Painting dos and donts

[manofsteel]

This spring I want get my65 Monza convertible painted/ repainted . Not getting a complete taken apart paint job but a decent one. What specifics should I request for the job and about an average what should I pay for it? Live in lower Delaware. Should I get the inside sprayed while I’m at it and extra cost would be???? Better than a Maaco paint job but cost friendly and I know I get what I pay for. Thanks for your replies!

[66vairguy]

This spring I want get my65 Monza convertible painted/ repainted . Not getting a complete taken apart paint job but a decent one. What specifics should I request for the job and about an average what should I pay for it? Live in lower Delaware. Should I get the inside sprayed while I’m at it and extra cost would be???? Better than a Maaco paint job but cost friendly and I know I get what I pay for. Thanks for your replies!

That is a tough question to answer. About a decade (or more) back the inexpensive paint shops started to vanish. Paint got expensive. The paint on new cars seems to last a long time so they don't need to be repainted. About the only shops around me that paint cars are collision repair shops. Some do excellent work, but when I called them to re-paint an "old" car they were not interested or quoted a price that was very high! Beware of a shop the does mostly insurance work and will "fit you in" during slow times. Your car may be there for a year OR MORE!

I'd suggest going to car events in your area and ask folks were they got their car painted and how long it took.

[2LZ]

Yep. My buddy is a body man in a collision shop, and he helped me haul our Corvair home a few weeks ago.
The black paint was badly chipped/crazed up down the center line and in other areas. It almost looks like it sat under the same roof leak in a barn for a long time. I asked him what a repaint would cost me at his shop. His answer? "You can't afford it. You'd be far too upside down in the car. Unless you do it out of love, just touch it up as good as you can and buff it out." So that's what I did. I should have color sanded it first but I'm not sure how deep the old paint goes.

[Dennis66]

Yeah, best advice is ask around. I had my Subaru Baja painted a year ago. Small one man shop, he was recommended by several people because he did a good job on their cars. As I always do, I removed all the trim so there would be no masking. He does do insurance work (where my friends found out about him). It did take 3 months, but I got a superb paint job. It ended up costing me about $3,000.00.
Sometimes you can find individuals who do painting as side work. Again, ask around for references. As mentioned, avoid the big name places, I can tell you horror stories. I did have a hood repainted at Maaco a few years back, and they did a good job. When I considered taking the Baja there, the reviews were terrible - some with legal action. Also avoid dealerships. Dennis

[66vairguy]

Yeah, best advice is ask around. I had my Subaru Baja painted a year ago. Small one man shop, he was recommended by several people because he did a good job on their cars. As I always do, I removed all the trim so there would be no masking. He does do insurance work (where my friends found out about him). It did take 3 months, but I got a superb paint job. It ended up costing me about $3,000.00.
Sometimes you can find individuals who do painting as side work. Again, ask around for references. As mentioned, avoid the big name places, I can tell you horror stories. I did have a hood repainted at Maaco a few years back, and they did a good job. When I considered taking the Baja there, the reviews were terrible - some with legal action. Also avoid dealerships. Dennis

A good paint job for $3,000.00 was deal. Usually around $5,000.00 and up for "good". Yes Maaco is all over the place on quality. Not sure why.

[caraholic4life]

A good paint job for $3,000.00 was deal. Usually around $5,000.00 and up for "good". Yes Maaco is all over the place on quality. Not sure why.

When I had my '66 Mid Engine Corvair coupe painted back in the mid 1980's, I took it to a shop already stripped to bare metal including the jambs and weatherstrip channels, no glass, on headliner, no interior, no bumpers, or any other trim. There was only a seat for the driver and it was able to be driven.
Back then I paid $1,700.00 for a Ditzler Acrylic Enamel paint job.

Move forward to about two years ago when I had my Greenbrier painted. I wanted a basic scuff and shoot paint job that looked presentable but didn't need to be perfect.
The only shop that would touch it would only do it if I stripped it to bare metal so I stripped it to bare metal including the door jambs, all trim was removed and all glass was removed. The windshield was supposed to get removed as well but that didn't happen or mane me happy.

I had anticipated spending in the neighborhood of $6,000.00 for the minor body work and paint job but in the end....I paid $13,000.00 to get a mediocre to decent paint job. The one from years ago was much better and didn't take as long to accomplish.

[manofsteel]

That looks SWEEEET!

[scottymac]

Andria,
I've heard horror stories about what red paint cost these days. Did the shop tell you how much you saved painting the roof white instead red?

[caraholic4life]

Andria,
I've heard horror stories about what red paint cost these days. Did the shop tell you how much you saved painting the roof white instead red?

No they didn't and it did not occur to me to inquire.

[SethThomas]

Painting seems to especially expensive on classics. I would actually recommend vinyl wrap. Wrapping a classic may seem counter-intuitive, but I have a friend that wrapped his El-Camino and it looks great. I think it cost him $1300. It's far less if you do it yourself, but it takes a ton of patience from what I read.