Hot Rods Is a nice paint job really that important?

looking back at the cars I have owned I would say original paint is important to me. it doesn't have to be perfect.

if I were rich I'd have both beaters and show cars.

 

Not to me. More fun not having to worry about scratches and rock chips. I drive mine a lot. So I just try to keep it clean and not worry about stuff.jmho. Snowman

 

In my circle of influence in Denver, we have a high-volume Maaco shop that out the door, fill, primer, sand for my 3100 truck, was $3,500. I have had the truck re-painted by them 3x in 25yrs, 'cause it is an "outside dog", never
garaged nor waxed. I received estimates that ranged from $3,000 to just spray it, to over $10k!! My '61 Corvette
was repaired and repainted badly by 2 previous owners. We have another Maaco which has been in the same
family for 3 generations. He is known for working on classic cars, and especially 'vettes. I was going from white
to black. He came out, rubbed his hands over the car and said, $4,200. (Others shops ranged from $10k to $20k.)
Here is a picture of how it came out. Rough range in Denver is $3,000 to the sky's the limit!

 

Shiny is the end game. This is not for those that pay an don't do stuff there self,too chicken to try.
I did every thing,even when I didn't know,I asked= it's how I learned how !!
Growing up in 1940s,1950s an 60s my Dad said a lot of stuff,but one that he repeted a lot was "Do it right or don't do it at all"
As for cars,Your not finished tell it's shiny.*...............................is FACT.
The weak story is,"Ouooow shiny cost to much"< BS,I painted more cars then I'd like to count for less then $50 in shiny paint,looked very nice too. A showcar paint job colors is another game,but I've won a lot of shows with my low$ gloss black.
The other part not admitted too ,that keeps some from shiny,is it takes WORK* too do good smooth prep*= down under hiding in lazy back brain is,a cover story ,some times you even believe that an use it on lots of stuff,: is why I hear"I just like how primer looks"more BS fooling your self.!. Or "That's how it was"more bubble of BS,no it was not,some didn't make it to shiny,but it is what was the goal*.
Fact,shiny looks great an is EZ to keep clean,keeps steel dry an keeps rust away. The drew back is,YES,you need to get off your butt and work hard on it.
I see primer or dull cars,two ways;Ether in work an going to be nice*,or if I can tell the cars primer is thought of by owner as a finish,I'm sad the car has a lazy owner,but not end of world,at lest he is trying a little.
You don't need super high $ paint,but you have too have smooth prep! High cost paint will not fix lazy.
It is far less work to repaint a smooth car,then to try painting some old ass primer crap=start over an do what is needed to start with.
It's OK not to like what I said,but at least try to use the info. Your car may thank you !
This is $40 of shiny paint an hard work.

Patina=paint is bad,fit it,don't be lazy! Rot by any other name is still rot.

 

I respectfully disagree, many of us like a survivor paint job.

My old beater may not be the belle of the ball, but it has put a big smile on my face for over 40 years and to me my enjoying my car is far more important to me than someone else opinion of me or my car. HRP

 

Lloyd, 5 grand to me is expensive but I spent more than that on my paint job for the wagon,

I can build another car for 5 grand and that's just my warped way of thinking, I honestly don't ever see me painting the sedan but if I ever did I would use the same thing that was on my 32 pickup, and that would be Kirker S.G. Black. HRP

 

Just your level of self-confidence and joy in driving it. I've had trailer queens that I was afraid to drive because
someone might get too close to it and scratch it, or I might get a rock chip somehow. No more trailer queens for
me. Hot rods bring the most pleasure when they are driven, so that's how I consider what I want to do. I have
a 409" car that is an UGLY brown/gold color, but I love it the way it is. People ask me when am I going to
paint it, and my answer is is that it's as good as it's ever going to get.

 

No. But if you lived an hour from me, at lest triple it. Back in the 90’s I’d taken my 59 around to several shops, I’d done all the body work and put it in primer. Everything was “start at 3500 until we find something “. I get that. But I wasn’t taking it to high end shops. Just paint shops. MAACO did it right for 350? As I recall. I was happy, 3 years later new owner was too. Probably not the job you would do, but what’s. Guy to do that wants it shine a bit?

 

I'm sure it depends on were an what town to some amount. I think to have it done for a full size car around Miami now is inline with your cost.
I don't see many Auto paint shops like the ones around in the 50s n 60s in Miami Fla.
Miami had a few back then.biggist TV adds in the 50's an 60s was paint your car for $19;95,at Johnny and Mack,by The RR Track,NW 36 st.. I had them do three def cars for me,when I didn't have time myself. You got to pick Black,Hunder Green,Navy Blue,and other colors were extra.
No they did not do a lot of perp for that,not even tape all the small chrome,but the paint was put on very well,no runs,no fish eye.
Trick was to do a little perp your self,like ether remove small chrome or tape it.
The real point is,I'm so old,I find it hard to see pricing for what it is now. I don't think as many repaint there cars now ether,just get another,that makes the same shadow.

 

I don't know HRP, a show car job is something I can't do in my garage, but a passable paint job I can manage and having a car in rust or primer is not my desire, although me and bodywork are not the best of friends. But the ol Ice Cream Truck and Forever 43 FED look better in paint than primer........

 

Oh I know exactly what you're saying, that's why my cars never seem to get painted. After spending countless hours working on customer cars, I learn to just live with primer on mine lol. It's a time issue of course. I've built a whole lot of hot rods for myself, way under $5k

 

Depends on the car, but some cars are so cool I cant paint them, at least where you can see it. No I am not lazy and yes I do paint my cars when I want to. I have a 39 Buick coupe I am going to paint maroon and black, but the current Buick build must stay as found, I just love it.

 

Nobody in my area does old cars. I'm more less known as the guy that will. I've got a 72 Mercedes from Georgia right now, and the owner jumped on my price. Made me wonder how much they were pricing it down there lol

 

But back to Danny's thread! Sorry for the hijack brother

 

Since I can (kind of) paint, my perspective may be skewed. A clever builder should have painting in their skill set, JMHO. I like a "survivor" paint job as well, it it's genuine. It's the fake patina, and overwrought "ratty" paint/bare metal that turns me off.

 

I want "nice" paint but I also want to retain the ability to flog the car, lean on it and drive it wherever/whenever. Also, I've decided to take on the bodywork and although 95% of the metalwork is done, there's a lot of finish work needed - and I've never done it before. But, I have YouTube and a couple pals who have done paint work.

So, the quality will be dependent on me. I'd love to pay someone to shoot it but we'll see how things go as I work on the body. Maybe there's some talent I didn't know about? It's not going to be a concourse car and there will likely be some racecar sh!t left behind but I'm actually okay with that.

 

The guy that painted the wagon had just went out on his own and he had taken body & paint at Greenville Tech, a good friend and fellow club member taught that class for 40 years and he told me this young guy was the best he ever trained, he even helped the instructer do rge paint work on his Essex.

He is one of just a had full that will touch the old cars, most of the shops around here want the quick insurance money. HRP

 

Don't get me wrong, that quick insurance money is great! SHOW ME THE MONEY but I'm an old car guy, and I like dealing with old car guys, and they're consistent.

 

Same here, sorta.
I spent the vast majority of my career on high end European cars. Gloves, seat, steering wheel and floor covers, matched every spot weld, seam sealer brush stroke, clips, decals, even ordered all fluids and wire ties, rivets and bolts from the OEM. Then go to a rod shop and spend hundreds of hours on cars massaging sheet metal and gaps. Body working floors, underside of fenders, slicking out engine blocks, transmissions and even U-joints on occasion. Watched a co-worker spend a week prepping a set of tires for a show.
So it feels real good to jump in a beater and enjoy.

 

I personally prefer the glossy custom look. Polished stainless, shiny wheels, nice interior. I was going to say something else but it would just cause a problem.
Just enjoy what you drive.

 

Only as good as you can afford, so no, not that important to me

 

I'm not interested in show quality anything, paint included. I drive my car. It's got nice paint but it ain't perfect, and there's scratches here and there. If it had been perfect those scratches would drive me nuts. As it is, I don't mind a few, and the car still looks good.

Someone else said own one of each. I'm down with that. This is a subjective thing anyway. I'd rather have a patina look than perfect flame paint, as I absolutely hate flames. But hey, some guys love um, and I can dig that. Do what you want to your car.

Isn't that the point of hot rodding?

 

I have always had the attitude "there is nothing that I can't do".
My father has always done his own work on everything and I guess it stuck with me. If you don't have a vested interest in the work many will cut corners.
I live in Alaska and there aren't many shops that specialize in old cars and with the paint and body repairs I have had done to my daily drivers here I wouldn't pay the ridiculous prices to have my car professionally painted. I may be slow but the finished product will be something to be proud of.

 

I drive them more before getting them painted, even though none of mine are high dollar paint jobs I still get gun-shy where I take em after there nice and straight .

Plans are to just touch up & match paint better on the old coupe may be even with a brush, so don't have to worry so much about some body opening their door into it when I take it on errands & breakfast.

 

She would have to or she would look like a turtle on a post.

 

I've know some local guys that have owned trailer queens in the past, they spent thousands of dollars on their hot rods, the best money could buy and then the high dollar enclosed trailer and a a 80 grand dulley pickup, I never understood the idea of having a car too nice to drive.

In the end these guys changed hobbies and did something different, they bought high dollar motor homes and bought expensive custom choppers, loaded them in trailers and drove across country to big motor cycle events.

What it boils down to is everyone has different levels of interest and how they want to pursue it.

I can't imagine not driving my cars, nice paint like the wagon or a survivor like my old beater. HRP

 

Amen brother, I've got your back

 

never ending topic - individual choice - some rides are perfect in primer and die with shiny paint - other rides just look neglected in primer and come alive with shiny paint - deciding on the right color for any ride is harder than doing on the prep work - I too get MAACO paint jobs - like anything, the prep makes all of the difference - don't be in a hurry for getting your ride back from a shop

 

Goals or motivation is different for different owners. The 7 fugue car being pushed with gloved hands onto a 6 figure enclosed trailer/rig, then being driven from that rig on the parade grounds is satisfactory for that car owner. I guess the same for the chopper trailered just to be driven into the bike show.
Some people collect art, a car owner once told me “you can’t drive a Rembrandt”
For me, the perfect custom/whatever is just as art worthy as the well built beater.
I don’t enjoy looking at my old beaters as much as I enjoy driving them.
I guess this is why I admire and respect both.
Would I have driven a nicely restored truck in bad weather to the scrap yard to retrieve some vintage parts today? Probably not.
Life is short, I have already spent an unmeasurable amount of time seeking perfection for a customer.
So I’m gonna keep driving junk and smiling.