Thread: Paint Quote for My Camaro

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I just spoke with the guy who I wanted to paint my car. He originally told me he could paint it for about 3000 dollars, but now the quote has shot up. I have some rot behind the rear tires that will need to be patched and there is evidence of 3-4 different colors of paint on the car. I just spoke with him tonight and he said it'll probably be around a 7-8 thousand dollar job. Keep in mind the car's not going to be a show car, but I still want a decent job. Does this sound extremely high or right about average. Mind you this is one of my best friends and he's quoting me for probably a real nice paint job. Thanks for any input you can provide.

Originally Posted by 67CamaroProject

I just spoke with the guy who I wanted to paint my car. He originally told me he could paint it for about 3000 dollars, but now the quote has shot up. I have some rot behind the rear tires that will need to be patched and there is evidence of 3-4 different colors of paint on the car. I just spoke with him tonight and he said it'll probably be around a 7-8 thousand dollar job. Keep in mind the car's not going to be a show car, but I still want a decent job. Does this sound extremely high or right about average. Mind you this is one of my best friends and he's quoting me for probably a real nice paint job. Thanks for any input you can provide.

IMO 7-8000 thousand, it better be "show" quality!

the price of the paint itself has quaddrupled in the last couple years, not to mention with multiple layers of paint you mention. there will have to be some stripping involved. if the film build (layers of paint) is to high it will easily chip and crack. and all the other materials, sanding and masking papers and tape, strippers, blocking labor, primering, more blocking labor, rust repair labor and materials, and paint cost, with buffing and painting labor. its not too far off base for a decent job. everything is costing more and more evryday. a typical shop rate is around 50 bucks an hour these days. my nieghbor does show and magazine cars, he charges 20 to 50 grand for a show car body and paint job. he did a hi boy for a budwiezer distributor, in bud red. built the whole car frame up, 220,000

Wow

I would think that is a bit high but then again a good paint job done right is alot of work. Is the car already stripped down or is he removing all of the interior, exterior, all prep work etc. It should be a lot less if al he has to do is get all the old paint off and spray. If you add in all the other work plus cutting out the bad metal and welding in new stuff that makes for alot of work. You should get a couple of quotes from other places and see what they say (don't mention your friends price). As far as being a good friend, be careful, 8 grand can spoil a friendship real quick, even if he does a good job, your doubts now could have you regretting and feeling taken advantage of later. Something to think about.

ask this guy how much his paint cost.
http://www.clubhotrod.com/forums/sho...754#post244754

Those numbers really shock me when I hear them, but I guess I shouldn't be. As mentioned, the supplies alone cost a ton of money. I walked out of the paint store with two quarts of paint, hardner, and a few mixing buckets, and the tab was like $ 220. So all the primers, etc to do a car would add up fast.

The other factor is the work involved. Body work, painting is one of the toughest parts of doing a car, IMO. My hat is off to guys like HOTRODPAINT, and others on here who do this stuff day in day out. I hate sanding and prep work.

You also say this guy is one of your best friends, so that should rule out him ripping you off too badly, but maybe he is thinking one level of job and you are on a different page. Might want to talk some more to him and get closer on price.

Don

Paint and materials alone for my '34 cost somewhere between $1,500 and $2,000. Primer-surfacer, sealer, basecoat, clearcoat, thinners, hardeners, solvents, tape, sandpaper, etc., etc., etc. . .

100 hrs @ 65 hr. materials can hit 3 k easily on a complete unless you use 2nd line junk. media blast is 2500 to strip it. plus any and all body work that is under the paint. 6k to 8k is in line for a top quality paint job.

When you subract the materials, then add in stripping and rust repair I don't think it's real far out of line... Hopefully he has a cushion built in that price to cover the "surprises" that will probably show up on the car when the stripping starts!!! I would make sure this includes quality paint under the hood, the inside of the trunk lid, and the door jambs.... As others mentioned, make sure you are both talking the same paint job before any work starts.....

I have low overhead, but insist on quality materials, and the time to do it right. Appearance is equal to a new car.....or better! When It's done, I guarantee the work for as long as you own it.

Depending on condition, difficulty, color, and graphics, I charge from $5K to 10K, and on early models can go higher. Of that amount, $1,000-$2,500 is for good materials.

There are dozens of shops in most towns, and you can always find "cheaper", but you would be unusually lucky to get more than you pay for, so remember that when you find a bargain!

If this guy can produce a very high quality job, he is not outside the normal range.

Thanks you for all of the responses. I'll keep them all in mind. I just thought that the price seemed extreme from his first quote of 2500-3000 and couldn't comprehend the price jump. I'll make sure we're on the same page prior to having the work done, wherever I decide to get it painted. I'll post some pics when it's done. It'll look a lot like my avatar, but will have metallic charcol gray racing stripes.

100 hrs is for paint only. any repairs or bodywork are not included nor is stripping.

my materials alone was $463, for 1 gallon ( custom purple ) and 2 qts of paint ( custom purple and a custom white ), and that was after a 10% discount. this was for PPG Delstar paint, single stage polyurethane Acryllic enamel.

I am currently painting an HHR, which is converted to a panel, and has custom hood, and front and rear pans. The two-tone colors are black over factory charcoal, and it will have mild graphics. These are not pricey colors, and I am using an HVLP gun, which requires less paint. Quality basecoat/clearcoat paint, and body materials, are right at $975.

When I took my 55 belair to an old friend he said he would strip and paint it for 10,000, the second guy said he would do it for 5,800, and the third guy said he did not want to do it because it might make his guys want to quite. Most shops around here are into the insurance fixing, nobody fools with old cars too much around here.

Ended up stripping the whole car my self in one day and etch primming it, took it to another guy I know and the guy that works for him did all the work about 1,000 in labor. He primed it for me and I did a couple hours of bulldozer work for him.