How much to paint a car at home?
 

I'm not close to this stage yet with my '68 GTO but I'd like to gather data ahead of time. If you've painted your car yourself, how much did it cost? I'm thinking about a budget to build all aspects of the car (how much to spend on metal parts; searching for NOS or making aftermarket stuff fit, full quarters vs skins, drivetrain and possibly modernization pieces such as: OD Trans, more modern suspension, other goodies for some extra hp/tq) but realize from friends that getting through paint can easily cost north of $10k. Thinking I should look at the whole picture before I get to paint stage in a year or so, making sure I've got approximate amount of funds ready to finish.

I spent about $3500 on paint supplies for my 68 GTO.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

There A...B...C...& D ways to go...like everything else in this world. But may 2,500.00 for paint and materials.....Paint stripper,razor blades, red scuff pads, 80...180 ..400 DA paper....220 wet or dry paper....grinding discs, 80 grit board paper, body filler, etch primer or epoxy primer. High build primer, can of guide coat, rice cakes, carbide bits, drill bits, car cover plastic, masking paper, seam sealer, dust masks,paint mask,paint suit, cut off wheels, mig gas and wire, torches, tack rags, 3/4 inch tape, 2 inch tape , stud pins for dent pullah, polyester putty, safety mask for grinding, body cavity wax,undercoating, then your paint ....and your clear, then 1000 ,1500,2000,3000 sand paper, buffing pads..buffing compound, micro pads and other polishes, micro fiber towels, spray gun cleaner, wax and grease remover, final wash solvent, shop wipes,alcohol wipes, some quiet pads, sand blast media, ....iam sure I forgot something...
P

$2500 plus and I got the sandpaper for free.

Don't Overlook...
 

An important tool is the right size compressor. I've painted half a dozen cars or so in my home garage; the ones that didn't turn out show quality were at least factory quality. At least a 60 gallon, 2-stage, 5hp compressor is what you need. Anything smaller will not keep up with your blasting or DA. More important, smaller compressors run more when painting because of the high VOLUME of air consumed and put out MUCH HOTTER air.....curing the paint before it reaches the panel and introducing more moisture in your air lines. Trust me on this...when choosing a compressor, forget PRESSURE specs and look at VOLUME. (That's the V in HVLP)

A wise man once said.......Buy a car all done....it is way cheaper ...Grasshopper !

I use a turbine sprayer. Clean dry air everytime. Great for humid or cool weather since it heats up the air about 15-20 degrees....but can be difficult in hot temps so choose the activator and reducer to accommodate warmer air. Can achieve show quality finish if used properly. Also very high transfer rate so more material ends up on the surface and less overspray on everything else.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

maybe some of the tools...A high quality spray gun and filter system for your compressor.

Maybe so, but you still nailed it. All of the extras that customers don't know about and consider when asking "how much".

^^^^^ this

I used to be smart and buy only cars with a clean body and paint. Then my neighbor gave me a Firebird for free, well free cost money when you go to fix it up. Have about $3000 in paint supplies as descripted above. Then new weather stripping, maybe some new windows, it can get expense quickly even at home.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/886/2...a814aac6_c.jpg2018-05-28_10-41-20 by Kerry Grubb, on Flickr
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/832/4...b547dd9a_c.jpg2018-04-24_03-00-26 by Kerry Grubb, on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4564/...71c14885_c.jpg2017-11-09_12-06-24 by Kerry Grubb, on Flickr
I painted my car at home. I have finished cabinets but this was the first time ever painting a car. I thought it would be cheap going this route. All of the supplies mentioned are nice to have, but for the basic paint job, I have about 1500. in paint. That includes epoxy, high build primer, paint, clear coat. I ended up spending another 500-600 on buffing supplies. That included sand paper, compounds and a cheapie buffer. By cheap I mean about $150 compared to a $300 one. I used a couple of cheap ($50) hvlp guns from HD for the primer and epoxy. For the final coat I bought a good gun for the limited use I did. It cost about $300. (compared to 600 and up for a pro gun). The gun (Aiwata maybe?) was of very good quality, but not quite pro grade.
Total cost for Paint Job is around $2500.
As mentioned you will need a large volume compressor, and many more tools to get it ready for paint and Im assuming you have all of those. One of the things I didn't mention was the tent I set up in the garage. I used zip wall system which I already owned and some cheap plastic so the cost on that was minimal.
I had a price from a local Maaco for $2500 to paint the car itself with me doing all of the jamb work. I talked to them at length before and was comfortable at that particular shop as they had a couple of "project cars" they were working on. In the end I decided to do it myself for the "experience". I am glad I did. Overall the paint looks pretty darn good if I say myself. Its at least as good as the factory. There are no runs or drips. It doesn't look like 15K show paint jobs I have seen, but im not overly afraid to drive it either. The one do over would be with the "cut and buff". I should have wet sanded at least one more round with a finer grit paper. That would have helped tremendously with the buffing process.
It can be done, and for a whole lot less than a shop will charge. Just take your time, use the right tools, and make sure the prep is done correctly.
Good Luck!

Question wasn't "what does a restoration cost?" I think anyone who has done one knows that its a bottomless pit. I think OP has the right idea of trying to put the ducks in a row. It took me over 5years to finish my car. I paid for everything along the way with cash. In the end I have a finished car that cost nothing more than insurance and gas at this point. I dont have the money to finance a restoration or even buy a finished hot rod, plus I wanted the challenge of building one myself. I too had an idea of what to budget for all of the majors along the way. I guess I didn't learn though as I am about to embark on a new project:oogle:

I hope the guys who think that a total repaint at the body shop should cost $2500 are reading this thread.

To think a body shop paint job would cost $2500 based on this thread is ridiculous. I dont think it was ever implied. A body shop has a tremendous overhead to take care of. Employees, shop, equipment, and insurance. A guy doing this in his garage has none of those expenses thus the bottom dollar cost. The homeowners cost does not take into account the amount of labor involved either, as he will absorb that at the cost of a few weekends and weeknights away form the family.
Its the same concept in my business as a contractor. I see so many times when people say "I can do that deck myself and it will only cost $500. That contractor wants to rip me off and do it for $1500."

Not in this thread, but it has been stated in other threads.

Also please be aware that it takes considerable skill to lay down good paint. I know someone will immediately respond to my last sentence saying how they laid down a mirror finish on their first go, but even if true that is an outlier. My brother built a paint booth in his garage, acquired good tools/paint and tried to paint his car 3 times. He failed on each attempt with the final one was an essay in orange peel.

Not trying to dissuade you- my point is there is a LOT more to it than getting the right materials and tools. These are just parts of a larger whole.

Good luck!

I likely have over 3k just in the paint on my 67 GTO (ppg products)

Good point Judas, and very true. Ive always said I could buy a dentist chair but it wont make me a dentist. I have built and finished cabinets for years and had a "feel" for a spray gun. I have seen some people that cant paint with a brush, let alone a spray bomb!

Guys that can sharpen knives...”Think” they can put an edge on a Straight Razor too....Talk is Cheap
...