Great paint job on the cheap?

[oldskoul]

I am in the same shoes and after all my research i am thinking LOS PANCHOS in Tijuana is the way to go.

I am going to take a bunch of pictures post them to a site then email them for a quote.

West LA also here

[austinmf]

$1500 is a impossible unless you rattle can it! I have a buddy with a paint booth that is going to shoot it on the "SIDE" and he is charging me $1500 to do it using PPG paint and sealer. He is just the painter. I have to sand and wet sand before sealer.

Do not do it yourself unless you know what you are doing. Paints and sealers work together. It is more than just spraying.

That being said, I am doing all the prep work and I am finding all kinds of surprises.

I am still stripping. Just bought $300 worth of sanding materials plus an air compressor and a DA sander. Add time and effort....

Still have not started primer and bondo (have a durablock set and have watched lots of youtube videos) but should start soon.

I am getting advice and feedback from my body shop buddy.

Everything said and done, it is going to cost me at least $2000 plus a LOT of labor. My car is not drivable as it is completely stripped of glass, rubber and interior. And every piece of trim I removed has had varying degrees of rust.

Of course I am dealing with rust that is ABOVE average....might soda blast the hood for $150. Oh and add all the new hardware to replace the old rusty... Knew I should have bought a new ferrari and saved money!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGmUbycZXqI&list=UUjzkKDpl7Vn3H5Ze5yYbE7A&index=1&feature=plcp

[justinevert]

If you can do as much prep work as possible before hand it will help, I think a painter will be much more impressed if you show up with a car ready to go to paint than him having to start from nothing and figure it out.

Doing the same thing next. Got mine down to bare metal, metal shaping and has etch primer.

Doing the skim coat next, better to have several thin layers instead of one thick one. Apply & sand again, again & again. 90% of it will be on the floor by the time I done. I am going repeat this at least 3 maybe 4 times before I put on primer filler and guide coat. Will be too cold to paint and will have nothing to do in the winter. As the old saying goes "you only get out what you put into.

Some other things to consider:

Considering that most paint application is based on a "Systems" approach for their product with several items (sealer, color and clear coat) tied together one may want to buy the whole package. Any good paint supplier can help but the caveat is who paints it, they may have their own preference of materials. It would be better to ask around local paint shops, tell them what your plans are and ask them what they use.

With new paint technology there are several nasty chemicals in the product, I would rather take it somewhere that has a downdraft system than loose my lungs, plus better quality control in my opinion.

Just my 02 cents.

Justin

[Guest Anonymous]

I could write a essay about painting a car yourself in your garage (E30 M3s are my specialty). These are not "racecar" quality, but blocked arrow straight, base/clear wet-sanded and buffed. Almost too nice:

colorchange:

Fiberglass parts need lots of blocking:

Three color with painted pinstripe under the clear:

Baremetal respray with crash repair:

Extinguish all flames prior to painting:

Many hours of work, but sooo worth it:

But what ever you do, here's a tip...tip your painter! Tell him there is an extra $100 to make it look good...best $100 you will every spend.

[LimeySteve]

Screw that $595 at Maaco , body work by us & a friend ($300 )

Well he is only 18 & it is his 1st car , bought & paid for by James.Color change, all stripped out , engine bay will get finished when we swap motor & go from Auto to stick .

My Original 32 Ford roadster was 100's hrs lead & metal finishing with several thousands $'s in prep & paint it does show.

[Guest Anonymous]

roll it with small foam industrial rollers and rustoleum I know it sounds crazy. It takes many, many light coats with sanding in betwen. Paint is self leveling. There is a good article on the web about it. Did my 02 this way 3 years ago and it still looks great (at 20 feet).