Is there a good way to know if a paint shop does quality work?

Any ways to reduce cost of a paint job?

I have alot of surface rust, good ways to remove before taking it to get painted to reduce cost?

Thanks!

 

Theres a sub forum for paint.. go check it out..lots of good info there

I have taken three trucks to bare metal in the last several months and Im doing one right now

There are pros and cons of stripping methods and dependant upon how far you want to take the restoration

frame off.. or just a repaint
Current condition? .. since you already have surface rust you can;
Mechanically strip.. sandpaper etc
Chemically dip.... expensive.. requires good quality redo with primers etc.. including hidden spaces
Blast.. soda.. media.. sand... sand is cheapest but also takes the most work to rehab from,, I spent three hours blowing out my supercab and am still not done.. and purists dont like it because of the work it takes to get the metal back to show quality

Etching primer? 2k systems? Enamel.. poly... water...clearcoats... one shot... if these terms are not familiar to you do some research

Good quality paint is expensive... upwards of 100.00 per gallon.. a really good basic paint job in restoration would start at 5k on our trucks
There is a reason macco is cheap.. sand and spray.. and overspray.. and failure to mask stuff off or take stuff apart,,,

You can successfully home spray your truck for around 5-750 dollars if you work diligently and are careful.. this would give you a clean but not show quality finish... which is what I do on my trucks.. because they are drivers and road warriors


Have fun.. maybe you could find a college with auto body classes that might take your truck on as a project

Good quality paint shows... very straight finish.. no imperfections.. equal shine.. no dust in the paint.. looks like glass... has a good warranty.. name brand paint.. PPG etc

 

Thanks for the info!

 

Do's:

Do remove everything you can do get better paint coverage. Why pay $80 an hour when it is something you can do? Remove the bumpers, trim, mouldings, mirrors, marker lights, tail lights/housings, grill inserts, grill shells, antenna, door handles, and anything else that is easily removable and will not be painted. Masking jobs by most bodyshops is usually pretty sloppy and not as careful as if you were doing the masking.

Do a thorough wash-job after removing the above BEFORE turning it in. The more it appears that you care for your rig, then the shop is more likely to respect your property. Scrub every cranny with a Scotchbrite pad and vacuum the interior. There'll be less chance of a spray gun blowing dirt out of some cranny and ending up on your fresh color.

Do bag and ziptie light harnesses left loose from the above steps. It'll keep the primer and color off the bulbs and wiring.

Do keep the tail lights mounted and one side view mirror to be somewhat street legal. You can leave the headlights and buckets installed. Remove the tail lights and side view mirror when you get to the shop. Bag and ziptie the loose pigtails.

Do buy a set of body gaskets/seals for when it is reassembled. Fresh lenses also make a world of difference....It's like putting on a clean pair of socks.

Do budget a 25 percent overage on the quoted cost. There's all sorts of lil things that can crop up at the body shop. For example, my Pontiac's bodywork became more extensive because they started tracing the rust.... from the rear end to the wheel arch. That was an extra grand to fix cuz the whole quarter panel needed work.

Do have a detailed work order specifying exactly what you want done and what they will do.

Do call the bodyshop ahead of time if you're gonna stop by to see the progress.

Do ask questions. If they don't feel like answering them or act as if you're an inconvenience or are a hassle, then take your business (and money) elsewhere.

Do inspect the bodyshop you're hiring. The cleanliness of the shop, especially the paint booth, is indicative of their overall attention to detail.

Do install a set of roller wheels and tires that you don't mind getting overspray on.

Do be flexible on a completion date. Shops working towards hard and fast deadlines sometimes results in hurried (and shoddy) work.

Do remove a couple of bed bolts and loosen the other bed bolts' nuts. Remember to tell 'em their loose. The shop will thank you for your consideration. You are removing the bed to have shoot the back of the cab and front of the bed, right? Right.

Do get to know the shop supervisor or foreman and take a look at what other projects they are working on.

Do keep track of your paint code. An OEM color is easiest to match wherever you go.. plus touch-up paint is only an auto parts store away.

Dont's:

Don't be a pest by calling every day, hour, or whatever.

Don't leave the cost open. Some guys I know go have signed off on time and materials and have gotten reamed. Have a signed quote in hand for the work that is specified on the work order. And that any change is subject to your approval. Before signing off on the extra work, go to the shop to do a firsthand inspection of what is causing the extra work. Get a change-order recorded and a written quote. Documentation is important!!!

Don't wash or wax the rig for at least a month or whatever period the painter tells you. Though dry, the paint really needs to cure and outgas thoroughly.

 

Ask shop for pics and references, a good shop will tell you exactly what process they will do and what materials, a quality shop will offer a good warranty, and cheap work ain't good and good work ain't cheap. I've gotten a number of quotes Some as cheap as1800 Which obviously ain't a quality job because that's barely enough or maybe not even enough for materials, I've also gotten some that start at 10-15 K, so you obviously know what quality of a job that will be and is backed up by a lifetime warranty.

Reduced cost= reduced quality

Most quality painters are going to go over what you do anyways so...