auto paint pricing

[LEWETHETIGER73]

Just trying to figure out some pricing. Buddy of mine is painting his car and wants to know what to budget for. It is a 93 mustang convertible. He is looking to paint it black or gun metal. So paint, clear, and anything else needed would be great if you have a ball park. Thanks

[-stew-]

$500 to $10,000.

[JC70SS]

for a decent job $4000. Supplies are NOT cheap.

[Crawlin]

$500 to $10,000.

SO true..... LMAO!!!

[Holeshot]

The key to any quality paint job is prep and cleanliness. Basic black paint is fairly inexpensive. Start adding pearls or metal flakes .... and the price goes up. Reds are usually much more expensive as the pigments are more rare.

[LEWETHETIGER73]

Yeah I just wanted the price on the paint supplies. We already have the labor quote. I was just trying to get a ball park figure. Thanks for the help.

[Holeshot]

Tell me what you want and I can see what I can do. Do you want primer/ sealers , adhesion promotors, flex additives , surface prep cleaner/ degreasers, masking paper and tape , sand papers wet/dry, body fillers, mixing cups , strainers besides paint and clear ? Do you want high quality paint and clear or something less expensive ?

[LEWETHETIGER73]

So do you work for a paint supply company?

[Holeshot]

So do you work for a paint supply company? Yes I do as a matter of fact, Several members have my paint on their cars,

[hotshift13]

I just finished Painting a trans-Am, Paint , clear, Primer and all the stuff that goes with it cost me close to $500.00, Bought it all online, should have bought it local but wanted to try the paint I bought Kustom Shop, from a place in cali called TPC Global....

[spooln30]

For a good paint like PPG with everything you'd need I would say around $650-$700.

[DR.FORD]

For a good paint like PPG with everything you'd need I would say around $650-$700.

A gallon of PPG 9700 (black basecoat) is around $300.00 alone, now add sealer, catalyst for sealer, reducer, clear and catalyst for clear. If you buy the higher quality line, plan on $1200 to $1500 including incidentals.
Get away from black and hang on!! Mikeys Camaro (Metz Performance) PPG yellow (3 stage), the cage paint, the reducers, catalysts and the clear was $4200.!! NO SEALER INCLUDED IN THE PRICE EITHER!!

[PureSound15]

^ Not that I have an idea of what paint SHOULD cost - but that breakdown is shocking to me.


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[DR.FORD]

^^^Yeah man!! I have to hear "why does it cost so much to paint a car" on a daily basis.
My suggestion- cheap=Maaco
You get what you pay for, so when your paint is chaulky or falling off in 9 to 12 months don't be suprised!
We REFUSE to use cheap junk!

[-stew-]

Yellow is an expensive color?

[DR.FORD]

Its more than the general color that dictates price, it is the effect it may give. This was a 3 stage candy color.

[Gregor]

The only way to save money on a paint job is prep. You can save a load of money by doing the block sanding, trim removal and other items that take time. Now this only helps on the labor and not the paint. OMNI which is PPG cheap line will still run you 1500 in mats. But PPG is dumping that line for something else. So its anybody guess now. So 1500 in mats, 2100 @30 hrs ($70per hour) and a 4k paint job isnt hard to do.


I love to look at 600 dollar paint jobs, overspray, waves in the paint, dry spots and last but not forgotten stripes from a bad spary pattern.


I have been saving since my Mustang left Ron's shop for a paint job.

[Cryptic]

IWA 5813 SUPERNOVA LS400(SILVER CAP)1.3 w/1000ML CUP = $645.92
IWA 6041 MIX AND SPRAY SYSTEM = $25.00
DEVILBISS 130522 CT PLUS 5 STAGE FILTER = $499.98
DEVILBISS 130504 DC30 DESICCANT CHARGE = $67.95
IWA 5672-R LPH400-144LVX 1.4mm BASECOAT 700ML CUP & MR1 REGULATOR =$504.24
IWA 93524650 LPH400-LVB AIR CAP SET LVB = $125.00
IWA 6034D PCG10DM - 1000ML GRAVITY ALUMI = $51.92
IWA 5733 LPH440-181 GUN/CUP(PCG10CM) = $304.48
TCP SG-150 SPRAY GUN HOLDER GRAVITY FEED = $9.98
IWA 8131 AK-1R AIR FLOW CONTROL VALVE =$55.00
BNK 40-143 MILLENNIUM 3000 RESPIRATOR = $55.60
BNK 40-128 MILLENNIUM 3000 RESPIRATOR = $55.60
IWA 6040 MIX AND SPRAY SYSTEM = $25.00
60 Gallon 5hp air compressor = $1500
Orbital sander DA = $150 to $450
Air File = $150
sand paper
primer filler
primer sealer
catalyst for sealer
base coat, reducer, hardener, flex agent
clear coat
catalyst for clear

In case anyone was thinking they wanted to do this themselves.


$500 paint jobs are probably using 1 gun to shoot everything and that gun came from Harbor Freight. Paint has very specific specifications for proper atomization. You can't spray primer with the same gun/needle/nozzle as you do your base coat. $500 paint jobs means someone is skipping steps somewhere in prep or doing the work for free.