Featured Technical Why Paint Is So Expensive

What HE said!

Wraps are cheaper than a full color change (jambs, inside opening parts), and if done right will protect the paint underneath for the limited time they stay in place. That's useful for the owners who want to change things up or protect the OE paint, although PPF does that too.

They can and will pull poor repaints, primer spots and are often used to hide unfinished bodywork, so can get the rep for cheapness and hiding. I talked to a local Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) guy and he was hesitant to do anything on a repainted car. So both wrap and PDR are best on a baked OE finish. I'd be very hesitant to shoot a sealer then wrap soon after.

 

Same shop does a ton of clear wraps and nose only protection applications
Semi gloss clear wraps as well
CNC cutter looking thingy that cuts the stuff.

 

If you want to see wrap over primer, check out Paradox The Wrapper on the tube.
It is cheaper than paint, but looks it too.
The thing is, paint has always been expensive, it's just higher expectations now and the time and materials are climbing just like everything.
This started at just the materials, so I'll stop there.

 

Prep> how smooth is of super ,too how good paint looks when done. The cost of paint,no matter how much $ can't replace missing good prep.
The paint dose not have to be the $100+ a gal stuff,to look really good< but in many cases,car owner has the idea,he got to use some crazy cost paint{ It's what he was told,or set his hart on,for unknown whys.=Cost like that is often the excuses used,when telling others" I can't afford to paint my car"=just put it off BS really in most cases.= Then they blow as much $ or more on some primer {$ that could got a nice high gloss color} ,that primer starts to look bad in a short time/shows hand print or stains n often rust through.
I did another repaint of gloss black on my 28 about 10 years back,total cost of paint ,thinner,tape,paper $ under $150.

 

This is not a political statement. It is an economic one.

Every single complaint that all of you have is exactly the same one, but none of you want to admit it.

The experiences that you are having are a direct result of Capitalism.

That is all. It is nothing else.

 

Comparing a modern urethane paint/clear or comparing epoxy, urethane and polly primers to what was available 60 years ago seems odd.
You can still get enamel very close to the same price when adjusted to inflation.
Possibly slightly cheaper.
“Politics” really only affects the availability in some areas. The price is set by the market.
Guys here say modern base/clear looks goofy on old cars anyway.
Lacquer is hard to find. It looks great on a well kept car. I don’t won’t it on my newer cars. Folks aren’t polishing their cars every weekend.
EPA regulations are a reason but I’d bet the biggest reason you don’t see lacquer is we customers demand an easier to maintain and more durable product. Market response.
It mixed 50/50 so basically 1/2 of that material just floated away. Huge waste of $$$$


I’m glad the bulk of the lead is gone.

 

Im not going to Pebble Beach with any of my paint jobs…my hot rods always get used like a daily
my bodywork not worthy of high end products, im fine with much lower priced acrylic urethane or my last paint job $400 kit of polyurethane thats tough as nails for my sons truck. I never clear coat…

 

The high cost of a paint job does have a upside........It has increased our vocabulary to make words like ratrod and patina common words used at every level of society.

 

Boiled down it amounts to "someone wants, someone pays".

 

Both of which, should go away...

 

That can explain a paint job, but doesn’t explain the actual cost per unit at a paint supplier.

 

I already explained it.

It's the same reason that $37 in materials, and $18 in labor makes a mattress the price of a used car.

 

Agreed.......

 

I have used Eastwood acrylic enamel with a hardener, with very good results, just lay it on, take your time cut and buff and you'd have a very decent paint job that you could be proud of, are you going to win The Riddler of course not!

 

You can say that about pretty much any catalyzed acrylic enamel paint today.

As for the more expensive paints...maybe you get what you pay for, if you're looking for a really nice color. I bought a new car last year, the only option it has is metallic red paint, which cost $1225 more than the "normal" colors. It was worth the money, to me.

 

probably for the best that it's not the same formula. Knew some guys that were former painters that GM in Oshawa, or private that plied their trade in the 60's to 80's. Key word here is knew. Whatever was in the paint then, it ate their lungs alive.

 

Today paint is even worse. The difference is we know that now so people hopefully use the proper protection when using it.

 

In my dad's shop, in the late 60's, we painted a lot of cars for the local car lots, high school kids, or anyone looking for a cheap paint job. We used Dulux enamel (from the Napa store) and always saved whatever was left from every job. We stored the paint and sorted it by color. If someone came in looking for a really cheap paint job, we'd offer to mix the left-over paint, but they had to be happy with whatever we came up with. Total cost out the door for these "fine" paint jobs ranged from $50 (wash, sanded-ish, some taping and mixed paint) to maybe $250 for a real quality effort. I was dad's chief body man at 15, if that tells you anything. He rarely paid my brother and I, and mom did most of the masking tape. LOL

 

Its a scam. EPA bribe money

Plus you gotta pay for all the "Warning: May Cause Cancer in California" printing and stickers

 

While briefly living in Hawaii in '84, prepped n painted the landlords boat for my rent. I used Isocyanate marine paint and painted it in an old shed using only a dust mask. My nose burned for about two weeks, very stupid of me.

 

I been doing PDR since 94 you can PDR repainted cars the problem is the younger guys won't take the time to hone there craft it's much easier to glue and tap witch can't be done on a repaint and yes PDR can be done on a wrapped car I have done it. The problem with a wrap is the body has to be straight wraps show everything.