I have gotten many estimates to repaint my 86gt. Everyone says it will be the best I can get but the prices are all over the place. What should a good paintjob cost? Know any good shops in SE Florida?

When I called around for my GT it was usually at least $2,000, but who knows if those guys are any good. The places that seemed to be better quality were pricing me up to $5,000.

These guys are out of their mind. A good paint and prep job is probably hard work I admit but no-where near 5,000 worth of labor. Not much sense putting a 5,000 paintjob on a Fiero and when you're all done the car will still only be worth $3500 :\

I got quoted about $1500. This was at a local shop in town. The guys well known for good, quality painting too. I wouldn't ever pay that though, cuz I'm poor and I just think that's high for a paint job. I also know someone that will paint it for me for $100 if I do all the prep work. And this guy knows how to paint also. Just gotta shop around. Just don't go for those cheapo jobs, cuz that's just what they are.

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sqoach@yahoo.com

84 SE (project car?)
85 Coupe (parts car)
86 SC (daily overheating)

I remember the add..... I'm Earl Scheib and I'll paint any car for $59.99. That was when I was a little kid. I think it is up to about $120.00 now. Just do your own prep work, and it will look fantastic! People talking $5000 for a paint job?!?!?! What the hell is that???? You could buy 2 fair condition 1988 Fiero GT's for that price! not even a Ferrari(a real one) is worth spending $5000 for paint. I would paint my car with a bucket and a paintbrush before I spend $5000 on paint.

I was amazed at those prices too....so when they said that, I just politely said goodbye and then stared incredulously at the phone. The only place that quoted me as low as around $1,500 was a guy that I know who was going to not charge me as much as he normally would because he did my coupe last year.

Wheeew!
For $5000.00 I can build and equip a spray booth. a Friend of mine, which effects the price but not that much, is charging me 300.00 and paint cost with me doing the initial prep.

mine was $2600 and i didn't have to pay for the paint... so tack on another $1000 for paint...

A good quality, rubbed basecoat/clearcoat urathane job should be $1200-$2000 a single OEM type color, Fancy colors like pearls and candies, add ons like jams, or 2 tones will add to it. Doing the labor sanding and removing all the trim parts can save you a ton for most shops, although they wont guarantee what you do. Lisa by doing the sanding, RR parts, got hers done out the door wet sanded and rubbed monotone for less than $600, and it was pearl.

quote Originally posted by drednot: I remember the add..... I'm Earl Scheib and I'll paint any car for $59.99. That was when I was a little kid. I think it is up to about $120.00 now. Just do your own prep work, and it will look fantastic!

Have you ever had an Earl Scheib paint job? I have. It was worth the $100 I spent, but I got exactly what I paid for. Remember, you can't even buy good quality paint for what they charge to paint your car. Even if you do the best prep work yourself, the paint quality is crap and will look like it. Maybe not when you pick it up, but soon. But like I said, it was well worth the $100, since I was poor, in high school, and couldn't afford more.

One thing you may want to look into is if there are any tech schools in you area. The one here charges 200-300 to do paint jobs. Granted it is students shooting the paint but hell the 2 cars that I have soon done there looked good.

I bought my Fiero from a repo yard that was next to a body shop. The owner of the body shop was bored and painted my car,black with center grey racing stripes. It's an 86GT I bought for $2800 about three years ago.
Sometimes, you just get lucky.

I guess that I must be undercharging for my services because a Fiero paintjob should run less than $900. I took an 88 t-top GT that we had painted to a local car show and it got more looks and comments than most anything there, especially the poor little lowered Civic that I parked next to, even with its $2500 paint job.

>not even a Ferrari(a real one) is worth spending $5000 for paint

LOL!! A *real* Ferrrari will cost you WAY more than that to paint ... my "real" Ferrari seats cost $4,000 + . The "real" TR engine is well over $40,000. If you have to ask ... you can't afford any any of that stuff - I can't ... that's why I'm building my own -but back to paint. The process of creating a great & quality result is very expensive.

>For $5000.00 I can build and equip a spray booth

And yes, I have seen a complete cross draft paint booth setup, new, here in S. Fl. for $4,800 (not delivered)

That does not include the compressors, filters, hoods, sprayers, protective apparel, & fresh air source.

>a Friend of mine, which effects the price but not that much, is charging me 300.00 and paint cost with me doing the initial prep.

Lisa, if this guy is really good, then please hook me up. (I travel thru Al. from time to time) I'll be glad to pay that amount if it's better than Maaco!!!

After you have spent one to three hundred hours of labor to prep one of those really great paint jobs, you will know why they are SO expensive.

That being said, you can prep everything yourself & go for the $200.00 Maaco job, and it might turn out just fine.

For speed they say: "Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go?"

For high end looks, it's the same thing.

Here where I am in SE Fl, if I did ALL the prep & block work, a local shop that employes some of the best sprayers I know of will charge $1,800 for the Fiero, including the jambs & such.

>Lisa by doing the sanding, RR parts, got hers done out the door wet sanded and rubbed monotone for less than $600, and it was pearl.

Again, that's a great price!

mrtgman;
I got my car recently painted in a shop at DelRey BEach. Cost me $1200 but I added a lot of details (jambs, inner hood, etc.). I got 1st place in my category at Daytona. That should tell you the quality. Email me for info. Are you a member of the West Palm Beach Fiero club? If not join us. Email me for info.

spray booth and eqip for under 5k? i've got a spray gun that was $1200. and the booth my car was shot in was over $60,000 not including installation, air gas for the heat.. etc.
www.blowtherm.com <-- paint booth used... they also have a Garmat

anywho... are the painters here shooting the backs of the panels(not the hoods obviously) and jams so that all the paint matches?

a paintjob should cost whatever you wanna pay, my purple paintjob is only costing me nothing. But the actuall paint and stuff cost me around 250bucks. minues the 90$ they didn't charge me for the paint hehe.. point. It'll cost as expensive as you are willing to pay, I aint gonna 5grand for a paintjob. But thats me.

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Galen - 1988 Hawaiian Orchid Coupe - Sunroof, shaved emblems, more to come..
Spinrpg.com - Free URL & e-mail Forwarding

Before choosing my place I went to two others. One wanted $1500 and the other $2500. None of them included the jams and inner hoods. Obviously I ran back to the first place (which was recommended).