The first bodyshop I went to was recommended by a good friend (one of the most expensive quotes). Albeit he had work done on a very different type of car, an 80's Ferrari GTS
Just check that whoever you use has a spray booth, this will minimise paint being contaminated by dust and insects.If your car needs base coat and clear and they don't paint it correctly it will be streaky which you will notice then say to them.It's mainly the flat and polish at the end that determines the shine and what you notice, there is no need to take the panels off of the car there is more chance of damaging them.
I have just had a quote for my wife's car a Picasso, passenger front door, passenger rear door, back wing, tailgate, front and rear bumpers and roof in metallic. No dents just scratches £550. I have also seen this guys work and it is quality (he regularly restores old vw's)
I have just had a quote for my wife's car a Picasso, passenger front door, passenger rear door, back wing, tailgate, front and rear bumpers and roof in metallic. No dents just scratches £550. I have also seen this guys work and it is quality (he regularly restores old vw's)
guydewdney
MB Enthusiast
So what should i pay for a full respray, on an estate, identical colour, bIt of rust correction lol.....?
^^This.^^
We have several body shops in my little town, but the only ones I would use are two who I've known for many years.
One is absolutely brilliant for paintwork, from the smallest scratch to a full colour change.
The other is a dirty horrible looking place, off the beaten track, junkyard at the side of it and scowling things barking at you constantly. That's the workers, they have no dogs.
Having said that, they repair accident damage to a standard that most so called body specialists could only dream of. Ferrari, Rolls Royce and, of course, MB.
Never judge on appearances, some can be surprisingly deceptive. Just ask someone who's had a job or two done...
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Charles Morgan
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The Classic Car project shop at Weston on the Green nr Bicester have a bodyshop on site and I have seen the results which are excellent (they maintain all my older cars and are now good friends). They normally have two or three projects on the go so you can have a good look at the quality.
If it's just a bit of rust like you say and the car isn't metallic you're probably looking between 600-700, metallic 800-1000
You do know that rust will always come back unless you replace the panel?
No they don't, dust and contamination are the enemy of any paint job.
The more equipment more overhead more staff dearer job , the need to do more work to pay for the overhead, more quantity than quality. In a franchise/main dealer etc, the young kid rubbing down your car doesn't care whether you go back there for future work or not. The chances are that if you pay half the price at a guy that's been doing the job 10 years running his own garage is rubbing down the car himself, everyone knows if the prep isn't right you could be the best most expensive painter in the world but the job is going to be worse than spray cans.
I totally agree what you get is what you pay for when it comes to equipment and technology, it's not necessarily correct when it comes to an end product.
I totally agree what you get is what you pay for when it comes to equipment and technology, it's not necessarily correct when it comes to an end product.
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Dieselman
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I've seen cars painted in incredibly shabby conditions, an old barn sheeted over with polyethylene, a gazebo sheeted over and heated with a diesel heater, inside a car workshop.
One was a general repairer and I couldn't see any blemishes in the paint, including his own Mercedes which he had fully resprayed and an Audi Q7 having a repair.
The other is an expensive classic car restorer, again, who's paint finishes are perfect.
I couldn't believe what I was seeing, but the results were perfect.
hondo
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I kid you not a proper painter could produce a perfect paint finish anywhere
All a spraybooth is is a sealed room which has extraction and an oven non of which are necessary
Iv been involved in hundreds of jobs done in sheds ,barns ,lock ups ,even in drive ways up the side of houses lol
with water based + clear coat
respray are difficult but possible without a booth solid colours though are not really any more difficult
A craftsman is a craftsman if you know what your doing you will make it right ,the best painters make as good a job on a transit van wing as a Porsche respray because they can without thinking about it !
All a spraybooth is is a sealed room which has extraction and an oven non of which are necessary
Iv been involved in hundreds of jobs done in sheds ,barns ,lock ups ,even in drive ways up the side of houses lol
with water based + clear coat
respray are difficult but possible without a booth solid colours though are not really any more difficult
A craftsman is a craftsman if you know what your doing you will make it right ,the best painters make as good a job on a transit van wing as a Porsche respray because they can without thinking about it !
Dieselman
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Are you sure? It seems you must be mistaken...
A lot depends on the quality of the bodyshop and its equipment. No matter when I discuss this I am always told that the bodyshop in question is top notch and does work for the Queen blah blah blah, but that fact remains if you go to a bodyshop in a backstreet garage with no dedicated passive certified paint booth with proper extraction and proper curing facilities then you will not get as good a job as one that does have that sort of set up no matter how good the sprayer.
That's why some cost £500 and some cost £1500 for the same job. If you are happy with the finish and work from the £500 shop go for it.
hondo
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Booths are simply a production line device
If we didnt have them it wouldn't be possible to get through a volume of work
After a job is painted 45 minute bake 10 minutes to cool then you can start putting it back together in and out same day for small jobs bumpers etc
That's the down fall of not having a booth waiting for the paint to dry !
If we didnt have them it wouldn't be possible to get through a volume of work
After a job is painted 45 minute bake 10 minutes to cool then you can start putting it back together in and out same day for small jobs bumpers etc
That's the down fall of not having a booth waiting for the paint to dry !
Dieselman
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Ah. I had been informed having a booth and high tech equipment meant the job would be good and without it would be rubbish.
Thanks for your expert opinion.
I guess IR lamps help with the drying if no booth.
Barry-p
Active Member
Have to agree with hondo, I've seen many a job that have come out of dirty, poorly looked after spraybooths that look worse then I've seen jobs painted out side.
As he has said a booth is just to dry and paint quick and get the next job in.
A nice clean sealed room and some air drying hardener and you will get a lovely finish and not have to pay for some so called hi tech spray booth
As he has said a booth is just to dry and paint quick and get the next job in.
A nice clean sealed room and some air drying hardener and you will get a lovely finish and not have to pay for some so called hi tech spray booth
Wagon
Active Member
I had the bonnet,bumper and the drivers side painted on my old C43 , inc some rust repairs , plus a mop to the rest , cost £1100 all in.
