Projects Looking for a reasonable painter in Southern California

I own a 1960 F100. I recently had the truck painted at a shop that was highly recommend. Initially, everything looked great, until he decided to move to Texas. I told him not to put any paint on the truck until all of the body work was done. Well, the last 2 weeks he was in a hurry and didn't finish the body work and he rushed the paint job. I am looking for a paint shop to finish the job for a reasonable price (not $10-15k). I need rust repair on the driver door corners, the driver cab corner, the passenger side kick panel, and finish work on the tailgate. The gaps could use some adjustment as well. The paint is thin in some areas, so I imagine the whole truck should be sanded down and resprayed. I am not looking for a show quality paint job. I just want nice driver quality paint and body. Any recommendations would be great. Thanks

 

what price range is reasonable to your budget? - can you do some of the work? - I have had a few cars worked on at a local MAACO Body & Paint shop with good results - but, have to be patient because the high production shops do not make the real money off working on old cars - usually work on it between other work - find some place like this close to you and get an estimate

 

where in so-cal are you

 

Yeah, it's a big place. Narrowing it down some may help to get you someone in your area.

 

A friend had a similar situation down here on a 54 Chevy P/U, needed the body work finished and a complete paint job.....$8,000. You don't find too many painters that will do the body and metal work.

 

I am not looking for a show quality paint job. I just want nice driver quality paint and body.

Nobody EVER is...lol

 

For your price range there are several in the Valley that can do a good job. Where are you?

 

Jumping in here, I'm also looking for a painter in the so cal area. Los Angeles / Orange County area.
Any recommendations?

 

Looks like the OP has a "reasonable" price in mind. Just what would that be to do rust repair on both doors, both cab corners, and it sounds like the floor also? Then straighten out the tailgate, make everything fit, and then paint the whole thing. Just what would be reasonable here, dollarwise? I suppose that question is probably worthy of it's own thread.

 

I don't know about California, but in Florida there are very few shops that will even do metal work.
That's what keeps me busy. They all want to do collision and blend jobs. No money in overall paint jobs unless you get really high end . You may have to find a real body man who will do the metal work and then another shop to do the paint.
Without seeing your truck it sounds like about a 5 to 6,000 dollar job plus materials. It cost about a thousand bucks for materials to one anymore. By the time you add all the little things like tape and paper and filler and sandpaper etc. Not counting the cost of decent quality paint.
I was watching one of those tv reality shows and they weighed the filler every time they mixed up a batch and charged by the ounce for it. They said it was for inventory control. Somebody must be filling their lunch pail with bondo and taking it home.

 

X2 on shops not doing rust repair (metal work). A friend of mine owns a body shop, since he's been in business he has been sued only twice. In both instances it was a rust repair job that the rust returned after a period of time. As a result he no longer will take on any rust repair jobs. He'd much rather replace a Toyota Corolla fender on an insurance claim.

Gary

 

Do it yourself, a home paint booth is easy to set up and good equipment is easy to get.
It's a good opportunity to learn.
I did my own on my RPU project, so far so good.

 

If you can't do the work yourself and don't need it for a daily driver. Check with a vocational school or a prison body shop program. The labor is free and you get a discount on supplies.
My brother bought a 59 Chevy step side that had been rebuilt by an Arkansas prison program and it was not perfect , but he drove it 15 years and put 200,000 miles on it. The truck looked good when he bought it and stayed that until a lady pulled out in front of him and he rolled it avoiding her.

 

X's 2. My friends have had good luck with MAACO.

 

Most shops charge $100/hr. So, 100 hours is $10,000. Do you honestly think they can do all you ask in less than 100 hours? That is only 1 guy working for 2-3 weeks by himself. Honestly, you can't get much done for that amount of money anymore, because it isn't that much time.

 

^^^^^^ this. If you have never done body or paint work you wouldn't understand how much time is involved. Everybody wants driver quality paint work until it is done and then it is never good enough. No I do not do bodywork or paint for a living and I wouldn't want to.

 

Define reasonable? Define "driver quality"?

 

I have buddy who runs the ROP auto body shop in Riverside. Sometimes and I do mean sometimes, he will take in a project to raise money for his class.

He has been burned on deals a few times and even I am hesitant to ask him to do something. But if it is more worth his while, he might do it for you.

His work is #1.



Sent from my SM-G930T using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

there you go . Take flathead Dave up that proposition.
I am retired and don't charge a $100 bucks an hour, but I do see that what I charge is too cheap.
I mostly do it to help buy parts for my race car I am building and I like to do it.

 

Who would you recommend in the Valley? PM me please if you don't want to post specifics to this thread.

 

Hi looking for a decent painter in la area that won't break the bank.
Thanks
Mark

 

Sometimes the local car dealerships will allow the paint and body shop guys to do work on the side, after the normal work day or on the weekends. Can you check with some dealerships in your area?

 

Painters I know won't touch it someone else did the bodywork because of any suprises that appear.....

 

People ask for Driver paint, get driver paint then complain its not good enough--- fight starts

 

55styleliner has it right. $100 an hour is a fair price for decent paint and body work. Finding some one to shoot paint over someone elses body work is going to be hard to find. If you can't do the work yourself 10K is probably close to the going rate. The car in my avatar the 60 Pontiac has way more then 100 hours in the body work and paint.

 

I have found if you cut off all the rusty bits and toss them in the trash there is no way for it to come back.

 

people like to talk about a "driver quality paint job" when what they mean is driver quality body work.

 

I taught HS Auto Shop for many years. You learn to get picky in a hurry. "This is a great opportunity for your students. It's not really worth $$$$, but if you can _ _ _ _ _. Oh, and what's my discount on parts?" "Well if it's not worth $$$$, why would we? If you don't like full price on parts, you can go elsewhere and pay for labor too." Not to say we didn't help out a lot of people who came with the right attitude. Students absolutely got a discount on parts. Any payments for labor were taken in enough donuts or cookies for all the students.

 

Best of luck in your quest.

 

It may help you to find an auto body shop to just do the rust/dent fixes first. Then have the paint stayed by some that just does finishing and the lighter topcoat fixes.