Service departments get 120+ an hour for reading a scan tool and tirning wrenches,....we are forced to work for $52,......only get 32 for material and process an actual skill,...it's BS
Thanks for the compliment btw,...I try my best and enjoy doing the high end paint work but it's almost not worth the hassle or reward,...I stay so on edge from all the pressure of being asked about progress on a project multiple times a day at times,...it's just a hassle that's why alot of shops won't touch paintjobs,...and the ones that will are COVERED UP,...owners think it's an oil change or something. We get a bad rap for giving optimistic completion times but it's never done intentionally most of us give a timeline we feel is possible but it never ever works out that way,....it's just one of those things that will never change,.....unless you pony up and pay the big $ for a shop with a healthy payroll which 98.4% of people won't do,..and can't do,...so you wait,...sorry for the rant just been a rough month ha
You are totally welcome. When a person has SKILLS and takes the time time to use them, it should be mentioned. I hear you about the situation today. I read about a place in CA that charges $100,000 to paint a Ferrari, and did not think it was out of line even back then. Sure, anyone can grab a gun and spray, but like you pointed out, it is the hard work and SKILLS BEFORE the spraying that really count. I had a wood shop for many years, and we learned the hard way that PREP was the most important part of ANY quality job. With cars, you have to be willing to not only be patient, but be able to write the check. My feeling is that even if I had the $$, I would shy away from painting a car I was driving often. (Funny how that has changed from the old days when we just bought a new car and drove it!) I suppose if my current car had been painted perfectly I might be more concerned, but it wasn't, so the pressure is off. Dave Kleiner told me years ago, when I was thinking of having him do the '72 (he wanted $15,000+ parts for a frame-off back then--boy, was I stupid!) that it was really a waste of my money. His opinion was that once I drove the car down the street to get gas, the $$ was wasted, so he suggested a frame-on. Having seen several of his cars, I can only say that they were beyond amazing. As many on this board know, I bought 4 new GS cars back in the day--'68, '70, '71, '72--and I NEVER picked up a new one that approached Dave's work. With the C-2 cars, you got what you got back then--lots of over-spray, thin areas, etc., and panel fit was haphazard at best. As we keep reminding newbies, they were NOT building "classic cars" at the factory back then! They were trying to meet quota... Cheers!
Exactly a bunch kids and hungover fellas putting cars together haha,...if the door shut on down the line it went
I agree with this sentiment. I've never painted a car but have done several exterior detailings. Once your done, you kind of don't want to drive it in case you mess up the finish. It's a huge amount of work to do a proper detailing.
Hugger are the enforced low rates you talk about only for insurance work? I would hope you can charge a higher rate for a total repaint of a classic?
So, here is the best I can do with pictures. AMAZING to see all the "safety" gear they used back then! I guess you have to download them to see them. Sorry but I have no idea how to actually post stuff here.
Image: https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.co...22435170cc4b73c83a90aab988e302266641e26a.jpeg Image: https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.co..._a88b5f2502dc8422f8e27e90e45e766d3aaa7fce.png Image: https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.co...0913b2d7c84458c4654768c5cf8e626e7dd46631.jpeg Image: https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.co...883d12f9363688e5c0f5cb78bbc5be421a49b947.jpeg Image: https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.co...3fb43bc390bffc19ae3714a7382ab1319854a46d.jpeg Image: https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.co...02214b61c5081d7541d85a90e6658ab4b2d3a673.jpeg Image: https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.co...4b30ef172689b63ff94f66bddabea80f014f7a09.jpeg Image: https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.co...7cf9d499a723f161e3783b7b19daeab43a83551d.jpeg sorry for any duplicates.. these are what I have. ***************
Thanks. There are more coming...imagine all the fiberglass dust in the air back then. Did you see the guy with the hand drill who was drilling holes in the front fascia to attach the emblems? I didn't even see a template in the picture! Amazing!
My personal FAVORITE Corvette assembly pictures: Imagine OSHA in that plant! Imagine drilling holes all day with a hand drill and installing emblems. Better not screw up! Cheers!
Great pictures, thanks for sharing! Did everyone who worked there have bad eyesight, or were they actually wearing safety glasses in back 62-63?
You can work with bad paint but you cannot work with bad prep work....This should work. You can tell that is a 63... .
This thread is for today's costs? Right now to start with out any real body repairs is $25,000! Beginning to think I can't afford this hobby anymore.
As I mentioned it's dependent on yoyr location,....25k with me will get you what 50k will in other areas,...I can't charge what I feel it's really worth,...I wouldn't have work,...so I charge what the demographic will allow
I hear you. Depends on where you are. In SO FL, everything is more than most places just because they can get it. What part of the country are you in? Cheers!
I'll use a cougar I'm doing for reference,..this job is 10k and I'm doing it too cheap Not stripping the door jambs on the car,..but stripped the door jambs,..trunk under under hood are getting sanded not stripped,..lots of repair work on the fenders,..1/4s are getting patches,...two coats of epoxy,..4 coats of urethane primer,..block sanded once the color,..no buffing just denibbing,..that's what 10k gets you,....20k gets you poly primer,..all jambs stripped,..cut and buff,..so it's all relative,....here's a $4500 scuff and shoot on a Porsche I just sprayed Monday I fixed 3 dents and taped 90% of the trim,...so $4500 doesn't get much ha
Well today was productive! I got to drive the GS and found a local quality body shop in my back yard! About 15 mons away is a good shop in Westminister! I talked to the owner and he came alive when he saw the GS! He said one of his body guys has 3 of them back in the day. You know the drill, insurance work is there bread and butter. He said things sometimes slow up in spring and agreed to intertain doing my GS. His idea of pricing was realistic and agreed that a price of painting a nice rust free GS should not cost $45,000!!
