The Difference Between a Good Paint Job and a FAB! Paint Job

[Lord Castlereagh]

Last week, I caught the very end of a show on cable about the differences between, if I remember correctly, a $5,000 paint job, a $10,000 paint job, and a $15,000 paint job.

Let me beat all the wiseguys to the punch: Yes, I know the difference between these paint jobs is $5,000 per increment. Ha, ha, very funny.

So, what ARE the differences? How many times the car is sanded? HOW it is sanded? The type of paint used? FYI: I know NOTHING about painting a car.

Thanks, in advance, for the info.

 

[DocMcNeedy]

I can only say this was a one year...12K paint job...don't know about the sanding part...

 

[Joesportfury]

I would say the short answer is time and materials.For example some cars can have the existing paint sanded fix a few dents prime and paint.Other need to be taken to bare metal maybe patches welded bodywork prime block sand painted color sanded then buffed.Paint can range from 100 a gallon to 1000 a gallon etc.

 

[tbm3fan]

Prep time would be the biggest factor as in getting the panels perfectly smooth which would mean prime, filler, guide coat, sand, find low/high spots and repeat till perfect. A sealer might be used in a color close to what the color of the car is going to be. Then your base coat is next. You only spray base coat on until you achieve a nice even coverage. Excess coats not needed. This is where a gallon can really vary in cost based on color and manufacturer. Red more than white. Pearls more than a standard color. Glasurite super expensive while PPG Omni way cheaper. You get what you pay for here. Better color matches with Glasurite and less paint needed to get coverage.

Then finally your clear coat. Factory jobs get one coat of clear and out the door. If you are sanding clear coat then three layers are needed in order to sand and have enough protection left. This is where time also comes into play. Someone very good will be able to eliminate all orange peel and get a totally smooth mirror like surface for them to polish. If the person knows how to handle the gun and knows how to handle clear coat, which can vary, then they can simulate the factory clear coat easily and therefore no clear coat sanding needed. If you insist on a non-factory job in that the surface is mirror smooth then that takes time. I could color sand a single flat panel and the buff it maybe in 3-4 hours being careful. Compound curves are harder to handle.

My Dodge cost me about $500 in materials to paint. Some panels were redone because of a few runs. There was some color sanding to eliminate smutz on the top layer which I might have overdone a bit as the surface shows less orange peel than the factory would have allowed.

 

[Joesportfury]

How much of the car is painted adds a lot of time as well

 

[Lord Castlereagh]

Prep time would be the biggest factor as in getting the panels perfectly smooth which would mean prime, filler, guide coat, sand, find low/high spots and repeat till perfect. A sealer might be used in a color close to what the color of the car is going to be. Then your base coat is next. You only spray base coat on until you achieve a nice even coverage. Excess coats not needed. This is where a gallon can really vary in cost based on color and manufacturer. Red more than white. Pearls more than a standard color. Glasurite super expensive while PPG Omni way cheaper. You get what you pay for here. Better color matches with Glasurite and less paint needed to get coverage.

Then finally your clear coat. Factory jobs get one coat of clear and out the door. If you are sanding clear coat then three layers are needed in order to sand and have enough protection left. This is where time also comes into play. Someone very good will be able to eliminate all orange peel and get a totally smooth mirror like surface for them to polish. If the person knows how to handle the gun and knows how to handle clear coat, which can vary, then they can simulate the factory clear coat easily and therefore no clear coat sanding needed. If you insist on a non-factory job in that the surface is mirror smooth then that takes time. I could color sand a single flat panel and the buff it maybe in 3-4 hours being careful. Compound curves are harder to handle.

My Dodge cost me about $500 in materials to paint. Some panels were redone because of a few runs. There was some color sanding to eliminate smutz on the top layer which I might have overdone a bit as the surface shows less orange peel than the factory would have allowed.

You appear to be very much in the know on this subject. Can you tell me more about costs? Thanks

 

[Lord Castlereagh]

View attachment 208240 View attachment 208241 How much of the car is painted adds a lot of time as well

Good God, man! What did that cost? Or did you do most of it yourself?

 

[Lord Castlereagh]

I can only say this was a one year...12K paint job...don't know about the sanding part...
View attachment 208239

What do you mean by "one year"?

 

[Big_John]

@azblackhemi is probably the best guy here to answer that question.

When it comes to body work and painting, there's three things that most people are concerned with. Reasonable cost, fast turnaround, and good quality. Pick two because that's that's how it works.

 

[Carmine]

It depends on your definition of "paint job". For some people, it's everything between crappy-old-unrestored-beater full of dents and rust and mirror-perfect-glossy-pearl.

For me it's defined as everything between completed bodywork sprayed with sealer and glossy-paint. For that, I'll have about $6-700 into materials.

 

[DocMcNeedy]

What do you mean by "one year"?

The shop had it in their possession working on it... taking it apart, etc..... over a one year period...it seemed forever...I owned it for 16 years.

 

[saforwardlook]

For getting a really show quality paint job, the panels must all be flat and perfectly straight, which takes time and talent. Long boards rule generally. No waves allowed at all and there must be faithful reflections when the paint is done as you sight down the panels. Few can do it. Those that can get paid more. Quality materials cost more too. Body panel gaps must be even and straight in every instance. The painter must know how to color sand the final finish properly too and take their time. It is truly an art learned over many years of experience and experimenting with various techniques to achieve really show quality results. As far as time goes, good painters must let the various coats dry for some time to prevent reactions among the various layers of primer/ basecoat/clear coat or single stage paint as well. Consider a paint job done well that will last will take at least 3 months including drying time. $12 - $15K depending on how much body work, rust repair is needed to achieve that.

 

[Carmine]

Getting the panels all flat and perfectly straight takes time and talent. Long boards rule generally. No waves allowed at all and there must be faithful reflections when the paint is done as you sight down the panels. Few can do it. Those that can get paid more. Quality materials cost more too. Body panel gaps must be even and straight in every instance. The painter must know how to color sand the final finish properly too and take their time. It is truly are art learned over many years of experience and experimenting with various techniques to achieve really show quality results. As far as time goes, good painters must let the various coats dry for some time to prevent reactions among the various layers of primer/ basecoat/clear coat or single stage paint as well. Consider a paint job done well that will last will take at least 3 months including drying time. $12 - $15K depending on how much body work, rust repair is needed to achieve that.

The problem I have with that definition is that only in the case of a one-man shop would a "painter" do all that work. It's like saying the same guy who pours the foundation is also doing the finish carpentry.

In a real production shop, a painter doesn't do anything but mix paint and spray. He might be expected to color sand and buff. Other, lesser-paid people are the ones spreading/sanding filler, fitting panels, etc.

If you can drop a car off at a shop that's ready-for-paint, you should not be looking at a $10,000 expense. Conversely, if you drop off a rusty beater, expect to pay far more.

 

[Big_John]

It cost me about $40 to paint my youngest son's truck with rustoleum.

 

[mrfury68]

I always considered paint & bodywork to be an art form. You either have "it" or you don't. I never did but always appreciated those who could do beautiful work. I have seen expensive shoddy work as well as reasonably priced jobs that looked amazing. Hats off to all of you out there who can make it straight and lay down a deep, rich color on a classic or daily driver.

 

[Knebel]

It cost me about $40 to paint my youngest son's truck with rustoleum.

View attachment 208263
View attachment 208264

oh thats yours? dont you have a video to that too?

 

[Big_John]

oh thats yours? dont you have a video to that too?

No video, sorry.

 

[HWYCRZR]

I am good at mechanical and small detail work, but body work is not my forte.
I had to send the body off. Here is what was done at very reputable shop specializing in classic cars and customs.
Trunk pan re build,dent removal rear fenders from loose jack, dent removal r front fender from a Bobcat backing into it, l front fender pushed back, rear window rust cut out and repaired, rear fender behind wheel wells re-built ( no repair panels available), tail light panel rebuilt. Mount on rotisserie ( car was completely dissasembled by me prior to taking for body work). Sand blasted, epoxied, repaired, sanded sanded again sanded again...., sound deadner sprayed, under side and firewall painted, interior painted, lowered on front frame with engine and transmission and rear end install so front fenders could be installed (I had already rebuilt and detailed the rear end, engine, transmission,and frame so not included in hours). Dry fit everything, more priming and sanding, final sanding, clean and mask. Base coat clear coats. Sanding and polishing and vinyl top installed.

$7600 in materials and 604 hours. It was over 10 years staring and stopping as funds and life allowed. I believe there was over 150 hours of blocking and sanding. Once in a lifetime project to this level. But I am happy with the results.

Taking it home

Underneath

Straight body & mirror finish

Re-fabrication if trunk floor

 

[Knebel]

....thats what? 60k for the paintjob? going off of 80$/h or so!? But sure is shiney, wow! Definitely admire this.

 

[HWYCRZR]

Little better deal in the Midwest. 10 years ago it started at $40 in 2007 and ended @ $50 in 2018 if I paid the invoice within 5 days. Probably about $45 average. Not quite the price of a new pickup but getting close. They also didn’t charge me for the 7 years it sat idle in their old shop taking up space on the rotisserie.
People forget that the surface area of these cars are about twice the size of a cuda or mustang.
It cost much less than a good ski boat or a lake cabin of which I have neither. Rebuilding, detailing, and putting it back together is good therapy and a way to decompress after work.