How did you get your project painted?

I know this is kind of an odd question but i've always wondered how you guys are getting your projects painted.I'm getting close to finishing my project and it needs a little bit of minor bodywork and a nice solid color paint job but i'm hearing some pretty high numbers when I ask around here locally ($6-7k) and I just cant see myself dropping that kind of cash on it. I know it sounds like an oxy-moron after dropping almost $4k on a set of Intros and tires and almost $5k on a stereo system but I guess money was easier to come by a few years back?I'm seeing alot of projects out there these days that are completed with nice paint jobs and I know i'm not the only one who cant come up with that much money for a paint job so i'm curious as to how you guys are getting it done.Is there anybody in the Northwest area that could do the job for a more reasonable price or should I just go grab a case of Krylon and spray the shit out of it myself? HAHA the krylon was just a joke.

I've got a garage, an 80 gallon compressor, a nice comfy house and I can cook good if one of you painters out there are up to travel and hook a brother up with a good deal??? I figured it wouldn't hurt to throw that out there.

im a custom body and paint guy by trade so i do all my own work. saves me alot of money haha

I only talked to one painter & the quote was $7,000 to $12,000.
All the prep is timely=$$$$, & no shop will guarantee any work over your prep!
So I did by own first time in 2007 & again in 2011.
Even if you do it your self the products are costly,use good quality products !
I spent easily $3,000 on material each time!

I do all mine myself since i do it for a living. People usually dont factor in labor rate and matiral cost so they are usually shocked when they hear the bid.

Doing it yourself is your best bet.... just please do not spray out of a garage or "makeshift booth". Lol you will regret having to wetsand and buff the whole thing due to dirt and shit in the clear....do all the prep at the shop if you feel confident enough than rent a Booth.. that's what I'm doing and it saves a ton of money

Edited: 11/21/2012 1:35:00 AM by bagged95s10

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LoWpSi said:

Doing it yourself is your best bet.... just please do not spray out of a garage or "makeshift booth". Lol you will regret having to wetsand and buff the whole thing due to dirt and shit in the clear....do all the prep at the shop if you feel confident enough than rent a Booth.. that's what I'm doing and it saves a ton of money

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a booth is not needed, plenty of show quality paint jobs are done in garages, or open shop floors, ive done em myself. Sure its nice but its an added cost for some one on a budget.. As long as you got a good comp, dryer and a clean sealed enviroment no problems. knowing how to paint helps too..

I have never understood why people are willing to pay $4-5K on rims & tires OR stereo but then have sticker shock when they price out paint... Especially when the PAINT is the First thing anyone sees when they look at your vehicle. Paint IS expensive. I think that's why I see so many people get a slammin' suspension set-up and then run primer for years. They blew all their money on suspension and wheels and now can't afford the paint.

That being said, I agree and understand paint does account for a major cost of any build. Finishing off your masterpiece can be tough especially in this economy. I'd recommend a few routes you can take:

1) Some Tech schools offer classes for paint and body and will let you work on your own stuff. So while you learn the trade you can also get your project painted. I had a friend do that because it cost way less than having his car painted by a shop. On the flip-side, maybe you could contact some schools and see if they would include your vehicle as a school project?

2) The resourceful builders out there will continue to look for 'deals' by talking to friends and of course collecting multiple bids from shops. Some finished show vehicles were painted through friends who "knew a guy" kinda' situations.

3) That leads to this point, there's a lot of shade-tree painters who will undercut shop prices and in some cases can do a decent job for you. But you gotta' really hunt for those guys. Better than going the Krylon route at least.

4) Don't rule out bartering as a means of getting a paint job either. If you are skilled at putting up fences, installing gutters, or whatever, I'm sure some painter somewhere will trade with you. You may get out with just covering material cost. (Which is still expensive.) Hell, I had practically my entire basement finished by bartering paint services.

5) My last thought is maybe getting a sponsorship? Some shops are hungry to put stuff in shows or magazines with the understanding that they will get plugged at any chance you get. You may not get a 'free' paint job but maybe they can offer you a discount in exchange for putting their logo on your vehicle or something.

I know this was long but I'm sure many have had this question. Good luck in getting your project painted.

Thanks for all the great information on this topic. I got my suspension all done in 08 (4 years ago) and been working on it every since. My wife lets me do one major thing per year, I've already got my item I want done next spring, get a new optima battery holder and battery and get ALL my wiring cleaned up and done and the following Spring (2014) I am going to be ready for body work and paint. I have done a little bit of research around here and have not had much luck, I have a feeling I may have to let the truck go out of town somewhere to get it done the way I want, definitly want someone who has a passion for Mini Trucks and not just another job to be done. I have been trying to do everything in complete sections and as much as I can myself. I donre quite a bit of Billet Specialties accessories over the last few months. This site and the work I see people doing is a great inspiration. Getting body work and paint done seems to be a big hurdle we all have to jump through.

yeah paint gets costly , but im sure you could find someone to give you a deal , im gonna start at uti monday for body and paint , so ill soon hav the skills to paint my own truck and make a living with it , so i would say see if someone would trade out susp work for paint or something you are good at and someone else is not good at