oldsca

So tomorrow I am going to start taking my car around to get quotes on getting it painted.

The car is in good condition and no rust. I am replacing the front and back bumper covers which I will do before I get it painted.

I will also have to have all the stripes/decals replaced.

What types of questions should I ask the shops? I haven't really had a car painted in over 20 years(`72 Cutlass) so I just want to make sure I get a good job.

Thanks,

Wayne

442much

Ask for references. See how organized they are and how clean the shop is. Ask them what type of paint they use and if they match the paint bang on. Are you taking the car down to bare metal? Are you getting a nice "driver" paint or "show" paint?
Once you pick a place, remove your wheels and slap on junk ones so if there is overspray, you won't care. Good luck.

oldsca

Thanks Ken. I am looking for a nice driver paint job.

When you mention is the car going down to bare metal - what other way would they do it - paint over the paint? That scares me.

Wayne

sx455raidercelticfan

im paint for a living its ok 2 paint over paint!! taking a car 2 medal is very very expensive!! what ever you do DONT GO 2 MACCO!!!

if you want it very very nice get it primered/filled and blocked at least once, alot of people paint ontop of paint with out blocking and it comes out wavy, blocking is a must on a keeper!!!

make sure you get a base coat clear coat paint job no single stage, i use ppg paint only but alot of painters only use dupont both will last a long time!

ask how many coats of clear and if the price includes a color sand (wet sand and buff)

MAKE SURE THEY STRIP ALL THE CHROME!!! this is very important on a keeper, if they tape off the chrome the paint WILL CHIP in time garenteed 100%

if your handy take off your own door panels, bumpers, chrome and lights it will save you alot in labor, just be very carefull putting back on

again get it blocked atleast once, use base coat clear coat paint, have them incude a wet sand and buff in the price, and make sure its completly stipped of all chrome

the ecomony is bad every1 is feeling it, the price of paint is DOWN!!! trust me i paint!! you should be able 2 get a very nice driver paint job for around 3000-4000, most shops pay there workers hourly wages so its cheap for the owner!! if your car is stripped when they get it theyll quick sand and prime it the first day, block the 3rd day, paint the car the 4th day and wet sand and buff the 5th or 6th day, its only going 2 cost a owner 200-300 in labor/material for your body work, most shops mix there own paint so thats cheap, the clear is the most expensive part it costs 200-300 to clear a car right with ppg or dupont clear, at 3000 thats 2400 profit for the owner in a week, do not pay half up front if they want a deposit for paint give them only 200-400, if you pay alot up front most shops will take there time because there all ready paid, if you dont give them any money or just a little theyll knock it out fast 2 get paid and get your car out the shop 2 start on the next, good luck and dont go 2 macco they jobs are junk!!!!!!!!!!

sx455raidercelticfan

ill take pics of a elcamino im painting 4 free for a kid on my street hes just buying the supplys and doing the sanding, he stripped all the chrome and tried 2 primer it, hes going 2 drop it off on thursday it will be done monday, im going 2 primer and block once than shoot it base coat clear coat, its easy when the bodys straight and the car is stripped

76_cutty

^^^thats alot of good info thanks alot!

joe_padavano

The first thing to realize is that a high quality paint job will probably cost $4000-$8000. THAT'S why Maaco and Earl Schieb are still in business. You can reduce this cost by doing as much of the prep work yourself as you can and as the painter will allow. Removing chrome and trim is something you can do easily and will save a lot of labor costs. If the car needs bodywork, it may be cheaper to get replacement panels (if available) than to spend the labor straightening your panels. Some painters may allow you to perform initial sanding and prep work, but don't be surprised if yours doesn't, since the quality of this work will have an affect on the quality of the finished product. If the painter is to be responsible for the paint job, he needs to have control over every aspect of it. Finally, be aware that some colors are more expensive than others, just due to pigment costs.

BOOWAH

I had an excellent job done on my 89 Caprice. The color was black so it had to be done right! In addition, it had to be stripped to bare metal because of the original lacquer paint that had checked. All chrome including bumpers was removed including the nosepiece, mirrors & door handles. All door dings were filled in. Total cost....$3,500.

Bluevista

3500 bucks sounds like a good deal for all that Boo.

My paint guy won't even touch them unless they're ready to go, save a lot that way but it better be right because he doesn't pull any punches.
He loved my work, finally got it right after 35+ years of trying.
Used Spies-Hecker, 900 bucks for materials, blocked out and ready to go except the jambs and they pulled the doors, hood and tailgate and prepped and did all that. It has power windows and locks so it was a pain but he 's an old timer and never thought twice about it, I was freaked out.
He hung them way better than they were, gaps are even now, nice to have a competent person work on your car with no drama.

2500 bucks, took 2 weeks, a week was getting the paint matched and all that goofing around, had to match the woodgrain trim paint too. The Spies-Hecker paint dude that matched the paint came to a show I was in so he could see his handywork in person.

442much

Actually if you're any good at body work do it yourself (or get someone to do it for you) and have MAACO paint it. No, I'm not crazy. They are not known for their bodywork but the painter at MAACO probably paints 50 cars a week. The best resto shop won't paint that much. So if you just have MAACO paint the car after all the bodywork and prep is done, you'll have a great job. If you are worried about the quality of paint, ask if you can supply it. This could save you $$$. However, if it's too much trouble then find a good shop and let them do it all. owever, make sure you keep checking in on them when they have your car.

joe_padavano

I'm going to have to disagree. This is exactly what I did on my first 442. I disassembled the car, stripped the paint to bare metal, did all the bodywork myself, and shot and sanded the primer. I took it to Maaco for paint. The paint job was the WORST possible one I have ever seen. Serious orange peel, runs, etc. At that point I just started shooting cars myself. Of course, if there's ever a problem in a situation like this, the painter will ALWAYS claim your prep work was at fault. Don't do it.

oldsca

Well I spent a couple of hours today visiting 3 shops. Like I said, I haven't had a car painted in 20 years. Things have certainly changed. The one shop that everyone used to go to for really good work doesn't touch restoration paint job - just likes accident and insurance work.
I was really impressed with the next shop. I only went there because another member (chequenman) recommended them (Parliament Auto Body - Alliston, Ontario). Well I was really impressed. Rick had tons of time for me and he actually cared about doing a good job. He showed me around his facility and a couple of cars that were in progress.

Left there and visited a small shop close to where I live. Nice guy but again he really didn't want to spend the time it would take to paint the car.

I know the economy isn't that good in Canada but 2 of the 3 shops could car less about painting my car. I guess insurance jobs pay better!!

I am going to take some more time and search out some more shops. I live just north of Barrie Ontario and don't mind traveling if the paint job is good. If anyone here has any recommendations for shops in Ontario please let me know.

Thanks for all the tips and advice. I don't know the first thing about body work so it is great to have all the opinions.

Wayne

Blk71SX

oh no, don't go maaco!! too many horror stories.

talk to everyone you can for opinions of painters in your area

with the economy the way it is, get an estimate from maaco then visit the painters on your list. cash in hand does wonders.

just removing all chrome, grills, etc will affect the price.

there's nothing more depressing than a half-assed paint job on your classic

442much

There was a car that won best paint at a car show around here with 200 cars participating. We almost fell over when the guy said he had it painted at MAACO. He said he even got a 5 year warranty. It was pretty good, but I understand the apprehension.

joe_padavano

The reality is that the quality of the job is entirely up to the skill and care of the painter. Unfortunately, this is hit-or-miss with an outfit like Maaco. You can get lucky, or not. I did not and it soured me. Your experience may vary, but you'll only get one shot at it. If this particular painter has a good reputation and good recommendations, go for it. If not, walk away.

BOOWAH

Back in the 70's I had my 73 Charger fixed and painted by Maaco after a careless driver backed into the front fender while exiting a parking lot. I picked the car up on a rainy day and it looked pretty good. When it dried off the paint was so coarse that it looked like a matte finish! They took it back, but after buffing the paint was too thin and they had to repaint. Finally they got it reasonably decent. Good thing I didn't know what a really good job looked like.

sx455raidercelticfan

i disagree, maccos jobs are junk!!!! all they do is scuff there cars b4 paint, and they use cheap cheap single stage paint and cheap bace coat/clear!! they cut corners, there paint will chip in time!! my local macco pays me 2 paint there kandys, the 1st time i painted a kandy for them they wanted me 2 cover the car in 2 quarts of mixxed clear thats only 1 quart of clear, the guy told me 2 reduce it untill i could get 2 coats of clear 2 cover it!! i couldnt do it i use a gallon of clear that makes 7 quarts of mixxed clear on a complete car!! i still paint kandys for them when they need me but i only shoot the base and kandy they clear there own cars, 1 quart of clear will cover a car if its reduced ALOT but the clear will be thin and wont be that shinny when the reducer pops off!!

just take your time and find a honest painter, youll be able 2 get a very nice driver job for 3000-4000, if the cars not a keeper and you just want 2 paint it for resale than go 2 macco and spend 200-400 just 2 put some color on it but sell it b4 the shine goes away, if its your keeper get it blocked and use good paint!! youll be happy you did

sx455raidercelticfan

if you have any questions on paint just ask i paint for a living, take your time dont rush into it, find a honest painter/shop!! they are out there and with the ecomony down youll get more for your money now, if you dont want 2 spend 3000-4000, you could allways go with a ppg/dupont single stage 2 save some money, the main thing is getting it blocked and the chrome stripped b4 paint that will make your paint 100 times better, i figure you should be able 2 find a shop 2 block and single stage your car for 1800-2200 with ppg/deupont paint or 1500 with cheap single stage, these prices are for smaller no name shops with your car stripped when you drop it off, a popular shop/big shop will charge you tripple that for a single stage paint job

oyea youll have your best luck finding a good affordable shop in a bigger city, small towns and citys dont have as much competition so they can set there prices higher

442much

I don't know when my car was painted if they used 1 stage or two. If the final bill is any indication they might have used 3 stage The paint was called Glasurit or something like that. I think BASF makes it. I visited numerous autobody shops and none of them wanted anything to do with my car. They just wanted to remove and replace and out the door. Most said that older cars are not profitable. Did finally find a shop where the owner owned an old car and was willing to do it. The paint was an exact match for the factory colours. They didn't go nuts on the clear on mine. I got 4 coats, but I've heard guys that say they got 8-12 coats of clear. I told them from the beginning that my car was not a show car...it was a car I showed.

sx455raidercelticfan

most shops only like insurance work it pays the most!! but there are shops that do both and sepcialize in classics 1 of the top shops for classics in CA is jaeckels body and paint in fairfield CA, he has cars shipped 2 him from all over the country and canada, show winner after show winner!!

4 coats of clear is perfect if its a good clear!!! 4 coats of ppg 2055 or 2042 will last 10 years easy, cheap thin clear needs alot more coats!! i dont like to use 8-12 coats unless theres a wet sand inbetween, when i paint expensive kandys i put 5 coats of clear than wet sand and put 4-5 more coats than wet sand and buff, 2 much clear and your paint chips!!

oldsca

Well I went to 2 more shops. Ended up that the 2 owners of these shops were partners but split a couple of years ago. The one guy seemed honest but his work didn't look great. Maybe his price reflected that. The other shop wanted at least double what everyone else wanted.

I am going to seek out one or two more but I think I feel pretty confident of Parliament. I am going to go back with a list of questions that I have taken from the posts and confirm everything.

Thanks everyone!

Wayne

Olds64

Keep us posted Wayne. I also want to paint my car soon. I've removed all of the trim and bumpers and I'm in the process of fixing all of the body dings. I plan on spraying it myself. I found a good paint supply shop in the area and they gave me great advice. Now all I have to do is spray it...

Jamesbo

I would go to a good high quality paint supply shop and ask some questions. My local guys are more than happy to educate anyone and they can reccomend painters who do good wwork.

In a town the size of Atlanta you'll hear 2 or 3 names come up the most often for GOOD painting, interior, rechrome etc. It's all about reputations

oldsca

So I am ready to go back to this one shop and I have reviewed all of the posts here and compiled my questions. Did I miss anything?

* What type of paint do you use?
* Were you planning on painting over the paint? If so, do you prime/fill and block(how many times do you block)?
* How many coats of clear coat and do you wet sand?
* I am planning to remove grills, lights etc. I also have replacement front and back bumper covers. Would it be best if I left them off for you to paint
* I was going to order the decals from Phoenix Graphics(www.phoenixgraphix.com/gm/8587olds.htm). Do you have any other suppliers that you deal with that would have these?
* I do have original sales brochures with pictures. Would these help you at all with decal placement?
* I had mentioned that you were recommended from a forum that frequent. Is it possible to get a couple of names of guys that have had cars painted at your shop? It would be great if they could be guys that had similar work done on their cars as what will be done on mine.

Thanks a ton!
Wayne

wolfman98

parliment sounds like it has your buisness so far. I would tell ya to come down here and get Dave's collision and auto body to do it. he is about 5 minutes walk from my house and i have used him 3 times for insurance work. Does really good work and though 95% of his buisness is insurance he loves doing restoration paint as well. I have seen some of his complete paint jobs and they are nice nice nice.

442much

Ha ha, next time someone says "Only 4 coats, I've got 10." I'll say, "Should have told them to use the more expensive stuff."

sx455raidercelticfan

[quote=oldsca;197233]So I am ready to go back to this one shop and I have reviewed all of the posts here and compiled my questions. Did I miss anything?

* What type of paint do you use?
* Were you planning on painting over the paint? If so, do you prime/fill and block(how many times do you block)?
* How many coats of clear coat and do you wet sand?
* I am planning to remove grills, lights etc. I also have replacement front and back bumper covers. Would it be best if I left them off for you to paint
*

i just realized that your having your g body painted i thought it was a 72 cutlass, if the rear side windows are like a grandnational i would take them out b4 paint!!!!!!! on all my grandnationals i took the rear side windows out b4 paint, and remove the outside door window felts!! that car should come out very very nice its a very solid car 2 start with!!

1 block and that car should be super straight!!!

remove side rear windows

remove outside door window felts