Pricing out a paint job

[BigBlue87]

I've got a bit of a dilemma here. My 87' v10 4x4 short box, desperately needs a paint job. The truck is solid, needs minimal body work, has no rust, and it seems like every paint shop I talk to is throwing ridiculous prices out there just to see if I'll bite. Last one was $6500 or higher "depending". Come on! It's staying a blue and white factory two tone.

The shops are telling me that the whole truck needs to be blasted down to bare metal due to the GM primer issues that these trucks had. (My paint is peeling). Now this truck is never going to be a show truck, but what have you guys paid for a decent looking paint job? I know the prep work is key, and each truck can vary a lot. Just want to get an idea of how much I'm gonna get raped for. If anyone knows of a good shop in the new England area, or someone who does side work please give me a lead! Thanks!

 

[yevgenievich]

I have done one my self with quality paint and it ended up around $800. Add in labor and will be close to $2000

 

[Geektrucker]

Where in New England? I've got a guy in Mid-coast Maine that does reasonably priced paint jobs

Sent from the back-woods of Maine, via cah, beah, and lobstah bub! Pine trees MAY have been harmed in the making of this post.

 

[skysurfer]

$3500 for a Suburban. Two tone with some extra coats of clear. Body was pretty straight with a tiny bit of rust behind the window seals. Most of the quotes I got were north of $5k.

 

[Rusty Nail]

Doesn't Maaco get like $250 or somethin?

Why so much? Geez, maybe it would be worth it to road trip to someplace better than Yankee-ville.
What percentage is that of your annual income? Rhetorical question.
The numbers you're talking about are fuvking ridiculous. No. Never.

 

[smoothandlow84]

$2500 for mine, which included bodywork, block sanding, primer , wet sanding and 4 coats...yes 4 coats of clear. No rust, which helped. That price also included painting the interior and door jambs. I went with two stage paint, not single since single stage although cheaper doesn't last 2 years in the sun.

I had quotes from $1500.......all the way up to $8000. Research the shop, talk to past clients and walk thru the shop to see the process. I interviewed 6 shops before I pulled the trigger.


East coast paint shops seem to screw customers with outrageous pricing...who is painting your truck...Michaelangelo?

 

[CRM]

The average quotes I was getting were around $2500 also. My personal feeling is if it's over $3000 it better be a show truck.

 

[kickdeez]

The average body shop makes their living doing body work and paint for insurance claims. Your average Joe doesn't typically wake up one day and say "I should go get my truck painted today". I had a shop tell me that all they do is insurance work, and they wouldn't even pull my suburban into the garage for less than 7k. It was a "chain" body shop of sorts. His advice was to find a "local" body shop that is a little bit out of town, as their prices are tailored more towards this kind of work. He then proceeded to tell me that if I get in a wreck, bring my truck back to him...It's a racket for sure.

 

[theblindchicken]

Socal here.

My k10 single cab long bed was in the range of $3-3200. Included primer, sanding, and two single stage of the color/clear for the blue and white.

Paint along the bed ended up developing "cracks" in the paint. Can't really feel them, but in the right light you can see it everywhere.

If I remember correctly, it was about $150 fee for being a large vehicle/truck, then another $100 for spraying the inside of the cab to match.

 

[Tranz Zam]

Most shops make there money off of insurance jobs, and most of the time straight up paint job's coming in off the street don't offer enough profit for shops to take on. While that truck is in the shop, it's taking uo valuable space and resources for insurance jobs.

That said, I'd either paint it yourself of have Maaco do it. I've had vehicles painted at Maaco, and they've come out great. I do all the body work, block sand and prime, and they do BC CC in whatever color I want. It looks great, especially on a truck!

Its hard finding good body shops in New England isnt it? Just gotta get things done yourself now a days.

 

[87scotty]

Most shops make there money off of insurance jobs, and most of the time straight up paint job's coming in off the street don't offer enough profit for shops to take on. While that truck is in the shop, it's taking uo valuable space and resources for insurance jobs.

That said, I'd either paint it yourself of have Maaco do it. I've had vehicles painted at Maaco, and they've come out great. I do all the body work, block sand and prime, and they do BC CC in whatever color I want. It looks great, especially on a truck!

Its hard finding good body shops in New England isnt it? Just gotta get things done yourself now a days.

Im the opposite i hate bodywork but love to spray i usuay try and talk my old man into doin the bodywork hes a perfectionist and can sit and sand for days on end

 

[kickdeez]

The cost isn't in the tools or materials to actually paint the vehicle. The cost is in the labor to do the prep work. If you're going to do all the body work and prep yourself, it doesn't matter where you take it for paint, the cost should be relatively similar.

 

[Keith Seymore]

...who is painting your truck...Michaelangelo?

I imagine that's the problem - they have to get the truck up on the ceiling.

K

 

[Keith Seymore]

$3200 for Lil Red.

I prepped it and they shot it. The original color (Code 72 Apple Red) in base coat/clear coat rather than the original High Solid Enamel.

The best part is they turned it around in one week.

K

 

[smoothandlow84]

I imagine that's the problem - they have to get the truck up on the ceiling.

K

Lol..that was my point...lol


Now to clarify...I did 99 percent of the bodywork myself...so the fee was to "finalize" by blocking the truck, apray, color sand and clear coat multiple times. I too was getting bids up to $8k for paint...without bodywork. Then again there are a ton of paint shops here in Phoenix that specialize in streeet rods and custom work. The final cost will vary too depending on the paint brand of choice. Expect to pay a shitload more if the shop uses House of Colors paint. I prefer 3m products as long as they ARE NOT water based.