Its about time in the restoration process of my 68 convertible to start thinking about paint. I've never painted a car before but I have a friend who has but he said I would have to do all the prep work. Now im not a really patient guy and I hate sanding ( Ive only done it on wood before). So what im wondering is how much would it cost to have the interior and exterior of the car painted not including the trunk or engine bay or if it is easy to sand a car and prep it for painting or not. So over all which one should I do?
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Black 2006 GT T-2 Torsen Diff, 3.73 gears, FRPP 90MM CAI, SCT X-Cal 3 tuner/ Speed Inc. dyno tune, FRPP catbacks, Steeda Triaxe w/ Hurst stick and T handle, SVT strut mounts, FRPP strut brace, Steeda UDP, JBA long tube headers, JBA O/R H-pipe, CHE LCAs, CHE anti-squat brackets, Steeda adj. UCA, FRPP blue valve covers
304 rwph, 322 rwtq
1968 Convertible PROJECT candy apple red 289 2V (swapped to edelbrock 600 cfm performer and performer intake manifold with a mild cam)
Engine bay and trunk you can do with spray cans.The floor i would por15 and put a good sound deading over it.Sanding the car its best to use the longest blocks you can get in a x pattern and watch any body lines those you tape half of the line sand it then tape the other half and sand it.Some round spots and hard to get at spots a red scrubbing pad will work.Its not easy and can take some time sanding and filling the low spots.
My paint was 4200 for the interior and exterior including the trunk, dealing with a fiberglass hood, and changing a quarter panel. The hood was about 450 alone.
The prep work is a lot harder than painting - that is why your friend won't do it. Out of a $5000 paint job the actual painting of the car takes a total of about three hours. Prepping it for paint can take weeks if the car is in fair shape.
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Paul's Street and Strip Performance AODs & C4s paulstephens @ q . com 6522 51 Ave. S. Seattle, WA. 98118 206.725.0881
I painted our 66 because I WANTED to. It is a lot of work and I can honestly see now why shops charge so much. I have had a few people ask if I would paint their cars and the answer is NO WAY. Paint was about $700 for epoxy/high buildprimer/base/clearcoat. Not cheap.
Here are pictures:
A code 66 coupe
289 4v, Roller Rockers, Electric fan
Performer & 650 Edelbrock
MSD ignition
Tri Y into 2.25 Shelby side exhaust
T5 conversion & Hydraulic clutch
CSRP Discs
If you honestly don't have the patience for sanding, hand off the project to someone else and be prepared to shell out the money for labor.
Dont waste your time and energy if you don't enjoy sanding. Sanding and more sanding is what its all about. It cost me about $1200 in paint and six months of bodywork and sanding. Its a rush for me to make sure everything fits and is straight as can be AND then paint it in my garage. Painting in the garage is also a lot of work because I have to make a booth with plastic sheeting and vent it with fans. But it was sure worth it to me, to say I did it myself.
Mine took me about 3 weeks for the body prep and i had a straight rust free car besides one outer wheel well.But I'm kinda anal had all the gaps prefect and all the panels fitting prefect.Took me about a day to paint color sand and buff it out.
Those of you who painted your own car.....did you trim out everything, bolt it on and paint the whole car or paint everything in pieces and build it?
I had everything a part so that is the way it was painted and then put back together carefully. I had a fender get a small scratch when the dog knocked it over. Yeah, the dog is still around...
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A code 66 coupe
289 4v, Roller Rockers, Electric fan
Performer & 650 Edelbrock
MSD ignition
Tri Y into 2.25 Shelby side exhaust
T5 conversion & Hydraulic clutch
CSRP Discs
I took everything off and painted it was the only way i know to get it looking prefect.A trick is get all the panels prefect take the smallest drill bit you got and drill a hole through the hinge and door use that hole to line it up.Same thing for the hood and trunk.The fenders i do it in a place you'll never seen once done.And tape every edge when you put them back just in case you hit something.
Great. I am probably a few months from paint still but I want to do it myself. I hate giving away good hard earned money. I do all of the restoration myself except machine work and paint so it's time I try the paint
Paint myself or send it out? 
