Paint cost

[palosfv3]

Not all booths have heated air make up units and hobbyists tend to use whats available. Reducers and activators are temperature sensitive. If its a 100 outside you now have a whole different enviromental situation than if your spraying at 70. They dont make booth air make up systems with a/c ( at least here in the midwest ) . So you will need a very slow reducer/activator to get things to flow out and flash correctly. Flash times and clear/reducer/activator selection are important . Applying too much too soon can result in the top layer of the CC drying and trapping solvents below , which can lead to solvent pop or gloss die back.

In colder weather situations similar issues exist with unheated spray areas and unheated air flow systems. Most urethane catalysts will not cure below 45/50 degrees and for every ten degrees below the optimum dry temp you may expierience at least a doubling of the curing time. Most will not cure in temps below 40.

A little experiment to prove the point . Take 8 to 12 oz of properly reduced and catalized clear. Split evenly into two sealed mixing cups. Put 1 in the fridge and leave the other in an area with a temp of 65 plus. You will have you answer in the am.

As far as reducing all catalized materials are ready to spray when mixed according to the recommended ratios. Over reducing is not recommended. It can mess up the internal crosslinking of the materials and create issues later down the road. Catalized paints are not like the old solvent based systems . You should not bartend these newer materials as they are ratio sensitive , some more than others.

But not to worry, just as everyone figures this out the fun folks at the EPA over the next 2 years are bringing waterbourne paints to a place near you.

[signal34]

Deals can be found if you look around enough. Smaller shops are probably your best bet. Most of the bigger shops are too busy with easy insurance money to care that much about older cars and rust repair. In this economy there are good painters with little work. I had mine done by a small shop twenty minutes from my house for 2600 with all Dupont material. Not show car quality but looks great for a street driven car.

[240zwannabe]

I worked at a body shop for 3 years. All I did was stare at paint alllllll day! anyway, We painted a guys trans am (also fixing minor dents) for $4000. That was black too and it is the cheapest color. Your car is much smaller so in turn should be cheaper.

[jazzsax]

I had mine painted exactly one year ago. Body work was mainly door dings with one exception, a watermelon size dent in RR panel. I REALLY got a bunch of bids. Maybe a dozen or more, but more important was getting a feeling for the shop I would be dealing with. Prices were from about $2500 to $5000.
With me doing some of the chrome and trim removal. I was in no hurry and after getting bids for many months I selected a shop that had several nice looking paint jobs on the floor. They were also very hungry for business.
End result was body work and 2 stage paint for $3000. I also was notified after each stage of the process and was able to see the work as it progressed.
Here is the result.

[piston]

here's mine. so far about 700.00 worth of paint and materials. painted in my garage myself. saved 4,000-6,000 dollars. 2 stage metalic! by the way, the body line is straight, just the angle of the pic makes it look wavy.

[240zwannabe]

nice job! doesnt look like your metallic modeled too much, you must have a good technique. now get some undercoating in those wheel wells!