Auto paint, is this expensive?

The paint to cover that would proly be about $100 by itself, thats primer, the paint, and the clear. A pint of paint is usually between 30-60 by itself depending on the color and manufacturer.

Click to expand...

Also going on plastic which requires an agent to allow it to be flexible and hold to the plastic. If regular paint is used, it will start cracking and flaking within a couple of years and look like crap.

Also going on plastic which requires an agent to allow it to be flexible and hold to the plastic. If regular paint is used, it will start cracking and flaking within a couple of years and look like crap.

Click to expand...

Not necessarily, Most cars have metal bodies and plastic bumper covers, do you think they mix 2 things of paint, 1 for the body and one for the bumper covers ??

Not necessarily, Most cars have metal bodies and plastic bumper covers, do you think they mix 2 things of paint, 1 for the body and one for the bumper covers ??

Click to expand...

Never painted a car have we????

The price you was quoted is actually pretty cheap considering materials. Anything cheaper and I would start to think "you got what you pay for"

Never painted a car have we????
The price you was quoted is actually pretty cheap considering materials. Anything cheaper and I would start to think "you got what you pay for"

Click to expand...

Actually yes i have, Quite a few times without comebacks. My Uncle owns his own body/paint shop and my father works for Manheim at one of their Auto auctions as a body man and painter.

OP, depending on the paint used that is about right. MAACO, Abra and the like use very cheap paints. MAACO also doesnt scuff or prime very well. The paint on my dads truck was very expensive. He had Glasurit. My trucks paint wasn't very cheap either (Sikkens). Paint alone is around $200 a gallon for nice materials. Obviously you may only need a pint or so. But reducers and hardeners also run between $60 to $100 per quart. The chemicals that make up clear coat are also very costly. You have at least $100 in materials alone, thats not countinting the scuff pads, tape, wet sanding and other odds and ends. Also on bumpers and flexible parts they add an additive to it to prevent the paint from cracking when flexed. Normal paint on a bumper willl crack with time because of flexing.

Remember painting isnt just spraying and its done. 90% of the work is pret. I spent two days scuffing and sanding my truck and it still isnt perfect. No where near infact.

Not necessarily, Most cars have metal bodies and plastic bumper covers, do you think they mix 2 things of paint, 1 for the body and one for the bumper covers ??

Click to expand...

You'de be amazed. I mixed a lot of paint when I did my truck. I spent at least 2 hrs in the mix room as my my dad sprayed just to keep up with him.

Ive honestly never mixed anything in, ive just used Dupont (sp?) And clear and stuff isnt always that bad, i get clear for $75 a gallon with the junk to mix with it and it works amazingly, better than the more high dollar stuff ive used.

That is pretty decently priced honestly... I would charge more. I was in the collision repair/refinishing business for a few years than got sick of it.

FTR, if you are painting an entire car and it has plastic bumpers, you WILL mix two different things of paint and add flex agent to the bumper paint. You have to have the bumpers off to do a good paint job anyways so... Personally, when I painted a couple of my own personal cars, I just added flex agent to all the paint. Took the bumpers, hood, trunk and doors off, sprayed all the edges, jams etc... and put it back together than blasted the whole car...

That is pretty decently priced honestly... I would charge more. I was in the collision repair/refinishing business for a few years than got sick of it.
FTR, if you are painting an entire car and it has plastic bumpers, you WILL mix two different things of paint and add flex agent to the bumper paint. You have to have the bumpers off to do a good paint job anyways so... Personally, when I painted a couple of my own personal cars, I just added flex agent to all the paint. Took the bumpers, hood, trunk and doors off, sprayed all the edges, jams etc... and put it back together than blasted the whole car...

Click to expand...

haha, someone got it. I never said i didnt mix anything for it, i just said i didnt mix two things of paint. And you dont neccesairly have to take everything apart everytime, i believe it just depends on the color and car, if its a complete color change, i feel better taking everything off the paint all the jams and **** but if im touching up something with the same color then there isnt a point.

Seems to me like a save there worst. I dont add flex to the entire set of paint as its wasted materials. Materials are expensive.