Cost of a paint job.

[bronkenn]

It clearly wasn't a joke. I was laughing at the ridiculousness of the comment. I took autobody at the local JC for five years to restore my '64-1/2 Mustang. I look at it and see the complete and utter amateurishness of the work. Did it cost me way less than having a professional body shop do it? Absolutely. Does it look anywhere near as good as it would if I had paid tens of thousands of dollars to have to done? Not even close. To say you can do a reasonable amateur job by taking classes at the JC, no problem. To say it would be cheaper to learn to do show quality work at a JC is laughable.

Maybe you should change your handle to "theaveragejustino"

 

[thegreatjustino]

Maybe you should change your handle to "theaveragejustino"

Maybe you should grow up and be an adult on the internet instead of resorting to playground name calling

 

[bronkenn]

Maybe you should grow up and be an adult on the internet instead of resorting to playground name calling

My dad can beat up your dad!

 

[Howard2x4x4]

Ken, kudos! That was above-the-rim clever and funny! Thejustino, chill. "To say it would be cheaper to learn to do show quality work at a JC is laughable." Ken did not say that. What was that old saying, "Sticks and stones.......".

I think we're talking apples and oranges here. While the vast majority of Bronco afficienados admire concours Broncos, I doubt any of us would use one as a daily driver, or take one out on the trails. MY goal, with MY Bronco - putting the 'Built, not bought' sticker on it. No disrespect to anyone with pockets far deeper than mine, quite the opposite. To each, his own.

 

[BGBronco]

I think the quality of the paint job needs to match the level of the build. I painted my previous bronco. I wish I had bought better paint and applied some quality control but it tuned out OK for ~$1000, excluding free labor. No runs, etc but I went with Matte (bad decision) and could have done a better job mixing the paint. This was the green one. I had a friend that owns a bodyshop do the next one. It turned out much better but I was into it for about $9,000 with some lite bodywork, etc. Not a show-quality job but I'm very happy with the end result and it also is fitting for my level of restoration. This is the Black one.

I modeled both of these lower-end restorations after higher-end builds, which made it easier to compare / rationalize the results.

 

[bronkenn]

Thanks Howard. I am sorry that Mark's thread got distorted a bit. It was an interesting take on the cost it requires to restore these. Mark has a top notch shop which requires very skilled employees to do this type of work. I can see he puts together some real nice trucks. I was just trying to offer some advice on what some of us do to fix ours. Mark's breakdown of the hours required is spot on and useful for people who are regularly asking what it takes to restore one of these bricks.

 

[Madgyver]

great finish paint. 2 parts.
quart with hardener = $300.
gallon with hardener = $1000.

finish materials no included. filler, sanding consumables, primer, primer surfacers, tack rags, PPS consumables, spray booth rental..
and labor... at 1k a day..

they all add up...

 

[thegreatjustino]

"To say it would be cheaper to learn to do show quality work at a JC is laughable." Ken did not say that.

That's exactly what he said. The original post was the cost of show quality work. Then the comment about learning to do it yourself by taking a class.

 

[Howard2x4x4]

I think the quality of the paint job needs to match the level of the build. I painted my previous bronco. I wish I had bought better paint and applied some quality control but it tuned out OK for ~$1000, excluding free labor. No runs, etc but I went with Matte (bad decision) and could have done a better job mixing the paint. This was the green one. I had a friend that owns a bodyshop do the next one. It turned out much better but I was into it for about $9,000 with some lite bodywork, etc. Not a show-quality job but I'm very happy with the end result and it also is fitting for my level of restoration. This is the Black one.

I modeled both of these lower-end restorations after higher-end builds, which made it easier to compare / rationalize the results. View attachment 899951 View attachment 899952

They both look dandy to me!

 

[Howard2x4x4]

That's exactly what he said. The original post was the cost of show quality work. Then the comment about learning to do it yourself by taking a class.

Ahh, no, Ken did NOT say 'it would be cheaper to learn to do show quality work at a JC'. Add to that Mark's spot-on truism 'Depends on what you are starting with and how far you go with it', and it becomes clear that it's apples and oranges, and a pumpkin and a grape or two, maybe even a kumquat. Chill, thejustin. Life's too short to argue about 'he saids'.

On a corollary, I suspect there are pro painters on this forum who do world class work and who got their start in a tech school. Have a good day, thejustin.

 

[Dude 713]

I have seen paint jobs from guys that just got out of trade school that were absolutely beautiful and others that were well not so, but I have also seen paint jobs from guys that have been in the business for 35 years that looked like crap. Just because someone has been doing their job for many years doesn't mean that they are good at it.

 

[thegreatjustino]

Ahh, no, Ken did NOT say 'it would be cheaper to learn to do show quality work at a JC'.

Typical internet arguer who wants to use minor nuances in vernacular as their argument.

 

[lannysgs]

I certainly agree taking a course and picking up some tips from experienced painters would help a novice do a decent job.
I’ve done it myself, but obviously these weren’t high end builds by any means.
But I was happy with them and as far as I’m concerned, that’s all that matters.

 

[bax]

I took math at school. But I never really learned it.

 

[El Kabong]

I took math at school. But I never really learned it.

I slept thru a year of Geometry.

The teacher told us that the homework didn't count toward the grade, only the tests. But without doing the homework no one learns enough to pass the class.

I took that as a personal challenge. The tests were open book. I read fast. I got a B in the class.

Still can't paint.

 

[Jsol]

It wasn't meant to be a joke. I feel bad that you limit your abilities. I know that painting a vehicle is a lot of work that requires a talent that has to be learned. I was merely suggesting trying something and see if you are capable. I have been doing body work for years but have very limited experience with painting. I did a lot of reading and looking for tips and decided to do mine. It came out really good and as far as show quality that is subjective, but I did win an award at the 2019 Super Celebration for the paint. My only point was to give something a try and see if it pans out. I wasn't trying to short anyone and apologies to anybody offended.

What a nice color!! What is it ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[bronkenn]

What a nice color!! What is it ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you. It is Boxwood Green

 

[bronkenn]

Typical internet arguer who wants to use minor nuances in vernacular as their argument.

It is good to see you got a grasp on the English language. Sorry your 5 years in tech school didn't yield the same results.

 

[markatherton]

Update; Paint is complete. Will lift on to restored chassis tomorrow.

 

[Torkman66]

Ok, back to original topic. I am a home hobby car guy that has been restoring cars for over 45 years. I started when I was 15 and am now 62. Each car along the way I became better at the work. Here is what I’ve learned:
1. Frame, drive train, brakes, fuel, etc is very easy. Just about anybody with the right tools, a small work area, and now more than ever, access to YouTube can rebuild to a high quality the mechanics.
2. Electrical is a bit more intimidating at first but after doing a few complete harness kits, numerous add ins, and learning how to truly use a volt meter (especially, ohms), anybody can do electrical.
3. Interior is perhaps the easiest, even if you’re installing new hog ringed upholstery. Now, however, most folks are just buying everything new and bolting it in. No biggy and anybody can do it.
4. Now the the body and paint. What the original post points out is that materials cost wayyyy more than people think or budget. It’s not just the crazy cost of high quality paint, but all of the other items he mentions. The 600 hours of body work is no joke. But he leaves out one major thing. That’s 600 hours of body work by people who know what they are doing, have likely spent years doing body work every day as a profession, and know how to do it right. That cannot be learned on YouTube! The other issue is the skill of actually painting the truck. Sure, you can get the purple gun from HF and lay down a nice single stage that looks great from 5 feet or so. But there WILL be orange peal, fish eyes, and dirt in the paint. Great for a true truck used in the mountains, but not if you’re building a show car. To do it right, it’s a two stage BC/CC job followed by at least another 40 hours of cut and buff. If you’ve never cut and buffed a car, be prepared to burn through the clear and base and ruin that area of the paint job.

So here’s my point, I believe everything can be done to show quality level by the home hobbiest given enough time, tools, and the internet. However, the one exception is the body work and paint. I’ve been doing body and painting my own classics for many years and I am still an amateur. My final product is show quality, but at the bottom end of that category.
So yes, the cost of a show paint job is high, but the cost goes way beyond just the dollars…it costs you years of practice, tons of mistakes, and the knowledge that you’ll likely never get it right. But hey, it’s the challenge that keeps us doing this!