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Paint jobs, the amature perspective, reallly really long!

To: "mike datsunman" <datsunmike@nyc.rr.com>,
Subject: Paint jobs, the amature perspective, reallly really long!
From: "Jim Cawrse" <nqrithjim@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 4 May 2002 10:36:01 -0400
For all:
I have painted a few roadsters, a F-150 truck, and a
240Z.  My paint jobs include cutting out rust, fixing with
fiberglass (yea, fiberglass, its lasts a long time and dosnt
rust), and I remove all the chrome and other resonably
easy parts.  I take apart the doors to get the handles off,
and also to goop POR-15 inside.  I do great, although not
showroom work.  I take the time to fix my mistakes after
I am done shooting.  Here are some cost breakdowns for
my "garage" paintjobs:

The Z car was $1200.  About half of this was in paint and
paint products.  I like to figure I am paying myself 10 or
12 dollars an hour for labor, since its sort of a fun hobby.
It was in OK shape to start with, a california car.

The F-150 Truck, the owner stripped everything off the truck
and then proceeded to
paint all the trim on my house, while I did some minor
rust repair and painted his truck.  He paid for the paint, about
$400.  No money changed hands, and we are both
happy.  Estimates to repair and paint the trim on my house
were around $2000.  Trucks are a pain in the but, cause of
not gooping the hose in the paint when your doing the higher parts.

I am scared to look at the bills for my roadster, but I keep them
in a box.  I completly stripped it (but did leave the frame on)
and fixed and POR-15 everything.  Probably 2 or 3K for paint
and materials, 700 for chrome (I reused what I could), etc etc.
Lots and lots more to get all the little stuff right.  I hand built
stainless steel clips to hold the side trim on, for example.

My brother in laws Murkur Scorpio (big brother sedan to the
XR4 Ti) took 1200 dollars as well, and I did a lot of labor for
about free.  I dont want to take apart any more german
cars.  He had my job appraised at 5,000.  It had lots
of rot in the rear quarters.  Fixed with fiberglass and POR
15 on the inside.  It will not rot again.  And it looks great!!

What I am trying to say here, is there is no good inexpensive
paint job.  The expense is in the labor to prep and remove and
re-install everything.  There are some good 2-5K paints jobs out
there though.

My garage has a portable paint booth system, with an old
furnace blower for sucking the fumes out.  And a lot of
lights.  You cant have too many lights.  I also have a
waiting list of people to paint cars for...doubt If I will
ever get to them.

WIth the new paints, there is no magic to shooting.  I use
Sherwin WIlliams base coat, which goes on almost like primer.
The tricky stuff is the clear coat.  I use a store brand, because it
it half as expensive, and dries twice as fast, so lest dust gets in it.
I use 3 coats of each.

Use lots and lots of ventilation, and match the recommended paint temp
to what temp your paint at that particular day.

And, final statment, if its been painted more than twice, or maybe 3 times,
its never going to look good.  The paint will have little cracks and checks in
it.
Then its time to pay big money and see just what evil lurks under the body.

My 2 cents, or rather 2 dollars!
Jim
Chesapeake, Virginia
67 pushrod 2L 5spd
72 510 sportwagon.


----- Original Message -----
From: datsunmike
Sent: Friday, May 03, 2002 7:15 PM
To: Laury, Victor; 'Adam Bradley'; David Totah;
datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Paint Jobs

If your car has been repainted a few times I recommend that you take all the
old paint off as thick paint doesn't cut it as it'll crack. Paint doesn't
flex well and the shaking of the metal panels will crack it.

The cheapest and most efficient method is to have it media blasted. Usually
the charge for that, in NY at least, is about $600 or so. Strip out
everything in the engine compartment also and have that painted at the same
time. If you don't it'll always look just like a "paint job" and not a
restoration IMHO. Sure it's more work but you'll kick yourself in the ass
after you realize you shoulda done that.

After you get the car painted you'll realize just how bad your engine
compartment will look - and probably your chrome too. It's like opening a
can of worms - trust me.

Save up your money and do it right. Ohhhh, whatever you figure it'll cost -
double it. In my case I had to triple it :(

Mike

----- Original Message -----
From: "Laury, Victor" <LauryV@MTA.NET>
To: "'Adam Bradley'" <ambradley@attbi.com>; "David Totah"
<dstotah@hotmail.com>; <datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net>
Sent: Friday, May 03, 2002 6:10 PM
Subject: RE: Paint Jobs


> Dave,
>
> As Adam explained below, it's quite costly for the "Good" paint job.
> A friend in the know told me that the materials to paint a car, from sand
> paper to paint, cost $1,000. add the labor @ $75 per hour an you'll have a
> better estimate. Do your own labor, as much as you can, and you'll lower
> your total.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Adam Bradley [mailto:ambradley@attbi.com]
> Sent: Friday, May 03, 2002 2:32 PM
> To: David Totah; datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: Paint Jobs
>
>
> You are far below where the price really is unless you know the guy and
are
> getting the labor for a discount.  For that price Earl Sheib, Miracle or
> Maaco should do an OK job if you don't have any rust.  And good luck
> getting the $29.99 special even if you want that, although I did get my
> RL411 painted by Earl back in 1987 for $49.99.
>
> The bottom price I've heard for a reasonable paint job is $1,500.  Expect
> to spend way, way more than that to give the car to someone and tell them
> "fix it".  Expect to pay even more if you want a showroom quality paint
> job.  I was looking at $5,000 easy and I've got a minimal amount of rust
> bubbling and no major dents.  Needless to say I'm not getting it painted
> any time soon.
>
>
>
> At 02:06 PM 5/3/2002 -0700, David Totah wrote:
> >Does anyone know of an excellent place to take my 69' 2000 to get it
> >painted?  I live in the S.F. Bay Area and I'm looking for a good job to
be
> >done on it.  I am going to take off all the chrome, and parts before
taking
> >it into the paint shop.  I need all the highs and lows on the body evened
> >out.  Can anyone tell me what to expect to pay before I begin looking?  I
> am
> >certainly not looking for the Earl Scheib 29.99 paint job.  Is $1,000
> >reasonable, or am I far low of where the price really is?
> >
> >Dave
> >69' 2000
> >San Jose, CA
> >
> >
> >
> >_________________________________________________________________
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>
> Adam Bradley
> '70 Datsun 1600 Roadster SPL311-28181
> '66 Datsun PL411 sedan PL411-022447
> http://www.picturetrail.com/abend
>
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