To pay or not to pay, that is the question

[Dusterdude96]

I was wondering what you guys would reccomend in terms of how to paint my car. I have a few options, I can do the primer coats and have the body shop do the finish and clear coats, I can prime the body and paint the interior, I can have the body shop do everything, of I can do the entire thing at home. Thanks for the suggestions guys

 

[CudaChick1968]

Although my Cuda was painted more than ten years ago, the guy who owns the body shop told me I saved probably $3,000.00 by doing all the sanding myself. My car was six different colors in its lifetime, and all of them were still there when I started.

 

[72Plymouth]

If you have the shop paint it, I would have them prime it too. I wouldn't want them blaming me if the paint didn't adhere or lay right since the right prep work is really important.

 

[Dusterdude72]

If you have the money and don't have the time, let them do everything.

BUT if you know what you are doing and have the time to do it....by all means I say to prime the body and paint the interior and let them finish it up.

I know how to paint...BUT my garage is far from an ideal painting booth so I will probably have my cousin paint it for me at his shop or he would probably let me use his shop to paint it myself.

I primed and painted my engine bay, I painted all my interior, I will do all my own body work,I will prime the car and prepp it for paint, I will probably paint my door jambs and inside the trunk and everything too.

then all that will be left to do is paint the exterior....saves alot of money in the long run, it all comes down to what you can do and want to do and can afford to do though

 

[412 Stroker]

If you have the shop paint it, I would have them prime it too. I wouldn't want them blaming me if the paint didn't adhere or lay right since the right prep work is really important.

X2 Totally agree with this, unless the painter is someone you know personally, I would sand it down to metal then have the body shop do the rest. IMO

 

[MtNemoMopar]

Only your skills, and pocket book will decide.

 

[Baxter61]

if you dont have the space, take a "fix your own car" class at a local community college (if you have one near you) and do the painting there. Saves you on labor and you get good equipment for like $300 a term. Plus, you might find a young auto-body guy to cut and buff for you for a couple hundred bucks, saving you some mind-numbing labor there.

 

[mullinax95]

That is really a hard question for me to honestly answer. Are you a good painter? If so case closed you should paint it. I couldn't paint my own car because I have never done it. Also it depends on what kind of restoration you are going to do. A high end or low end restoration. I thought I had a high end restoration until I got honest with myself. LOL

I've had a job working for a auto glass company for almost a year. We install glass in some super nice restorations. These cars have $20k paint jobs on them!!! When I compare mine to some of them...... well that's when I got honest.

I'll vote a little later.

 

[caferacerx]

I say do it your self, three reasons
1:it will be done to your standards
2:if its not right you cant blame anyone else
3:when your finished you can say "I did that"

 

[Coryduran]

I say paint yourself, only because I plan on painting my car myself. I have never painted my own cars, but have friends and family members who have, and they're gonna be around to help and kinda guide me through the process. I'm not looking to do a HIGH end resto though, so it's fine for what I want. I'm also doing the upholstery and interior work with me and my family.

 

[sublime green]

Nothing like saying you did it yourself as long as your confident on how the outcome might be, for better or for worst.

 

[BlueSwinger]

What is your goal?

I don't think there's a right or wrong answer other than if you do prime yourself, definitely work very closely with the painter so it's all compatible product etc. I doubt you'll save much by spraying primer yourself though, that's easy and quick, but you could save a lot by doing all the bodywork and block work yourself so long as you're prepared for the outcome. Either way, have them do the final finish blocking to get it just right, but of course if you've muffed it to that point, they won't be able to fix it at that stage without digging in and maybe even costing you more $ than it would have to begin with!

 

[STR-14]

If I could paint I'd do it myself............
Daryl

 

[mac daddy mopar]

I have more respect for a guy/gal that does their own work, be it engine or body work, any one can pay for a paint job, or a done car, just my $.02

 

[Dartnut]

Do it yourself, if you have the time.
Nothing like a car totally done by yourself.
That's if you really have the skills and the time. Be honest with yourself about your expectations and money you have to lay out.
If you get someone else to do everything, be prepared to put out major buck$!
At least half the price to do it yourself.
Good luck, and please post pics for us to drool over!

 

[Tincup]

The paint is the one thing EVERYONE see's. 99% of all the work of a quality paint job is in the prep work, just about anyone can spray on paint. It has taken me 6 months and about 2K in materials to get my car ready to paint ( and I used to do it for a living ). Unless you have confidence in your abilities, My advise would be to talk to the guy at the body shop to see what you can do to help ( i.e. strip all the trim & paint) otherwise, let the pro's do it.

 

[Dusterdude96]

If you have the shop paint it, I would have them prime it too. I wouldn't want them blaming me if the paint didn't adhere or lay right since the right prep work is really important.

I know the guy who owns the shop I would have paint the car, and I have been using the primer he reccomended to spray parts taken down to bare metal so they don't rust. I was thinking along the same lines, wich is why I asked him:-D

 

[Dusterdude96]

That is really a hard question for me to honestly answer. Are you a good painter? If so case closed you should paint it. I couldn't paint my own car because I have never done it. Also it depends on what kind of restoration you are going to do. A high end or low end restoration. I thought I had a high end restoration until I got honest with myself. LOL

I hve zero experience with painting, and some with bodywork. My dad has painted a few cars in his lifetime, but that was back when HVLP guns were unheard of and dinosaurs roamed the earth freely:toothy10:

 

[Carpainter]

"If you have the shop paint it, I would have them prime it too. I wouldn't want them blaming me if the paint didn't adhere or lay right since the right prep work is really important."

Amen to that. If I had a customer bring a vehicle to my shop, I would darn sure want to know what was done to it before i painted it. A paint job is only as good as the repair/prep work. The only exception to that, for me, would be someone who does body work for a living or was a serious hobbyist both of which knew what they were doing in regard to repair work. Not all body-repair people like or want to paint their own stuff.

 

[HemiPar]

Well, I for one an no painter. I did paint the cab of my powerwagon a few years ago, so I do have the needed skills to do my Swinger myself:-D
ok I will be serious. I do plan on doing mine myself; 1) I only have myself to blame, 2) If I don't like it, I'll do it till I do. even if it cost me more in the long run. 3) I will be able to say "yes, I did it myself". Everything.........
Even if it ain't perfect. My car by no means will not be a show car. Just wanted an ole' Mopar to drive and take to cruise ins.
A rule for me would be if you have them paint may as well have them prime it. Maybe you can even get a class from him?

 

[Badart]

I did the metal work, blocked and painted this Fury a few months ago in my garage for under a grand. It is a base/clear urethane. I even freshed up the 440. I sold it to a guy in Wyoming who loves the car and now wants me to paint his dart. This was only the third car that I have painted.

 

[Dusterdude72]

Here is a 95 mustang GT I built a couple of years ago.

I built it from the ground up dang near.

the hood I picked up from a family member and it had been on am ustang that was wrecked hard in the front.

I basically had to hand make the hood... lots of bracing and supporting and I poured fiberglass resin over the entire hood and then layed sheets of glass in and brushed more resin in, sanded the hole thing down , used body filler on the hole hood,then primed it and spot puddyed it and primed it again.

came out nice.

here are some pics of it from what it looked like before......to some of the body work stages,to during paint, to after paint.

I know I know I know....its a ford....BUT I used a mopar color! 2008 chrysler PT cruiser electric blue and I added a few pearl tints to it aswell.

 

[Dusterdude96]

nice job on the paint Dusterdude72 and badart!:-D