How many labor hours for paint?, clueless Options

[TravisNeff]

I know this has been asked many times, and it is a subjective question - but here goes

I am stripping down my car for paint, removing decklids, engine tranny, bumpers, seals, lights, pulling wiring back and initially taking down the first layer of paint. The car is fairly straight.

How much labor hours in a guesstimate would it take for paint? painting trunks, jambs, maybe engine compartment in the same, stock light ivory color. And a guesstimate in color sanding as well.

[TravisNeff]

Ah, and painting the underside if the trunk lids, gas tank ventilation area, targa top, rockers, bumpers and valences (black).

there will be some bodywork to get any ripples or high/low spots out

[McMark]

Are you asking how much it's going to cost you? Or how long it's going to take you? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[GWN7]

Mark, don't you paint? You should be able to give him a estimate never having seen the car.....

Paint jobs are like sex (everything is like sex) either your getting it fast or your getting it right.

Too many variables to say how long it will take.
Your doing it all?
Having a it done for you?
How much and what type of equipment you have?

[eeyore]

For myself, I figure two days per panel for light metalwork/bondo, priming, sanding and another day per panel color sanding.

[azbill]

A friend of my is just completing a repaint of my '73. No color change. Took off all the lights, door handles, locks, windshield and rear glass out, bumpers, rocker panels. Sanded the car with 80 grit to remove all oxidized paint.

The outside skin was block sanded four times all the low spots were filled with body glaze. Gray primer/ sealer was applied once and blocked twice. Then black primer was applied and blocked with 140, 180 and 200 grit sandings. The hood had some issues. It was striped to bare metal and filled as needed.

Six coats of sunflower yellow and four clear coats. Color sanded twice and polished several times. As of today there is about 80 to 90 hours of labor and I started with a pretty nice tub. In the morning will be painting the black and starting to reassemble. I hope it will be completed on Sunday if not next week for sure.

All new rubber and window seals, rechromed bumpers and miscellanous parts and dudads to date the total cost has been in the neighborhood of $9,000. Next summer is the undercarrage. I think it will be a NICE 914. Will post pics when completed.
Azbill

[914GT]

Most of the time is in body work and prep, and whatever masking need to be done. It all depends on the condition of the car and how perfect you want to get it. But if all you want to know is the painting part, that goes fairly quick. Base coat/clear coat takes longer than single-stage. I'd estimate a couple hours to apply 2-3 coats of base on the outside panels, door jambs, trunks. and then about the same time for 2-3 coats of clear. You have to give enough time to setup between coats otherwise it'll get runs. Then you wait at least 12-18 hrs before you can color sand (using 2-component urethane clearcoat). I can color sand a whole 914 in 4 hours or so using an Airvantage DA sander with 1500 finishing film. Then probably at least 6 hours for buffing.

[Lou W]

azbill Posted on Nov 11 2004, 08:50 PM
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A friend of my is just completing a repaint of my '73. No color change. Took off all the lights, door handles, locks, windshield and rear glass out, bumpers, rocker panels. Sanded the car with 80 grit to remove all oxidized paint.

The outside skin was block sanded four times all the low spots were filled with body glaze. Gray primer/ sealer was applied once and blocked twice. Then black primer was applied and blocked with 140, 180 and 200 grit sandings. The hood had some issues. It was striped to bare metal and filled as needed.

Six coats of sunflower yellow and four clear coats. Color sanded twice and polished several times. As of today there is about 80 to 90 hours of labor and I started with a pretty nice tub. In the morning will be painting the black and starting to reassemble. I hope it will be completed on Sunday if not next week for sure.

All new rubber and window seals, rechromed bumpers and miscellanous parts and dudads to date the total cost has been in the neighborhood of $9,000. Next summer is the undercarrage. I think it will be a NICE 914. Will post pics when completed.
Azbill  

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/thisthreadisworthlesswithoutpics.gif)

[Brett W]

Are you a pro? If not it will take you a long time or it will look like crap. That is about the best way to put it.

80-90 hours is and low estimate for a good paint job by a pro. The more time you spend on it the better it will look. If you want a quicky call MAACO and get them to throw some color on it. Otherwise do it right and treat the 914 with the respect it deserves. A good paint job is one of those things that can make or break a project.

[redshift]

Howard?

[TravisNeff]

I am not asking how much it will cost, that is subjective to labor rates, paint costs etc. Just trying to get an estimate of how much labor is involved to help me make some descisions on what I will or won't do.

I am going to strip the tub as far as I can windows, trim, gas tank and ventilation. I am going to weld in a front trunk floor due to the A/C cutout, fill all the holes for the A/C hoses, fill side markers and antenna, patch 2 spots on the firewall, new engine shelf or patch the A/C cut. Grind down any surface rust and treat it. Put some 911 mirrors on it, flare out the rear fenders for 16x7 wheels. left rear corner of the front hood is bent from me dropping it, rear trunk lid and engine lid is being replaced since being trailered backwards and the trunk lid flew open (bad upper trunk pin) and bent up what I had. Do some chassis reinforcement (engman kit and whatever parts are needed from the rear chassis stiffy kit, brace trailing arms, reinforce pedal box- anyone have pics or instructions on that one?)

The car has been repainted one time and the paint is chipping off, actually I stripped 1/2 the car with a razor blade in about 3 hours down to the filler/primer coat (car paint shouldn't come off like that, no?). I can take it down to bare metal if required - depends on whatever painter I use wants me to do.

I would like a nice paint job, not a maaco job finish. I am gonna drive the car, not garage queen it. Hell I'd love to take it down to just the tub and paint everything - but again this is where I am asking for ideas on roundabout labor to see what is realistic. I would try painting the wheelwells and engine compartment, maybe even the trunks myself if there is tons of labor in just the outer paint. I would even try my hand at color sanding, if there is enough coats of paint for an amature to try. Just in parts alone I am at about 4-5grand right now, seals, bumper tops, used parts, new metal, lights, windshield, 5 lug conversion etc.

I see a lot of talk about getting a good paint job, that ends up costing around 5+ grand, then maaco jobs for a fraction of that, but not so much talk of what is inbetween.

AZ Bill, you are right down the street from me - I'd love to see your car and talk to your painter (if he is interested in another paint job). I have to find a painter still and am not sure where to start. Stuttgart Southwest does paint, so does Patrick Motorsports (didn't 3D914 get his car painted there?). Maybe a hobbyist painter, collision shop or whatever - that is where I need some advice on interviewing these places.

I'll dig up a few pics of the car to show what condition it looks like now to better illustrate where I am at.

[DipShit]

Take a look at my thread "The Great Pumpkin". I ended up with about 4 hours of welding time, 160 hours of prep time (parts off, stripping, sanding, etc), 12 hours of bondo, blocking, wiping and tacking.

The actual painting was accomplished in less than 3 hours.

[TravisNeff]

Twas' Hi_Fi_Guy who had his car done at Patrick Motorsports.

Wow Dipshit, 172 hours! In labor alone, then paint and materials costs - egads!

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

$50 per hour $ 8,600.00
$75 per hour $12,900.00 (PMS Rate, I think)
$100 per hour $17,200.00

[Kerrys914]

Took me the winter of 2002 to get my body work (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif) done (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)

I estimated 2 months and I would have been (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif) done. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)

BUT I did learn alot. The next 914 will be 100% better

Best of luck

[TravisNeff]

pics when I bought the car

[TravisNeff]

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[TravisNeff]

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[vortrex]

Twas' Hi_Fi_Guy who had his car done at Patrick Motorsports.

Wow Dipshit, 172 hours! In labor alone, then paint and materials costs - egads!

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

$50 per hour $ 8,600.00
$75 per hour $12,900.00 (PMS Rate, I think)
$100 per hour $17,200.00

you got to keep in mind that a professional shop can probably do the same work as the DIY'er in 1/4 the time. having the right tools, space, no distractions, etc all cut huge amounts of time. take a look at the two 914-6 restos going on by the UT shop, threads by Gint and Eric_Shea. that place produces really fast high quality work.

[TravisNeff]

more

[TravisNeff]

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