Originally posted by Bob Parmenter
WARNING: This will sound much harsher than intended and is NOT a personal attack on americanpower. I've just ignored this issue too many times and can't take it anymore!


We've had this question come up a lot lately, and it's got to be one of the most meaningless inquiries and sets of answers we can get involved in. Look, a quality paint job is 10% material, 90% labor. We can't see what the vehicle looks like, don't know what your standards are, don't know if you know the difference between a good paint job and a bad one, don't have a clue as to how much work needs to be done to get it ready to paint, and what your budget is. When someone asks how much something costs, and doesn't ask anything else, that implies they believe that all paint jobs are the same. If not, then comparing price without qualifying is a meaningless exercise.

Here's my suggestion. None of us here are going to paint your rig (unless you live near a member who will), therefore, any price we give you is meaningless. You need to go to the shops in your area and have them actually look at what you want done, learn what YOUR expectations are, and then tell you how much it will cost and why. If you do a reasonably thorough job of shopping around you'll find out that you could pay anywhere from $150 to infinity for a "paint job". How much quality can you afford.
Then, if you haven't been able to do a good job of interviewing the local painters in your area, you can come back to us with some questions about why there is so much difference in the prices from one shop to another. HINT; it's because there's a big difference in material quality, workmanship, and the amount of labor needed. Review the above remark, 90% labor. The better the paint job, the more labor involved, meaning more money.

My view here is, as someone who's had to deal with giving people wake up calls after they bought a cheap paint job and were hugely disappointed, don't waste money on a cheap job, it may end up looking worse than what you have now.
I agree totaly Bob:"
Can we post this on the home page somehow, with a flashing "NOTICE" header above the copy?
I too get this on a regular basis in my sign business. Phone rings.......Hello........ How much do you charge to paint a sign????? then silence........ waiting for an answer.
I just start askin' em' questions soz' I can fill in enough blanks to give them a ballpark answer.
Body work is a bit more complicated, many many more variables involved.
I also have to agree it's tough even in these days of rapidly expanding technology, to get paint to spray through an internet connection. And body filler, ha, forget it. He He He