[SacramentoJoe]

Here are some details on my paint.

Filler: 3 gallons of Lightweight filler, 2 gallons are probably sitting in my shopvac (I suck at Bondo) ($18/gal)

Primer: ¾ gallon of Epoxy primer/sealer ($75)

2 gallons of high-build polyester surfacer (should have used other 2) ($120)

Spot etching primer on all my sand-throughs

Sealer ¾ gallon Standox sealer ($100)

Color: Light Quasar Blue (’93-’95 GMC)

Standox Base – He mixed 1 gallon, sprayed over 3 quarts of it ($320) (enough left over to do the bed)

Standox Clear – about 3 quarts, 3 coats on the hood and roof, 2 coats on sides ($300)

I did all the surface prep and taping. My buddy’s neighbor, Dan, sprayed the primer and surfacer, and I took it home and spent a week blocking it. Then I brought it back to Dan’s shop, re-prepped and re-taped everything and he shot base/clear on the insides of the doors and jams that evening. The next day he sealed the outside and sprayed it with base/clear. My buddy wanted some painting experience (he’s working on a ’65 Mustang Fastback) so he stayed in the booth the whole time and shot the basecoat on one side of the bed. Dan also gave me a lesson on Bondo and a dolly/slaphammer when he started repairs on one side of the bed for me. He also pulled a dent on the door (no Bondo needed after he finished that spot.) He charged me $450 for his spray hours in the booth. So the paint job cost more than what I budgeted and far better from the paint job I had originally anticipated!