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Quality Paint Job Cost these days

16K views 90 replies 49 participants last post by  Tackelbarry 
#1 ·
I've been hearing crazy "my neighbor who restores cars" rumors about absurd prices for paint jobs. My thinking was the best paint job in the world should be $10k-12k with most guys spending $5-7k for a decent paint job with clear if they do all the assembly/disassembly themselves. Some guy just told me he was quoted $60,000 to do his Stingray. Not sure on the year or trim but there's a 1969 427 Tripower Stingray on Ebay for $80k now. So how is it possible that anyone could ever restore a car anymore if it costs $60k to paint? I say get a new ****ing paint shop. My friend also said he was quoted $20k to paint his Jeep. I am simply not buying it.

So who has had there car painted recently and what did it cost? Especially curious about higher end models, the idea being that you wouldn't skimp on a Mach 1 big block or something.
 
#2 ·
Every job and example represents a HUGE VARIABLE when it pertains to the condition of what you're starting with, and how "far away" you are from achieving perfection... Or "decent". Each car is thousands of dollars apart when it comes to arriving to the baseline, from which you can calculate the difference between a perfect or decent-driver paint job.

You can have two fellows with 1966 coupes that have had all the rust-repair done, and sitting in primer. One car could be looking fairly straight and true and cleanly-repaired, and the other could be an absolute fright-pig, regardless of its rust-free status. The former could require $5k-$7k to achieve a nice/decent finished paint job. The latter could require $15k to arrive at the same spot. Yet the latter owner will always think he got ripped off, not understanding how far off his car was from good from the get-go.

These days, "best paint job in the world" starts at $20k for a decent car to begin with, and goes up. Many people have never seen or studied a best paint job in the world car. If the car is big or complex, like a 50's Cadillac or Lincoln, forget about it, start adding in more money..

Corvettes?? Man, some of those factory-glass issues can be enormously tricky and labor-intensive to deal with. And then they're all going for the Bloomington deal, so they all have to be done in single-stage lacquer, but you have to do a TON of work and steps and products to ensure all your work doesn't shrink or craze or spider. I'm kinda talking out my butt here, but I believe that fiberglass cars are their own wasp's nest of horrors.

In conclusion, this is one of those "there's no good/easy answer, it depends upon how your car sits, right now". And depending upon that, the answer could easily swing $5-$10 grand sideways from your best guess.
 
#7 ·
You can have two fellows with 1966 coupes that have had all the rust-repair done, and sitting in primer. One car could be looking fairly straight and true and cleanly-repaired, and the other could be an absolute fright-pig, regardless of its rust-free status. The former could require $5k-$7k to achieve a nice/decent finished paint job. The latter could require $15k to arrive at the same spot. Yet the latter owner will always think he got ripped off, not understanding how far off his car was from good from the get-go.
I'm not talking about body work. Just spraying.
 
#46 ·
I’m convinced most shops these days are only interested in doing insurance repair work.
Ding! I've been visiting every paint shop around Rocket City. I'm looking for somebody to either rent a booth so I can DIY everything, or even just work with me.

Fuggedaboutit! We live in a giant bumper-car ride and every shop is buried 10-deep in easy money insurance jobs. The Maacos in the area are no exception. None of them will even consider restoration work.

And if I pay $10K just for paint, I'd never drive the car because it might get a ding or scratch. What's the dang point?! On the other hand, even careful, meticulous amateurs can lay down good, solid adhesion and rust protection. Sure, the final result may be a bit flawed cosmetically, and there's no worthless warranty, but at least I won't be scared to drive the car in traffic. Not to mention it will very likely look better than it came from the factory back in the 1960s.

So I've decided the cheapest and safest route is to learn, invest in equipment, and DIY the whole dang job myself. I'd much rather DIY everything and get an average "meh" driver finish than drop $10K and end up with....some of the horror stories I've read.

A decent spray booth remains the main limitation. I'm not sure what I'll do when the time comes, but I'll figure something out. I may build a temporary booth in my driveway, shoot both my cars, and then tear it all down before the HOA can hire lawyers. I'll apologize and pay their fines with a grin. I'm also looking at those cheap inflatable bouncy-castle spray booths made in China. If nothing else, it may be a nice way to contain the occasional larger media blasting job.
 
#4 ·
I've had quotes to repaint my '66 from $6500 - $19000. The low end did not include a full disassembly. The higher quote included disassembly, full stripping, painting and reassembly. Being a daily driver, I will probably end up spending somewhere in the $7500 - $10000 range.
I had an employee that was the original owner of a fairly low mileage split window Corvette. The car was all original and heavily documented. I know that he spent more than $60000 to fully restore the body and more on the interior and drive train. I also know that he still owns the car and has turned down offers of $125000+.
 
#5 · (Edited)
So I had my '66 painted in Tennessee in 2013 for $6,500. I'd done all of the metal rust repair, initial primering, & block sanding. I took the car down without any interior, glass, or trim installed and they removed the fenders/decklid/front clip/etc to paint.They still stripped the entire car down since I found out afterwards that most places won't just paint over your work and still provide a guarantee. It was good they did too because they found I used too much filler in certain areas. I wasn't making body panels with bondo, just correcting small imperfections, but they did more metal massaging to get it quite good.

They wanted to replace my Fastback roof since my car had been rolled by the PO but I said no, I'd pay the extra to work the metal. To give an idea of how far out the body was, when I first got the car I couldn't bolt the engine and trans in at the same time until after I put it on a frame machine. Then once I was at my paint shop it had to go on the frame machine again since they could get panels to align properly. They ended up getting everything pulled back to factory specs on the frame machine the second time but when installing the front glass, the passenger side top corner still had an 1-inch gap between glass and body; that required a porta-power to push out the doorjam/windshield frame. Once that was all done, every body panel required adjustments to the gaps to make them equal and parallel; this involved welding metal to the edges and grinding it down to the desired gap. Finally, the top ridge of the front fenders didn't align with the top ridge of the doors so the fenders' ridges were cut and "moved" outward by adding metal. I wanted to use as much of my original sheetmetal as possible so this might've been why my car required more work than usual. Well, that and that the car was rolled and t-boned in its past. The work took about 8-months for them to complete on a casual basis. I did have my stripes painted and then the clear applied overtop of everything. So if having a car painted make sure to test fit all trim and body panels and glass before painting.

The paint is a two stage name-brand but I don't remember how many coats of each were applied. After all this I have found one small 1/4-inch bubble forming on the deck lid which I'll need to have fixed but really the car looks incredible and I couldn't be happier.

I've heard having a car painted in a state with more environmental laws *cough* California *cough* results in a higher cost to paint due to disposal and other taxes imposed due to paint pollution but I've never verified this; I'd definitely be interested to know.

Forgot to mention - while my shop was a "hotrod" shop since about 1/4 of the time they were painting classic cars, most of their daily work was insurance jobs. As of today, they no longer complete full paint jobs I found out, only repairs or insurance work. So I suppose full jobs like mine were resulting in them losing money.
 

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#6 ·
It's gotten ridiculous. I watch these guys on YT paint cars for $1000 worth of material and a week of work. They are not necessarily going back to metal, but that's not always needed. But they are taking everything apart and doing it right. How does $1k in parts + 80 hours of equal $10k? I think the issue is that they can get $100/hr out of insurance companies, even for prep work. For that kind of money, I ould rather pick up some new tools and a new skill and just DIY.
 
#8 · (Edited)
I spent months and months doing bodywork, priming, sanding, priming till I thought it was as good as I could get it. It could have been better. I paid a guy that normally does insurance work, but sprays 2 cars a month on the side to paint my car. Cost for paint job only: $2300.00 for a BC/CC that I think could have been done better. Looks nice though!






 
#9 ·
I'd like to point out that on a $60k paintjob, assuming $10k in materials, and a generous $200/hr, that's a full time job for over six ****ing weeks. If anyone quoted me $60k to paint a car I'd probably kick their *** on the spot. I wouldn't be able to help it.
 
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#66 ·
It's the body work cost that largely drives the price. I doubt any of our rides are worth $20-30k paint and body let alone $60k. I wouldn't spend $10k on mine, it's only worth that much or a bit more. If someone is finishing a car for $60k it's probably worth close to a mil or better. The big timers won't paint without taking it down to metal. And most likely wouldn't take our cars in the first place.

It takes some of these cars a couple months of just blocking. Two or three guys, full time for eight weeks not including the trips in and out of the booth. That quality of paint and body is a whole other world. Many can't appreciate it and like Rick says most haven't seen one. The smoothness, the color depth, some of these look like you dip your hand into the side of the car. You won't see this at shine and shows or even most moderate or large car shows. It will be at SEMA, Pebble, Amelia, Gooding, RM or Bonhams. Probably not at Mecum, Good Guys or even most of the Barrett Jacksons. It's some rarified air and there are only a handful of shops that can really pull it off at that level. It's something that is best appreciated in person.
 
#13 · (Edited)
I told my friend if it cost $20k to paint a $30k Mustang, everyone would do it themselves. Sounds like that's the direction things may be going.



My dad was in insurance for 40 years. I would never commit insurance Maude. Not because I respect the law (I mean I guess I do) or the insurance industry but because they love to catch people committing Maude and having the book thrown at them.
 
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#11 ·
You don't have to buy it. I certainly didn't until I went and started getting quotes on paint for mine. Most shops didn't want to touch a classic. The shops that did, didn't want to do just the paint job. They wanted the entire restoration or nothing at all. NONE OF THEM WOULD LET ME DO ANY OF THE MUD OR EVEN METAL WORK.

I was able to talk 3 shops in to doing it and with all three the cheapest quote was 12k from what I recall. And that was no frills and no cut/buff. The most expensive was 20k (might have been 18 it's been a few years now)

Let's put it this way, the quotes were so out of scope for me that I spent 18 months learning body work and sprayed it myself. That wasn't just for fun or out of boredom.

I ended up with in my opinion the 20k level in gaps and fitment at least for about 3k total invested in materials and a TON of my time.
 
#12 · (Edited)
I had my car painted in Nov 2016 to Jan 2017. About 9k total. Base and clear coat, panel alignment, and replacing my windshield. Heck, the guy did my headliner too. Cut and buff, all of it. Small shop in upland CA. Guy specializes in classic cars.

My paint was rather crappy to start with, but body was fortunately in really good shape. Minimal body work.

Here are some before, during, and after. I thought it came out nice. I was expecting to pay 10k, so I was glad that it came in under that.
 

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#14 · (Edited)
Anybody can learn to do bodywork and paint a car. I learned myself with help from knowledgeable counter man at the local auto parts store 40+ years ago and have painted several cars, most of them black, and have even won a few trophies. If I ever decide to get rid of the patina on the old Mustang I'll try to use lacquer without clear if I can get it. Super easy to work with and easy to fix mistakes. Lacquer is not durable but my Mustang is 100% toy that sits in a climate controlled garage.
 
#15 ·
Cost depends on location and real estate values - the cost of the mortgage or lease payments on the shop, and the hourly wage the owner needs to pay employees so they can work there and afford to earn a living in that area.

I had quotes at $10k, $12k, $17k, $20k & $35k. I went with the $12k shop, and that was supposed to get me their top-quality "show car restoration" paint job. The price includes COMPLETE disassembly and assembly, and refinishing the entire underside and chassis of the car and reinstalling the suspension. I had already done the underside of my car so there was no need for them to do anything down there, and there was no rust to cut out, and no accident damage to repair. Progress started quickly, then progress payments got ahead of progress and they dragged their feet for 5 years. I picked it up incomplete and un-assembled (fenders, hood, bumpers and grill were installed, but nothing else). I then had to take it to another shop to have the glass installed and door and trunk seals installed.

Cost was $12k.

Oh, and I'm not happy with it. There are flaws and mistakes that shouldn't be there. Frankly, I think I could have done a better job, and in a LOT LESS TIME. I restored a 69 Bug years ago and painted it myself, and it came out beautiful!
 
#16 ·
I can't speak to "quality" or "these days" as I had a $1,500 spray done on my car (including the flame job) by a nice guy that was a one man shop out in the country 15 years ago. I did the body work myself (could've been better honestly), but it's straight enough to collect plenty of waves and thumbs-up every time I drive it.

I say all of that to say this: don't let perfect stand in the way of good enough. Every rock chip or scuff or whatever I get is another badge of courage and I have no stress. It's quite freeing. Don't get me wrong, I take care of it and work to keep it as nice as I can. Still, time and usage will take it's toll. I look at it as actively building a patina that I can be proud of.
 
#17 ·
I’ll say there is a lot of talent in the profession, but I’m not sure it should cost more than the average ambulance chaser lawyer to do this. Just this week I personally sprayed my first panel with color ever in my entire life. I’m thinking had I laid the panel more flat it would have turned out better. I had a few runs, but nothing I couldn’t wet sand out. Now I wouldn’t pay anyone for this or charge anyone for this. However, I do think I could get decent enough at it to be happy with it.







 
#20 ·
I’ll say there is a lot of talent in the profession, but I’m not sure it should cost more than the average ambulance chaser lawyer to do this. Just this week I personally sprayed my first panel with color ever in my entire life. I’m thinking had I laid the panel more flat it would have turned out better. I had a few runs, but nothing I couldn’t wet sand out. Now I wouldn’t pay anyone for this or charge anyone for this. However, I do think I could get decent enough at it to be happy with it.
spraying paint isn't likely what costs the money. it's the labor with stripping paint/rust, repairing rust, dents, fixing panel gaps, filler work, masking time, cleaning, sanding, buffing, dis-assembly, reassembly, test fitting panels, removing them/reinstalling them, etc....

yea, there are material charges too (consumables such as filters, cleaners, masking tape, sandpaper, mixing cups, thinner, grinding disks, saw blades, paint, etc).

50 year old cars are different compared to newer cars needing a panel replaced and painted/blended. reproduction metal isn't that good, original good metal is hard to find and the cars didn't have the best fitment.
 
#18 · (Edited)
Looks great patrick. Btw, you hung the panel the correct way imo. It gives you a lot less surface area for dust to fall on. Back in the old days old timers with cross draft booths would take the hood and trunk lid off and hang them just like your panel to get a cleaner finish.

Also Rick, nailed it regarding shop quotes. I worked fulltime in the autobody industry for several years. There is much easier money to be made doing insurance work. The turnover is much faster, you are generally working on rust free vehicles therefore you aren't dealing with peeved off owners because a blister began to show through a year or two down the road. It's pretty tough to warranty a paint job on a 50 year old vehicle unless you turn it inside out. Lots of man hours = $$$
 
#19 · (Edited)
I did all the body work myself from bare metal up including priming and blocking. I even took a shot a t painting it. 85% of it was pretty good. The other 15% not so good so I learned I wasn't a good enough painter. I sanded it down and found a guy. He was a BMW body guy forever and quit and built a paint booth and body shop in his detached garage and he only does custom work. He had a custom aluminum Cobra body that came from Belgium he was working on. I got to see it bare aluminum through various stages to final paint. Had tons of tool marks all over the body. Anyhow I gave him the car completely stripped. He did some block sanding, paint, and buffer work. It looks fantastic and way better than I could do. He charged me $4K cash and then another $100 in material to re-shoot a fender that got scratched on the ride home. In hindsight I think it was incredibly cheap for the work I got.


Patrick, that looks pretty darn good to me!

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#21 ·
Patrick, that looks pretty darn good to me!

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Kind words Sir...you would probably not be so kind if you saw it in person. After the first wet coat (second coat out of three) I was like I might be able to do this...then I went in for the third and final coat. I must have slowed my movement or didn’t wait long enough for the second coat to tack, it that’s when I ran it. Oh well, not like it’s going on a show car.
 
#23 ·
Competent body shops cringe at the site of a car in primer with the body work done ready for paint. There is no way they could possibly guarantee a paint job unless they took it back to bare metal removing all filler and started all over again doing it their way. Thats just the way it is. Oh, but I did a good job on the prep and you have nothing to worry about! BS!
 
#24 ·
I’m going through this somewhat as I’m getting bids to paint my car now. It was stripped and painted in 2002, so I know it’s super solid underneath, but I’m still expecting every bit of $10k by the time we’re done. That’s with me doing complete disassembly and delivering a rolling shell. We’ll be spraying the engine bay and interior too. One shop said the bare minimum would be $15k and most likely $20-30k, although they usually do $100k+ street rods.

Your comment about it being almost financially unfeasible to paint a regular classic Mustang is spot on. Unfortunately I don’t have the space or time to do my own body work, and paint/body is one thing I’d like to know is done right the first time. I’m in awe of people who do their own body work and paint, truly.
 
#26 ·
I had to do a double take on that Earl Scheib commercial. I remember when those paint jobs $29.95. Paint jobs have just gotten totally out of control. Back in the 70s, when I was in my teens, we used to weld, sand and paint cars in our driveway. We could rebuild engines, do engine swaps or any kind of mechanical work. Now, I can't even do an oil change in my driveway without some "concerned neighbor" calling Code Enforcement on me. My point is government regulation doesn't allow us to do these things ourselves and that's driven the prices up. Professionals who are equipped to do these jobs, are often unscrupulous. Most who are considered to be to some degree trustworthy, in general, don't want them. Those who are "willing" to take it on want your house AND your first born for the pleasure of waiting 2-3 years (maybe more) to get your car back. I definitely couldn't afford or justify spending $20K on a paint job. Unless its insurance work, (no Maude here) most work on my cars has to be done by me or with the help of family or friends.
 
#29 ·
It's beyond time to do some of this paintwork myself. My new Devilbiss paint gun is supposed to arrive today from Amazon. Already have clear Dollar Store shower curtains attached to my 10' x 10' pop-up tent for my backyard paint booth. Should work well for painting the valance panels and grill/headlight buckets.
 
#32 ·
I did all the metal work, surfacing, gapping, priming, and sanding on my car. Got it as good as an amateur can make it and had a guy who sprays on the side finish the rest. He still had to mask a few areas and correct some of what I did incorrectly. That said, I was in it for a little over 5k spray only. That doesnt cover materials. Materials added almost 2k more not including the primer and surfacer I had used.
 
#35 ·
There is a restoration shop close to me that does very good work. I visited them last year to discuss repainting my Mustang and it was basically 15K to start and goes up depending on body work. I also know some guys that got their cars done at Maaco, but did all the prep work themselves. I think they were around 4k and it looks good, but don't know how long it will last.

I've got an old truck I am working on now that I am restoring to daily driver type level. My plan is to have it media blasted by one of the mobile companies and then paint it myself. Depending on how that goes, I may tackle the Mustang.

Plus it is a great excuse to buy a bigger compressor and more tools and tell the wife I am actually saving money.
 
#36 · (Edited)
cost me $10K 4 yrs ago. complete color change back to its factory color with minimal body work

could have got it for $8k but shop said the finish work is what sets apart from a decent to very nice job. so I coughed up the other $2K

then another $3k for trim

then you have the while its there ripped apart, jheez i might as well do it now scenario, so another $2K for new suspension and interior

took 6 months to the day.

I paid him in 1/4ths

he stuck to the price and no surprises
 
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