I did my own after finding out how much it costs. It is very labor intensive. It took me 40 hours alone to color sand after painting alone.

There is a local guy who charges $50,000 yes 50 thousand for a paint job. He is nothing special when it comes to painting but the detail, the hours sanding. He has also won best car in the world in New York.
I have seen his paint jobs after painting and they are nothing special but when color sanded and buffed out they are perfection.
You can do it yourself, buy the equipment with the money saved, be prepared for alot of labor but in the end you can end up with a good paint job, the satisfaction of doing it yourself and you don't need to be an expert in spraying technics.

I did this myself in the driveway. I pored the paint on and then wet sanded and buffed for a finish.

 

i would paint it myself but to get the body work nice is another thing..... i glasses in all four bonding strips and built it up a bit so i have to get that to look right and i molded in the bumpers....... i'm waiting to hear back from another friend of mine that does lowriders here in detroit so hopefully his price will be better since he will be doing it out of his garage. if the body was straight then i'd paint it but with my luck i rush into painting and realize that that i would have more waves than an ocean on there........

b

 

I say paint it yourself...!!! I've seen the work you're doing on your interior and it looks really good. Just don't be afraid, and don't be too anxious to lay down the paint. When the bodywork is ready you will be too. Norval's car looks awesome, as you can see.

I will eventually be painting my 69, and probably in my driveway. I paint buildings for a living, and even though it's a completely different type of painting, I have the skill and technique to do an auto. I simply need to learn about automotive paints. There is enough good info here on the CF to find out what needs to be known.

I would be more than happy to lend a hand, if you decide to tackle the job yourself...!!!

 

Cheaper to just buy new body panels, have them painted, then put on yourself.

 

kal..... that's true....... too bad i didn't get a totalled car and did a frame off....the next vette will be a frame off though.... there was a guy that said he would bodywork it and prime it for 1,000... this was last year... i have to see if he is still around..... i might do that and paint it myself.... the only thing is the clear coat...... i heard that is the hard part...... 2-3 base coats and 3 clear coats...... that sound good?


b

 

Time to cut those apron strings, boy!

 

All you paint it yourself guys should read this to learn the risks of spraying modern catalyzed paints without proper fresh air breathing systems.

http://www.ciag.ca/iso.html

Is your health worth saving a few $$$ on a paint job?

 

5K sounds good. Believe me it's alot of work. I got a price of $2500 ten years ago from a good friend who has a shop. I thought that was way high so I did it myself in my garage. Took me about five months and around a grand for the supplies but it was worth it. You feel pretty proud when someone asks you who restored your car and you say "I Did". If you can afford it, go for it.

 

Excellent point! Not to mention my neighbors would freak if I painted my car in the driveway. How do you maintain a sterile environment when painting outside?

I applaud those that have the tools, know-how, time and venue to paint their own car. In a crowded neighborhood such as mine (Los Angeles), painting my own car is a non-starter.

Regards,

James

 

I don't think that 5K is that much for painting a vette. I mean i always hear that it's gonna cost 10-12-15K for some people to get their cars painted. Get it done for 5K and be happy it wasn't a penny more!!!

 

I went to many shops for my 68 coupe and prices ranged from 6500 to 12000 for a STOCK LeMans blue paint job. Paint jobs are expensive and the money is in the prep work. You get what you pay for. I also thought it was very expensive but since I can't do it and I don't want Maaco crap on my car, I have to bite the bullit and pay. Mine is being picked up today and will be done in 2-3 months. Price $7500.00 for block sanding, primer, 2 coats of color and three coats of clear.

 

$5K sounds about right, though we do all of our own painting.

 

YUP...

If you're going to do it yourself, you have to have a place and the knowledge. That's a given. The place can be a tough one.... obviously some people don't have a suitable spot, and that ends the quest. But for those that do have a place to work, the knowledge is easily obtained. Catalyzed paints have been around now for a LONG time. I used to work in an Auto Parts store that sold DuPont catalyzed paints circa 1976-1978.... that's 30 years. I mixed paint on a daily basis.... we serviced several local body shops (in Endicott NY) as well as many walk-in/do-it-yourselfers. The respirators are readily available and absolutely MUST be used. Otherwise yer a dead man walkin'.

Same concept as hydraulic jacks.... they can suddenly give out with absolutely no warning... and the car can come down. Most of us are smart enough to use jack stands... those that aren't... well... that cleans out the gene pool.

Painting a car is not hard once you develop your own technique.
Neither is stripping or block-sanding or fiberglass repair. With a little guidance, anybody can do it.

I'm in the process of doing some construction on my own property... everyone says "you can't do that yourself".

So.... I bought a chain saw and am cutting down 100' trees.... it ain't so hard. Just follow the rules.

They want to charge me ridiculous fees for excavation etc. So I am buying a CASE 580 backhoe and doing it myself.

Friend of mine just built a 30x60 4-bay garage. Contractors said it would cost $100K+ and he couldn't possibly do it himself. So he designed it, got an engineer to review/stamp his plans, subcontracted the people & built it himself for under $40K.... he's a foreman in a high volume body shop.... builds street rods for fun.

All it takes is some guts.

Paint job.... pft!

Piece of cake.

Just make sure you do use the correct respirator for catalyzed paints if you use them.

Get a little extra paint and practice on scrap panels. Try spraying from above, from the side, and from the bottom to see how your gun acts under all conditions with color & clear.

By the time you finish spraying multiple coats of primer & sealer, you should have your technique down.

Read a book or two.... find out the "gotcha's" like... water/oil in the line causing fish-eye.

If you have the time & the place... just add elbow grease.

 

I'm with the "do it yourself" crowd. Study as much as you can. Find something to practice on first and go for it. Chances are it will look great and you will have saved a bundle. Also, think how good it will feel to stand back and look at your work. Buy a GOOD paint gun though. Don't skimp there. You will spend $300+ minimum on a good Sharp or Binks.

 

bye Jesus boys, don't know why it is so expensive in your areas, up here in the Great White North a good roller and brush are only about $10 and throw in a good can of Canadian Tire high gloss latex for the glass and enamel for the bumpers we're good to go for under $40 and that canucklebucks too.

 

I appreciate the DIY point-of-view. But you are buying equipment and setting up facilities you will never use again.

 

Maybe....maybe not!

 

nice car

 

so, with all the motivation i got from u people i decided that i will do it myself.... i already had the long boards/paper/compressor and guns to do it so mine as well..i just went and bought glazing putty. i started it actually 2 hours ago....... imy compressor is a 30 galloon 5.5 horse.... i have two gravity feed guns but should i get a hvlp gun.... also...what are the resperator setups that i need... i'll go to a paint store and see if they'll have em........thanks again for motivating me on this..... pics will be up soon.... of the finished rear and front that is..... i'm not that fast......

b

 

What do you do if there is a booboo and you have to replace a bumper? Do you just measure back to the correct seam line and cut with a cutoff wheel?

Is it possible to mold in urethane bumpers to a fiberglass body or can that only be done with fiberglass? I know ecklers and some of the others sell new urethane bumpers that are supposed to offer the crack protection of urethane without the waviness problems of the factory pieces.

Just curious...and...I bought new urethane bumpers for my project a couple years ago and now would like to mold them in...