Painting the Burb

[Manatee Poacher]

Hi guys,

I'm contemplating having my rig re-painted, and I'm curious what I can expect to pay for a beast this big. I tried some forum searches but didn't quite find what I was looking for.

There are about a half dozen small rust bubbles total between the 2 driver side fender wells, and I want to change the mirrors so there will be 3 holes to fill on each door.

It's very straight, minus a small dent in the tailgate so there isn't a lot of body work to be done, but the last owner went all Earl Scheib over the original paint so it is flaking off in places, which I assume means a fair amount of sanding.

I'm not looking for a 10 point restoration paint job, but I want it done right and want it to last a long time. I'm looking to bring it back to its factory green color, so the door jambs and dash won't need painting.

Is a budget of $5,000 realistic, or am I going to be looking at more?

I have no experience with auto painting and want to have a good idea of what to expect. I appreciate any input you have. Thanks!

[flashed]

I think you will be shocked at the real cost of paint and bodywork ,it aint cheap .Im thinking about double your budget .I hope Im wrong but Im wishing you the best of luck .My truck just recently came home from a frame off resto that took 3 years but I got a great deal on mine as Im a repeat customer but it was still not cheap.

[vectorit]

Originally Posted by flashed

I think you will be shocked at the real cost of paint and bodywork ,it aint cheap .Im thinking about double your budget .I hope Im wrong but Im wishing you the best of luck .My truck just recently came home from a frame off resto that took 3 years but I got a great deal on mine as Im a repeat customer but it was still not cheap.

X2

When I did the paint and body on my burb back in the late 1990's, it cost me close to 10 grand... That was a full paint job inside and out, with body work, and rust repair.

[WH0DAMAN]

With the vehicle already having an Earl Schieb paint job it would need to stripped to bare metal. Your paint job is only as good as what is underneath it. I guarantee it will need rocker panels & some other rust repair. You are looking at a minimum of $10,000.00. One reason paint jobs cost so much is the materials. You can buy a gallon of really good house paint for $30-$50.00

Our most expensive toner is in the red variety and my cost is $1300.00 per gallon. This does not include reducer & hardener (another $400.00 per gallon) and Clear Coat (another $350.00 per gallon). Good primer is $300.00 per gallon. Add a trained professional to paint the thing and a good spray booth and you have some hefty overhead.

[Manatee Poacher]

Thanks for the info guys, looks like I need to scrape together a few more pennies first!

[Manatee Poacher]

Well, we finally got ol' Clementine off to the paint shop, they're in the process of sanding her down, getting rid of the Earl Scheib white job. No more Moby Dick.

Rust is about what I expected, they had cut and weld a few new pieces around the driver side rear fender well. The only remaining mystery is what kind of shape the lift gate is in, keeping my fingers crossed.

The right rear corner was messed up, they had about 1/2" of bondo to smooth it out, plus mounted a swing-out spare by drilling a couple of holes through the sheet metal for nut's and bolts.

[taylorbg]

If you don't mind sharing, what does the estimate look like? Did you have to blow that 5k budget up?

[vectorit]

Cool! So it looks like you found a place to do your burb body/paint at a cost you can afford, what color are you planning to paint the ol' girl?

[Manatee Poacher]

We're going back to factory 504 Medium Olive. Baby **** green.

The interior paint is still in great shape so they're only going as far as the door jambs. Rep[lacing all weather stripping and window seals, brand new trim and emblems as well. Also having the windows taken out and tinted.

Vectorit's esimate was correct, we're going to be well north of 10k when all is said and done. I expect we'll approach 15.

You all know how it is with these old beasts, one thing leads to another. If we're spending the money we want it done right so it lasts. I'm lucky enough to have a woman who's on the same page and into it, and our operating theory is that even if we wind up 30 large into the truck to get it the way we want, it's still cheaper and a hell of a lot cooler than buying a new one. It's easier to justify when you think about it that way.

[60sIron]

Looking great! Had mine painted about 19 years ago at Macco. I stripped it down and did the minor body work. Had an ad from the paper for half off. I believe it cost me a little over $1000. It came out beautiful! Paint looks like toast now. I don't know if I have the energy to do it again....... It needs a lot more body work this time around.

[engairuph]

I'm in the middle of my 69 and I'm at $6200. Looking to finish around $15000 and just replacing fenders and hood. Just how straight your looking for and color $$$$

[Manatee Poacher]

Got the first few coats done, she's starting to look pretty good!

[vectorit]

Awesome!
Looks great from here.

[rjsdad]

Looks great!

[Bigdav160]

Looks great. Same color that my Burb' is suppose to be

[Manatee Poacher]

Almost there, just waiting on the arrival of the upper trim from the restoration guy, then upper and lower trim sets will be installed and she'll be done! Pictures don't do any justice, she looks fantastic up close.

Once this is all done, it's off to the suspension shop. Currently riding on 3" blocks, we want a legit 3" suspension lift.

[Advanced Design]

Wow, the Burb looks really nice!

[RedRoad]

BEAUTIFUL!

What is your rim/tire combo?

[pwdcougar]

Nice!

[60sIron]

Sweet!

[Juiced06GTO]

That looks awesome!

[ls1nova71]

Man, that's nice! Are you putting lower trim on it? I don't see any holes, so don't scratch it drilling them if you are adding the trim. And one other thing, your Chevy emblem in the grill appears to be upside down. There's a grill hanging on the wall at Classic Parts of America that has the emblem on like that and it bugs me every time I go in there!

[invicta455]

Nice

[Manatee Poacher]

They're 17" rims....285 70R17 so something around a 33" tire I guess that makes it? Not sure how wide the rims are.


We're doing both upper and lower trim, letting the paint shop handle all that. They scratch it, they fix it. Leave it to the pros. I'll screw around with the interior myself all day long, but with the $$ we have in the paint no way I'm touching it!

[Mr. D]

Really nice looking burb. Love the color!
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