Approx. price for decent paint job

[Tempest]

I have a 99 Ranger and the paint is comming off in several spots. This has been going on for a while and I am looking to get it fixed. "Fixed" could be either a total repaint or just fixing the bad areas.

The fact that this is in several areas and on different panels makes me think the base paint is just shot.

The truck is factory white and that is all I want it to be. There are minor rock dings which I don't care about fixing.

Any ideas on a pricing range, thanks?

 

[DuckRyder]

If it is coming off it needs to be stripped.

Also depends on your definition of decent but 1500-2000 is going to be a starting point.

 

[97prizm]

My friends 2000 ranger has the same problem. He went to ford but they said due to it not being in warranty they won't touch it. Many Ford rangers have this same problem.

 

[stephen9666]

You'll have to find a body shop that's friendly to car guys, which might be difficult. When I was looking for a repaint several years ago, most shops wouldn't even consider it. They only wanted to do insurance work.

 

[mrsilv04]

From what you state, I'd think that you'd be a good candidate for Maaco... Sand down the bad spots, fill in with some primer, and hit it with white enamel.

 

[JHZR2]

Two options:

Find a good, small shop that isnt a corporate ripoff insurance type operation and get a price to do it with you as the payer. Make sure that there is PLENTY of prep, as that's where the cost really lies.

Use MAACO for the painting, but strip the whole vehicle yourself, and ensure that they have charged the right amount of time for preparation.

What Im assuming that you dont want is a masking taped off paint job...

 

[Tempest]

I'd like to have a nice paint job but it's a 13 year old daily driver so I'm not looking for showroom quality, just something that will look decent and not peal off in a few months (lots of heat here as well).

There is a place down the street from my work that is advertising $400 repaint but that sound mighty low.

I've never had any paint work done to a car so I'm trying to get some options and pricing before I start looking around.

 

[JHZR2]

$400 will be a basic mask it off and scuff it with a scotch brite job.

A half-decent paint job will cost $2000 or more, with them going as high as the moon.

The more stuff you can pull off (lights, bumper, etc), the less that gets masked, the better the job looks. If they are allotted a certain amount of time for a certain amount of money, it means they can do the surface prep more, which will effect the look of the paint job and its longevity.

 

[tonycarguy]

I've seen those $400 Maaco paint jobs. They just tape off the windows and trim then spray the car with paint. Really sloppy job. You can even see specks of dust embedded on the paint.

For paint to be peeling off a 13 year old car, it must be in a pretty harsh climate. A $400 paint job will probably fail in a year under those conditions

 

[tonycarguy]

Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
From what you state, I'd think that you'd be a good candidate for Maaco... Sand down the bad spots, fill in with some primer, and hit it with white enamel.


Repainting a car with failing paint is just gonna cause the new paint to fail shortly. The old paint will eventually peel off, taking the new paint with it.

I'd spend the $400 toward the purchase of another car

 

[tbm3fan]

You say the paint is coming off. Do you mean all the paint down to bare metal or the clear coat is failing exposing the base coat? Two different scenarios to work with.

 

[MarkM66]

How nice of a job do you want?

I bought a beater S10 about 7 years ago, and had Maaco do their cheapest $250 paint job on it. For the price, it looks good to me. It sits outside year round, and is still holding up. It'll shine if I wax it,

.

 

[mrsilv04]

Originally Posted By: tonycarguy
Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
From what you state, I'd think that you'd be a good candidate for Maaco... Sand down the bad spots, fill in with some primer, and hit it with white enamel.


Repainting a car with failing paint is just gonna cause the new paint to fail shortly. The old paint will eventually peel off, taking the new paint with it.

I'd spend the $400 toward the purchase of another car


Must I explain what I meant when I wrote "sand down the bad spots"...?

 

[Mr Nice]

Pictures would be helpful.

 

[jim302]

On a 13 year old vehicle I would probably try one of the Rust-Oleum paint jobs that has been discussed here and in various other forums. Not sure how well it would hold up over the long term, but it would be relatively easy (and cheap!) to touch up if required. The cost of a proper paint job is most likely not worth it.

On the other hand, I guess it really depends on how you want it to look and how long you plan to keep the truck.

 

[Kruse]

Check a local vocational/technical auto body school to see if they will work on customer's cars. There are some local ones here that take their time, but do excellent work.

 

[eljefino]

You have the perfect candidate for a maaco job. Not many intricate curves or creases on a Ranger's body panels. Here in snow country they run a $275 winter special every winter all winter. Do you still have Earl Scheibs out west?

Sand it before hand. Vegas won't rust so if you ding some of the zinc primer by sanding too hard, who cares? For all we know the body is "allergic" to that primer and would like to shed it anyway.

White covers many sins. You'll probably wind up with a flatter white that isn't as glossy as stock. Do you know the truck's history? Many "fleet whites" aren't even BC/CC.

 

[meep]

Basic white? you can purchase auto lacquer in white at local stores. I've used the black spray lacquer and it holds up well. It goes on very thin so you don't want a gritty sand paper and it will not hide flaws. and it runs easily. BUT IME the longevity beats spray enamel.

on a 13 year old truck, I'd start one body panel at a time. Hit it with 400-grit, maybe an orbital sander to make it easier. some creativity for paint-day dust control, and do it in sections. or if you are physically able, do the whole thing over a long weekend. 2 color 2 clear. If you have a couple of friends that can help sand, I think you'd be in business.

 

[Lyman]

I vote for the Maaco paint job and you do the prep. It doesn't sound like you are trying to win any car show trophies. So why go with a high dollar paint job.

 

[zzyzzx]

Originally Posted By: jim302
On a 13 year old vehicle I would probably try one of the Rust-Oleum paint jobs that has been discussed here and in various other forums. Not sure how well it would hold up over the long term, but it would be relatively easy (and cheap!) to touch up if required. The cost of a proper paint job is most likely not worth it.


I painted my car with Rustoleum more than 5 years ago. I used gloss black and a HF paint gun. Came out nice. It's faded now, but still way better than a MAACO paint job I had done on a previous car. Also, I parked this car outdoors and never waxed it.