What do I want...

[Hugger]

I need to get my truck painted, and can afford about $2k.
What do you ask for...
I know paint jobs can range fom $200 to $10,000 or more, so where does a $2000 paint job fall, and what should I expect for the money.

Primer
Block Sand
Primer
Block Sand...How many times, or just until it is done???

Base Coat
Top Coat
Clear Coat
Winter Coat????

Should I expect a couple of flaws, orange peel, fish eyes, or should it be perfect???

As you can tell I have never had a vehicle painted before, so I guess I just don't know what to expect for the dollar spent.

Thanks.

[WRMZ71]

Depends on what business you're dealing with. 2000 dollars should get you a pretty good paint job. Never settle for fish eyes either!! Before you have anybody paint it I would check the better business bureau on the place and make sure nobodies reported them. As far as what process they use I can't really tell you much there.

[rage'nrat638]

strip all the chrome and trim off your self.....
and reinstall it......

when you get done you will know why it cost so much.....
plus all that stuff won't have paint on it

just a thought

[djracer]

The more things you take off the better the end result. You should get a very good paint job for that kind of money if it doesn't need allot of body work. I have gotten some really good work from people who do it for a hobbie instead of a job! The darker the color the better the body work has to be! Just a little insite.

[Hugger]

Thanks for the replies...
I have already taken off the trim, tail lights, grill, bumpers etc...
I started to do the prep work myself, but I don't want to put on a primer to sand, and then not have a good base for the final job???

[1970 CST Short Wide]

I had mine done at Macco. A buddy helped me do all the body and prep work. I pulled all the chrome i.e. door handles, bumper ect ect. All they had to do was shoot it. I paid a bit extra to pull the bed back and shoot the back of the cab and front of the bed and hit the door jams. All that and a thousand dollars got me this.

[1970blazin]

Had mine done by a local shop - Shawn's custom auto- the guy was a 25 year old, but a real nice kid. It cost about $1500, but the body was almost perfect by the time I gave it to him- he only had to do a little sanding and then go ahead and shoot the base coat. It looks great I think, but isn't FLAWLESS. It sure looks better than I expected tho!

[griesel72]

Have you thought about painting it yourself? I think that if you can spray rattle can without running it, you can spray paint. Most paint places will give you advice on how to mix and spray. Hugger orange is one of those colors that is very forgiving and won't really show poor body work. I had only painted one tractor before i painted my hugger orange truck under my name.

Good luck and if you need any advice from a guy who learned it myself, don't be afraid to ask.


Also remember that you can buff any orange peel or small runs out afterword.
DAvid

[griesel72]

here's a pic of my first paint job, only cost me 280 for supplies, and i really didn't screw anything up.

[Randy70C-10]

For $2000 you should get a damn nice paint job, but that all depends on what they have to start out with. If your truck is rusted and dinged up you will probably have that much in the body work alone.

[1970blazin]

Wow griesel72- NICE job I am impressed! Great money saver!

[Effle18]

griesel72, is that just a top coat then clear? Or how many layers of clear? I'm thinking of painting my bike my self, just gotta learn how.

[griesel72]

Effle18-- i went with 3 light base coats and finished off with i heavier coat of clear and then 2 light coats. I then wet sanded it with 1200, and borrowed a buffer from a local body shop and buffed it with 3M Extra cut rubbing compound, then Perfect III and finished off with Machine glaze. Buffing is pretty easy, it really makes a truck look nice. Figure on spending about 40-50 for the buffing compound.

[Hugger]

Thanks to all...
Hey griesel72 wheres Alma from Wichita...Got any Hugger Orange paint left over LOL!!!
That looks great!!! Hope mine turns out as well.

[Hugger]

This is what I'm working with...
the original paint is still solid, and there are just a few more dings to work out, then it ready. Thanks.

[Jwill41]

I have been thinking about doing some work on my 68 soon. It needs painted pretty bad. Quite a bit of body work to be done.

Gotta like the oranges.

[gonebad2]

Best bet is to take it around to different shops, talk to the estimator, ask alot of questions. When you find a painter you are comfortable with, strike a deal with him. If you're in no hurry to get your truck back real soon, you might get a little better deal. Sometimes they will do that and work on it in between jobs. I wouldn't give them any $$$ up front. Wait until the job is done and you are satisfied. I paint all of my own stuff and haven't been to a bodyshop in years.

[griesel72]

Hugger,

You know, i had a quart left, but after 2 years, i don't know how good it would be.

Your truck looks like it would be really easy to paint, with the orginal paint in such good shape.

Really think about painting it yourself, The actual painting is the easy part, getting the body straight is the hard part.

Alma is between Manhattan and topeka.

If you need any help, just ask me, i could even give you a quick lesson.

David

[nightmare]

hey griesel72, where did you paint your truck? what work area did you have? home garage, shop, large abandoned building? just curious, i was plannin on painting my truck myself too, but was curious as to what prep work i'd have to do for my work area. thanks

[griesel72]

I painted it in a garage that was almost too small for it. I bought some plastic sheeting that i made a paint booth out of (stapled it to the rafters, and let it drape on the sides and back) I set up a box fan in a window and stapled the plastic around the window for exhaust. I wet down the floor to keep dust and overspray from getting into the paint. I also wet down the street (gravel) the ran in front of the shop.

My 69 i used a paint booth complete explosion proof lights, and professional exhaust (less prep on the paint booth, but not that much better)

Good luck
DAvid

[Hugger]

griesel72 - You've got me thinking about it...

Thanks to all!!

[shortymac83]

This is probably a bit too far for you, but there's a Mr. terry Fritsch around Lincoln NE that has a bodyshop that, IMO is very, very cheap (He spent 12 hours in one day on a cherokee that was damaged pretty bad and didn't finish it that day - will only cost the guy 750 bucks.) and very, very good. I have never seen bodywork as good as what he does. It's just a thought. You could probably get away with a new truck for 2,000 bucks if your bodywork is top notch.

If you want his contact information, PM or email me.

[dmurphy68]

as a rule of thumb: prep work = good paint job. I help run a custom shop in ohio and we do custom paint jobs 2K-10K. I will shoot a a car that needs little or know body work for 2K and it will look like a show room shine. Rember you get what you pay for. If you want something that will last in the long run go with base clear. 2 to 3 light cots of base enough to cover. 3-7 coats of clear depending on how deep you want the paint to look. If you want to talk to me or my other paint guy just call the shop 513-727-8003. I will try to answer any ?'s you might have. Ask for Darren( me ) or Ryan. I can go throught the procedures with you.

see ya
Darren