Just depends on what you want out of the experience. My car is pretty
decent looking daily driver (except during salt season). It was never
intended to be pristine, a goal that I've managed to maintain. :)
I did it myself with lacquer about 7 or 8 years ago. I'd had some
experience when much younger working in a body shop but not in shooting
paint so I knew the basics, such as you can never do too much prep
work. It still looks pretty decent and I'll probably do it over again in a
couple more years. I'm collecting new body panels (still lacking a new
hood and trunk lid, though) since I don't want any bondo at all the next
time around, even though there is very little in the car now.
Of course, lacquer has its own set of problems (chips easy). You can get
much tougher paints professionally applied.
Rob
74 TR6 shivering in the barn (-7F tonight here in Illinois)
At 07:42 PM 1/23/2003, Jim Davis wrote:
>Ron,
>Having had the 2 TR6s listed below receive a quality paint job, it will
>cost anywhere from $3,500 to $5,000 to have a finish you will be proud
>of. A poor quality engine rebuild or interior installation is reasonably
>easy to correct. But correcting a poor paint job means stripping your
>car to where it is now and staring all over.
>Save up and get it done right the first time. You won't regret it.
>
>Jim Davis
>Fortson, GA
>CF38690UO
>CF37325U
>
>
>
>I'm taking a poll here to get some ideas on the costs involved in
>painting
>my car after a frame off restoration. All the fenders are new, the doors
>look great and I'm probably going to pop for a new hood and such so
>don't
>worry about bodywork in your calculations. I'm questioning whether to do
>hire out the whole job, part of it or do it all myself. If I were to do
>it
>myself the questions would be reguarding materials and equipment. A
>while
>back before my project turned into a frame off I did my engine bay with
>a
>$50 "jam gun" and was happy with the results. Not outside car quality
>but I
>did it under very poor conditions at the time and it was probably better
>than the stock paint job. I'd love to hear from people who went before
>me on
>this one and what they learned and how much it cost and what they would
>do
>if they had to do it again. The whole body has been sanblasted also (not
>the
>panels of course). Part of me wants to go drop it off and pick it up in
>a
>month ready to go. Part of me wants to save a ton of money and have
>tools to
>do it again. I'm already dreaming of my next project. This has to be the
>hardest decision I have to make in reguards to the restoration of my
>car.
>It's going to be a daily driver if I can get it reliable enough and I
>can
>take the heat in the Summer. Not much snow or ice hear in the winter and
>the
>good heater evens things up but I have a 4WD SUV that'll take over if it
>gets icy. Anyway, give me all your advice, opinions, stories, pictures
>or
>anything that will be usefull and I'll be seeing everyone at the car
>shows
>this summer!
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