Pondering a repaint

[tricky lugnuts]

So, I'm considering repainting my 1971 Dodge Charger SE, primarily because it needs to be done. I'm hoping folks here can give me a little help in the way of what to expect in terms of cost before I go out and actively solicit estimates from local shops.

Photos can be made available... I'm in South Central Indiana if that information helps at all with calculating labor costs.

The car is an original Arizona car, so it's relatively clean, but there are some rust issues that will need to be taken care of. If I'm going to pay someone to do this I want the job done right, even if that means more money.

Here's a list of problem areas I've identified:

* Minor rust through, one hole, in passenger quarter panel, below the lowest body line in front of the wheel well. It looks like it could be patched without resorting to an entire panel replacement. The size of the patch would be, to guess larger, about four inches long by three inches wide.

* Behind the rear glass, both seams in the rear Dutchman's panel need cleaned up, but I don't think there are any holes yet. (One of the reasons I want to go ahead and repaint the car, because there is some bubbling of the paint in this location. Yes, it's a former vinyl top car.)

* There's a bit of scaly rust in the passenger side corner of the trunk trough, which with some poking might turn out to be a hole that needs patched.

* Both inner fenders have scaly rust in front of the hood hinges - about three inches by three inches - that I want addressed, either by patching the panel or replacing the whole inner fender.

* There are a couple small holes in the front windshield channel that we filled with Duraglass during the last paint job seven years ago. They are now starting to bubble and/or crack a bit. I want them patched properly...

Those are the known rust issues... Floors are fine, firewall is clean and solid.

I'm not hell-bent on taking the entire car down to bare metal. But I would like the entire exterior, the trunk compartment, the engine compartment, and the door jambs and window channels all properly cleaned up and painted.

I'm willing to block sand much of the car myself (I've done it before as a job) and disassemble things. All I really need is someone to properly repair the rust, apply and sand some body filler and prime and spray the rest of the car with the proper GA4 and wet sand and buff if needed.

I can handle all the rest of the disassembly and reassembly. But I presently have no garage so that makes everything, including removal of the engine and various engine compartment components, more of a challenge and I'm not sure if any of the local shops like customers working on cars to reduce their bills.

Anyways, that's the situation. Any ballpark figures - or offers to do the work - will be greatly appreciated (and entertained!).

[tan top]

really with out actually seeing ! its difficult    lots of close up pictures would help a little 

[tricky lugnuts]

I understand. I'll try and take some photos tonight and post them tomorrow.

[tricky lugnuts]

Alright, I was feeling froggy so here are some shots of the damage I've found  and overall shots of the car . . .

[tricky lugnuts]

Ugh . . .

[tricky lugnuts]

I forgot to mention this earlier. It looks like the fender needs welded back up at the wheelhouse lip - or like I need to buy a new fender on eBay.

[tricky lugnuts]

Passenger side inner fender rot.

[tricky lugnuts]

Rear of the passenger side quarter where the valance bolts up. No hole yet but there might be with some poking.

[tricky lugnuts]

Passenger quarter panel, right in front of the wheelhouse.

[tricky lugnuts]

Here's the seam behind the rear window, passenger side. The other side looks fine.

[tricky lugnuts]

Some crusty rusty stuff going on the trunk trough, passenger side corner. 

[tricky lugnuts]

A little more rust popping out of the rear window channel. Obviously I'd want whoever did the job to pull both windows and properly repair all the channels.

[tricky lugnuts]

Some rust popping out from around the front windshield. There are a couple small holes under there, but it's not that bad. Really. I swear.

[tricky lugnuts]

The trunk floor is still good, along with trunk extensions and inner and outer wheelhouses. With a good cleaning and sanding or blasting and priming, it should be ready for some paint.

[tricky lugnuts]

It looks good from 10 feet . . .

[tricky lugnuts]

Here's a shot of the rear and side of the car.

[tricky lugnuts]

And a quick shot of the other side of the car . . .

[tricky lugnuts]

That's all I got for now folks . . .

Any ballpark estimates of what I should expect to pay for a paint job would be great.

Again - I'm hoping to do it as right as I can and get fresh paint in the engine compartment, jambs, and trunk, along with the exterior of the car. I also want fresh paint in the window channels, so front and rear windows have to come out. By jams I mean pulling off both front fenders and the doors to properly spray the hinge areas, and both front and rear bumpers to come off to get fresh paint in there, too. While we're at it I'd love to . . .

OK. I'll stop there. I just realized I haven't won the lottery yet. 

[Finn]

I think you're going to find a lot more rust than if what you're seeing is already at that level.


After metal work (guesstimate would be 5 grand for that with labor) is done and depending on the cost of the color you're going with, you're probably looking at anywhere from 7-10 grand for paint.

I'm going off California prices here. Hope it helps.

[tricky lugnuts]

Finn: Thank you for the feedback, even though it's not exactly what I was hoping to hear in regard to the $7-10K. Youch! Hopefully those are, as you say, California prices. 

It just seems like someone good with metal fabrication and bodywork ought to be able to patch up a few holes in the quarter panel, trunk trough and window channels and blend them into surrounding bodywork for less than $5K - but obviously I can't do it myself, so my prediction is mostly unfounded speculation (and wishful thinking, apparently).

Per the discovery of more rust, I don't think I'll find much more rust than what was documented above. This car has only had two repaints in the last 39 years and I was responsible for the last one, about seven years ago.

I've taken most of the car completely apart in the 10 years I've owned it. In the process of repainting the car I sanded down much of the first repaint to the original paint, and even through that in places, but apparently not far enough in one or two places where things bubbled up and rusted over the last seven years.

But without many other people chiming in with ballpark guesstimates, I guess the only way to really find out is to start taking it to some of the local shops and seeing what they would want to do the work. Sigh. Sometimes having a limited income and loving a car older than yourself really sucks. 

[Finn]

Oh well considering those circumstances, you might have a better shot at a lower price. If the work needed to be done is just skin deep you might be able to find a regular guy that's handy with a welder for half the cost. Personally, I taught myself how to weld and it's well worth the investment. I picked up scrap sheets of 20 and 18 gauge steel at a local metal supply for about 30 bucks a sheet and did most of the work myself. Much cheaper than re-popped panels.

[tricky lugnuts]

Finn: That's what I'd like to do, the work myself, but I just moved to a new state last November for a new job and have no garage at present, so I'm kind of limited in terms of what I can do on my own and who I know to recruit help for my endeavors.

I'm just sick and tired of watching my car deteriorate. I'll probably start trying to get some quotes from local shops in coming weeks. Hopefully things come in reasonable.   

[AdamMopar]

I would have to agree with Finn here, as far as the rust goes.  Based on what you have shown, I think there is probably a lot more that isn't visible, but of course I could be wrong.  If it was me I would strip the whole exterior down to bare metal at minimum as a starting point.

Adam