Knunov

Hello,

I'd like to get a C2 convertible repainted in Tuxedo Black. Doesn't need to be show quality perfect, but I want it to look very, very good. Even up close. Like nose prints on the paint kinda close.

Can someone give me an estimate as to what a very high quality paint job will cost on these cars? Doesn't have to be to-the-dollar accurate, but say a guess within $250 of what the bill will read.


Thanks,

Knunov

396 RAT

What color is it now?
What's the cond. of the body?
Black shows everything, so the prep is much higher
than other colors.
I am hearing about 10k for a paint job in the cond. you described.
Cant come within $2000 let alone $250.00 :lol:
I hear about these $5000.00 paint jobs on the forum, but have not found them
in my area. I am talking about a shop where you drop the car off, and pick it up finished. I would not do it that way, but the 10k price is for someone else doing all the work. Also, a good shop will do the work in a timely manor.There are more paint shop horror stories out there than any Vette related problem I can think of.
Be careful.

JWD01

That's exactly why I learned to paint many years ago. If possible, take this opportunity to learn how to do it yourself. The biggest cost is the labor involving the prep work. Even if you don't want to spray the paint yourself, you can save alot of money doing some or all of the prep work yourself. Good luck :cheers:

itza56

Last fall I was quoted $5.500. to do the 56....
the guy has painted vette's for the past 30 years and knows what he's doing.
So I think that would be pretty close....

Maximillian

I'm getting mine back in about another month. Total cost $12,000! Of course there was a little extra labor involved because the old paint was Imron (very, very hard to remove).

If you want it done right, all the way to glass, lots of time taken between steps so you won't have any shrinking, you should expect to pay at least $8,000. In my opinion, any less and the guy is taking shortcuts that will show up. Some may not show immediately, but in a year.

Nick D.

By far the most difficulty encountered in any restoration is the paint and body work. I (and a lot of my friends) have had more problems in this area than all the other elements combined. When you say "nose print" close you are describing show quality. You need to understand that Corvettes didn't come that way from GM and that fiberglass doesn't lend itself to being laser straight, especially black. When you consider the door, hood, headlight bucket, & grill fit you need someone who is infinitly familiar with Corvettes. If the body is removed from the frame it is even harder to get everything realigned but the overall job is much better. All the above can be had but at great expense, I'd say $10-15K. This all depends on the condition of the body which you have no idea of until the bare glass is exposed (unless you've owned the car since new). I caution you to be prepared to spend a lot of $$$ and take a lot of time. Just my experience, hope you fare better.
Nick

62fuelie

I own a production paint shop. We do a lot of $400-600 enamel and urethane paint jobs, but also do a lot of base/clear as well as collision repair and spot paint. It is not our core business to do "restoration" type paint jobs, but it seems like we end up doing a lot of it anyway. Within the last couple of months we have done a 59 Vette and a 57 Tbird. Both looked real, real nice, but weren't necessarily show cars. Close, but not absolutely perfect. Both owners real happy with the results.

If you were to come to my shop, here's how I might price a paint job:

R&I all chrome, lights, etc. $500
Strip (chemical) 1200
Prime with 2K urethane 100
Block sand 400
glaze and reblock 400
Paint with Dupont bc/cc 1500
wet sand and buff 200

subotal $4300:D

Add for PITA Vette owner $10,000.

Grand total: $14,300:eek:


That's the difference between a real nice street paint and show paint. You first say that it doesn't have to be perfect, but then you want to put your nose in it. If you are like most of the old car guys who bring their cars to me, you want a show car job at a street car price. I get 2-3 of these a week coming to the shop for an estimate. Those who have already been to the resto shops and priced a paint job usually leave their cars. Those who haven't , I send off to check it out.
:cheers:


[Modified by 62fuelie, 10:42 PM 5/24/2003]

396 RAT

"Add for PITA Vette owner $10,000"

Dont you mean " Add for a good job"...... :lol:

Lets face facts. It takes time to get it right.
Why not just say so. For quality products, its about a grand.
The rest is labor. Period.
I like my alligator finish, lacquer checked orig paint.
Not willing to jump through the hoops of most paint shops,
and settle for what they give me.
Another fact, most folks that work at paint shops are not straight shooters.
Like it, or not. Its just the way it is.
Dry-wallers, also fall into this category.

:blueangel: :blueangel: :blueangel: :blueangel: :blueangel:

62fuelie

[
Another fact, most folks that work at paint shops are not straight shooters.
Like it, or not. Its just the way it is.
.

Oh, really?

Plastic Pig

I paid $3200 including materials to paint my car. (paint was almost $1000 of that.) I did all the disassembly and body work myself. It was basically ready for paint when I dropped it off. It just needed to be blocked out once more. I was told one month to finish. I got the car back in two weeks :D Looking great! I don't think most people who have'nt done it themselves could ever appreciate or believe the amount of time and effort involved in a really good paint job.

TheOman

I am with 62fuelie on this. I would add $50K to deal with some of the Corvette NUTS that are out there. Real world experience here boys and giirls. I had a car done 10 years ago. Cost me about $5500 and it was painted black. The car was taken down to bare metal (no it was not a Vette) and the color was changed to black. All the door sills were done, inside the trunk lid was done, inner sides of the fenders in the underhood area by the hood hinges was done. The job is great. It is GREAT at nose distance BUT consider that I paid $5.5K and I removed every piece of trim myself and I reinstalled all the trim. Also consider there was NO body work required other than removing factory ripples in the sheet metal. If you think work is not needed to block sand a car that is gonna be painted black better think again.

I thought $5.5 was expensive till I saw what Steve put into the job and I am still thrilled with the job to this day. This idea of learning yourself by doing yourself is in my less than humble opinion nuts. Unless you have the tools and know what you are doing setting of on your own to get a black, nose close, NICE NICE job would be just plain foolhardy. All you are doing is setting yourself up for a second paint job when you finally see all the flaws in your do it yourself effort or when the paint crazes or cracks or lifts. BAD BAD idea this so it yourself OJT paint and body work.


[Modified by TheOman, 8:59 PM 5/24/2003]

65LS6C4

:iagree:

I agree with TheOman and 62fuelie.... be prepared to spend 8 to 10K for the black paint that you describe... more if you are near a large metro area that has higher overhead... If I were you I would drive fast to Bama to have 62fuelie take care of it for -- <5K sounds like a great deal...

62fuelie

In reality, something in the $4-5K range ought to get you a real nice paint job. Perhaps not 100% perfect, but awful darn close. 99.9% at least. Black is indeed a hard color. EVERY possible defect in the prep, and in the factory body work will show.

You guys who pay elevated prices for paint jobs ask for it. I can see $10K for paint on some very special cars that are basically museum pieces, but not on the car you take to the cruise in on Sat night.

396 RAT

"In reality, something in the $4-5K range ought to get you a real nice paint job."

Agree! but it dosen't!

65LS6C4

I think 396 Rat and I are in inflated areas. I got a great paint job on a 67 Camaro for $3500 in the western side of PA, but the cost of living is considerably less there. I used to live in Hunstville and also found the cost of living to be better there than Philadelphia. But I would not expect Birmingham to be that much different than Philadelphia... I am curious, what do you normally estimate as an hourly rate in the body shops there... around here the shops that have delivered decent paint work on vettes are usually betwwen $75 and $90 per hour.

62fuelie

I hadn't noticed, but 396RAT is in CA. Paint costs are going to be higher there due to environmental regs. The low VOC paint materials are significantly more expensive, but not more than maybe $100 a car. Emission requirements may well increase the cost of booth filtration and require greater overhead. I would think that prices in the NE would be a little higher as well, just due to increased overhead and maybe higher labor costs.

I charge $42/hr for body labor (inc materials) and $56/hr for paint labor on spot jobs. That's maybe $3-5/hr less than the going rate around here, but I make up for it with volume. Overall paint jobs are not priced by the hr, but rather by the type paint used, level of prep, warranty time, etc.

65LS6C4

Sounds like a road trip to Bama

Jay W

One note about the do-it-yourself thing... I have prepped and painted at least 8 cars at home over the last years and know better than to attempt a black paint job at even my level of experience and attention to details. I would simply never be happy with each and every flaw that would shine through regardless of all the attention I gave it. And on top of that I would NEVER consider making my 58 the first fiberglass job I have done. I have considered buying a corvette that is in the lowest value range right now and 'practicing' on that one. Rather learn all my lessions on a $3000 cheapie! :smash: :crazy:

396 RAT

:iagree:

I too have done a a bit of body work (non vette's), but know I am not
good enough to prep a car to be painted black.
Its an art, and have deep respect for those who can do it.
Lets see, have done some bodywork on steel cars, have made
hundreds of surfboard repairs, Yea! I'm ready!
It must be the area I live in. I have heard 10k to 15k from every shop I have inquired to. Out of curiosity mainly, I am not going to paint my car in the near future.
I think some shops see the fiberglass as the challenge, and the others see
the color Black as the challenge. Put them together, and they pad the price for the worst case scenario.

396 RAT

Another fact, most folks that work at paint shops are not straight shooters.
Like it, or not. Its just the way it is.
.
Oh, really?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Didn't mean to pick a fight. Am sure your a straight shooter, who does quality work. And the price difference is now clear. Your hourly is 1/2 judging by other posts here. That explains the 5k -10k issue.
But I also know several bodymen and painters with drug and alcohol issues.
And have known more than one friend who has had to pick his car up
in pieces "with a flat bed" after a couple years of " It should be done next month"
Hats off to anyone who works with the public. I know I couldn't do it!
Let alone super **** Vette owners! Who want perfect Black paint jobs!
That would drive me to drink! :cheers:
Wait a minute, I do drink like a fish?
That explains 1/2 my :crazy: posts!