Can someone give me advice for a paintjob on a car?
Asked by
earthduzt (
3243
)
November 17th, 2010
OK, so I’m going to take my car to get a fresh coat of paint…I’ve always heard that with car paint jobs “you get what you pay for” and so I’m really trying to do my research here with the different local companies around the city. I think I have found one, the lot looks full like it does good business which is from what I hear a good factor when selecting a place to paint your car. Now I did get two price quotes and this is with scratch removal and body work (car has a couple slight indents and key marks which he said he would have to feather out).
Choice Supreme: Urethane
Machine Sand, 3 Coats Of Urethane, Hardener, Integrated Clear
5yr. Warranty——total cost for this package $672
or
Ultimate Choice: Urethane
Machine Sand, 3 coats Urethane, Top Clear Coat
with lifetime warranty——total cost $980
Does anyone see a difference between these two beside the $300 price difference and the warranty? Do you think as far as quality, shininess, future maintenance does one matter more than the other? Do these seem like fair prices? Should I just go with the cheaper one, am I going to see that big a difference? I’ve never taken a car to get a paint job so I’m just wondering if anyone has any experience with this sort of thing?
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3 Answers
What you’re paying more for is the separate clear coat step. My dad went with the cheaper package and complained that the integrated clear coat does not shine like he expected a new paint job should. It also seemed to scratch easily and show rub marks after automatic car wash.
This tech board has a bit more info on the difference.
Indeed the urethane clear coat is what you pay for. A clear coat is the most important part of a paint job, it’s what gives the paint its shine, better scratch protection and UV protection. Your car sits in the sun all day, and without a quality clear coat the paint will be affected much faster by exposure. Make no mistake, car wash brushes WILL mark even the best of clearcoat, it’s inevitable… The quality of the paint also affects the price. Urethane paint comes in many grades or qualities, ranging from cheap hardware store paint to high quality custom paint, which can easily cost over 100$/pint. For example I often paint motorcycle tanks and tins with a custom urethane paint, which costs about 80$/pint depending on the color, add to this the price of the reducer, plus the primer/hardener/reducer before painting, and then the clearcoat/hardener/reducer…well you get the picture.
As for the prices you put in your question, I think you should consider the car. Is it an every day car, or a prized classic/sports car? For a regular car 1000$ seems fair to me. If it’s a really valuable vehicle I would charge much more since top quality urathane would be used.
Oh, and make sure they do use primer before painting, as it’s not mentionned in your post. Cheers!
Ultimate is how the job is supposed to be done. The other option is the industry shortcut used to make an extra buck when doing rehab for insurance funding. Don’t pick that one.
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