Paint Estimate

[TexasDuck66]

Hey there, I've been a avid fan of 1st and 2nd Gen Rangers for a while now. I got rid of my 88' 2WD Auto a few months ago in hopes of finding a nice 4x4 '5 Speed 83-92 model Ranger. I finally found one, a single cab 83' with the 2.3L, 4x4, '4 Speed Manual. The interior has been redone to black and outside is currently primer but is ready to be painted.

I absolutely loved Ford Medium Regatta Blue on my old Ranger along with the trim it had running along the bottom of the truck. Does anyone know how much it would cost to get this same paint job on another 80s model Ranger?

 

[Blmpkn]

Price will vary wildly depending where you go. Maaco might tell you 800$, the high end resto shop might tell you 9,500$.

 

[Uncle Gump]

I moved this to the paint forum...

I'm not sure what it would cost... but they sure don't give that stuff away.

 

[Shran]

^ agreed. Actually $9500 is probably on the low end of restoration shops... I have seen a couple trucks that had $20,000 of paint alone plus many, many hours of labor on top of that.

The main thing will be how much prep is needed before the shop can spray it. Is that primer actual automotive grade stuff or was it shot out of a spray paint can? Is it over the top of another paint job or was the truck taken down to bare steel? Dings, dents, bondo? They are never "ready to paint", even if it's quality 2k primer that was applied correctly, you've driven it so there's going to be bugs, road grime, etc all over it. Your body guy will have some time invested in getting it prepped his way plus masking things off and probably shooting a sealer coat before the actual paint.

I would guess that you are probably looking at a minimum of $5000 in a best case scenario with cheap paint. If you want quality products that will last it just goes up from there.

 

[TexasDuck66]

I moved this to the paint forum...

I'm not sure what it would cost... but they sure don't give that stuff away.

My bad, I don't use these forums that often lol.

 

[Cees Klumper]

That Ranger would cost me about $500 in paint and materials to paint in my garage. Plus a couple of days to sand, prime, sand, mask etc etc. The cost tends to be in the labor is my point. It's not difficult, but takes time. I never painted before last year but am now on my fourth car, and they come out great. $500 a piece.

 

[TexasDuck66]

That Ranger would cost me about $500 in paint and materials to paint in my garage. Plus a couple of days to sand, prime, sand, mask etc etc. The cost tends to be in the labor is my point. It's not difficult, but takes time. I never painted before last year but am now on my fourth car, and they come out great. $500 a piece.

Where are you located?

 

[Cees Klumper]

I am in California but the costs are the same across the US.
On my last project at the moment, a '68 Triumph Spitfire, painting it today and tomorrow. Gallon of midnight blue paint plus hardener was $230 delivered.

 

[Eddo Rogue]

+1 on the widely varies. The color doesn't matter, the prep work and application of the paint is what's costly. When done right, the actual painting is the easy part. Even with a straight and rust free body, it is a lot of work and skill. I would expect $3k-$5k for a paint job that will not win car shows, but is decent enough to not be embarrassed about later. At bare minimum they have should a spray booth, and those aren't cheap. Neither are decent spray guns, nor is skilled labor. A real paint job is many hours of both detail and labor intensive work. A $500 paint job will be shiny, but have lots of runs, bubbles, waves, overspray, and the dreaded orange peel.

 

[Shran]

That Ranger would cost me about $500 in paint and materials to paint in my garage. Plus a couple of days to sand, prime, sand, mask etc etc. The cost tends to be in the labor is my point. It's not difficult, but takes time. I never painted before last year but am now on my fourth car, and they come out great. $500 a piece.

500-230=270... ÷three 8 hour days equals 11.25/hour. That's assuming you have zero cost in sandpaper, tape, tools, PPE, electricity, etc. I don't know anyone who would paint cars for a living and do a good job at $11.25 an hour or less.

 

[Curious Hound]

Sounds like too much work. I let the machines do it. From clean, e-coated metal to finished, fully cured paint in about 2 hrs. 30 cars per hour on each line.

 

[Cees Klumper]

I think you may be missing my point. My $500 cost is for materials only: paint, sandpaper, primer, reducer, activator. I do all the work myself, and it's for my own cars and it's my hobby, so I don't (have to) count my labor. I have a day job, this is in my free time. I built a spray booth in my 2-car garage that's very effective, with intake and exhaust filters. I have a good quality ($350) Iwata paint gun. Compressor I bought used, $140. When I am done, including some color sanding and polishing, my paint jobs are close to perfect. No runs, sags, orange peel.
Point being, anyone with a decent garage and the will to study how it's done (tons of great Youtube videos of course, check out Eastwood's) can do this for themselves and get great results. But, of course, it takes time and if you need to have that done that costs the $$$. I probably spend a week (40 hours) easy on each job so at $25 an hour plus tax and whatever of course that will explain the difference.

 

[RobbieD]

Sounds like too much work. I let the machines do it. From clean, e-coated metal to finished, fully cured paint in about 2 hrs. 30 cars per hour on each line.

View attachment 71984

So why do they blindfold the elephants? Seems that they'd do a better job if they could see what they're painting.

 

[Curious Hound]

easy on each job so at $25 an hour plus tax and whatever of course that will explain the difference.

If you were working for a shop that paid you $25 per hour, they would have to charge the customer at least $50-$60 per hour minimum.

 

[Curious Hound]

So why do they blindfold the elephants?

To keep the paint out of their eyes.