Paint shop jail! Should I bail?

[Twisted_Metal]

Have faith… Everything may turn out perfectly fine.

And I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.

You’ve been patient and trusted him long enough.

It’s time to bring the car home and out of this bad situation which has the potential to get even worse.

 

[RickM]

5K for a paint job was your first clue!

Thats about what I paid for my paint job. But I had stripped the car before my painter got it. I was in paint jail for almost 20 months!
And yes my painter went out of business after he finished my car. But he did get it done and I was thankful for it. And he did use PPG products and no, it was not the ShopLine stuff, I actually bought the better PPG clear that he used.
Getting our cars painted, if you dont do it yourself, is by far the worst part of this hobby.
Oh and yes you need to bail.

 

[McCune]

I am sorry but 5K and 60 days is a bait and switch! I paid less than 2K for my body and paint but that was 1987.

 

[70-camaro]

You better take some friends and load up. Unannounced! Before I took my car to paint I gutted the interior ,removed radiator, all trim , lights and lenses. I even taped off from the inside the taillight openings,rear marker lights, vents, covered the dash. I even removed the horns and anything bolted to the radiator support. I covered the carb with a pair of plastic grocery bags then the air breather with a garbage bag. Then the engine and A arms with blanket's. I didn't want to chance losing any parts. That dust will get every where as you have seen.

 

[SPG]

I am sorry but 5K and 60 days is a bait and switch! I paid less than 2K for my body and paint but that was 1987.

In today dollars that would be about $5200
so sounds like you paid the same price

 

[McCune]

I today dollars that would be about $5200
so sounds like you paid the same price

I guess so. I stand corrected. 5k is the going price for a paint job on a 2nd Gen.

 

[xten]

If you haven't already, get it out of there. As mentioned, unannounced.
Customer wanted us to do his 67 Formula convertible. We declined. Needed everything. He took it to a local "restoration" shop that was highly recommended by reviews on the web. It was there over 3 years and things went south in that time, including problems with help (not getting paid) and a divorce. He was the only one that ever drove the car under it's own power. Worked for GM, and "played hooky" from work, and drove his car off the assembly line. Brought his two babies home from the hospital in this Firebird, so this car meant a lot to him. When he got there, luckily it was painted and partially assembled. They took his NOS parts and sold them, replaced them with A/M. The Dept of Revenue was there to padlock the place, so he was fortunate to get it back and avoid all the ensuing problems. It was a mess. Doors would not close and were ratchet strapped closed. Subframe was in crooked and holes were drilled in the frame rails to bolt rad support in.
Materials to paint a car nowadays? I bought 2 tints for my mixing bank yesterday. PPG DBC. $930.37. That's just to mix base.
Cut your losses and move on. Go to car shows and talk to owners with nice paint jobs. They'll be more than happy to give you the skinny on who painted their cars, good and bad.

 

[Bandit723]

PPG DBC. $930.37

PPG's DBC is expensive. I redid my door hinges couple of years back and went with this DBC torch red (1 pint) and a quart of reducer and epoxy and clear it cost me 600 bucks.

 

[80sz]

Sorry but time is up and you see the red flags. Go get your car, 5000 is a steal!!!!no ones doing a complete for that, half of it is material

 

[badazz81z28]

I guess so. I stand corrected. 5k is the going price for a paint job on a 2nd Gen.

I think it depends on what you want. Many here compare a cost of a shop to your personal cost. Buying a gallon of this and a gallon of that that or a roll of this from Summit Racing is going to cost more than a professional shop who buys in bulk and has a mix system. Plus there is a difference in cost when you spray a million coats of paint and clear vs the cost of single stage. Lots of variables to include location. Alabama is the lowest cost of living I have experienced. I would not question the painters integrity, he probably does have life going on. When you are a side or buddy deal, you usually have to deal with delays. Took a shop in Alabama 5 months to paint my spray trunk. Cost me $100, sprayed my filler panel for free due to the wait.