Price Of A Paint Job On A Hawk

[E. Davis]

Getting estimates helps to establish a base or average price but you surely don't want a low bid paint job so going to a known reputable paint shop will probably produce a much happier result. Up here in the frozen north I had an estimate of 10 grand for a paint job on my Hawk provided it was the same color which is presently on it. They also wouldn't take any responsibility for damage to the trim during removal and because some is pot metal and the windshield belt moulding is very difficult to remove they suggested masking instead of removal. So there you have it. 10 grand don't buy much anymore in the auto world so it sounds like the deal you're getting is probably as good as you will do.

[StudeMichael]

$4,500.00 to $5,000.00 I could live with if they do excellent work but $10,000.00 to include the engine bay which is necessary for the job to look decent is a big jump.

I stopped by a local paint & body shop today for an estimate on a paint job for the 63GT. This shop reportedly does excellent work, and is highly recommended by local classic & street rod folks. They looked the car over closely, and said they could do anything I wanted, but it would be in their shop 2-3 months. They mainly do insurance work, "though we like to keep a project like this in our shop, but only one at a time".

If I remove the old paint (take it down to the metal), all chrome, stainless, and misc other stuff (gravel shield, rear bumper valences, side grills, door panels, etc.), they will do the bodywork & paint job for $4500-$5000. I would then reassemble the car. They will include all materials, and use PPG two-stage paint, and epoxy primer. The variable is the amount of body work required which, of course, is difficult to determine till taken down to the metal.

If I wanted them to do everything, including the engine bay, I am sure it would be closer to $10,000, since labor is the main expense.

Nothing is cheap anymore, and I believe this to be a fair price. Any opinions?

[rockne10]

... push for something on paper that says NOT LONGER THAN 3 months.

A firm deadline could be a killer; use instead an expressed goal like driving in the Labor Day parade. Also, stopping in every week or two to "pay for the progress" will assure them that you expect to see progress. I spend a lot of time in my friend's body shop and can tell you, long-term projects remain unattended if the owner isn't interested enough to at least feign interest.

[stude-sled]

I work at a body shop and having a 3 month deadline could be a problem. If the shop gets real busy with insurance work your car WILL be pushed back on their schedule. Instead of a deadline offer a cash bonus for a set date. If you impose a deadline the quality can suffer if time is running close.

[HammondA100]

Well mine started out as a $6000 job and I ended up paying about $9000 but it was appropriate as - as we went I was asked if I wanted certain panels repaired. Many hours were spent in the trunk lid, drip rails, door hinge areas, straightening the hood, fender alignment and they worked quick - I wasnt ready for the car when it was finished!!
I'd say that's a good price these days. Just price the cost for sand paper and supplies. They do one car like this at a time while they work on dozens of collisions.
On the contrary my 11 year old Mini Cooper they are changing the color from Yellow to white and red and that will only cost about $2000. They are totally different jobs.

Oh, I should mention it was their first time to apply something like that strip which goes along the fin. That was tough, lots of discussion but it turned out perfect.. These guys like what they do. Now if I was in Texas and they were a bunch of illegal aliens then I'm not paying more than $4500. Well I'd probably not be going there in the first place. Choose the professional. Ask around your local street rodder groups to see who they trust. Don't use a shop which they can't even sweep the floor or only one guy speaks English.

[speycaster]

My money would be on allen barth he is more than qualified to do topw notch work at reasonable prices he is just finishing up a ground up restoration on my 1956 golden hawk and its awsome his number is 509 253- 4732 he is absolutely a studebaker man and even has a studebaker museum great work and a great guy

[thunderations]

I'm surprised that someone hasn't coughed up a lung at a 3-5 thousand dollar paint job. Many have never had a decent paint job done on a car...Maco doesn't count. Just the cost of materials is close to 2 thousand, [perhaps more according to color and manufacturer], if you consider primers, sealers, base coats and clears, plus the needed activators, thinners and hardeners. The metal prep, fillers, sand paper, masking supplies and misc. supplies are another factor. Once painted it needs to be color sanded and buffed, which is a 2 or 3 part process, so you have more sandpaper, compounds and pads. I once quoted a price for paint and bodywork on a car and the owner nearly fainted. I gave him the option to purchase the materials himself, since he thought I was making a huge profit on materials, and I would provide labor only. With that done we both set about doing our jobs. When he came back to the shop with the first part of the supplies, he was hyperventilating. He had just spent over $1500 and didn't have the clear and components for it yet. I then reminded him that he needed masking and buffing supplies too. Bottom line is he spent more by purchasing the items himself, but he learned a valuable lesson for the future. Having a production shop doing the car is probably good for both parties. They have work when insurance jobs are slow and you have a shop that must meet insurance companies high standards.

[sweetolbob]

I work at a body shop and having a 3 month deadline could be a problem. If the shop gets real busy with insurance work your car WILL be pushed back on their schedule. Instead of a deadline offer a cash bonus for a set date. If you impose a deadline the quality can suffer if time is running close.

Joe

I'm going to agree with the above comments. I think you need to just get a promise from the owner and then keep tabs on the work, speed kills in this endeavor.


As far as the price, considering the price of materials and labor, I think this an excellent price. The problem today is no matter where you take the car, possibly with the exception of a high end restoration shop, the results will be a crap shoot from a lot of the posts on here. I like the idea of it being finished locally so you can keep tabs on the project and be on top of potential trouble.

Stripping everything off yourself and storing it relieves any problems with the shop losing them. If the owners of other cars handled the same way are happy then you should be too.

Again on price, as I'm arriving near the final paint on my 74 Avanti, If you asked me to do what I've done on the Avanti for $4500 to your car, I'd quickly tell you HELL NO!!! And I'm a freaking amateur.

I think it's sounds like a reasonable price and a reasonable approach.

Bob

[swvalcon]

Joe That doesn't sound like to bad of a price. They will have 1500-2000 just in repair supplies if they do it right. So 5000-2000 leaves $ 3000 to do the work and I would think their labor rate has to be $60-75 per hr. Thats in the range of 50hrs. I wouldn't think that would leave time to color sand and buff which is something you would want done. To do a nice job on a fairly clean GT hawk 200-300 hrs should be about what it takes, plus repair supply costs. THats drive it in and drive it back out them doing all the work.

[Swifster]

When it come to a paint job, you get what you pay for. I'm just curious; what's a driver quality paint job? A 20-footer?

[52 Ragtop]

Well, when you set a deadline, the question would be: "Do you want it right? or Right now? The big thing is, Once stripped down to bare metal, what will you find? more rust? more filler? IF you use paint stripper, the plastic filler MUST be replaced! as you'll never get the stripper out of the filler. As far as paint goes, when I painted my Avanti, the material alone were in the $1500 range.
Remember, a shop is in business to make a profit, no profit, they will not be around long! On a restoration type project, set 'goals" and be reasonable! I worked in a restoration shop back in the late 70's, we charged $12.00 per hour plus materials, (yeah I just dated myself) But, we did metal finishing and lead work. A restoration shop should probably be in the $60 -$75 an hour range, and should charge time and materials.
But again, since this shop is highly recommended, and you've seen his work, and YOU think it's a fair price, go for it.

Jim

[JoeHall]

$4,500.00 to $5,000.00 I could live with if they do excellent work but $10,000.00 to include the engine bay which is necessary for the job to look decent is a big jump.

I was saying, if they did all the labor I am doing (described above), and included the engine compartment and other "fine points" it would be closer to $10,000. I am gonna allow myself a month of spare time to do my part in getting it ready to drop off. I have done the same prep work on several other Hawks, and it takes a good 40-50 hours. Add an additional 50+ hours if I remove the fenders & doors, and do the stuff nobody can see (which I like to do).

[JoeHall]

Joe That doesn't sound like to bad of a price. They will have 1500-2000 just in repair supplies if they do it right. So 5000-2000 leaves $ 3000 to do the work and I would think their labor rate has to be $60-75 per hr. Thats in the range of 50hrs. I wouldn't think that would leave time to color sand and buff which is something you would want done. To do a nice job on a fairly clean GT hawk 200-300 hrs should be about what it takes, plus repair supply costs. THats drive it in and drive it back out them doing all the work.

Steve,
I just wish I lived closer than 800 miles from you. I'd definitely be trying to get the GT in line as your next project.
Thanks,
Joe

[jclary]

Great thread Joe. By the responses, it demonstrates the importance of the topic to all. Every car has paint. There are many ways to get it done. Sooner or later...the quality of the work will reveal itself. It is a discussion we will need to have for as long as we have the hobby.

[jimmijim8]

It is remarkable that some folks that have never painted a car by themselves to at least factory standards. Well. bear this in mind to start. A paint job and a paint job with body work are two different animals. Acceptable material by most peoples standards can be had from just bout any auto paint supplier for 1000.00 to include sandpaper, primer, base, and clear. I paid 700.00 a couple years ago for blue mist metallic. Red and some colors might be higher. I had a couple guys both spend no more than 40 hrs. each on refinishing to include taking off the bumpers and all trim. They wanted 2000. Ok, got the car back within 2 weeks and wasn't complety satisfied because of orange peel in the clear. They wet sanded it a bit more and rebuffed. Ok by me. Lot's of competent painters out there that don't mind making 1000. for 40 hrs work. How many folks here grossing 4000. per month here?