Brian Jones wrote:
>
Can anyone recommend a really good painter in the LA area. I'd like a
"very close to show quality" paint job, but I definitely would like to
spend less than $1000.00. Is this reasonable?? The body's in great
shape. I'm in Burbank.
Brian,
Define "very close to show quality".
Some of the people on this list have paid several thousand dollars for
very good paint jobs. Show quality jobs would more likely go for more
than 4 thousand, depending on many factors, and will more probably be
higher.
I have a suggestion, there is a pretty good bb regarding auto painting (at)
http://www.autobodystore.com/abs-bin/config.pl?index
If you are willing to read up on the topics there in the archieves you
will find several "I want to paint my __________, and only have $xxx
dollars to spend, but want a top quality job" Some of the responses are
pretty informative.
Or, you can get a pretty good education by going and getting a few
quotes. There are many variables to pricing the job, some examples:
1. strip the existing paint ? (you are likely to want this done), cost?
maybe $500 to $1200 to dip (strip) or "media blast" and prime or to sand
off the old paint off of the unibody. Costs can vary widely. Media
blasting is just like sand blasting, only a "media" is substituted for
sand (plastic beads, baking soda, walnut shells) which doesn't lead to
sheet metal warping like sand blasting can sometimes do.
2. Who strips the car prior to paint striping? If it is you, then you
don't pay the shop rates for someone to do this, but then you incur the
liability of reassembling the parts and potentially damage the new
paint.
3. change of color? if yes, then there are many more areas that must be
painted with a corresponding increase in the labor.
4. quality of paint ? basic acrylic enamel ?. lower cost, but still
might be in the $200 to $300 cost for materials. the cost goes up from
there. Choosing a high quality urethane paint may run the cost for the
material alone up into the $500 to $700 range and up.
5. quality of body work? Here is where you will probably really be in
for a surprise. Most cars have a multitude of undetected little dings
all over the body, not counting the obvious "crunchs". To make the body
work capable of supporting a pretty good, glossy paint job, the body
work is performed in a series of steps where the body work (bumping,
welding, filling) is first done, the car is primered, a contrasting mist
coat is sprayed on, then "block sanding" is done to reveal high/low
spots. If there can not be sanded flat, then a little more work is done,
reprime& contrast mist the affected areas until they are flat enough.
This is not rocket science, but it does take some aquired skill and
time. ... oh yeah, most all cars have hidden damage, something like
rust, or a previous repair, that is not visible until the job begins.
6. The actual spraying of the car (once all of the above is done) goes
relatively quickly, however you are likely to want the car wet sanded
and polished once done and that adds more labor.
Once you go to a few shops and get a few quotes I think that you will be
in a good position to estimate the quality/cost trade.
Not to sound too discouraging, but I doubt that you can find a "close to
show quality" paint job for $1000.00. The last time that I looked, the
cheapest paint job in the LA area was going for several hundred dollars
(maybe around $400 ?). For this price you get a "scuff and shoot" type
of job. Nothing is removed from the car (not bumpers, door handles,
antennas, headlights, taillights, badges,.. nothing). The car is
washed, scuffed with something like large scotchbrite pads, masked, then
the paint is shot. The paint is a stocked color (you get to choose one
of ?8? colors) then the car is baked, the masking is removed and you are
done (no polishing).
Oh yeah, another thing. People who want to get their car painted tend
to be a real pain in the rear about costs (no big surprise there) and
negotiate the price down as far as they can, nearly at the cost line for
the shop. So don't be too surprised if the shop keeps stopping work on
your car so that they can work on insurance work, which is paid at a
book rate and is much more lucrative than repainting a car for a walk in
customer.
If you don't mind, I would like hearing about what you find.
-Roger
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