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Thread: How far does $11k go on a professional paint job?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Arizona
    Posts
    56
    My Cars
    1999 BMW M3

    How far does $11k go on a professional paint job?

    I've been squirreling away parts for a restoration (more of a refurbishment really) of my E36 M3 convertible, and I've gotten to the point where I need to start considering paint and think about having it done in the near future.

    Small bit of context: the car has a few scratches, some dents here and there, I have a new front bumper and nose portion and the car will be partially stripped for painting -- bumpers off, trim off, lights & grilles out, mirrors off, all the basic stuff like that that one can do in a driveway. Rear of the car is fading significantly and the front is... well... its good. For a 24 year old paint job that lives in Phoenix Arizona. I got quotes from 3 different reputable paint shops in the area as a baseline to know what to expect. Reputable being based off reviews on yelp and stuff like that.

    The quotes I got from all 3 were pretty on-par with each other. I told all 3 I wanted factory level finish and quality or better, in Estoril Blue (same color the car is now) and was quoted about 10-12k from all 3. They all also made it a point to tell me that price would get me a rEAllyfuckinnice paint job, and that they could paint the car for cheaper, but it wouldn't be quite as glass-smooth as "better than factory." Now, I know that no 2 jobs are alike and there are so many factors, but I'm hesitant and really don't know what to expect at that price and quality range. Has anyone on here spent that much on a paint job? And do you have pics of the way it came out? Are you happy with the purchase or do you wish you went for either a higher end or a cheaper paint job? Thanks

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Long Island, NY
    Posts
    332
    My Cars
    A few
    $11,000 is unreasonably high based upon my personal experience, even if the proposed scope of work involves glass out etc. For comparison, I have had two E36's repainted during my ownership, including a:

    > 1995 Dakar M3 that I owned for many years and sold a few years ago;

    > 1994 Mauritius Blue Metallic 318is (now S52 swapped and turbo) that I have owned for 17 years and still own.

    In both cases, I "stripped" down the cars before bringing them to the autobody shop. Neither car needed any rust repairs. However, both had some dents, etc that needed to be repaired as part of the paint prep. I paid $3,000 to have the M3 repainted and it came out great. I paid $3,500 for the 318is to be repainted and it also came out great. Both paint jobs used factory BMW base coat paint. It should be noted that my father has been in the automotive industry for over 40 years and the shops I used to paint each car were close associates of his so I got a little bit of a break on the price (maybe $1-2k for each car).

    Here are some pics of the M3 and 318is shortly after being painted. Unless your goal is a show car, I would keep searching for the right shop. Also, be leery of shops who primarily do insurance work since that is their bread & butter and they are more likely to overcharge you.










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