mlub

My '69 needs a new batch of fathom green in a bad way. I have all the typical body wear- stress cracks and such- need some new emblems and the other stuff that goes along with a new paint job. I took it to my guys at Austin Corvette and they came back with an estimate of $8291.31. I knew it would be high but my guess was around $5000. I know their work is top notch and it will definitely turn heads, but do you think this is reasonible?

The estimate gave the details of 127 hours for strip, stress repairs, prime, block, seal, reinstall lights etch
35 hours paint time including tape off, paint time, color-sand, buff
paint and materials $910.00, flex additive $10.00

flynhi

Gary is famous for good work and notorious for high pricing. Unless your 69 is a keeper or a numbers matching show car, you will be spending waaaay too much at that number.
Decide how long you want to keep the car, how important perfection is and how much you can afford. Then shop until you find a decent shop that will work with you.
There are many good shops in Austin/San Antonio. You may find pricing a little lower in the winter.
Consider doing some of the work yourself. Stripping and the installation of badges, etc is not that hard.

mlub

who do you take your vette to in austin?

page62

Take it down to Performance Restorations in San Antonio. They can probably do it for less than half that amount!

drnerve

127 Hours to strip! See if you can get your car media blasted. Its like sand blasting, only with plastic beads. I got my car media blasted, through 6 layers of paint + primer for $600.00. Unless they are charging you $4.72 an hour to strip the car!?

sjr1971

I paid $2400 in the mid '80s for a paint job. The shop that painted it Car Land in Danbury, Conn took a month to finish the job. I have had almost 20yrs pleasure just looking at it. It is expensive but well worth the money.

Z-man

What's killing you is the flex additive...

lostpatrolman

Strip the car yourself, it will save you some good money. You can have it mediablasted like was mentioned, you can strip it with a paint remover and do sections at a time, or there is the razor knife method. You scrape the paint off with a razor knife. I think someone siad it took them 8 hours to strip their whole car that way. The paint stripper goo is messy and some people complain about it it hiding in joints and could ruin the paint later on.

Rolm

I have been told if the guys speak english at the body shop you are paying toooo much$$$$$$$.

Stoge

Here, if you go to the body shop, you are spending too much money. I have never seen a good body shop paint job here locally. Even the high priced place does a poor job. A buddy of mine got his car back and there was actually a bb sized spot of bare metal on a brand new "painted" hood.

NJ 76 Project

Macco is running a $299 special

My69

Sounds like a lot of money but you get what you pay for.

Mike

A C

We have a local House of Kolor that paints rods at about 10K a pop, but when you see these cars, you understand the money spent....and their paint is flawless. Our Vettes are not quite in the same monetary league (at least most of them). I would expect that you could find someone to do a very good job on your car in the 5K range. The only problem is finding recommendations for quality painters. I bet you could get a very nice job done on your car for far less than the price you were quoted. I hate to say it, but no matter what you spend, it's kind of a crapshoot. I have seen high priced paint done poorly, and some great relatively cheap paint jobs.

Aflac

I got quoted 5500-6K when i asked about mine...

micks69

Paint is not the hard part. Prep is. Anyone can paint a car prepped properly and it will look good.

Offer the guys that work there $1,000 to strip and prep your car on the side and then take it anywhere for a $2,000 paint job.


Also he's probably pricing it so high because he doesn't want to do it.




[Modified by micks69, 12:33 AM 6/26/2004]

A C

Maybe he thinks Corvette owners are picky....and maybe we are.

Desertdawg

BTW. mine was repaired 2 years ago and a total repaint.....Right at 8,000.00
So your not that far off.....

Corz

8 K sounds about right to me

Red73

I would want to see other corvettes that he has painted and talk with the owners. If he does good work, he shouldn't have a problem with providing you with references. Rod

GrandSportC3

I was quoted around $15k for the paint job on my '68.. but I went with the El Cheapo paint job for $5k...