# Paint shop pricing...



## knock_it_off_hudson (Apr 30, 2004)

I know nothing about the subject and I'm wondering if paint/body shops ever vary their pricing seasonally. I saw a ad for a paint shop that says "winter special: paint jobs starting from $xxxx" which was significantly lower than their "summer special" from last summer. I've been planning on fresh coat of paint for this summer but I'd go a little sooner if I can save a few (hundred) bucks.


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## Blank (Aug 21, 2003)

knock_it_off_hudson said:


> I know nothing about the subject and I'm wondering if paint/body shops ever vary their pricing seasonally. I saw a ad for a paint shop that says "winter special: paint jobs starting from $xxxx" which was significantly lower than their "summer special" from last summer. I've been planning on fresh coat of paint for this summer but I'd go a little sooner if I can save a few (hundred) bucks.



independent shops may offer specials during slow seasons because any $$ is better then no $$... i'd ask around.. remember to look for a reputable shop, find past customers and see if they are happy with the job, and also, you get what you pay for....


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## 1CLNB14 (Apr 30, 2002)

The cost of paint with vary quite a bit depending on the circumstances.


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## I'm tired of my usernamee (Feb 16, 2004)

also colors like red may be more expensive. Most of the shops around here guarantee their work for a i think 5-10 years against crack, chips, runs etc. so check for that too. But remember that most of the cost is the prep work put into it. Im doing my own work but thats because I have the proper tools and experience, but i might not be doing the painting myself.


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## knock_it_off_hudson (Apr 30, 2004)

Thanks for the replies guys. Unfortunately for me i'm clueless about prep work so I'll have to just trust the shop. Even for a low level paint job they'll still sand and primer right? I'm not going to be going to any car shows or anything so I'm not too concerned about the engine bay or trunk. I mean how hard could it possibly be to prep the exterior of a 2 door B13? If the door jams come out too distracting I figure i'll tape off what I need to and retouch it with a can of spraypaint to get rid of the contrast. If there's a little overspray on anything black maybe i'll just grab a magic marker or something. FYI I'm just repainting my shabby, dull looking factory silver (I think they call it "jet sliver") to a slightly brighter silver. Mostly because I think the color is blah and I need to get rid of some rock chip rust on the hood. I sure hope silver is one of the "cheap" colors.


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## 1CLNB14 (Apr 30, 2002)

If it's a reputible shop, they will sand and prime it.

It is true that a major amount of the cost is labor, and most of the labor is the prep work.


On a side note...the paint for my car (I'm talking about just the paint/kandy/clear in the cans, not even applied to the car) was around $2000.00 alone.

This shit can get expensive in a hurry.


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## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

yea but you went with the candy, and show car quality paints. i think an OEM quality paint would be more than adiquate for him, what about single stage paints? i have read about them on www.240sx.org in the FAQ section and they say for OEM jobs and colors a single stage (base and clear together not seprate) is barely noticable and far less expencive.


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## 1CLNB14 (Apr 30, 2002)

There are some draw backs to single stage paint though.
It's a pain in the ass to wet sand, and paint protectant does not like it at all.


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## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

1CLNB14 said:


> There are some draw backs to single stage paint though.
> It's a pain in the ass to wet sand, and paint protectant does not like it at all.


hmmm, i would also think scratches are easyer to see, because it dosent have a clear layer to protect it. also the layer would be thinner (only 1 layer instead of 2) so buffing and what not would be very very hard. it was just an idea :thumbup: from the sounds of it i would say a single stage is only good for a beater or a first DIY paint job just to get the hang of it.


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## I'm tired of my usernamee (Feb 16, 2004)

On a side note...the paint for my car (I'm talking about just the paint/kandy/clear in the cans, not even applied to the car) was around $2000.00 alone.

True, my friend when i worked at Dominoes had a Chameleon painted Silvia and it was like 6-7 grand, crazy shit, but as far as paint goes, if you want it to last dont get a single stage paint, they arent durable enough for daily abuse and still look good. IMO you should just go primer!


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## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

FAQ section of 240sx.org said:


> If your planning to go with a solid colour IE solid red , black , white. scrap the clear and go with a monocoat. Dupont Centauri line of monocoats are excellent products, they have superior Gloss & DOI, they also have a high solids level and viscous nature so when applied they will often heal some minor surface imperfections. Trust me on this one, I work for PPG


this is a good write up


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## I'm tired of my usernamee (Feb 16, 2004)

1.6pete said:


> this is a good write up


thanks, that was a pretty comprehensive write up. Good find


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## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

91sentra said:


> thanks, that was a pretty comprehensive write up. Good find


i found that when i was going to buy a 240sx and the paint clear coat was chiping off, and figured i would give painting a go and if i messed up i would just rattel can it... but the deal fell through  hopefully it comes i handy for others though :thumbup:
its from www.240sx.org click "FAQ" and they have alot of stuff like that. many of the FAQ's can be used for more than just the 240


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## boosteddet (May 29, 2003)

knock_it_off_hudson said:


> I know nothing about the subject and I'm wondering if paint/body shops ever vary their pricing seasonally. I saw a ad for a paint shop that says "winter special: paint jobs starting from $xxxx" which was significantly lower than their "summer special" from last summer. I've been planning on fresh coat of paint for this summer but I'd go a little sooner if I can save a few (hundred) bucks.



When companies do those specials above.. I believe they are just for marketing purposes. Where are you located? If your in southern cali I got a painter that will do the whole car for $400-600. And I have pictures of the paint job they do. Its best bang for the buck. But if not just go to several body shops and get estimates and choose the one with the best deal, while your at it make sure you check the painted cars there to see how the quality is. Good Luck


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## knock_it_off_hudson (Apr 30, 2004)

boosteddet said:


> When companies do those specials above.. I believe they are just for marketing purposes. Where are you located? If your in southern cali I got a painter that will do the whole car for $400-600. And I have pictures of the paint job they do. Its best bang for the buck. But if not just go to several body shops and get estimates and choose the one with the best deal, while your at it make sure you check the painted cars there to see how the quality is. Good Luck


Man, I wish I could but I'm too far north (as in Canada).


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## himilefrontier (Jan 21, 2003)

The paint for my B14 was $150 for a urethane base / clear from Nason when I did it last year. It was a not so good match of platinum gold (it looks horrible, if u repaint your car skip this color of nason paint!!!) but hey, it was cheap ( and I can paint my own car). As far as prep goes, it is not too hard to do it yourself if you don't fix any dings and dents. Just remove any trim you don't want painted ( tailights, headlights, chrome, etc) and give it a good washing with a pressure cleaner. Make sure to blast off any peeling paint you canNext, buy some red Scotchbrite pads and scuff all the shine off your original paint everywhere the car will be painted.Then , featheredge or blend in any chipped areas with some 400 grit wet or dry sandpaper used wet (around a soft sanding block for best results).Most cheap places skip the sanding and just wash it , so it is important you do this yourself. Now, take it to the coin operated car wash and pressure clean it again, jambs included.This assures your el cheapo paint will stick. Finally drop it off at the local cheap paint place wait a day and pick it up. Now reassemble it and you're done. My neighbor just had his old Mercedes done at Econo-Bake and it looks really good-especially for the $300 he paid to have it done!


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## boosteddet (May 29, 2003)

knock_it_off_hudson said:


> Man, I wish I could but I'm too far north (as in Canada).


Dont' you reside in Vancouver? There should be an ample amount of body shops... Just look up the local directory. I'm sure you can find a place that will paint the car for $500US.


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