Cost of Paint

[Bill Goddard]

Does paint really have to cost $400-500 /gal? It has crept up on me. I can't believe the auto body stores are charging so much. Can someone straighten me out on this?

[Mike V. Florida]

No, that's what top quality auto paint costs. you can always buy cheaper but never better.

If you want a limited amount of colors in a color\clear you can try,

http://duplicolor.com/products/paintshop.html

About $20.00 a quart ready to spray - not that I would on my A.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Bill Goddard

Does paint really have to cost $400-500 /gal?

Is this a hypothetical question? Would you name the brand & specific type of paint?

[Bill Goddard]

Its not hypothetical. I'm seeing prices of $500/gal in Mac's and my fellow club members are telling me 4-500/gal. Some people are talking about Dupont but I haven't heard much brand talk.

[39portlander]

I had my 77 F150 sprayed W/ford darkblue pearl met. that was about 330/gal. When I have my 39 painted I may be going in on a dual buy with someone else to split the cost. we both like vermillion green a little over 400/ gal. if we spray 2 or more gallons.

[skip]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Look towards PPG paint. Might be cheaper. It's not the paint but rather the ridiculous amounts of hoops, bells and whistles that hamper paint formulators and paperwork that go into making the paint imposed by the EPA both at the State level and the Federal level that costs so much. If there is anyway to make anything cost more it's the liberal do gooders that can do it. And of course it's never anyone else's money, it's always yours! You make a drum or RR tank car of paint, you got to live with it forever!


For maximuim Dollar Effiency [read cheap] I sprayed my 1957 CJ 3A Jeep with Rust-Oleum red oxide primer and red top coat. It's an enamel that lays down smooth as a babies butt. As long as it not a water base paint nor a poly---anything paint. I want paint. Not some space age newbie stuff.

RUST-OLEUM
Rust-oleum is a manufacturer of problem solving paint systems, designed for virtually all substrates.
Rust-oleum is regarded by 96% of Americans as the number 1 rust preventative paint and the
provider of advance problem solving paint solutions.

There is an extensive selection of topcoats available in RAL, BS 4800 and NCS colour ranges. These
performance coatings can be applied direct to rust and metal without the need to use separate
primers. Many of the products are available in both tin and aerosol offering better performance, greater
spread rates, covering power and longer lasting protection than alternative paint brands currently
on sale in the UK.

Rust-oleum has developed a large range of primers with anti-corrosive and special adhesion properties allowing users to take advantage of the
considerable technology Rustoleum have developed since 1921. Today Rustoleum also produce Hygiene coatings, Anti- graffiti protection, roof
paint, cladding paint, floor coatings and special adhesion primers for power floated floors.

skip.

[bobpo]

I just had my A painted with DuPont Chroma-Base , then cleared with PPG's generic called Shopline. IT'S INCREDIBLE. A lot has to do with having a reputable shop paint shop SPRAYING IT. They Absolutely have to PREP it properly. Some won't use your paint, only theirs. ALSO, I WAS QUOTED FROM $1,000 TO & $5,000 FOR THE JOB. I paid $1,000 AND I LOVE IT.....

BTW, my car is a 30 cpe and I only had the body (not fenders) sprayed.

[Kevin in NJ]

Paint can be VERY pricey. I ran across a price list and some of the reds (the most expensive color) were in the $2000 a gallon price range.

There are several places such as Southern Polyurethane that offer good quality paints for the undercoats at reasonable prices. Depending on the color you are looking for there are companies offering quality top coat paints at much lower prices that will do a good job. You really need to check on the paint before you buy. Some paints are cheaper because they use less of the solids and will take more for the same coverage.

The hot rod guys usually know the better low cost paints. Do some searched on their forums.

[Roadster62]

$1,200. is about what the body colors cost for a 1931 Ford Tudor a friend did a few monts ago.

[19-c]

I guess it just depends on what you are looking for. I have used Nason and Omni and had very good results. If I was building a pebble beach car and money was no object I would probably go with something better. Although, Im not sure more expensive ALWAYS means better? What does the paint have to do? cover the car with color and hold up under normal wear and tear or sit in a garage under a cover?

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by 19-c

I guess it just depends on what you are looking for. I have used Nason and Omni and had very good results. If I was building a pebble beach car and money was no object I would probably go with something better. Although, Im not sure more expensive ALWAYS means better? What does the paint have to do? cover the car with color and hold up under normal wear and tear or sit in a garage under a cover?

To a certain extent, I believe what you are saying has merit however, someone who "knows" paint can look at the clarity in pigments and determine the quality of the paint. Omni is PPG's cheaper line. The products they use are not of the same quality they would use in their DBU & DCC lines however they offer it to be able to compete in a market of other cheap paint lines. The biggest thing I have noticed with the cheaper lines is that it takes more mil thickness to obtain coverage. Where this is detrimental is thicker paints chip easier.

Now where what you say has even more merit is when you consider that to authentically replicate Model A paint, one needs to realize that Ditzler's pigments were not that good, --and thus the paint was "muddy looking" at best. That tends to lend itself towards the cheaper paints. Also, the cheaper lines do not stand up as well to UV, ...but again, most of our cars are housed in the garage away from harsh elements & daily doses of sunshine.

[RJ]

i havent bought any in a couple of years but the last ppg i bought was about $160 a gallon. i hope the price being shown above are not where we are now?

[Dennis Pereira]

My last invoice shows I paid $248.45 per Gal for PPG clv rose beige plus hardener at $86.65 a Quart.

[Neal]

Originally Posted by Dennis Pereira

My last invoice shows I paid $248.45 per Gal for PPG clv rose beige plus hardener at $86.65 a Quart.

I just bought some PPG and it came to about that price, $94 for a quart. I bought a quart of the same color back 3 years ago and it was $56. That is a 67% increase over the past three years.

Neal

[Tom from Drippin']

What's the FIRST thing anyone looking at your car sees?

I, personnaly, have had GREAT results with the PPG Concepts, single stage products. No paint booth, just in my shop. Good compressor and a GOOD GUN........AND Hobby-Air supply for me (VERRY IMPORTANT!).

[alpharat]

I just bought PPG DCC at about $100 for a quart. I was going to go w/ a 2 stage on the body and the single stage for engine compartment, but may stick with the single stage for entire thing....

[Mike V. Florida]

Add alittle flatner to the pait for the firewall as it was never buffed out and does not have the sheen od the body.

[peters180a/170b]

Guys try looking at [ www.basfrefinish.com ]. I used Glasurit 55 polyester basecoat for the body and with firewall/fenderwell panels used rm-sm09 flattener [which did not help too much -still has a nice shinny finish] . PPG-DCC9300 acrylic urethane for all frame/parts. And of corse used PPG-DCX61 high solid hardener. What has not gone up? besides our pay??? Even if it does look at all those new taxes coming our way!!!

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

PPG's 'Concept' Maroon is only about $230 a gallon (4 quarts). The mix ratio is 4/2/1. By using 2 parts of Thinner (about $48 a gallon) and 1 part of DCX61 Hardener (about $98 a qt.) comes up to less than $51 a sprayable quart, --or $201.14 per sprayable gallon. Vermillion Red (about the most expensive Model A color) is about $270 a gallon which makes the "cost per gallon" about $241. With DCC**** Black being about $250 a gallon, it still falls under the $215 a sprayable gallon.

Some will argue that 'Concept' is one of the best paints available, ...and so with that mindset, I fail to see where we are figuring paint to be $400-$500 a gallon.


Pete, generally speaking, when applying flattener, the more coats the shinier it gets. When using BC/CC, you need to get enough mill thickness to protect the uncatalyzed basecoat but therein lies the problem. If the un-flattened CC had been applied and allowed to cure, then scuff it off and apply one medium coat of flattened clear, it would have been much "dull-er".
.

[Doug in NJ]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

PPG's 'Concept' Maroon is only about $230 a gallon (4 quarts). The mix ratio is 4/2/1. By using 2 parts of Thinner (about $48 a gallon) and 1 part of DCX61 Hardener (about $98 a qt.) comes up to less than $51 a sprayable quart, --or $201.14 per sprayable gallon. Vermillion Red (about the most expensive Model A color) is about $270 a gallon which makes the "cost per gallon" about $241. With DCC**** Black being about $250 a gallon, it still falls under the $215 a sprayable gallon.

Last September I paid $123.80 for one quart of DCC in Ford Maroon.
Is a gallon really such a better deal, or are you simply able to get a better price than I can?

Doug