with you, you can save a lot of money in exchange for some sweat and hand cramps.
I would definitely NOT recommend the Maaco "scuff 'n squirt" for a color change, since they won't do the door jambs and other details, you'll still be able to see the old color in numerous places.
When I had my last car painted, the guy took $1000 off the price because I took the car apart and put it back together. He wanted to take more off, and have me do the stripping, but I didn't want to do that. Not everyone is going to be interested in doing that though, as I did the disassembly and most of the assembly in his shop, and some shop owners will not like that. But if you can find someone to work with you, you can save a lot of money in exchange for some sweat and hand cramps.
I would definitely NOT recommend the Maaco "scuff 'n squirt" for a color change, since they won't do the door jambs and other details, you'll still be able to see the old color in numerous places.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,189
Likes: 111
From: Tolland CT
If you are talking about a driver, you can get a good quality job done in Jersey for $5000 where they do EVERYTHING. Meaning, they take the car apart properly, strip and sand everything, take care of any body work that needs to be done (minimal stuff, I'm not talking about a wrecked car here), prime, paint, sand, buff, and re-assemble. So that should be your top end.
I often hear of quotes around $8K to $12K. A local Corvette shop whom I do business with offered to let me strip the paint at their site during the off season, they would supervise. I don't know what the ultimate cost may be until the paint is stripped to see what's underneath. I've figured if I stripped the car myself, disassembled as much as possible and did what ever else I could to cut labor charges I'd be doing well to finish at $5K. No? I'd love to get a decent paint job under $5K...
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 23,419
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From: In limbo
St. Jude Donor '13-'15, '17 thru '22
Sounds rather low... I was quoted $20K easily by a general body shop when I had my car looked at. That struck me as extreme.
I often hear of quotes around $8K to $12K. A local Corvette shop whom I do business with offered to let me strip the paint at their site during the off season, they would supervise. I don't know what the ultimate cost may be until the paint is stripped to see what's underneath. I've figured if I stripped the car myself, disassembled as much as possible and did what ever else I could to cut labor charges I'd be doing well to finish at $5K. No? I'd love to get a decent paint job under $5K...
I often hear of quotes around $8K to $12K. A local Corvette shop whom I do business with offered to let me strip the paint at their site during the off season, they would supervise. I don't know what the ultimate cost may be until the paint is stripped to see what's underneath. I've figured if I stripped the car myself, disassembled as much as possible and did what ever else I could to cut labor charges I'd be doing well to finish at $5K. No? I'd love to get a decent paint job under $5K...
Pro
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 745
Likes: 66
From: Hutto Texas
Great job HighSchool67! Your roadster looks beautiful.
For stripping the car you may want to look at having it media blasted, usually plastic, NOT sand. Depending on the year you would need to remove the rubber bumpers if it has them. You could buy a soda blaster but depending on how much paint is on it soda will take a while and it goes EVERYWHERE. Unless you already have a really good air compressor, paint guns, and a garage you can properly seal and ventilate I would recommend having a professional paint it.
If you partner up with a painter he or she will guide you on what you can do on your own, getting it media blaster, removing parts, etc. Whatever you do, get it in writing! I would not mind taking parts off my car but once its painted I would elect to have the painter put it back together.
For stripping the car you may want to look at having it media blasted, usually plastic, NOT sand. Depending on the year you would need to remove the rubber bumpers if it has them. You could buy a soda blaster but depending on how much paint is on it soda will take a while and it goes EVERYWHERE. Unless you already have a really good air compressor, paint guns, and a garage you can properly seal and ventilate I would recommend having a professional paint it.
If you partner up with a painter he or she will guide you on what you can do on your own, getting it media blaster, removing parts, etc. Whatever you do, get it in writing! I would not mind taking parts off my car but once its painted I would elect to have the painter put it back together.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,201
Likes: 2
From: Frederick Md
BTW... I believe we both share a few hobbies... I see you on Cloudy Nights Astronomy Forums quite frequently .
Bob G
64 72 and 98 Covvertibles
76 79 and 88 (ANC) Coupes
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 228
Likes: 0
From: McKinney Texas
[QUOTE=Vettebuyer5869;1577766692]Buying a car that has just been painted with plans of painting it right away doesn't make a ton of sense.
Buy one that is the color you like or atleast you can live with for a few years.
Good luck
Buy one that is the color you like or atleast you can live with for a few years. Good luck
Racer
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 313
Likes: 8
From: Charleston Illinois
2 years ago my shop did a complete repaint on a customers '77. We stripped it all the way down, repaired bonding seams, installed custom headlights, fiberglassed in a new front bumper to look seamless and did a complete color change for $5500.00 . That included sanding and buffing, removing doors, hood etc. for doing the jambs. The only thing we did not do on that paint job, was install the rear bumper, door internals (door locks, windows and regulators) and weatherstrip. If this car does not need stripped and you want to put in some sweat equity we could do it for less. Feel free to contact me and if you want you can see what kind of work we can do for you.
