Any body/paint shop reccomendations in SoCal area?

[Allan Songer]

I am at the point where I will either have to paint the '56 or NOT paint the '56. The engine is done, the transmission is almost done, the brakes are done, but the fronts are removed again for new rubber in the front end. I'll rewire the car within the next month. The chassis is fully detailed. Blah blah blah. I'm just over 5 months in and I still think I'll have it tearing up the streets of Hollywood some time in the early Fall.

Anyway, I got a bid from a couple of guys who have done some REALLY nice paint for me. I told them that it doesn't have to be PERFECT, that I would even go for a semi-flat "hot rod black" job to save money. The quote? Six grand. If I want base/clear in black, $7500.
And this is the "bargain" job where they don't strip back to bare metal, etc. If I want that, figure another $1500. And I'm only getting this really cheap price because I am a repeat customer and a "pal."

Needless to say, I was speechless. These prices are at least 30-35% over what I would have been quoted only 18 months ago. And I will NOT put a $6000 paint job on a car that MIGHT bring 12 grand on a good day, a car that might well be worth more PARTED OUT even when it's done.

I have budgeted $3000 for body and paint. Now it looks like I can't even get CLOSE to that unless I start searching for someone who does work out of their garage or something or do the Maaco crap. But I'd rather do NO paint at all than go Maaco.

I don't need any "do it yourself!" advice, because I have DONE it myself and I HATE doing it, mostly because I am really hard on myself and I know I will in the end produce a crap job no matter how hard I try. I just don't have the knack.

So, anyone know anyone in the LA/Long Beach/OC part of Southern Cal who might be able to do a decent job for $3000 or a shade over? It's a solid, fairly straight car with a bit of shade-tree bondo (never even PRIMED and at least 20 years old) in one quarter panel and door.
NO RUST.

Thanks, buddies!

[doug]

My Lark needed paint a couple of years ago so I tried the 1 day in Hawthorne. Body work and paint (no clear coat) was $1400 including a color other than their selection. For an everyday car I was stunned, and would not hesitate to take another car there, if I knew the same owner was running the show.

2 1/2 years later, no blisters, etc.

[Dick Steinkamp]

It's one of those things that you are going to get what you pay for.

$9k would be cheap here for a strip to metal, base/clear, jambs, engine compartment, trunk, etc.

We will have about 400 hours into the Ute to do a similar job (not including disassembly and assembly other than the body panels). No rust repair, minor dents. Do the math at whatever shop rate is applicable there. Paint materials for a base/clear job are pushing $1500 (depending on color). Includes color, clear, primers, sealers, hardners, reducers, filler, sandpaper, masking supplies, etc.

How about doing SOME of the work yourself? Sanding the jambs, under the hood, etc. takes A LOT of time. Not fun, but could save you some money. Maybe take it apart yourself. Chrome, doors, hood and deck lid, glass, etc. (maybe it already is?). Talk to your shop about those things you can do (that you CAN do).

Finding a guy that works out of his garage is a good idea but...make sure you see some of his work first and talk to some of his customers, don't pay him until it is done, make sure he has access to a pro paint booth.

[Allan Songer]

quote:Originally posted by Dick Steinkamp

It's one of those things that you are going to get what you pay for.

$9k would be cheap here for a strip to metal, base/clear, jambs, engine compartment, trunk, etc.

We will have about 400 hours into the Ute to do a similar job (not including disassembly and assembly other than the body panels). No rust repair, minor dents. Do the math at whatever shop rate is applicable there. Paint materials for a base/clear job are pushing $1500 (depending on color). Includes color, clear, primers, sealers, hardners, reducers, filler, sandpaper, masking supplies, etc.

How about doing SOME of the work yourself? Sanding the jambs, under the hood, etc. takes A LOT of time. Not fun, but could save you some money. Maybe take it apart yourself. Chrome, doors, hood and deck lid, glass, etc. (maybe it already is?). Talk to your shop about those things you can do (that you CAN do).

Finding a guy that works out of his garage is a good idea but...make sure you see some of his work first and talk to some of his customers, don't pay him until it is done, make sure he has access to a pro paint booth.

I have no problem doing the grunt work and taking everything apart and putting it back togehter--the car is basically stripped as we speak other than the glass. The $6K quote was taking that into consideration. Plus, I have ALREADY stripped, sanded, primed and PAINTED the engine bay in base/clear. I had a pint of clear left over from the truck and just went for it. Turned out just FINE for an engine bay with all the weird angles and wavy metal, but I wouldn't trust myself on the car itself. I sprayed it in our welding shop early one Saturday morning and other than having to sand out some dust it went pretty smoothly. I color sanded 1000-1500-2000 and then rubbed and buffed it. One litte area of burn through that I touched up by hand, but that's behind the engine on the wall so I'm OK with it.

My "boys" went down to $5K for semi-gloss and $6500 for base/clear after I begged them last night after work in their shop. They say there's only about $1000 gross profit in them at that price and I tend to believe them knowing how anal they are about shooting 4-5 coats of primer and block-sanding until the cows come home . . .

[Dick Steinkamp]

One other idea, is that in solid, regular colors, a good single stage paint job will look the same (at least to me ) as a base/clear paint job IF it is cut and buffed correctly. If you want shiny, you might have them shoot a single stage paint, and then YOU cut and buff it.

[Rosstude]

Allan,
Yea- California (maybe elesewhere) paint is outa-sight cost wise. I have been using a Macco here in Riverside, I know the owner, and have been pleased, it is Macco though and must be kept in mind, they do what they do. I have had 3 (64 Dart, 42 Chev PU, and and a buddies F150)cars painted by this Macco, about $700 to $1000 each, with me stripping all trim first. Very happy customer. Not all branchs do this good. I'll post pictures of the Dart if needed, its been painted about 7 years now, and driven daily, still looks fine.

[img=left]http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g27/Rosstude/OldWorld2005002.jpg[/img=left]
Ross.
Riverside, Ca.
1957 Provincial X2
1958 Transtar

[boomer]

Alan,
I have used the "one-Day" shops in the past. Actually was very happy
with the quality for the price I paid.
They are definitely not in the "trailer-queen car painters" class, but do a good job on daily drivers. I generally removed all/most trim first.
Last job done about 5 years ago was my 85 Dodge full-size van, no bodywork needed, repainted same color white- price was about $750.00
then and quite presentable. Might be worth checking out their quality.
Good luck !

Dennis Maxfield ( Boomer)
Lancaster,CA
1957 Silver Hawk (finless)

[jimmijim8]

Body work and paint is a different animal than just a paint job. As is a restoration different. I and a lot of others here have have done the 3 preceding things. Some will agree with me on this.. If a car needs a considerable amount of work done [body work and prep],then painted to make it show worthy. That might very well run into the 6000's. If you have a decent car needing only a minor amount of prep, [like about 8 hrs labor] before the [magician. Swami, Wizard, miracle worker, painter,] does his thingy and charges you 6 grand or more for his God like talents. Walk away from his snare. Some people have the knack for painting autos as some folks have the ability to play a musical instrument, sew up an esquisite interior, or lets say being a very good bowler. Not extraordinary folks. I myself can't bowl for chit. Prep your car yourself and go for one of those 1 day jobbies. Ask questions of the management. What you can expect for whichever level job you might choose. Talk to the guy or guys that do the actual painting and offer them some sort of gratuity for their best effort. Check out the cars that exit ther facility to see examples of their work. Any body out there offering a 6,000.00 paint job must be using some very high grade materials. Like about 5,000.00 worth. I have seen some great looking 1 day jobs that will compare closely to a factory like finish. Good enough for me and I'm picky. You can always improve it a bit with a little wet sanding and compound. You know, you can always say it cost you $6,000.00. Put the savings into improving other aspects of your car. jimmijim

[Warren Webb]

I painted my Avanti in 94 using a PPG basecoat/clearcoat system. Because I was an estimator in the shop, I was able to get the clear, hardner, reducer for the clear & the hardner & reducer for the color for free. All I had to pay for was the epoxy primer, hardner & reducer for the primer & the color, which cost me at the time close to $600.00. It took me on the average around 2 1/2 hrs per panel to block the primer for color & about 5 hrs to do the painting itself. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR! That car today looks as shiney as when I brought it home. You arent going to get that kind of quality from even a $900 job. These franchise shops usually offer 3 grades of jobs, but the actual material is very little. What you normally are paying extra for is the chance that in 1-4 yrs, you might bring it back because its fading, or cracking & needs a repaint. I priced the Dupont colonial red for my 60, just one gallon of color is just north of $200.00, just the color, not the clear, hardners, reducers, sandpaper, masking paper or anything else. True, if you do the prep work yourself, detrim, ect, it should save quite a bit, but look at the shops point of view too, are you professional at this? Are they willing to guarantee their job on your prep? If some areas are primed by you, will the colorcoat lift when applied, or a week, month, year later? The major paint companies will back the shop if a problem arises later, but they do, if that happens, do a chemical analisis to make sure the shop didnt "cocktail" or use cheaper materials with their product, that would cause the problem.

60 Lark convertible
61 Champ
62 Daytona convertible
63 G.T. R-2,4 speed
63 Avanti (2)
66 Daytona Sport Sedan

[mbstude]

I had to deliver some parts to a local body shop today. There was a freshly done '65 T-Bird in the shop. I asked the guy about what it would cost to do one. He said that on a car like that '65, it would be about $3500.. just to spray it. And it was only driver quality. [xx(]

Matthew Burnette
Hazlehurst, GA

[bams50]

I agree about caution doing your own prep work. No painter in his right mind will guarantee a paint job over primer he didn't spray; because he has no way of knowing if the surface beneath it is properly prepared. Too many things that can be done incorrectly and eventually come up. Paint itself wears out from the surface down, but rarely does it fail; but when there's bubbling or lifting it will invariably be blamed on the paint[}] when the fault is improper surface prep.

Years ago I was brought a Mustang that was coming apart and asked for an opinion, and if I'd be a witness in a lawsuit and do an estimate for repairs. Turned out the owner did his own shade-tree body repair- using Tiger Hair over holes! He trimmed the rust, ground it off, banged in the edges, and slapped it on. The shop he was suing stupidly agreed to seal and paint it; even made him sign a statement that there were NO guarantees of any kind. When I mentioned that to the owner he agreed that he signed it but "still, this shouldn't be cracking and falling apart already!" Of course he lost, but badmouthed the shop afterward anyway Then he asked me to fix it for him... unbelieveable[xx(] AFAIK, he never came to understand why I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole...



Robert (Bob) Andrews Owner- Studebakeracres- on the IoMT (Island of Misfit Toys!)
Parish, central NY 13131

"Some people live for the rules, I live for exceptions"- 311

"With your Lark you're on your own, free as a bird, alive as a Lark. You've suddenly discovered that happiness is a thing called Larking!"