Got a quote for $25k for paint, Vinyl top and moldings installed

[Todd Jackson]

Hi gang. I have a 71 Challenger. Hard Top. The hood, trunk, and front quarters are all new AMD metal. And Valences. They are all primed and ready for final sanding. Rear quarters need to be blocked. Other than that the car is ready for paint. I have the car at a shop after my original guy can't finish the job. New guy wants to strip off all the existing work and start over. And says I will pay min of $25k. My original quote 2 years ago was $13k.....can anyone offer an opinion? Is this the going rate or is this a "I have more work than I need right now" price.....his shop is backed up 6 months......need some advice.....

 

[Juan Veldez]

Hi gang. I have a 71 Challenger. Hard Top. The hood, trunk, and front quarters are all new AMD metal. And Valences. They are all primed and ready for final sanding. Rear quarters need to be blocked. Other than that the car is ready for paint. I have the car at a shop after my original guy can't finish the job. New guy wants to strip off all the existing work and start over. And says I will pay min of $25k. My original quote 2 years ago was $13k.....can anyone offer an opinion? Is this the going rate or is this a "I have more work than I need right now" price.....his shop is backed up 6 months......need some advice.....

IMO: I understand the new painter wanting to start with a "clean slate". He does not want to be liable for someone else's possible bad foundation. A lot of other factors effect the price. Where you at - California or Mississippi? What kind of paint? Are you looking for a 10 out of 10 paint job? Your "it's about ready for paint", and his can be a mile away. Some painters are perfectionists and will spend an insane amount of time blocking the car, panel fit, cutting & buffing to get it perfect. That's big time man hours. All that being said, $25K as a minimum seems a bit high. Unless it's Chip Foose or equal, then it's a steal. I spent around $2,500 for the paint and materials, and that was for "better" paint (I saved a little bit with a vinyl top). I did a lot of work myself with a friend (excellent painter) who painted the car in my garage - no booth. He asked for $4,000 (see early comment, he is a friend). If you would see the car in person, I believe you would say it's a 8.5 or 9 out of 10. You may want to shop around. Well, that's my two cents. Good luck.

 

[Todd Jackson]

IMO: I understand the new painter wanting to start with a "clean slate". He does not want to be liable for someone else's possible bad foundation. A lot of other factors effect the price. Where you at - California or Mississippi? What kind of paint? Are you looking for a 10 out of 10 paint job? Your "it's about ready for paint", and his can be a mile away. Some painters are perfectionists and will spend an insane amount of time blocking the car, panel fit, cutting & buffing to get it perfect. That's big time man hours. All that being said, $25K as a minimum seems a bit high. Unless it's Chip Foose or equal, then it's a steal. I spent around $2,500K for the paint and materials, and that was for "better" paint (I saved a little bit with a vinyl top). I did a lot of work myself with a friend (excellent painter) who painted the car in my garage - no booth. He asked for $4,000 (see early comment, he is a friend). If you would see the car in person, I believe you would say it's a 8.5 or 9 out of 10. You may want to shop around. Well, that's my two cents. Good luck.

Thanks and I take your point I could be a mile away...but I think I am closer to football fields away....Everything I have read on some threads...paint jobs were 12k for a good one 5-7 years ago. Add the Covid factor. Maybe up to $18k. I want a daily driver not a trailer queen. Panel fit is good. I gapped it myself and it looks good enough for me. I am going to see him tomorrow....will let ya know and thatnks for the post!

 

[Todd Jackson]

Thanks and I take your point I could be a mile away...but I think I am closer to football fields away....Everything I have read on some threads...paint jobs were 12k for a good one 5-7 years ago. Add the Covid factor. Maybe up to $18k. I want a daily driver not a trailer queen. Panel fit is good. I gapped it myself and it looks good enough for me. I am going to see him tomorrow....will let ya know and thatnks for the post!

Oh and I am in Mass

 

[R4Sedan]

I think it's high as well. I know the price of materials have gone up quite a bit. But I don't think I could pay that much for a paint job and then drive the car. I would seriously get more quotes.

 

[gundy24719]

I am also working on having my 71 Challenger redone. The "premier" painter in my town told me $15,000 a couple years ago. That is him repairing everything and putting on new metal. Well fast forward and I got the new AMD metal myself and my builder will be putting it all on for $80 and hour. I figure that another painter should be able to do it for less than the $15,000. Check with others who might do it after hours and weekends.

 

[jsandy]

I spent $15,000 for body and paint work this winter for my car. The good painters here in Indianapolis are backed up for several years. It took me a year to get my car in and over 6 months to get it back. I spent an extra $10,000 to have metal repaired and replaced, and to have gaps and lines perfected. So $25,000 seems about right, even though i would not recommend the shop i used. They did an okay job, but i feel that because I wasn’t a big time client, they cut corners and didnt take care of the little things that really matter to the owner.

 

[heminut]

I guess I am fortunate to be where I am, 34 miles from the Mexico border! I took my Cuda down across the border and had it done. The shop has been in business for many years and is well known, the owner (who is a U.S, citizen) had a 66 T-Bird in there that a guy from Denver brought down to have painted and it looked amazing!

My car had at least 4 paint jobs on it and needless to say, it all had to be stripped. They took it down to bare metal and straightened a rallye hood that I had on hand that had been in a wreck and probably should have been scrapped. They then did what little bodywork that needed to be done (I replaced the rusted sheetmetal years ago) and blocked the whole car before painting. I told him I wanted a nice job, but didn't want to pay for a show car job. The whole thing cost me $5800 with a base coat/clear coat paint and it looks nice enough that I took 2nd place in a local car show. The other plus was that they only had the car for two months!

 

[gundy24719]

I guess I am fortunate to be where I am, 34 miles from the Mexico border! I took my Cuda down across the border and had it done. The shop has been in business for many years and is well known, the owner (who is a U.S, citizen) had a 66 T-Bird in there that a guy from Denver brought down to have painted and it looked amazing!

My car had at least 4 paint jobs on it and needless to say, it all had to be stripped. They took it down to bare metal and straightened a rallye hood that I had on hand that had been in a wreck and probably should have been scrapped. They then did what little bodywork that needed to be done (I replaced the rusted sheetmetal years ago) and blocked the whole car before painting. I told him I wanted a nice job, but didn't want to pay for a show car job. The whole thing cost me $5800 with a base coat/clear coat paint and it looks nice enough that I took 2nd place in a local car show. The other plus was that they only had the car for two months!
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Very nice! I would be curious....if that paint job would cost the same today as when you got it? Depending on where this guys shop is located....there has been such an influx of Cali residents moving to Mexico that the towns where they are moving to have increased their prices because of the new money coming in. It has the Mexican citizens not very happy.

 

[Todd Jackson]

I guess I am fortunate to be where I am, 34 miles from the Mexico border! I took my Cuda down across the border and had it done. The shop has been in business for many years and is well known, the owner (who is a U.S, citizen) had a 66 T-Bird in there that a guy from Denver brought down to have painted and it looked amazing!

My car had at least 4 paint jobs on it and needless to say, it all had to be stripped. They took it down to bare metal and straightened a rallye hood that I had on hand that had been in a wreck and probably should have been scrapped. They then did what little bodywork that needed to be done (I replaced the rusted sheetmetal years ago) and blocked the whole car before painting. I told him I wanted a nice job, but didn't want to pay for a show car job. The whole thing cost me $5800 with a base coat/clear coat paint and it looks nice enough that I took 2nd place in a local car show. The other plus was that they only had the car for two months!
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Hi got a contact for the shop? Might be cheaper to ship mine to Mexico!

 

[SFEbody]

Well My Barracuda had new quarters, roof, A Piller, hood and trunk deck, the shop I took it to would have done it for 12K but I am a perfectionist and wanted additional blocking and cut ...turned out amazing and spent 16K. My Challenger 5 years ago was 14K for the same type of work. So, 25K is a little pricey and BTW, I am in LA area

 

[Mopar426power]

Keep in mind any quote or price pre-Covid is pretty much obsolete. Figure materials are double and labor is quite a bit more also. My paint & materials were $7k two months ago.....

 

[heminut]

Very nice! I would be curious....if that paint job would cost the same today as when you got it?

I'm guessing it would be pretty close to the same since the paint job was done less than two years ago!

 

[heminut]

Hi got a contact for the shop? Might be cheaper to ship mine to Mexico!

If you're serious PM me and I'll get you the info. The shop is in Palomas Mex., about 100 miles west of El Paso TX.

 

[Challenger RTA]

The advice above is good and sound. A good and fair shop would first say.how well do you want it done. Then they would give you a price. not thow a number at the wall and see if it sticks. First thing if you know and trust the work. it just has to be sealed to prevent bleed through. then if you are still apprehensive paint the repaired area and allow to sit. then if the is a problem step two. Even if you strip and redid it there's a chance of a problem.

 

[Todd Jackson]

Keep in mind any quote or price pre-Covid is pretty much obsolete. Figure materials are double and labor is quite a bit more also. My paint & materials were $7k two months ago.....

That is what he quoted me for materials so that lines up....his shop rate is $95 an hour

 

[cuda joe]

it;s usually 10 times more work than the car owner thinks. to do it show quality he probably wants to strip off the existing body work and redo it. if it wasn;t done right there will be problems and you never know before hand until it;s all ground off. also to paint under hood everything i mean everything in there has to come out same with the inside of trunk. the hood' fenders' doors' truck lid all come off and disassembled and prepped to show quality painted then reinstalled carefully good quality materials cost a lot cheap stuff will look good but not hold up as well. it all comes down to how much you want to spend

 

[Todd Jackson]

it;s usually 10 times more work than the car owner thinks. to do it show quality he probably wants to strip off the existing body work and redo it. if it wasn;t done right there will be problems and you never know before hand until it;s all ground off. also to paint under hood everything i mean everything in there has to come out same with the inside of trunk. the hood' fenders' doors' truck lid all come off and disassembled and prepped to show quality painted then reinstalled carefully good quality materials cost a lot cheap stuff will look good but not hold up as well. it all comes down to how much you want to spend

Thanks....I know what I don't want...a $30k paint job to drive the car once a week!

 

[Ronbo73]

@Todd Jackson
I am in Mass also and currently moving my car from a shop that can't finish the job. I have a quote for 12K without materials. The prices have sky rocketed since Covid for sure. I'm hoping that the work will be less than the quote. Not easy to find a good body shop that isn't all about insurance work in my area.

 

[Todd Jackson]

@Todd Jackson
I am in Mass also and currently moving my car from a shop that can't finish the job. I have a quote for 12K without materials. The prices have sky rocketed since Covid for sure. I'm hoping that the work will be less than the quote. Not easy to find a good body shop that isn't all about insurance work in my area.

I am in Ashburnham MA - where did you take your car?