It's been years since I've had a vehicle painted. I just had a guy look at my truck. He advertises on CL as being much cheaper than the bigger shops. Here's what I told him I was looking for.

Weld in new rear wheel arches. Straighten one area on the lower, rear bed area (a little crinkled). Fix a number of very small dings/nicks. Paint one solid color (red). Nothing fancy...not show condition...just an old truck, so doesn't have to be perfect.

He's supposed to give me a quote tomorrow, but he insinuated it would be in the $3-4,000 range.

Does this seem high, or is that how much a cheap paint job costs these days?

 

You are driving a full size truck, prep and body work are not cheap, I pay $250+ for a solid color Sportster fender and it's already off the bike, fuel tank-$600-700. The better prep, the better the paint will look.
A couple of cases of beer and a few friends could sand her down in one weekend.

 

Body work and paint work is expensive at a shop. Do the prep work yourself if you can.

I plan to do my own body work and paint. I expect to be around 1200 or so for new fenders, wheel arcs, rear wheel wells, cab corners and paint. Again, thats with me doing it and using cheaper paint. And it could easily run more, projects tend to do that.

Also, I can't weld, so I am riviting in all my parts. Has worked good for me in the past.

 

My biggest problem is that I don't have a garage. Seems like if it's not raining, it's too windy. I already removed all side moulding and pinstriping. I sanded both fenders and primed them. Priming those things pissed me off, since the slightest breeze kept me from getting a decent spray pattern. In order for the paint to reach the metal, I had to keep the spray nozzle within a couple inches of the surface. Still, the amount of overspray was ridiculous and 80% of the paint seemed to end up on stuff I didn't want painted.

I figure realistically, a person could spend about 4 days to complete it, if they had the right tools and a garage. That's with a single-stage paint job and no post-spray polishing, which I could do myself. If I figure $500 in materials, and $200/day (labor) is pretty fair, considering the guy is working tax-free.

 

You will save a bit by doing a single stage paint. If you tape off the lights and windows and stuff that could help out. But if you are driving it there you won't be able to do that. You have to remember he is going to have to do in the jams and the doors and stuff since you are doing a new color. I certainly wouldn't do 3-4000 as that is basically shop rates for a 2 stage OEM quality paint.

 

This guy says he only does 2 stage. That's why he's not that cheap, but then again, his ad says that he's cheap. If $3,000+ is cheap, then I should put full-coverage on it and park it at Wal-Mart for a few hrs. That way, a shopping cart ding would total it, lol!

 

My dad does paint and body work and I must say it's not cheap. If you want it done right it's gonna cost some money. Because the guy probably does decent work and he's gonna use all the right materials. My dads going mine for a graduation present for me this year. Rear wheel we'll arches cab corners and restating the same color. He said with him doing the work it's still gonna be over a grand In material cost. In all truthfulness to pay someone to do a legit job on your truck 3 grand really isn't a bad price honestly

 

Re spraying* and since he's doing the same color the only place he will have to prime is where the metals getting welded in and where fonts get fixed.