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Just one more suggestion. Find a local body shop that you trust and speak to the owner first about him or one of his body guys that can come to your shop for maybe an hour or two as needed for direction. Not every day but as you move thru the project. Pay them what they think is fair.
Never cheap painting a C3. Had mine done 8 yrs ago and pretty much besides paint it became a frame on. Was done professionally by a shop from someone I know. He usually did 1-2 restorations at a time and had his regular body shop. He would text me 2-5am showing his progress.. took him over a year to complete but 8 years later it still looks amazing. It was mentioned about doing a wrap. May want to consider that for a lower cost. They last 5-10 years.
Never cheap painting a C3. Had mine done 8 yrs ago and pretty much besides paint it became a frame on. Was done professionally by a shop from someone I know. He usually did 1-2 restorations at a time and had his regular body shop. He would text me 2-5am showing his progress.. took him over a year to complete but 8 years later it still looks amazing. It was mentioned about doing a wrap. May want to consider that for a lower cost. They last 5-10 years.
I'm having my 70 repainted. Very long process as you indicated. The shop lets me participate to cut hours of labor charges. I see and experience first hand how long it takes if you're very focused on details. Final decision on color is TBD, Is that an original color? Bridgehampton Blue or some other?
Here in NJ my friend just got his 70 coupe back from a local shop a week ago with a fresh bc-cc paint job. I didnt ask, but I have friends that had their vettes painted there. My guess is 7500.
To cut the costs we stripped the car of parts and paint prior, and the owner is doing all the reassembly. The rear tail light panel in front of the bumpers was replaced also
as part of the job.
Did my in 68 in LeMans blue and my 77 in Tan I guess 7 years ago, both with Dupont products at my house.
It's a LOT of work. These old arms felt like they were going to fall off from all the sanding.
Very obvious why paint and body prep isnt cheap, the hours add up quickly, but also very doable for a DIY job to get very nice results
if you have the time, the desire, and you can keep the motivation going. If so, in the end it's a great feeling of accomplishment.
Will it look like a 15K job from a pro shop? Probably not.
Will it look absolutely fantastic?
Good luck with your car.
Even though this book is from 2006 and I painted my car in 2012 I think this book would be quite useful to anyone tackling this job today. As on the cover, one of the chapters, called "The Full Job" covers a 67 Corvette.
Guy that used to manage a PAW in Chatsworth yrs ago prepped his C3 and 15 yrs ago spent 3k for Maacos best job, jambs whole 9 yards. We al kinda gave him a hard time cause he was known to be cheap..Well He colorsanded and buffed it himself...I was shocked when I saw it. Looked every bit of an 8k+ paint couldnt find a flaw on it. Held up for years, youd never know it was "cheap". Back then 3k wasnt pennies for paint nor a ton either.
One more thing to consider when thinking of doing the prep work yourself. You will trash your shoes, trash your clean garage and get yelled at for bringing dirt in the house. The right sanding fluid helps. But it is worth it I guess.
Thanks everybody for the great information. I had no idea rates were so high across the country. This has been a real eye-opener for me. I'm more used to the hot rodding side of this where things will either work or they won't. You'll make more power or less power, you will be able to handle more cornering force or less, but this painting stuff sounds like it's all shades of grays (or whites in my case). You can have so many different levels of quality with no good metric for comparison. I think I'd better get educated and practice a little bit (My dad has a bumper for his truck he needs painted that he's willing to let me practice on) and then use Doorgunner's suggestion of starting on the headlights, then the hood, then the T-tops, and so on. Best case scenario, I decide I love painting and get out pretty scot free, worst case I paint the headlights and the hood and then have to save up do it professionally. Being that I already have all the equipment needed sans the actual paint, I think I just gonna send it..
Reading this, I have no doubt you have a grasp on reality(cause you've been given good advice as well as bad). You can do this. I do it daily, so I'm gonna toss some real world help at you. There's a family paint company in Virginia called Tamco(they have a website)....their products are top notch, user friendly and very affordable. They also run a facebook group(Tamco 411) where you can ask anything and get real time experienced answers from the company's owner as well as some of the best in the biz all over the country. That said, the paint side of your query is handled. Body repair...I have found a product that's also ahead of the curve. Sika AP7. Good for patching minor cracks and bonding panels. Lee Bumb Composites (Sermersheim's) uses it, so I figured that's good enough for me. And it is. I like it tons better than Evercoat Vette Bond. So, I guess all you need is some time and motivation, since you say you have access to tools. Good luck. It can be a fun process AND a headache...but worth it. I did my first, a wrecked 71, back in the late 70s....been fixing plastic ever since. Enjoy.
Last edited by earl schieb; Jul 31, 2020 at 07:32 PM.
If you really dig this car and want to complete your vision..if you can get the $ just cough it up dont think for 2 seconds about resale and some mystery buyer.
This is supposed to be fun
I'm having my 70 repainted. Very long process as you indicated. The shop lets me participate to cut hours of labor charges. I see and experience first hand how long it takes if you're very focused on details. Final decision on color is TBD, Is that an original color? Bridgehampton Blue or some other?
Yup! 979 Bridgehampton Blue...here’s another pic for ya!! Put some pics of the 70 up!!
Yup! 979 Bridgehampton Blue...here’s another pic for ya!! Put some pics of the 70 up!!
Thanks, nice looking car, like the color. My 70 is at the shop, still in primer. Expect to be painted late fall or early winter. Not much to look at right now.
The quote I got was $6,000 by a very reputable painter that specializes in Corvettes.
Sounds reasonable. Make sure your paperwork spells out timeline, what will be removed and reinstalled (trim, bumpers, doors, headlights...), whether the original hardware for these things will be retained/restored/replaced, where these items will be stored, the brand and specific primer and paint products to be used, whether the door jambs are to be gloss clear like the exterior or semi-gloss/satin like the original factory unpolished lacquer look...
#979 Bridgehampton Blue color code is only valid for 1970 & 1971. In 1972 the Corvette came with color code #979, also.....But it was NOT Bridgehampton Blue ; it was Targa Blue, and entirely different (darker) color of blue. When you order paint to a GM color code, make sure you also state the MODEL YEAR for that color code, as well.
This is an easy way to check your code for your Corvette. The WA numbers in the last row are your best bet for an accurate code for the original formula.
If youre taking it all apart that price isnt horrible, ought to look pretty good.
Make sure you get every single detail in writing, any change etc. Bodyshops are notorious for playing games.
If you DIY set that paint gun up right bet it goes smoother than youd think..
Good quality materials/paint makes a huge difference
DUB is a good source of info havent seen him post in awhile.
This is an easy way to check your code for your Corvette. The WA numbers in the last row are your best bet for an accurate code for the original formula.
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Slideshow: A Jaguar designer's personal project imagines what a modern front-engined Corvette might look like if Chevrolet revisited the golden age of the Stingray.
But it is worth it I guess.
). You can have so many different levels of quality with no good metric for comparison. I think I'd better get educated and practice a little bit (My dad has a bumper for his truck he needs painted that he's willing to let me practice on) and then use Doorgunner's suggestion of starting on the headlights, then the hood, then the T-tops, and so on. Best case scenario, I decide I love painting and get out pretty scot free, worst case I paint the headlights and the hood and then have to save up do it professionally. Being that I already have all the equipment needed sans the actual paint, I think I just gonna send it..
; it was Targa Blue, and entirely different (darker) color of blue. When you order paint to a GM color code, make sure you also state the MODEL YEAR for that color code, as well.
