What does a decent paint job cost these days for a simple color like black?

[Dino]

Cool. Thanks. Did you paint yours? It always looks awesome from any of the pictures I have seen of it.

Oh no, this is a 20+ year old job and it's pretty worn.  The car is still pretty straight but the prep was pretty bad and it shows.  I actually won't polish it because it'll really show all the flaws.  As it sits, the white hides a lot fortunately.   

When I paint it it'll probably end up in the R6 family of reds.  Saw a vette on one of the auction shows the other day in blood red and it was stunning.

[myk]

Cool. Thanks. Did you paint yours? It always looks awesome from any of the pictures I have seen of it.

Oh no, this is a 20+ year old job and it's pretty worn.  The car is still pretty straight but the prep was pretty bad and it shows.  I actually won't polish it because it'll really show all the flaws.  As it sits, the white hides a lot fortunately.   

When I paint it it'll probably end up in the R6 family of reds.  Saw a vette on one of the auction shows the other day in blood red and it was stunning.

You gotta love white.  BTW your car in that red, with the black vinyl top and our wheels is a goddamn winner IMO...

[6pkrtse]

Thanks. But could never go with those type of wheels. Just not for me. Rallye's, Magnum 500's or Cragar's only for me.

[myk]

Thanks. But could never go with those type of wheels. Just not for me. Rallye's, Magnum 500's or Cragar's only for me.

Your car IS nice, but I was refering to Dino's car; we roll with the same wheels...

[6pkrtse]

Oh, When I saw you said red with black top I thought you meant mine. Sorry.

[Dino]

Cool. Thanks. Did you paint yours? It always looks awesome from any of the pictures I have seen of it.

Oh no, this is a 20+ year old job and it's pretty worn.  The car is still pretty straight but the prep was pretty bad and it shows.  I actually won't polish it because it'll really show all the flaws.  As it sits, the white hides a lot fortunately.   

When I paint it it'll probably end up in the R6 family of reds.  Saw a vette on one of the auction shows the other day in blood red and it was stunning.

You gotta love white.  BTW your car in that red, with the black vinyl top and our wheels is a goddamn winner IMO...

I think so.  I would remove the top though.  When starting over there will be no doubt.  As much as I like how it looks now, the car just looks better without imo.  Or better yet, it looks more like I want a muscle car to look, not better but just different.

[myk]

Cool. Thanks. Did you paint yours? It always looks awesome from any of the pictures I have seen of it.

Oh no, this is a 20+ year old job and it's pretty worn.  The car is still pretty straight but the prep was pretty bad and it shows.  I actually won't polish it because it'll really show all the flaws.  As it sits, the white hides a lot fortunately.   

When I paint it it'll probably end up in the R6 family of reds.  Saw a vette on one of the auction shows the other day in blood red and it was stunning.

You gotta love white.  BTW your car in that red, with the black vinyl top and our wheels is a goddamn winner IMO...

I think so.  I would remove the top though.  When starting over there will be no doubt.  As much as I like how it looks now, the car just looks better without imo.  Or better yet, it looks more like I want a muscle car to look, not better but just different.

With or without it'll look great; a deep, rich red like the one you mentioned with those darker wheels will be a great match.  Maybe someone should photoshop an example...

[charge69]

My friend that was doing the restoration work on my Charger painted the car in his home-built paint booth. The paint (single-stage acrylic) and supplies were a little over 3.5K. He had a spray gun he had used on his previous restorations but he bought a new one anyway. The gun he bought costs $700.00.
I lost count as well on the number of hours he spent prepping the car but it was hundreds of hours installing new rear quarters, trunk floor and extensions, repairing outer wheel wells, repairing the hood and front quarters, new tail panel, getting the hundreds of door dings on both sides hammered out and filled in so as not to show and many other miscellaneous areas.
I am sure it would have cost much more than 15K to get my Charger painted by a shop even with me supplying all the new sheet metal used.
It takes someone with real patience and talent to get a car really ready for paint. Little things like checking all the gaps and aligning all the panels for minimal and even gaps, including the doors.
It is not a perfect job. There are a few flaws if you look it over carefully but, I am happy with it.

[Lord Warlock]

Not everyone can do bodywork, sure anyone can slop on bondo and sand it smooth, but that doesn't equate to a good paintable surface afterwards.  In alot of the write ups you see posted here they tend to gloss over the steps necessary to ensure a smooth surface.  Paint materials will likely only cost you about 1k-1500 bucks for a one car paint job, and that's using high end paint and reducers.  However, having a paint booth or a dust free ventilated area to paint in is important.  For years I painted in my front garage which is a finished drywalled area, but would leave the door open with fans blowing over and under the car out the door area and the paint came out very nice and relatively dust free, but when i tried painting in the unfinished rear garage the dust nibs that would settle in the paint were horrendous and mandated color sanding and buffing afterwards. 

I find it despicable that paint shops charge 15k for a paint job, I've gotten estimates from pro shops that ranged from 1500 to 5000 for a car needing no body work and was the same color being applied, the 1500 was from a paint shop manager who had his crew do my car on the weekend under the table, and the paint job lasted 8 years with no issues.  (till i started using that car  to learn how to paint vehicles with in preparation for the charger paint job) a 15k paint job should only be for show quality vehicles and are mirror smooth everywhere.  Even a 10k job should be absolutely perfect.  I would expect a 5k job to look good enough so that only 95% of people looking at it couldn't point out a flaw. 

Maaco can do some decent work, but they usually don't do a lot of prep work, or removing trim/emblems. It's great for the person that removes all the trim and chrome himself and takes it in just to get sprayed, at least it will get dried with heat lamps and done in a paint booth, and would be great for someone driving a primered car that just wants it to have color on it. I'll take a car to maaco for quickie paint sprays, but for a better quality job, I'll take the time to spray it myself, let it cure, then wetsand and buff it afterwards.

Here's a shot after one of the spray sessions on the charger.  I fought a wavy panel on the front fender for years. 

[MxRacer855]

Hey guys, I know this is really long, but it's my entire story behind my motive provoking this thread. I apologize if it's redundant at all or provides some unnecessary information, but I would appreciate informing you of my exact thoughts and intentions regarding my pride and joy, so I'll do my best and hopefully that will allow you to offer some advice!

When you guys say "body work", what does that mean exactly? Let me describe my '68 right now... The outside of the car from 5 feet away looks absolutely amazing. There is NO real dents, waves, or visible rust anywhere on the exterior and the paint is around 6-8 years old (keep in mind the couple before me restored the car with a lot of shortcuts, but still a great car). The paint looks great. Sure there is definite imperfections but nothing worth getting a new paintjob over. Now, I knew when I started replacing body stuff, it was going to be endless. I want to have a perfectly clean car at some point, but am not willing to sacrifice NOT driving my car at this point in my life. I'm only 26, just purchased it the middle of last year (spent a good portion replacing things just to get it "driveable"), worked 7 days a week to get it, and wanted this thing my whole life. Coming out of this winter, it will be a perfectly functioning car. It all started when I was replacing the "smoked" 8.75 rear end with a Dana 60 and some Wilwood calipers/rotors. I immediately noticed that the rear leaf spring perches were completely rotted along with a majority of the trunk. Curiosity killed the cat then... I inspected everything else on the car to the best of my ability without major removal of anything (peeled carpet back to check floor pan, cross members, fenders, wheel wells, etc.). The killer part is most of it was replaced at some point and kept out of the elements. It honestly looks like they worked their way from the front of the car to the back. Everything looks good (I have a nice vinyl top and headliner that I'm not peeling up, so I'm not sure about the roof) except the last 3 feet of the rear end. The floor pan the rear seats mount to (that couples into the trunk floor) looks amazing. Oh, I forgot to mention one detail, Since my undercarriage is bare and without a rear end, drive shaft, or trans, I isolated the undercarriage and began sand blasting all of it. IT'S SUPER CLEAN baring the trunk floor, both rear leaf spring perches, the bottoms of each quarter panel (the paint is bubbling but not chipping and each panel has a lot of bondo on the bottom but there's NO bondo anywhere else on the car), the trunk extensions, and the tail panel.
Now here's where I'm at... I found out that Tamaraz Restorations is 15 minutes from my house (AMAZING!). I live in Aurora, IL and they're located in Plainfield, IL. I'm replacing both rear leaf spring perches, and installing a two-piece trunk floor (all AMD stuff). I would like to replace the trunk extensions as well but that risks damaging the paint on my quarter panels (the same goes with replacing the tail panel/ will need to be repainted). I take car of my stuff greatly. I really don't know much about cars but am trying to learn as fast as possible. I'm good with restoration though (I've done motorcycles and dirtbikes for years). A friend of mine owns a powdercoating business so we've been blasting and powdercoating all of the leaf spring hangers, brackets on the undercarriage, etc. I'm trying to do the job right. Forgive me for not knowing the technical name for the color of my paint, but it's that classic darker/puke green with a flake (not sublime or anything that light). I've always wanted a black Charger and have every intention of getting it painted one day.

So what should I do... replace the quarters, tail panel, and extensions along with the floor and perches and get the car painted black as fast as possible, or just do the floor and perches and hold off on the rest looking like shit up close, but still looking great from 5 feet away (all one color, good paint, etc.)? I do want a lack car, but Rome wasn't built in a day... then again, I almost think it would be best to do that body work all at once and just be done with it. Then I risk driving a car with mix-matched quarters and a peeled vinyl top all summer when the car looks 90% good right now. I don't need a 30K paint job, but I don't want anything flaking or looking terrible either...

Thoughts and opinions?
Thanks

Jeff

[myk]

A professional body and paint person (they may or may not be the same person) will see things that most of us amateurs can't, which is why we pay them the money to do the work they do.  The key is to find the "right" people who do this relatively "lost art" and at the right price.  I understand your quest for perfection but keep in mind that most of these cars were far from perfect even when they were brand new.  I hear European car enthusiasts accuse American car enthusiasts for being "over-restorers," for example.  On that note I, personally, would be satisfied with something that was straight as it was from the factory with matching paint.  Car people, especially classic/vintage/antique people, relentlessly pursue perfection and if that's what makes them happy and they have the resources, more power to them; I however, just want something "solid" and clean. 

Sounds to me like you've got a lot of great ideas for your car.  Keep your goals in mind and stay true to them as much as possible.  If you feel like taking any shortcuts DON'T; wait until you've got the money and the resources to do things right the FIRST TIME.  So what if your car doesn't look great under a magnifying glass right now?  It will come; don't let the car show/cruise nitpickers who drove a Honda to the gathering in the first place and probably don't even own anything remotely cool compared to a classic Mopar demoralize your unfinished progress.  Finally, don't ever feel that your posts are rambling or are otherwise unwelcome; of all the places in the world THIS is the place where you can talk about your pride and joy for as long as you feel like it; I know I'll be listening...

[1974dodgecharger]

sounds like you need MAACO 

[Dino]

Hey guys, I know this is really long, but it's my entire story behind my motive provoking this thread. I apologize if it's redundant at all or provides some unnecessary information, but I would appreciate informing you of my exact thoughts and intentions regarding my pride and joy, so I'll do my best and hopefully that will allow you to offer some advice!

When you guys say "body work", what does that mean exactly? Let me describe my '68 right now... The outside of the car from 5 feet away looks absolutely amazing. There is NO real dents, waves, or visible rust anywhere on the exterior and the paint is around 6-8 years old (keep in mind the couple before me restored the car with a lot of shortcuts, but still a great car). The paint looks great. Sure there is definite imperfections but nothing worth getting a new paintjob over. Now, I knew when I started replacing body stuff, it was going to be endless. I want to have a perfectly clean car at some point, but am not willing to sacrifice NOT driving my car at this point in my life. I'm only 26, just purchased it the middle of last year (spent a good portion replacing things just to get it "driveable"), worked 7 days a week to get it, and wanted this thing my whole life. Coming out of this winter, it will be a perfectly functioning car. It all started when I was replacing the "smoked" 8.75 rear end with a Dana 60 and some Wilwood calipers/rotors. I immediately noticed that the rear leaf spring perches were completely rotted along with a majority of the trunk. Curiosity killed the cat then... I inspected everything else on the car to the best of my ability without major removal of anything (peeled carpet back to check floor pan, cross members, fenders, wheel wells, etc.). The killer part is most of it was replaced at some point and kept out of the elements. It honestly looks like they worked their way from the front of the car to the back. Everything looks good (I have a nice vinyl top and headliner that I'm not peeling up, so I'm not sure about the roof) except the last 3 feet of the rear end. The floor pan the rear seats mount to (that couples into the trunk floor) looks amazing. Oh, I forgot to mention one detail, Since my undercarriage is bare and without a rear end, drive shaft, or trans, I isolated the undercarriage and began sand blasting all of it. IT'S SUPER CLEAN baring the trunk floor, both rear leaf spring perches, the bottoms of each quarter panel (the paint is bubbling but not chipping and each panel has a lot of bondo on the bottom but there's NO bondo anywhere else on the car), the trunk extensions, and the tail panel.
Now here's where I'm at... I found out that Tamaraz Restorations is 15 minutes from my house (AMAZING!). I live in Aurora, IL and they're located in Plainfield, IL. I'm replacing both rear leaf spring perches, and installing a two-piece trunk floor (all AMD stuff). I would like to replace the trunk extensions as well but that risks damaging the paint on my quarter panels (the same goes with replacing the tail panel/ will need to be repainted). I take car of my stuff greatly. I really don't know much about cars but am trying to learn as fast as possible. I'm good with restoration though (I've done motorcycles and dirtbikes for years). A friend of mine owns a powdercoating business so we've been blasting and powdercoating all of the leaf spring hangers, brackets on the undercarriage, etc. I'm trying to do the job right. Forgive me for not knowing the technical name for the color of my paint, but it's that classic darker/puke green with a flake (not sublime or anything that light). I've always wanted a black Charger and have every intention of getting it painted one day.

So what should I do... replace the quarters, tail panel, and extensions along with the floor and perches and get the car painted black as fast as possible, or just do the floor and perches and hold off on the rest looking like shit up close, but still looking great from 5 feet away (all one color, good paint, etc.)? I do want a lack car, but Rome wasn't built in a day... then again, I almost think it would be best to do that body work all at once and just be done with it. Then I risk driving a car with mix-matched quarters and a peeled vinyl top all summer when the car looks 90% good right now. I don't need a 30K paint job, but I don't want anything flaking or looking terrible either...

Thoughts and opinions?
Thanks

Jeff

You can work on a car while driving it, but not to that extent.  What body guys see and other's don't is more than you would imagine.  I can always find some wave, dent or anomaly on a car than the owner never saw.  There is also no middle ground here.  Either the car is perfect or it's not, it does not matter what color it'll be, the prep needs to be perfect.  If you want to drive this thing then have the rust fixed and drive it.  Forget about the color and focus on making it the best possible driver.  Let those resto guys look your car over and see what they find so you know what you're up against.

[Tilar]

Finally, don't ever feel that your posts are rambling or are otherwise unwelcome; of all the places in the world THIS is the place where you can talk about your pride and joy for as long as you feel like it; I know I'll be listening...

Exactly.  Just remember the best painter in the world can't make a good paint job if the body and prep work are not right. To me the body work and prep job is the biggest majority of the paint job.

[stripedelete]

You're 26?   Drive the current paint job off of it.
In a short time the color of your Charger will not even make your top ten list.

[Patronus]

I have moved on to only painting cars black. I think in the end its just easier to see all my hard work. When you block something for years, fuss over it, and then finally shoot it - you're only half way there. Then you get to color sand it until your fingernails have weird hooks at the ends from being worn down. And lets not forget to mention what happens when you're really good at it and you get to come up with all the creative answers as to who painted it. The best is when you answer "I did" and then they just storm off. Sorry. Im pulling my own chain a little... I do only paint cars black, its very expensive.

[Mike DC]

                                  
This thread touches on a larger issue.

I always found it frustrating that the bodywork world doesn't have a 100% clear distinction between cutting corners on the cosmetic perfection and cutting corners on the quality of the car.  Delivering wavy orange-peeled paint is one thing.  Welding the quarter panels onto the car out-of-line and skimping on the paint's adhesion prep is something else.  

I think a lot of guys pay for much more finish perfection than they really want because it's the only way to make sure the paint & panels won't be literally falling off the car in 3 years.  IMO this problem really drives up the cost/time of a lot of cars and keeps them from being driven more once the job is done.

   

[1974dodgecharger]

My car was in the body shop for year and half to replaxe floor pan, trunk, rear quarters and the top rear end trunk thingy.

Oh. Oh. Better get maaco.