Terry writes...
>Since I'm doing the majority of the body filling and
>prepping, and all they'll have to do is prime,
>wet-sand, level, paint, paint, & clear-coat. Don't you
>think that $2500 is a bit harsh?
Snip!
Well...judging by the thread a few days back, folks who have recently
painted their own cars are now among the enlightened. :-)
One of the pro painters on the internet is quoted as saying: "People
come into my shop talking price but they always return talking
quality".
FWIW, I 'd guess your car will require about $500 of materials to do
the job correctly...even without the bonnet. Because you took it to
bare metal a quality primer is now needed. Macco's bread and butter
is re-paints. I doubt they do much bare metal work except for spot
repairs. It would be a good idea to ask them exactly what they intend
to shoot for your primer. If you go to Earl Scheib's website you'll
discover that his $159 "special" includes no primer at all. ('usta be
$29.95 when I was a kid!) He'll shoot any car with his super-duper
"euro-enamel" in one of 5 different colors. What ever happened to
that neato "diamond gloss"? Sadly, I suspect that poor Earl has
passed on to that great fleet painters county club in the sky and his
heirs are looking to get with the new millennium. <grin>
Actually, one thing about these mass-repainters, it is sometimes
possible to get an excellent job from them. They guy behind the gun
gets a heck of a lot of practice and will often turn out a smooth
finish when he thinks the car is prepped well. Human nature I suppose
but I bet they get damn frustrated squirting paint all day long on
those half washed, half masked, ding-ridden Cavaliers that pass
through constantly. <no offense intended to those on the list owning
half washed, half masked, ding-ridden Cavaliers> Thing is though,
I'm not sure I'd trust Macco with a bare metal re-spray unless I knew
that specific franchise had enough experience.
When it comes to painting cars, my first priority is to go to a shop
that has a track record of excellent work. I've read too many stories
where even high dollar repaints have turned into the owners worst
nightmare. You want the guy who get's all his new business from that
great word-of-mouth advertising from satisfied customers. And you
want a guy who has been in business for some time. It's not uncommon
for custom painters to close up shop in the middle of a job. <sigh>
And then you need to pay him enough to make a good profit. A real pro
will only negotiate to a certain point where he knows he can still do
good work. The guy you *don't* want is the one who fools himself into
thinking he can cut corners and still give you the quality you'll
demand. He may have good intentions but if things don't go smoothly
you've left him no recourse but to finish the job at that bargain
price.
I've just finished repainting my Spit and all I can say is that it's a
good thing I love this car. It was a huge amount of work and
definitely not the way I'd care to earn a living.
Cheers!
Tom O'Malley
P.S. What is a "shaved handle"? :-)
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