Cost of a single-color paint job?

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I ran into the same problen.
Did all the prep myself and talked to a dozen shops or individuals. They all wanted between 2500 & 5500 to spray color.....I tried to explain that this is a daily driver and doesnt need to be a concourse paint job. Didn't matter....

I ran into I guy I knew that owns a paint shop while dirtbiking and told him the situation.. He said bring it by and I will squirt it.....1100.00 including paint and they did some touch up on my green pea bodywork ! I had him paint it white in single stage because I wanted more depth in the color. It came out great ! Cant say I would advice single stage for a matallic...

Understand that this was a bare shell... , but he did jambs , trunk , engine bay and interior. He did me a solid and it took about 2 weeks.
 

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The original question (and intent) referred to a single color paint job; in my case, a metallic with clear coat. Specifically, Winchester gray (Gunmetal). All my prep work, including pre-painting of door jambs, under hood and trunk area would be done, car would be sanded and prepped. But it sounds like I'm still looking at more than $2500.00, and for that price I would probably attempt to shoot it myself. I shot the last Duster, but it was a solid (red) with no clear coat. If the experts out there think a metallic with clear coat is too much for an amateur I might have to re-think my game plan and go with a solid.
 
You just need good gun control with a metallic. If you heel or toe the gun you will get stripes.

Inconsistent speed and distance will cause more problems.

That's why a metallic isn't recommended for beginners.
 
1968FormulaS340 said:
You just need good gun control with a metallic. If you heel or toe the gun you will get stripes.

Inconsistent speed and distance will cause more problems.

That's why a metallic isn't recommended for beginners.
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Well, I'm not EXACTLY a beginner..I've shot two complete aircraft (single-engine) and a lot of touch-up, but usually acrylic enamel (Centari, etc) and usually solids.
I'm at a point where I have to start making some decisions based on the color. The car was originally Gunmetal so I thought I would stick with it.
 
Metallics are more difficult. One painter looked at our ride and turned down the work because his hands are not steady enough anymore to evenly apply metallic paint.
 
AdamR said:
A big problem with Macco is the quality of the paint. Its cheap enamel. Be ready to buff the shine back every few months.
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A friend of mine got MAACO on Lynchburg VA, to paint his 86 Mustang five years ago. I think he paid around $600, that included bare stripping the hood that we p[icked up at a local junkyard. He is in his 80's and never buffs it, just washes it. It still looks great except for the hood, the clear coat has peeled on it, but I've seen much more expensive jobs do the same thing.
 
Winchester will look great on it. Besides you seldom see a Winchester car. Must not have been the in color at the time.

Keep looking. You will run across someone that will shoot it for less.
 
I just called my local Macco, because I'm not real happy with my paint job. I told them all body work done no door jambs trunk or motor compartment. Just basically I'll have the car scuffed ready for paint, they said $1200 plus tax that's base coat and 3 coats of clear.
 
if you have your car ready to shoot probably $1500-$2000 but most shops will provide no guarantee on the work if something happens to the paint because they didn't do the body work

shops around here won't do just half the job, all or nothing; be careful and ask the shop before you do too much or else they may not do it
 
You'll be fine shooting a metallic.

The key to a good metallic basecoat/ clearcoat paint job is to keep a tac cloth and some 800 paper handy.

Basecoat sets up in about 15 min to tac off and nib any odd pieces, to re-base.

The key to getting a metallic to look good is to forget medium coats. Go on with normal pressure and flow, but back the gun off of the surface until you're about 15" away or so. About a foot to a foot and a half, depending on how it's pattern looks.

Not sure? Hit a piece of masking paper with it first. I shoot for full coverage on the 5th coat... I just did a House of Kolor Zenith Gold that took 13 coats to cover... Just don't rush the base. Ignore gloss and coverage per pass on the gun. Just pay attention to the pattern. Start looking for color coverage after the 3rd coat.

If you go over it with the intention of 3-5 coats on that color, it will cover evenly. Silvers and golds take more, because it's just the metallic flakes giving coverage with minimal pigment. Banding has more to do with distance than angle, but both are good to keep monitoring. The key is to not even try to get full coverage on each pass and let multiple coats gain coverage. If it looks covered, dust it again with a medium-light coat and see if you can tell any difference. Get in the booth with a flashlight and look for dry areas on lower facing body lines in the color. It's also nice to check for clearcoat coverage with a flashlight.

Also, keep the gun moving relatively quick. This helps minimize patterns and aids in gaining even coverage over more coats.

Single stage metallics are the tricky ones. You have to treat that like an acrylic enamel and do a light tac coat first, to get it to stick, do light coats and treat it the same, then hit it with one good medium coat to finish it for gloss, or the metallics can move too much.

Base/ Clear is so much easier to work with. If something gets weird during color, you can always let it sit 30 min and cut it out, tac cloth then tac coat that area and follow up with base until it blends out in a few coats.

Just shoot it. You'll be fine. If you'd like any other pointers, feel free to PM me. I'm working on a base/ clear Surf Turquoise '66 D100 short bed pickup paint job right now at my shop.
 
DaveBonds said:
You'll be fine shooting a metallic.

The key to a good metallic basecoat/ clearcoat paint job is to keep a tac cloth and some 800 paper handy.

Basecoat sets up in about 15 min to tac off and nib any odd pieces, to re-base.

The key to getting a metallic to look good is to forget medium coats. Go on with normal pressure and flow, but back the gun off of the surface until you're about 15" away or so. About a foot to a foot and a half, depending on how it's pattern looks.

Not sure? Hit a piece of masking paper with it first. I shoot for full coverage on the 5th coat... I just did a House of Kolor Zenith Gold that took 13 coats to cover... Just don't rush the base. Ignore gloss and coverage per pass on the gun. Just pay attention to the pattern. Start looking for color coverage after the 3rd coat.

If you go over it with the intention of 3-5 coats on that color, it will cover evenly. Silvers and golds take more, because it's just the metallic flakes giving coverage with minimal pigment. Banding has more to do with distance than angle, but both are good to keep monitoring. The key is to not even try to get full coverage on each pass and let multiple coats gain coverage. If it looks covered, dust it again with a medium-light coat and see if you can tell any difference. Get in the booth with a flashlight and look for dry areas on lower facing body lines in the color. It's also nice to check for clearcoat coverage with a flashlight.

Also, keep the gun moving relatively quick. This helps minimize patterns and aids in gaining even coverage over more coats.

Single stage metallics are the tricky ones. You have to treat that like an acrylic enamel and do a light tac coat first, to get it to stick, do light coats and treat it the same, then hit it with one good medium coat to finish it for gloss, or the metallics can move too much.

Base/ Clear is so much easier to work with. If something gets weird during color, you can always let it sit 30 min and cut it out, tac cloth then tac coat that area and follow up with base until it blends out in a few coats.

Just shoot it. You'll be fine. If you'd like any other pointers, feel free to PM me. I'm working on a base/ clear Surf Turquoise '66 D100 short bed pickup paint job right now at my shop.
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Don't suppose you have any YouTube vids showing how it's done?
I'm not sure if Winchester Gray has a base coat or not. Don't believe they were using base coat paints in '72. I will probably be shooting an acrylic enamel w/ hardener and a clearcoat over the top, depending on what's available and cost.
 
Mr Bonds,those are wise words. The single stage Mets,learned to treat it,like a pearl shot.(45 degree misting,on the top of each coat,still a b.)
 
CudaChris, Just curious what kind of automotive paint you are using that retails for US $1200.00 for a gallon. "My paint alone retails US $1200 a gallon"
 
When I did my Dart 3 liters of Spies Hecker was over $800

On the Duster we used Diamont, I'm over $4000 in just material cost. Expoxy, 2K, Base, Clear, Hardeners, Actuvators, Tape, paper, tac cloths, respirator, sand paper, Mixing sticks, mixing cups. Its a much longer list then most people think.
 
AdamR said:
When I did my Dart 3 liters of Spies Hecker was over $800

On the Duster we used Diamont, I'm over $4000 in just material cost. Expoxy, 2K, Base, Clear, Hardeners, Actuvators, Tape, paper, tac cloths, respirator, sand paper, Mixing sticks, mixing cups. Its a much longer list then most people think.
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And in general the labor is the cos of the materials, thus back to square A, 8-10k for a quality paint job.

Spies is some good stuff ;)
 
AdamR said:
When I did my Dart 3 liters of Spies Hecker was over $800

On the Duster we used Diamont, I'm over $4000 in just material cost. Expoxy, 2K, Base, Clear, Hardeners, Actuvators, Tape, paper, tac cloths, respirator, sand paper, Mixing sticks, mixing cups. Its a much longer list then most people think.
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hot damn that duster is sexy!
 
moparmusclecars said:
CudaChris, Just curious what kind of automotive paint you are using that retails for US $1200.00 for a gallon. "My paint alone retails US $1200 a gallon"
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I am using PPG Deltron basecoat. It is a standard refinish line that many shops use for collision work. The color is Toxic Orange PVG as seen on many Chrysler vehicles recently including the Challenger. However, this particular color (see the build thread) uses a health dose of one of the Vibrance (a premium product) color shifting toners to make the orange go from copper to tangerine.

7369_cc0640_001_PVG.jpg
 
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8500, media blasted, lower quarters/extensions replaced, bottom painted, window linkages cleaned/painted/greased, insides of doors sprayed, dash sprayed, Lizard Skin (I bought it, he sprayed it), cage done pretty much everything sprayed. He replaced all the fasteners with stainless, made me plastic door panels. Also sliced the ride side inner fender. My hood could not have the stanchions in it so he had a buddy make up a stainless brace that he buried in glass at the front edge of the scoop. If I remember correctly the total materials bill when he finished was right at 2500. We ended up with a COMPLETELY painted car. In this price was also the funds to get the door handles restored, the tail light bezels done as well. He spent close to 20 hours just getting the glass hood to fit somewhat. Hood was painted 4 times, he just did not like the way it looked.
 
One of my doctors is restoring a 72 LeMans. He seems to attract the flakes. He is over 5k and the car still needs a roof/quarter replaced. Has been a 8 year nightmare. Body guy saying he will get it done in 4 months, 9 months later the car has not even moved form where it was pushed off the trailer.
 
inkjunkie said:
One of my doctors is restoring a 72 LeMans. He seems to attract the flakes. He is over 5k and the car still needs a roof/quarter replaced. Has been a 8 year nightmare. Body guy saying he will get it done in 4 months, 9 months later the car has not even moved form where it was pushed off the trailer.
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Sadly many have the same story
 
CudaChris67 said:
Sadly many have the same story
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Sad but true. I have a people that I want him to talk to that are local, wish I had known them back when I had mine done. I am a bit hesitant to give my doc there numbers for fear of him having more troubles with them. One of the folks I want him to talk to is a neighbor. He does really nice work, and to the best of my knowledge has not screwed anybody around.....yet.....
 
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