Paint job cost

[Bombthreat John]

One more thing...

I like black cars, my car is currently dark green. What prices have some of you paid for good paint jobs on the entire car? Or what would you expect to pay?

[bmwpower]

I would probably be cheaper to sell it and get a black one.

[Mirko]

To have the same quality of paint that your car has right now would be around the $5,000 range. But a full body paint job starts at $2000. I know because I inquired about it myself.

If I can make a suggestion... just paint your side skirts to match your car. It will look much nicer and you're better off than a full paint job, specially if your paint is still really good.

[Bombthreat John]

The paint is in really good shape, I was just thinking out loud...
but my cousin (who I don't talk to that often) works paint at a high end body shop... and I'm sure he'd cut me some kind of break.

I found a black one when I was shopping, but the guy had really botched the M3 conversion...

[jijacob]

My paint is on the way out, and I am looking at about 2500 for a decent job. You can get em for as cheap as $300, but don't expect it to last or look good.

[baghram]

+1 on doing the sideskirts.
Black is really cool, but it'll cost a truckload to have it done and afterwards, unless you wash your car every day, you'll always be driving a dirty car. Black cars just attract dust like a magnet :(

[OlRoguelO]

I am getting ready to drop $2800 for a paint job. That is for all trim and windows to be taken out and a complete strip down to metal. Also all minor body damages will be fixed. (about 5 small dings + anything he can find after its striped) I have gotten estimates from $1000 - $5000, but the guys that actually took the time to look at my car and figure out what all they will have to do for a good job all qouted around 3 grand.

[jladdm3]

I am thinking about getting my car painted this summer. I wanted to go black, but then the engine bay and door jams would look funny being green. I'm not going to spend the money to have that stuff painted. Now, I am thinking of going from my current laguna green to boston green. So everything would be green just the engine bay and door jams would be a lighter shade of green. :dunno

[AzNaLaN15]

^ 2nd that on dirt magnet

[speedfreak325]

but worth it... black bmw= sex

[flyingfarhad]

Off topic, but how much more would a custom/candy paint job be? Any one see the Eddie Farcons Candy red E36 in Eurotuner?

[kpipalldaway2]

i dont knwo if u have seen my current thread, but im in the process of painting mine right now and will be painted by next week, and whayt i did was go to a shoop, and i happend to know the owners daugther... he hook me up and said if i prep it i will only have to pay 850 (witch is the cost of the paint and materials) so i aggreed, aand i started preping and his shop and then he offered me a job there, and im working off the 850. so if i where you i would try to get hook ups or else its going to be a shit load, but my paintjob is a 6k plus paint job... but im not actualyl payign anything for it, and remeber 90% of a paint job is in the prep. so find a shop that will take their time. im painting my car carbon black its pure black but in direct sunligth its dark matalic blue..... is pure sechs.. hit me up if u need any more info.
also unless your paint is crappy they shouldnt need to take it down to the metal. execpt on the places they bondo... good luck

[TreibeFroh]

I like your metallic green.

Also... you don't have to paint the side skirts. The side skirts are already green. The gray just covers it. You just have to remove the gray to reveal it.

It takes about $10 and 1-2 hours. I'm going to do mine when I get my bumper replacements. My brother already did his. Here's the link: http://www.geocities.com/karlkarlb/greyskirts.html

[speedfreak325]

just takes some time and elbow grease... its great

[KyleAwesome]

I like your metallic green.

Also... you don't have to paint the side skirts. The side skirts are already green. The gray just covers it. You just have to remove the gray to reveal it.

It takes about $10 and 1-2 hours. I'm going to do mine when I get my bumper replacements. My brother already did his. Here's the link: http://www.geocities.com/karlkarlb/greyskirts.html


Be forewarned, it doesnt always work, after so many years, the rubbery coating seems to bind more with the paint then the paint does with the car itself, I tried this, over the course of three days using everything from castrol super clean to acetone and still nothing, now I have a 12" (yes 3days only got me a foot) of half assed looking flaky paint.

[TreibeFroh]

Mine comes off every time I wash the car. I run the rag over it and the rag has gray paint all over it. I can see a little more of the real color every pass.

I wonder if your car had another layer added over top that contributed to the binding. The gray paint is pretty thin, makes me think it'd be easy for something to soak through can cause binding between the layers. The gray wasn't meant to stick.