I am going through the process of getting quotes to paint my Corvette. I did this last year but procrastinated after seeing the prices. But now being reasonably accustomed to those prices I am trying again.

I ran into this one today from a reputable shop recommended by fellow enthusiasts. I have heard of this before but never encountered it. My inclination is to get a firm quote +/- 10% or so. The shop said they could not give me a firm price until they stripped the paint off. Think about that....My paint is completely stripped off and I don't like the quote!! That leaves me...rather exposed and naked without much of a fall-back position. Catch-22!

To a certain extent I can understand this process: the paint may mask past injuries. But surely if the body lines are straight before the strip, they will be after the strip and re-paint. I am obviously missing something. Comments would be appreciated.

 

find another painter. Any good body shop should give you an upfront quote after looking at your car. What color did you plan on going with?

 

Paul, thats normal..

no one knows whats lurking under the primer and they can not quote you on something that they dont know about.

Being in the business previously I've seen it first hand numerous times. It's something that we can't get around. For the consumer it's a kick to the nuts because there you are, with a stripped car, and an estimate more then you're willing to pay for.

I'd say that Assuming the car was perfect underneath, what would an idea price be.. It could be anywhere from 5K - 8K cdn.. maybe more depending on how 'bad' your shell really is.

-Corey

 

I am planning on staying with 1967 Goodwood Green.

 

Corz,
Isn't that the dilemma? I have a stripped car and don't like their price for painting. Plus I might be inclined to dispute the cost of stripping. Things could get ugly and lead to a mechanic's lien.

 

Congrats-it's a neat color. I once had a very high NCRS judge(no, not me)that judges midyear trim tags for originality that he has never seen a bogus coded Green paint midyear.

 

They should be able to give you a quote for stripping and painting without doing any body work, with the understanding that any hidden problems will change the price.

 

Paul -
That's a pretty normal process - we quote Vettes the same way because most of these cars have hidden damage that is not evident until everything is stripped.

To give you a good example, the CCC just finished painting a '66 BB Roadster for one of our fellow drunken enthusiasts. The car was very straight prior to stripping, so we figured this would be a cake-walk project: just sand it down, prime it and shoot it. All the body lines were straight, and the panels were not rippled.

When we stripped the driver's side front fender we hit Bond-O. So we did som grinding to get the Bond-O out. Turns out, a 2-foot section of the fender was constructed completely from Bond-O: there was no fibergalss at all. The car has been hit, had shattered, and the fender had been reconstructed using only Bond-O. Even the back side of the fender had been re-created using the stuff. Reconstructing the messed up fender correctly took almost as much time as the rest of the body prep work combined.

Vette estimates, for this reason, are always left open for hidden damage. No good shop is going to give a firm estimate or a not-to-exceed estimate on restoration work. Restoration work is not like collision work on a new car where you can give a firm number up front. So it's important that you find a shop that you trust and that does good work: as you noted, you're going to be committing the work to them before you know the final cost, so it's important that you know that you want them to do the work up front. A good shop will tell you that the estimate is not firm and is open for hidden damage. The problem shops will give you a firm estimate and then argue the overages with you after the fact while threatening the lien.... sounds like you found a good shop that understands the restoration business.

Good luck with the project - hope you have a good experience and end up with some great results!

 

Thanks Lars. I am working through various Canadian contacts to find a good shop. BTW I have never seen an entire body panel made of Bondo. What holds it together? There must be a supporting structure....?

 

i would get a firm price on the stipping first and then do some real soul searching.... the flipside is have them inflate the price to cover everything they can possibly find...in this case you would certainly be the loser...

 

Bond-O is amazing stuff. Nope - there was no supporting structure holding it together - just the Bond-O itself (this was on Kurt's '66 - milehigh66. Ask him about it sometime - it was absolutely astounding). It's actually very strong stuff and it lasts forever: I believe Bond-O is one of the Universe's inert elements. When all else comes to an end and this earth is vaporized, all the Bond-O will still exist and survive in space forever. It cannot be destroyed or eliminated. All Bond-O ever made still exists in some form.

 

i agree!!!!!!!
i have used it to fill door lock holes in exterior doors, and to repair rotting door and window sills...

 

yep.. its usually how the body shops work.. "well, we stripped it for ya.. it costs this much now.. and with this that and the other thing, it'll end up being *insert some insane amount of money here*

thats how it works.. no way around it

 

Corz,
Not a pretty picture. But thanks.

 

I have found it works great on wood rot too !!!


A product called "tiger hair" is even better as it is fiberglass reinforced BONDO !

 

Sound like the roofing cement I just used for my chimney before winter. Any more useful suggestions?

 

Paul, I don't think you have a garage from reading you previous posts for the last year but do you have a buddy that would let you use his? Reason I ask is why not strip it yourself and then take it to have the estimates done? Just thinkin out loud here.... Dave..

 

Love that color Paul. I sat in a new 427 that color when I was about 12. I'll never forget that day, It was at Kenny Ross Chevrolet.

You should have the Vette in the shop now so it'll be done by spring. A buddy here had his in the paint shop almost 6 months!!

 

Is that a picture of your car in its current condition in post #4? If so, why do you think you need it painted? It looks great. I wish my '70 looked like that. No I don't wish my '70 looked like a green mid year but I do wish the paint looked that good. 'Corse I also wish the engine was in it and the body was on the frame.

Oh well.

BigBlockk

Later.....

 

Agree with Bigblock. Your car is one of my fav's on the net. What's wrong with the paint?