At 09:10 AM 2/20/98 -0800, you wrote:
>Cordell, Ralph PhD wrote:
>> > A lot of factors go into determining the cost of a paint job, not the
>> least of which is the cost of the paint. You can get some idea of that
>> by checking with local auto paint stores and asking the price for the
>> materials they will be using.
>
>> I can tell you from experience that I spent far more time getting the
>> body ready for paint than actually shooting the paint.
>>
>>
>Ralph and others-
> I'm not too tuned into the engine work but I do know it's CHEAP
>compared to quality body work. Quality body work takes time--there is
>now way around it. Even w/ new Rover body panels, there is a lot of
>time necessary to work them to where they will look good.
> A quality body shop around here gets 50-60 dollars an hour. We can
>argue all day about whether that is worth it or not but that is the
>rate. If you are paying for a "paint job" then Earl Schieb is the place
>to go. Two or three hundred will get it painted. Now if you want to do
>it right, it's going to cost you 3-5 grand--that's the way it is. Ralph
>is absolutely right--the preparation is everything. Almost anyone can
>"paint" a car. Do the prep, buy the paint, and bring it to my house and
>I'll shoot it for nothing. You will have to have done all the metal
>work, the flat sanding, and all the other stuff which takes all the time
>and most of the money. I won't spend the hundreds of hours necessary
>for that stuff for free, however, and that's where quality paintwork
>costs a lot.
> Some one said once "You get what you pay for"
>and he/she was right, especially in body work.
>--
>Larry Dickstein Kansas City, MO
>'58 Bugeye, '67 BJ 8, '67 MGB V8
>
I have to agree with Larry on this one. About the only thing more expensive
than top-notch bodywork is show chrome. (Don't get me started on the $275
valve cover I've got, or a recent quote I got to repair and triple plate a
luggage rack for a concours MGA at $890 - ouch! :-)
Quality body work takes a tremendous amount of time to get right. If you
want to look into your hood and comb your hair in the reflection you will
spend hundreds of hours getting the panel perfectly straight before you even
pick up a spray gun. A finish of this quality costs big time to have the
prep done right. For every hour spent in the booth, I usually figure about
50-80 hours in prep for a concours job. Also, the best state-of-the-art
materials cost far more than the enamel your car originally came with.
Modern multi-part urethanes are super durable to the point of being nearly
impervious even to brake fluid, and the gloss is unbelieveable - but
normally run between $150 - $250 a gallon with all the associated converters
and activators. Quality primers aren't that much less, and to get a
super-flat surface there is no other way than to shoot 7-10 coats of primer
and then go back and sand almost all of it off again in search of perfectly
wave-free panels. It all adds up to about $2500 to $3000 just to do the
outside of the shell, and if you want to strip the car down to nothing and
do the interior, trunk, and underhood - double or triple it.
Now if you aren't that fussy, you can go out and get a $35 gallon of good
ol' acrylic enamel and about 5 sheets of sandpaper which is what you'll get
at Earl's and do it yourself for about $300 - or better yet, save your self
the trouble and GET MAACO. Sure the $300 job will look O.K. in your garage
and probably will look great from 20 feet away at 20mph - but sooner or
later you'll end up next to $5000 paintwork and you'll know the difference.
It all depends on what you want out of the car. If your going to keep the
car forever and it's your pride and joy, go for a nice finish. You'll smile
from ear to ear everytime someone looks at it and says "wow". On the other
hand, $300 is not bad if your going to drive the car daily or sell it next
summer. It WILL get stone chips and door dings if you drive the car alot
and nothing hurts more than your first chip in a mega-buck finish. It all
comes down to what you want to do. Don't be intimidated, just decide what
you want out of the car and go for it!
Good Luck!
Regards,
Brian Schlorff
Power British http://www.powerbritish.com/~britcars
"...oh, no, they all do that. You see, in England it is quite common to
turn your lights on and off repeatedly when you see another car on the road.
Well, those clever chaps at Lucas have this built right into the switch, just
for your convenience..."
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