Thread: How much for a good paint job?

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How good (or bad) is $2500 for a flame paint job including epoxy primer, base coat, flames and clear?

Originally posted by '60buickrod
How good (or bad) is $2500 for a flame paint job including epoxy primer, base coat, flames and clear?

Depends what kind of shape the vehicle is in. Type of paint. Is the basecoat a factory color or will it be candy, pearl, or some other custom color? There are lots of variables.

it doesn't need any body work and the paint is going to be plain ol' black

The biggest determinant of final quality is the prep that goes into the job - the sanding and body work. This part is labor intensive and therfore expensive. Will they tape things off, have you got is disassembled, etc? These details will make a difference in the cost and quality.

The part of the country you are in makes a difference. IS the painter going to do this in his home shop or a pro shop with all the good air filtration and such? (better, but will cost more)

Does the price include the final buffing?

The last car i paid to have painted cost me $1000. Retired friend of my father in law. I was very disappointed. the prep work was fine, the overspray on the leather interior, on the engine and inner fenders was VERY VERY VERY disappointing, to say the least. It was a tape job (no chrome was removed) and i was very pleased with that part of the work.

The paint is not the expensive part, so i'd say $2500 is fair to low price wise, assuming you get a god job.

See if you can look at other cars he has done and talk with the owners and see what they paid and how it turned out.

My paint for my Corvair was $410, primer was $120, I used Dupont Chromabase and Dupont clear.

I have 180+ hours in the bodywork, prep, and blocking.

$2500 sounds good for a complete job, just make sure the flame layout is to your liking. Try to be there when the flames are taped so you can make changes if necessary. One persons flames do not appeal to all.

I personally like "seaweed" flames a-la Larry Watson...they are long and spindly and run the full length of the body.

I dislike flames that require a front-end complete color-change because it looks to me like the car is two-toned front-to-back.

The flames-over-tinted purple primer on my sled are House of Kolor "Voodoo green", shaded at the edge and pinstriped in silver. The center of the flames are filled with tattoo-styled spider webs airbrushed in white and striped in silver.

The finishing touch is a small (silver-dollar sized) spider on the rear pan wearing a top hat and smoking a cigar.

All cuts, welds, finishing, paint, and striping were done by me in my garage.

Originally posted by madgrinder
My paint for my Corvair was $410, primer was $120, I used Dupont Chromabase and Dupont clear.

I have 180+ hours in the bodywork, prep, and blocking.

$2500 sounds good for a complete job,

.

$2,500.00 If you deduct your materials, 180 hrs. of lobor, that would only be $10.44 an hr. And you would have more invested than just paint and primer. There's sand paper, body filler, masking tape, etc., etc., etc.
I spoz' it depends what wages average in your area but that is way low for Chicago area.
If you take it to a professional paint shop..... WAY WAY low.