Paint jobs

[ptooner]

I'm about out of anything else to do to my car so I guess it's time to take a serious look at the paint job.  What have you guys been paying for paint jobs?  I'm talking about just redoing the original color which I assume is best for ongoing value as well as less expensive than changing colors.  Any thoughts or suggestions?  Understand it's not awful now, no rust or body damage - in fact I got a third in class today.  It's just that the current paint was a respray in 1981 and it's starting to show it's age.  Open to all thoughts.
Gerry

[dseretakis]

Assuming minimal bodywork needed, 3-5 for decent job, 5-7 for quite nice job, 7-10 for very nice job, 10-15 for almost show, 15-30 for show quality.

[KevinC]

While I agree with Tom's estimates, I paid $7500 in July 2013 for what I would consider as a "show quality" job on my 280SL "project car". I subsequently sold it and is now for sale in Oregon...

 
http://www.sportscarinternational.com/detail-1968-mercedes~benz-sl280-280sl-used-11886751.html


Moral of the story... you MAY find a good quality independent shop that might be willing to take on a project for less than the specialty shops but it may be a gamble. (or send your car to Western Massachusetts!!)

Kevin 

[perry113]

How nice of a job are you looking for? How far will you go? Are you taking the windshield out or refinishing the dash? What about all door jambs and under the hood? What about your weatherstrips? Are you replacing them or just taping around them? It can take up to 6 hours just to install just 1 door rubber seal on correctly and that's with the door on the car.

It's a lot of tedious work to do a W113 right.

A month work of man hours or 200 man hours can easily go into prepping and painting and assembling the exterior of a W113 and I'm probably too low in my estimate.

There is an easy couple of grand and more just in materials.

What's your goal for the quality and end result?

I help a friend run a very successful body shop and we are both vintage car enthusiasts and would love to do more restoration work, however the reality is that most people have a heart attack when you try to price the work so the shop can cover overhead costs. The sad part is that it makes collision work paid at insurance company rates look good.

I recommend going to a shop that has the experience with these cars and be open minded to the unknown that may be uncovered once the car comes apart.

Good luck with your project.

Regards

Peter

[GGR]

While I agree with Tom's estimates, I paid $7500 in July 2013 for what I would consider as a "show quality" job on my 280SL "project car". I subsequently sold it and is now for sale in Oregon...

 
http://www.sportscarinternational.com/detail-1968-mercedes~benz-sl280-280sl-used-11886751.html

Wow! Are these the guys who bought the car from you at the auctions? Was there anything done to the car since you sold it? 

[KevinC]

Yes. This is the group that bought the car at Gooding Scottsdale last January. I don't know if they have done anything more since the auction as it looks very much like how it left here a year ago!

[GGR]

I know $169.000 is only an asking price and that they may not sell at that price. But still, that's more than double what they paid for it. Makes one wonder what's the best way of selling a car. Why would the profit go to the ones flipping it rather than the one who did all the work.

[KevinC]

They had the car on EBay for a $98K Buy It Now and it didn't sell. I think that the $169,000 is their "suggested list" price. Most of what they do I'm told is to act as a "sourcing agent" for prospective buyers of high end cars. In other words, someone wants a silver 1962 Ferrari Model Whatever and they find it for them. The photos they took are awesome, aren't they?

[RonB]

I know of a bright sliver with red interor and hard top went for $170.00 on private sale. They completely thru and spent around 90K in restro work (included the price of purchase of the original car.

My recent paint with color change was i n the range of 15K. Very nice.