Very General Paint Question

[C. Hayden]

I am trying to get a ballpark idea of what a complete paint job would be for a 1st gen Camaro. I know there are a ton of variables that can affect the cost. So, let’s assume no rust or body repair. Car was painted once before. I am going with original GM color of Garnet Red. On frame paint job - doors, trunk, and hood removed. Jams to be painted. Everything else masked off. Not looking for show quality, but a very good paint job.

[BBC71Nova]

I've been curious about this as well since hopefully I'm an not toooo far from that stage of the build.

3k-3.5k? You can spend close to that on materials is what many will tell you. It is extremely difficult to find places that will paint a car all over for anywhere close that that these days. At least not that I've found.

My FFR was in that range to paint almost 10 years ago and there isn't much at all to those little roadsters. I also supplied the materials since my brother was a BASF rep.

I think nowadays 10k for a good quality job including jams and such is probably more realistic. I should mention though that I really haven't gotten a single quote yet that is in even that ballpark though :(

[Ron in SoCal]

I did a scuff and shoot for 3500. It was black (!) and came out as a two footer. A little clay bar and you could hardly see the swirls. I was happy for what I paid...

[Musclerodz]

For chromabase or deltron red it is $600 a gallon, $300 gallon for clear, activator and reducer. $60-$150 gallon for primer, $250 for sandpaper, masking tape, and masking paper on the conservatitive side, $40 a tube for automix seam sealer. So say $1500 on the short side for scuff and shoot for materials. Figuring at $3500 and $65/hr shop rate, that leaves 4 days of work to sand, prep, prime, jamb, reassemble, cut and buff. That is not gonna happen unless you run it to Maaco or it is damn nice to start with. A more realistic cost is going to be closer to $7k-$9k and that is not necessarily a show winner, but what I would call a very nice driver.

[Rick D]

if he is wanting to strip the car to bare metal, i would be a LOT more money. i would think for 3 grand he can get a nice paint job, another 500 or so to r&i the doors, decklid, hood, and mask everything else off. 1 gal each of base coat/cc, sealer, primer, materials should be a grand or so. he did say he didn't want a show quality paint job, but a nice paint job.

The only way your going to get close is at a Maaco or if you get very cheap off brand products. You can get clear coat packages for around $100 to $150, but you will use 2 gal of it to clear the car and it will not look so great with out a lot of color sanding and buffing and then it still won't look as good as a premium product.

The clear I use I can go around a car completely with two coats and use 70 oz of clear ( or just over half a gal). But yes that clear is list price $370.00 just for the clear and then another $480 for the hardener of which you use half a gal of hardener to one gal of clear.

For chromabase or deltron red it is $600 a gallon, $300 gallon for clear, activator and reducer. $60-$150 gallon for primer, $250 for sandpaper, masking tape, and masking paper on the conservatitive side, $40 a tube for automix seam sealer. So say $1500 on the short side for scuff and shoot for materials. Figuring at $3500 and $65/hr shop rate, that leaves 4 days of work to sand, prep, prime, jamb, reassemble, cut and buff. That is not gonna happen unless you run it to Maaco or it is damn nice to start with. A more realistic cost is going to be closer to $7k-$9k and that is not necessarily a show winner, but what I would call a very nice driver.

Yup that's about what I come up with, $7-9k and you would have a real nice driver that at any car cruse you will get a lot of compliments.

The only way you may get into a decent job in that range is to find a guy that does work on the side?? But the cost of materials is the cost?

[DOOM]

The only way your going to get close is at a Maaco or if you get very cheap off brand products. You can get clear coat packages for around $100 to $150, but you will use 2 gal of it to clear the car and it will not look so great with out a lot of color sanding and buffing and then it still won't look as good as a premium product.

The clear I use I can go around a car completely with two coats and use 70 oz of clear ( or just over half a gal). But yes that clear is list price $370.00 just for the clear and then another $480 for the hardener of which you use half a gal of hardener to one gal of clear.



Yup that's about what I come up with, $7-9k and you would have a real nice driver that at any car cruse you will get a lot of compliments.

The only way you may get into a decent job in that range is to find a guy that does work on the side?? But the cost of materials is the cost?

Still using that Sikkens I see Rick!! $850.00 a setup now!!! Its the best but that's crazy !!!!:wow:

[C. Hayden]

Appreciate all the the information. I now have some idea what I am looking at.:thumbsup:

[Rick D]

Still using that Sikkens I see Rick!! $850.00 a setup now!!! Its the best but that's crazy !!!!:wow:

Yeah what can I say I can't :snapout: but then again I don't have to pay that for the products :whistling: :hello: one of the perks of working for the company!! Y

You let me know when your ready to paint that Camaro of yours and I'll get you some of the good stuff!!:poke:

[mdprovee]

I think $10K is closer to what you will pay, that is around what I payed for mine a few years ago.

[DOOM]

Yeah what can I say I can't :snapout: but then again I don't have to pay that for the products :whistling: :hello: one of the perks of working for the company!! Y

You let me know when your ready to paint that Camaro of yours and I'll get you some of the good stuff!!:poke:

I forgot you worked for them . Best paint I ever used hands down! Just wasn't getting the money from the insurance companies . It killed me to let it go ! I even went to Lesonal and that got to be crazy! I would go back in a heart beat if I could.:topic:

[NOPANTS68]

I think you'll be in that 10k range as well. I always tense up when someone asks me about just a "nice" paint job. Be very clear with the painter what you are looking for so that expectations are met. A "nice" paint job at my shop is 14-17k typically. The costs of materials and booth time has just sprialed out of control these days. A "nice " paint job at Ring Brothers or Rad Rods might be double that. I don't know. I'm confident the paint work they put out is superior to ours, but it's always relative when money is involved. Just be crystal clear as to what you are after, check references, lay out a pay plan, and execute. Good luck. Let me know if I can help.

[Musclerodz]

I think you'll be in that 10k range as well. I always tense up when someone asks me about just a "nice" paint job. Be very clear with the painter what you are looking for so that expectations are met. A "nice" paint job at my shop is 14-17k typically. The costs of materials and booth time has just sprialed out of control these days. A "nice " paint job at Ring Brothers or Rad Rods might be double that. I don't know. I'm confident the paint work they put out is superior to ours, but it's always relative when money is involved. Just be crystal clear as to what you are after, check references, lay out a pay plan, and execute. Good luck. Let me know if I can help.

By the time you include incidentals, 7-9 turns into 10k pretty easy when you start considering any disassembly or repair. 14-17 is about average for what I do ground up. RB quality paint or any other in that league start thinking double that at a minimum.