a color change. i have MB but really want to go black or a darker blue, a lot darker? can someone throw out some figures they have seen.

 

For a good paintjob I'd say the average I've seen is about 1,000 USD

 

same color? do you think that would include door jams?

 

1000! that woudl be VERY cheap. I would say for a repaint, same color you are looking at 1500 if little body work is needed (small dents, etc). That could easily get to 3K for a NICE paint job with all the little imperfections fixed.

Color changes start around 2k I would say.

http://www.fastblackcar.com/RX7/ElectronblueNOW!.JPG

 

I'd say 4k for a proper job

 

Learn the trade and do it yourself, i learned how to spray finish back at my old job, most of the time it was laquer on wood though, but it took alot of work, finishing no organic surfaces has been easier so far.

 

and i assume i probably should just leave it if i dont have the money to have it done right. anyone know someone in texas that does a good job just on the cheaper side?

 

Don't know about texas, but one thing you don't try to cut cost on is your paint. If you're worried about the look of your MB now (what condition is it in?), then saving a few hundred bucks may cause you some headaches when the paint job you get is not what you expected.

Edit: As for actual cost here in MD, I wouldn't expect anything less than 3k-6k if you're getting the color redone/changed, and dents from road debris removed.

 

If you dont mind running to Giddings, Texas my Dad could cut you a deal...

EDIT: to see some of our previous work... www.bodyshoppros.com

 

1,000? Where?

Show quality? Mine cost 8,000 and that's on the low side for what I had done.

 

The cost really varies from one area to another. For a proper paint job I would expect to pay 4,000 to 6,000 dollars.

 

what did you have done for it to cost 8k?

 

Molded widebody and kandy paint.

 

A 'decent' paint job is very subjective...

What most people may concider to be a nice job may be crappy to someone who is willing to pay 5-10 grand for paint.

I think that if you eliminate the extremes of "Earl Schibe" at one end and the very expensive custom job at the other end, you may be happy will a $1500 paint job.

I would go get quotes from local shops and then ask them for references from people who have had their cars painted at the quoted prices and go see for yourself if they are acceptable.

 

For $1000 from a normal place, not a friend or getting a deal you are going to get a **** job.

From my experience a quality paint job costs anywhere from $3-4000. I would increase that by $2000 if you want a color change. That is approaching LUPE's $8K figure.

Paint job prices vary so much because its all labor. The materials are only around $200.


My paint job:

 

As prew says, the clear bulk of the cost revolves around labor to remove parts, prep, etc. The actual paint material (and other materials) is a fraction, short of using some exotic paint like Dupont Chormalusion (the chameleon (sp?) color shifting paint that was so popular for all of one summer), which runs in excess of $350+/quart.

If you know how to remove body trim (or at least know how to read the shop manual), see if you can find a shop that will work with you on that. Some shops are a little hesitant to paint over DIY bodywork though.