How much to paint C-3?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 2,675
Likes: 13
From: Sudbury MA
How much to paint C-3?
What is an average ball park figure to paint a 1968 coupe that has been stripped, sanded, and requires no bodywork?
Car needs to be primed, sanded again, and then painted.
Car will be painted Le Mans blue, no flames, no special effects, not 40 coats hand rubbed, etc. just a nice presentable factory appearance paint job.
Need a guideline to use as a "yardstick" when I get price quotes.
Have one quote of "minimun $7-$8000 which seems a bit high to me.
Thank you,
Car needs to be primed, sanded again, and then painted.
Car will be painted Le Mans blue, no flames, no special effects, not 40 coats hand rubbed, etc. just a nice presentable factory appearance paint job.
Need a guideline to use as a "yardstick" when I get price quotes.
Have one quote of "minimun $7-$8000 which seems a bit high to me.
Thank you,
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,042
Likes: 202
From: Atoka, TN
way too high!!! 2000 maybe. if the car is completely stripped of interior, glass, lights, and emblems.....they would only have about 20 hours of work to do. as long as you didn't specify house of color paint and just went with the typical dupont paint system, there would only be around 600 in materials.
chris
chris
Race Director
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 10,866
Likes: 717
From: Beverly Hills/Pine Ridge Florida
I'm having my 63 painted now. Never hit. Only body work done was to repair the fender lips that I ground out for "fat" tires many years ago.
I disassembled the car....bumpers, emblems, glass, etc. He's stripping and painting it. Cost? $5500.00 for paint plus $800.00 for the fender lips. Total $6300.00.
The fellow who's painting my car is a professional painter who does 4 or 5 cars per year "on the side" at his home. He's a Corvette owner himself...has 3 midyears. He's a member of my NCRS Chapter. He paints NCRS/Bloomington Gold type Corvettes...also does Street Rods. Does SUPERB work. He's backed up 1 year + for paint work from hobby guys like me. He'll have my car for 3 to 4 months. Chuck
I disassembled the car....bumpers, emblems, glass, etc. He's stripping and painting it. Cost? $5500.00 for paint plus $800.00 for the fender lips. Total $6300.00.
The fellow who's painting my car is a professional painter who does 4 or 5 cars per year "on the side" at his home. He's a Corvette owner himself...has 3 midyears. He's a member of my NCRS Chapter. He paints NCRS/Bloomington Gold type Corvettes...also does Street Rods. Does SUPERB work. He's backed up 1 year + for paint work from hobby guys like me. He'll have my car for 3 to 4 months. Chuck
Racer
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 420
Likes: 1
From: Lapeer MI
If all you're talking about is shooting the primer, base coat, clear coat and buffing then $2000 plus expenses seems pretty reasonable. The majority of the cost in painting a car is prep work which according to you is already done. Good luck.
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 30,183
Likes: 313
From: Lake Norman NC
I figure your still looking into the $3000+ range. Even if the car is already stripped, you still got to work the seams, block the primer, paint along with cut and buff on the car...still alot of work left, you just did the dirty work.
Racer
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 391
Likes: 0
From: Chicago il
I don't know. I got a quote from the place that did my cousin's 'stang. $2200- that was for complete paint + all the body work. No hits on my car, but one stress crack on passenger fender. They will not strip the car but sand down then primer and paint.
I think $2000 for just paint would be about right. Maybe a little more.
Note that I am not having them paint my car. The $2200 is too little, not to mention I do not want my car sanded with an orbital DA.
I will be doing all the body work and painting it myself (with help from my dad) next winter.
This winter I will be doing the engine and trans.
Cheers!
~Kevin
I think $2000 for just paint would be about right. Maybe a little more.
Note that I am not having them paint my car. The $2200 is too little, not to mention I do not want my car sanded with an orbital DA.
I will be doing all the body work and painting it myself (with help from my dad) next winter.
This winter I will be doing the engine and trans.
Cheers!
~Kevin
Racer
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 399
Likes: 0
From: Haslet,Texas
I paid 3,000 for my paintjob. It was already stripped down to bare fiberglass. They primed, blocksanded, primed, blocksanded, sealed, laid on a few coats of basecoat, followed by a few coats of clearcoat. They then wet sanded and color buffed it to a nice shine. They also did some fiberglass repair work before starting. I'm very satisfied with the job they did.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 7,720
Likes: 12
From: Chattanooga TN
I would have said $3000-4000 range. Bear in mind a 68(-72) has a wiper door to deal with and other parts the later C3s don't have. If they do it apart, I'll bet you are still looking at $3000+ range.
Pro
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 668
Likes: 3
From: Platteville WI
Sounds a little high
Depending on your local market, labor rates will certainly vary. My friend has been checking around here on a similar job for his 76. His quotes have been coming in around $4000. We all know that you can get cheap paint jobs. Heck, I had a 67 Mustang painted for $450. It looked great for 1 year. Make sure your winning bidder knows Corvettes.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 948
Likes: 0
From: Johnston Iowa
This is one subject that you will get bunch of different opinions on that is for sure. I guess my opinion is that the paint job is the first thing some one looks at when they look at your car. Its also going to be the first thing you look at too everytime you walk out into your garage! As the old saying goes you get what you pay for. I would not scimp in this area. Find someone who can show you the quality of work they do and will talk to you about what they think it will take to paint the car to the level you want the car to look. A good body/painter guy is proud of the work that he does and should be more than willing to show you and talk to you about your vehicle.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 6,938
Likes: 1
From: San Diego CA
I'm also looking for the "side job" guy. I deploy next November and he/ she can have the car 6-months. I'll remove all the chrome and trim everything else is on the painter. Any ideas? Better yet anybody with contacts in the California region?
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 210
Likes: 0
From: Missouri
I was going to have my car painted by someone else but may give it a shot. 
I think the hard part is getting the car prepped right. If you have already done that the hard part is over. I hear base coat clear coat is the easiest to paint. I have painted a few vehicles with lacquerer with good results so I figure I can do this if I set my mind to it and buy the needed tools. I think it will be a wise decision for me so I can do paint/touch ups on my other cars. I want to be as close to 100% self sufficient as I can get.
PS I'm retiring in about 2 yrs and will have all the time I need to do the work.
I think the hard part is getting the car prepped right. If you have already done that the hard part is over. I hear base coat clear coat is the easiest to paint. I have painted a few vehicles with lacquerer with good results so I figure I can do this if I set my mind to it and buy the needed tools. I think it will be a wise decision for me so I can do paint/touch ups on my other cars. I want to be as close to 100% self sufficient as I can get.PS I'm retiring in about 2 yrs and will have all the time I need to do the work.
Last edited by BatManFire; Sep 9, 2004 at 07:46 PM.