How much have you guys paid for a paint job??

Well its getting to that stage now on BAD. She's been stripped to a shell, every bit of rust has been cut out, filled and shaped. The sills are modifed & strenghtened with box steel - as per Richard Preeces car (best modified last year @ National). The engine is out, the turrets have had the rust cut out and replaced and the doors have been professionally repaired by Nick @p1x and are up to top coat spec. What is needed now is to get the body flat from say 80 grade up to 800 then a lovely top coat in black. I read about a company local to me in Malvern called G&R classics and had the guy come out and quote me. Plus vat and paint it was something in the region of £5250.

Unfortunately the mechanicals could be going better. The turbo turned out to be knacked (£700 for a new hybrid turbo technic job) and now that I've taken the inlet/exhaust manifold off I've found a lot of oil in one of the exhaust ports. I've been told its the faulty turbo but to be honest if its engine probs and I don't strip it down, I'll kick myself - (engine was rebuilt 2500 miles by a specialist and I ran it in very gently on standard boost with two oil changes!)

Big bills I can see. But considering my job makes me work day and night, I'm determined to have a reward in getting BAD back on the road for the 2010 National. What are your thoughts??

seems very high to me and wont add 5k to value of car for sure

If you've done all the structural repairs and all thats needed is a final fill and flat, then I would say £2k - £2.5k should get you a really nice job with a good chance of it lasting. Your first quote seems more like a drive in and drive away later with the painter doing all the stripping of trim and refitting. Shop around Rob and maybe a look in Practical Classics mag might be worth a go

Rob

With all the work you ve done on your car a good quality paint job costs but is the cherry on the cake. I know you have seen the paint job on my Lido and it cost 5.5k.

My blue 1500 has been re painted but when you look closely its got a few little runs here and there and there is lots of orange peel and a bit over use of the lacquer.

For the price you have been quoted I would expect a top pro job. For instance good preperation and not rushed between coats allowing the solvents to evaporate between primer and top coats. Most of the labour is in the prep if you can do much of it then the cost should come down.

Best of luck with it

Yes Les, your paint job is the best I have seen in 12 years of being an exxie nutter. Im not really interested in adding value to the car. I bought BAD when I was 16, I loved driving her with L plates on and commuting to college everyday was fantastic. Ten years on I just think she deserves to look stunning. For the time and money thats been spent on her I could have easily got an elise - but its more than that. Its the way the car makes you feel when driving it, its the looks and its the great people in this club which make X ownership a pleasure - and for me, these classic lines look better than anything else on the road.



Les you should have popped in for a coffee and a kick of the tyres when you were picking up your Gran Finale. If i'm right and the seller was a guy called Aid?? - he flagged me down one summers day when I was in my old 1300. He was amazed to see one, said he had been offered a mica blue one and the rest is history!