Cost and Labor hours to paint a C2 convertible?

[Troy P.]

Time to repaint my 63. No body work required.

I recognize labor rates vary all over the country and shop to shop. Also materials vary, primarily depending on the type of paint. So I'd like to compare labor hours if you know them. But if you have an all-in cost from a paint job in the last few years I'm interested as well. What is your experience? Also, was your car a hardtop or convertible?

How many labor hours to remove the existing lacquer paint from 2 prior paint jobs, prime, sand/block primer, paint again with lacquer, and buff to approximate factory work but a little better? (No color sanding desired.)

[David H.]

... No body work required... ... paint again with lacquer...

Troy

Unless you have owned car from new ... don't be surprised if body work IS required.

Costs are everywhere: One friend had $30k in paint (1963 convertible) before satisfied. Another had $18k in paint (1963 coupe). Another Chapter member had $12k in a C3 convertible with paint work done his friend. 1963 convertible and C3 needed minimal body work. 1963 coupe had original paint with no damage anywhere (tried to talk him out of custom metallic color repaint to no avail !) These costs from 3-5 years ago.

Problem you may also have is schedule. Many painters are booked a couple years in advance.

You may want to rethink lacquer paint. Color availability and quality of lacquer paint problematic. May have trouble finding painter that still shoots lacquer - base coat / clear coat norm today.

Dave

p.s. If you do paint BLACK lacquer consider having it color sanded. Member sold a 1963 coupe as a work-in-progress with body off frame. He had painted black lacquer some time back but unfinished. New owner completed build - don't know his additional paint cost - but finished, body looked like a black mirror!

[Troy P.]

Thank you for your input.

California then Nevada car never hit. Bought it in 1991. Only body work required is the common cracking in headlight opening corners. Had the car painted with lacquer during my 1992 restoration for $850 in labor, sandpaper, primer and sealer. I provided the red paint.

You are correct that few painters around today have used lacquer. But easiest paint to shoot and buff and to fix road chips later. I have the red paint and thinner.

Did my 55 with lacquer in 2018. 98.8 Top Flight.

[Chris S.]

20k - Convertible
Troy
I can break that down to materials and labor from first prime to cut and buff.
Labor roughly 15k
Paint and materials roughly 6k
This is realizing that ALL the body work is done.
ALL the body work
Stripping the old paint - would be by the hour.
Then any OLD body work would need to be repaired or redone
Which there will be.
My average of just body work is 400 hours. - That is just repairs and just body work and panel gaps etc...
Chris

[Troy P.]

Chris,
As I recall you send bodies to be blasted to remove the old paint for $3000. Is that correct? Or sometimes you do it in house?

Since I have the lacquer paint and thinner what do you think the materials would cost without that. Sand paper, primer, guide coat.

I would like the car buffed but not color sanded first. Even today no color sanding for a factory paint job and no real need with lacquer. (I have a C8 and wish there was enough clear on it to sand some of the orange peel out.) Would your $15K labor estimate reduce for no cut first?

[Mark E.]

Why don't you want to color sand? Buffing lacquer without color sanding will look terrible.

The only source for acrylic lacquer I know about is TCP Global in Las Vegas. VERY expensive- I know because I had them match the 25 year old lacquer I sprayed on my '70 for some touch up work.

I sprayed about 20 cars in lacquer back in the day as a hobby and for friends. Today, I wouldn't consider lacquer for a complete job. Obsolete technology.

[Troy P.]

In my experience it looks just fine without color sanding. Also note the factory never color sanded, just buffed. So I'm curious where your experience comes from?

Even today they don't color sand Corvettes...but I wish they did. I would like to color sand mine but I've been told there isn't enough clear coat thickness to do so.

Only car, of the 9 I own, that has the perfect color sanded paint is a Bentley. The hand sanded mirror finish is part of the reason they cost so much.

I have the paint and thinner.

[Mark E.]

I told you where my experience comes from... shooting cars in lacquer.

Factory lacquer was flowed using heat. Air dried lacquer applied in the field is not and has a rough, orange peel texture that won't typically buff out.

Can you post photos of field applied lacquer you buffed without color sanding?

[Troy P.]

My 98.8% Top Flight '55 was sprayed with lacquer and just buffed. Maybe something unusual happened. Hopefully my '63 will turn out the same.

[Mark E.]

My 98.8% Top Flight '55 was sprayed with lacquer and just buffed. Maybe something unusual happened. Hopefully my '63 will turn out the same.

Peace. Achieving the finish and DOI of a '55 is a low bar.