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Outside of poor workmanship I haven't read any mention of the absolutely cheapest quality materials in the industry. All the major manufacturers, DuPont, PPG, etc also sell a much lower quality product than their signature brands. PPG makes Shop Line and I forgot what DuPont's low grade pInt is called. The type and quality of the product can make a huge difference in the outcome of a paint job. Mixing compatible products, spray outs, curing, cut and buff are all affected by the quality of the product. Don't believe it? Call the local PPG supplier and ask for a quote on a gallon of their premium base/clear in the color of your choice. Make sure your sitting down when you call.
I completely get spending money for a nice premium paint job for show quality. I get that. This car isn't it though. It's used, the parts are worn, some are broken in areas from being driven everyday. It just happens. Everyone knows plastic tabs get brittle and break overtime. Stuff like that.
Real quick question for anyone that is in auto body and works on corvettes, what do you adjust first on the front end? I'm having a hard time lining up the hood with the fenders, bumper and the headlight covers are a massive pain to get perfect. Drives me nuts.
Back to paint, I might have the car professionally dipped. A dip kit costs $550 on dipyourcar.com. A professional certified dip installer in San Fran charges $650, and they warranty for 6 months. Maybe plasti dip it, make it look nice, get pics of before and after and see if I can get a buyer. No, I'm not trying to hide anything. But everyone knows if it looks better, it sells better. I know for a fact that everyone grabs the nice gallon of milk behind the one with the slightly bent neck. Same milk.
Did not see you we’re thinking of selling anytime soon, in that case I would try a professional detailer to see how good they can make it look.
Let someone else pay for the update.....
Outside of poor workmanship I haven't read any mention of the absolutely cheapest quality materials in the industry. All the major manufacturers, DuPont, PPG, etc also sell a much lower quality product than their signature brands. PPG makes Shop Line and I forgot what DuPont's low grade pInt is called. The type and quality of the product can make a huge difference in the outcome of a paint job. Mixing compatible products, spray outs, curing, cut and buff are all affected by the quality of the product. Don't believe it? Call the local PPG supplier and ask for a quote on a gallon of their premium base/clear in the color of your choice. Make sure your sitting down when you call.
I just posted that exact thing and it wasn't even a gallon :/
Seems that everyone overlooks the prep work. If you do a good job of the prep work, odds are the paint job will reflect that.
I had MAACO paint a Camaro RS for me a few years back. spent about 25-30 hours in prep work and bought the car to them primed. think I paid $300 for the job, the result was great for a DD. it is ALL about the prep work. gave the 2 old Mexicans that did the masking $20 each when I dropped the car off for a little TLC, I thought was $ well spent. quite happy with the way the paint turned out. its ALL about the prepwork.
How about a photo or three of how the car looks now? A little more definitive perhaps. I mean, do we (it's a C5, so we're all kind of part of it) have peeling clear coat? Dull? Cracked?
I will admit I did a macco job twice and was happy with it. They did my 79 trans am and at first they missed sanding the lower door from body work that was done. They resanded it and painted it no issue. No drips, runs, or over spray. Sold the car 9 months later and still know the exisitng owner and its holding up nicely to this day. That was 15 years ago.
They also did a 2000 trans am I bought and flipped. No issues again with drips, runs, or orange peel looks. I paid $1200 for it and it looked good.
I had them resand the whole car before repaint. Some of maacos paint jobs they either repaint over existing paint with no sanding to complete sanding and repaint.
Honestly I though about using them again on the C5. When I bought the car it has paint chips from rocks an such. Even if I basic spray it to fill in chips and wrap it. Cant wrap it now as the shop said the chips will show in the wrap.
I will admit I did a macco job twice and was happy with it. They did my 79 trans am and at first they missed sanding the lower door from body work that was done. They resanded it and painted it no issue. No drips, runs, or over spray. Sold the car 9 months later and still know the exisitng owner and its holding up nicely to this day. That was 15 years ago.
They also did a 2000 trans am I bought and flipped. No issues again with drips, runs, or orange peel looks. I paid $1200 for it and it looked good.
I had them resand the whole car before repaint. Some of maacos paint jobs they either repaint over existing paint with no sanding to complete sanding and repaint.
Honestly I though about using them again on the C5. When I bought the car it has paint chips from rocks an such. Even if I basic spray it to fill in chips and wrap it. Cant wrap it now as the shop said the chips will show in the wrap.
A good wrap shop will fill the chips before wrapping.
Reading with interest. I have a C5 at home and saw a C5 Z06 for sale on Ebay. Bought it cheap. We name our cars. This one is "Sal". Short for "Salvage". It was a total - rebuilt. The guy said the whole car had been painted. I believe him, but at two different times with two shades of yellow. Dust in the paint. This is a track / autocross for me so I was not as concerned, but..... every time I go out and do something to it, the two tone paint drives me nuts. Looking for an affordable paint job also.
I had my '65 Impala painted by Earl Scheib in 1975. Metallic sapphire blue, as I recall it was $49.99 since it had metal flakes in the paint. Had done my own prep work -- kind of like many suggest in this thread, but I was 16. Get the car back and roll it out into the sun, and the first thing I see is the tracks from the jitterbugs over the entire car, obliterating my predone surface prep.
I say paint it yourself, if your going to all the prep work anyways. Think of as just parts and do it a few at a time. Buy all the paint you will need, so every thing will match when done. Then just do it as you feel, like this weekend I will paint my front bumper cover, then the front fenders, before you know it you have painted your car. The hardest parts to paint, door jams, rockers, and roof of car can be painted at the same time. Everything else should be taken off to paint anyways. I have never painted a car but I have thrown down some pretty amazing paint jobs on other things.
I say paint it yourself, if your going to all the prep work anyways. Think of as just parts and do it a few at a time. Buy all the paint you will need, so every thing will match when done. Then just do it as you feel, like this weekend I will paint my front bumper cover, then the front fenders, before you know it you have painted your car. The hardest parts to paint, door jams, rockers, and roof of car can be painted at the same time. Everything else should be taken off to paint anyways. I have never painted a car but I have thrown down some pretty amazing paint jobs on other things.
Painting a car and a rifle stock are in no way the same.
As Jerri said above, talk to people in Car Clubs. I know of several people that do side work, and don't kill you on price. The only "problem" is the time they may take since it is side work and most have a wife and kids........
Vocational Schools are also another good option. I have a friend that is the teacher at one. Bought a new glass hood for my race car, brought him the old one so they could color match it with a fancy machine. The match was 100% dead-on when I put the new hood on the car. Paint is flawless and they wet sanded it also since the rest of the car was wet sanded when I had it shot about 15 years ago.
Proper prep work is the key and how can you put dents in a 'Vette? One of the easiest cars to prep if you ask me.
Plus, the way you can take them apart so easily makes it nice if you want to change the color.
not true; I use all same materials like lets say bondo or "filler", primer, paint, and clear. Use the same tools. pretty much the same only on a slightly smaller scale. look at your front fender, it really isn't that big. now look at the rear fender same thing not that big. the bumpers front and rear are good size, so is the hood, but just do them one at a time. the car comes a part pretty easy, just takes time.
