Im Excited!!! I finally got my car to the shop for a new coat of paint! Its long over due!! I believe the shop is a nationwide chain, Collision Specialists. I decided to go with the corvette jet black! Im getting a good deal for what they are doing. Its a paint change and they are using some new paint that is supposed to be super strong(guaranteed for life), and the non scratch clear coat. Originally they quated me at 2500 and some change but they had left out the rear bumber but luckily they owner was a stand up guy and honored his first price. Would have been about 3k. I will be sure to post pictures!!

P.s. Thanks for all the replies to my last message about paint questions.

 

Waiting for pics.................................... ....................

 

How long is it suppose to take?

 

10 days

 

First congrats on your new paint! Their is nothing like a new paint job. And I hope everything turns out great for you.

But, As a painter myself I have a few "concerns" based on your post that I feel I should warn you about.. Hopefuly, Im just missing parts of the story and being overly concerned.
What "large chain" body shop is it? Based on your post it sounds like Maaco or one of their turn around names (Peach auto paint, Collision center of America, etc...)
Maaco likes to toss around a few false terms like "Lifetime", "forever", "New to the market", & "scratch resistant" to fool people. Then they sugar coat their factory packaged, bulk paint with names like "Corvette black", "Speed yellow" and "Electric blue". So you buy the bulk (cheap to them) paint and not use something custom mixed fresh. Bulk paint is on avg 70% cheaper (in price) then fresh mixed paint. Saves them about $200 per gallon.

No automotive paint has a lifetime guarantee to it. At least not by the paint manufacture. The best manufacture warranty I know of is from Dupont and it's only 10 years.
Some shops will offer a lifetime warranty, But ive yet to see an honest shop offer one.. I get a lot of business from BS contract loop holes and dishonest companies. But most offer a lifetime labor warranty and honer the paint manufacture warranty.

Also, Their is no such thing as a non scratch or scratch resistant clear coat. That is just sugar coated term for normal urethane clear coat. Same with the "New type of paint" they sold you. Their has not been a new type of automotive refinish paint since the early 90's when PPG came out with their waterborne basecoat (Aqua-tec & Kemaqua).
However their have been many brands, and sub brands over the years that the term "new type" could refer to. Brands such as SPI and Matrix are new to the market and growing fast. And sub brads such as PPG's new Aqua-Base plus are becoming more and more popular with the EPA at war with the collision repair industry.
but their is only a few real types of automotive paint.

rethane basecoat bc/cc (1K & 2K)
:Waterborne basecoat bc/cc (1K only)
:Acrylic Urethane single stage (2K only)
:Acrylic enamel Single stage (1k & 2K)
:Synthetic enamel Single stage (1K & 2K )
:Acrylic lacquer single stage (1K)
And only a types of clear coat
rethane.
:Polyurethane.
:Acrylic Enamel
:Synthetic Enamel (rare)
:Acrylic Lacquer


The rear bumper deal you mentioned is a common sales pitch/scam. It makes the customer feel like he is getting something for free that he would not get at another shop. Why else would they paint everything except the rear bumper?

I really don't mean to rain on your day, and I really hope I'm completely wrong and everything comes out perfect.
I just wanted to educate you wile you still have a chance to change your mine. Because if something goes wrong, not only will you be out the $2500 but it will cost at least double that to have it fixed by another shop.

 

Thanks for the head up. I appreciate it. Ill be asking them tomorrow about the paint. The guarantee is that the paint will not fade or peel. The only reason i believed them about the bumper is because they were using a computer program and i was watching him, he went through all the parts while i watched and the software estimated the time. He may have accidently not clicked bumper, but i held on to that copy he gave me. It isnt a macco style place in the sense that they dont offer different levels up paint, its really a collision place. I went to the back and saw some vehicles they were working on a some they finished. But i will be sure to look out. Its funny because where i live ( "the valley") in Texas that is an expensive job lol. Cost of labor down here is always wayyy cheaper. I used to live in Michigan and cost of living here is way less.

But like i said i appreciate the head up. It is deffinately something i will ask about and keep my eye out for.

 

This is a link the the their website
http://www.mcallencollisionspecialists.com/

 

Cool, Sounds like I was overly concerned.
I was worried it was Maaco. I hear a lot of the same statements about maaco and it seems the more they BS, the worse the job is.
My estimating software (Icar) also has check boxes for each body panel. I rarely use it anymore but I could see missing one of them. Their is like 30 of them.

And they prob just use a new brand of clear coat that has proven to be more durable then another brand they use..

So, Hopeful everything goes great! Be sure to post pictures and comment on the quality of the shop (good or bad) for others interested. Good work goes unnoticed all too often and $2500 is a good deal if the quality is even decent.

BTW: Feel free to PM me if you need any after paint care tips, if you need a 2nd opinion or if you have any questions. Im happy to help.

 

Congrats on the new paint! black Vette are sharp. Enjoy your 90!

 

hey lushdrunk. you seem to know alot about paint.
would $2500 be a good deal if you are changing the color of the car? since in that case, the inner door wells will need to be painted too?

 

$2500 is basic. It will look good, but not perfect.


For $2500,
Basically they will remove the little things such as emblems & lights/lens. Then prep the original paint by and repair and chips, dings or deep scratches. Then wash, mask, prime & spray with a cheaper brand bc/cc or big name single stage paint. Un-mask, install items removed, call owner for pick up.

For $4000
They will do all of the above except they will remove large body panels such as front/rear bumper covers and doors from the car. They will replace the unusable weatherstripping & emblems and strip any questionable paint Then prime and block sand all the panels level using a guide coat, Then re-prime if necessary.
They will use a mid to high grade( OEM grade) primer, basecoat and clear coat.


For $6000
It will include all of the above except all the original paint/primer will be removed, all weatherstripping and emblems replaced, A high quality bc/cc will be used and they will wet sand, polish and detail the paint to perfection before putting the car back together.


None of that includes major body work. Just basic prep & painting only. And shops will very with their size and quality. Ive seen some real nice $2500 paint jobs and horrible $5000 jobs.

 

thanks thats great info!

it will give us an idea when we go into the paint shop

 

Sounds about right. I got my car painted back in May and I paid about 5K and I got the wet look going on. But I have to bring it back to get the hood painted over. When I look at my hood at certain angles I notice that from the middle of the hood up to the windshield area of the hood there is a whitish look to that painted area. I asked him and he said he must have not mixed the paint properly. Other than that he did a great job. So for your $2500-3K job I do not think he will be wet sanding. You should see if you can get him to wet sand it, to get rid of any orange peel. Orange peel looks horrible.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtjdHaMeiiQ

 

Good luck with it. Looking forward to seeing the car after it's painted.

 

Congrats on the new paint.


sure seems painting a car is way overpriced to me. But that's just me.

 

I agree and disagree... $6K just for paint is **** rape without lube on cars like ours that are worth less then $10,000.
However, Their is a tremendous amount of labor involved in painting one right. The standard is so high now that 300+ hours can go into a single paint job and still not come out perfect. Not to mention the cost of materials.

For just the materials alone for a $6000 paint job
PPG Deltron price list (deltron is the GM recommended refinish material)
Basecoat is $400 per gallon
Clearcoat is $300 per gallon
Primer is $200 per gallon.
basecoat reducer is $66 per gallon
Clear coat catalyst is $80 per quart.
Primer catalyst is $60 per quart.
-----------------------------------------
total $1106

Then you got prep and buffing products.
I spend close to $250 per car on tape, masking materials, sand paper, body filler/fiberglass, and gun cleaner.
----------------------------------
total $250

The 3m perfect it paint polishing system is
6 trizat P2000 & P2500 dics = $50
1 quart fast cut compound = $65
1 quart finishing compound = $70
1 quart swirl removal compound = $90
1 quart ultra fine finish compound = $90 (dark colors only)
4 foam polishing bonnets (course, med, fine and ultra fine) $100
--------------------------------
Total: $465

Grand total: $1821 in just paint materials. Don't forget about door pins, panel clips, weather stripping, trim adhesive, molding tape, window guides, nuts and bolts etc...

Now thats retail price and don't include what I can reuse. I get about a 30% discount compared to retail prices, and the buffing compounds and bonnets will last for more then one car.

By the time a shop pays for the overhead they make less then $1000 per car in pure profit.

That's why I say it's better to find someone like me I have no overhead. And only my hands touch the car from start to finish. (except polishing. I contract it to a friend) I'm slower then a large body shop, but the quality and price will beat them every time However, every hillbilly with a paint gun thinks their a pro painter. so do your homework on the painter. Check his work, references, shop and tools. A good painter with a dirty garage and cheap tools is worse then a poor painter with good tools.

 

That is great ! "Righhhhhttt ! I'll paint any car for $99.95555555555555"
I love how he starches out all his words like drunk.. You can just tell he would have one hand in you back pocket and the other on your wife's butt as he is selling you his polyurethane paint special.

The guns they are using are Binks model 7's.. The Binks model 7 was invented in 1934 to spray dye on to rugs. Believe it or not, they still sell them to this day. the design has not changed since. (except they are black powder coated now) They where hot **** back in the 80's.

thanks for posting that. It's my new favorite internet video. I always wondered what he looked like.

 

I was wondering how much overhead and product cost was. I didn't realize how much it was.

I wish you were closer. I sure need a paint job on my Dodge ram.

 

$6000 so the lazy-*** bimbo parked next to you can give her shopping cart a half-hearted shove in the direction of the cart corral only to watch listlessly as it careens into your door. Or maybe she'll throw open her SUV's door into your fender while trying to get junior into the car seat. Oh, well, gotta hurry to get the other brats to soccer practice.

I'm actually RELIEVED when my car gets its first ding or scratch so I can put to rest my parking lot paranoia.

I almost envy the good citizens of KY, only a few of whom drive cars with color-matching body panels.