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MG TD TF 1500 - Painting cost $$$

Just got an estimate last evening on painting my car from our local custom shop. Show class paint job! Are you ready? $7,000! I almost fell over as I figured it wouldn't be over $5,000 and I thought I was figuring high. I've seen their work and extremely impressive. You could literately shave by looking into their paint job! That's primer, blocking, sealer, blocking, Urethane paint color, wet sanding, second color coat, buffing, clear coat, final buffing.
Am I crazy to do this or what? Or should I just check in to the local insane asylum to have my head examined? PJ
Paul S Jennings

sounds cheap to me, A top restoration paint job where I live can run $10k -$20k here in CA Paint alone will run $900-1500 depending on the quality of paint. $7k seems quite reasonable for a quality paint job

Regards

Bill
W. A. Chasser Jr

I just had a gas tank and running board re=painted - a quart of paint was $290 - COST! Nothing left over to speak of...

Tom Lange
MGT Repair
t lange

It's been nearly 10 years ago I had a painter come out to my place and look over the TF. Conversation went like this....

Painter...."You take it apart"

Me..."ok"

Painter...."you strip it"

Me..."ok"

Painter..."you bring everything to me and I do the body work and paint"

Me..."ok"

Painter...."you pick it up and put it back together"

Me...."ok"


Painter...." 10 grand...and it won't be perfect"

Me....." you're outta your f*&*ing mind"
Not really but thats what I was thinking.

Second fella came out and wanted to do it by the hour..gestimated about 7 grand. Which is why I did it myself.


MG LaVerne

Paul,
What are your plans for your car? Do you plan to show or drive? If you plan to drive and put that much into it, you may always be reluctant to take it out.

Bill
TD24570
Bill Brown

Same conversation with the first painter 4 years ago with the TD. Told him to go look at it at the media blaster and give me a figure. 7 grand...again too much for me.

Here is a picture of the door on the TD...I think you could shave with it :-)


MG LaVerne

welcome to the secrets of car restoration. That is why they always tell us to buy a restored car. Guess I will never learn I am on my third restoration, TD, TC and now TF. I suggest you don't save or show the receipts to your spouse.
Bob
R Brown

same door


MG LaVerne

Last one.


MG LaVerne

Is that a "Before the deer" photo or an "After the deer repair" photo?

Grin...
Gene Gillam

It's ugly right now Gene. To be able to work the damaged cowl, I now have the bonnet, front fenders, side panels and bumper removed. The steering column is disconnected. Dash panel is loose but will need to be fully removed. Kick panels are semi out. Due to all of the road rash on the Green Hornet... it should probably have a repaint. Also due to the shape of the wood in the tub it should probably have it all redone. I'm just not real excited about all of the work. Of course since all of the metal is off..now would be a good time to pull the lump and rebuild it with some more trick parts...wanta send me your bank roll?
MG LaVerne

Paul,

Get it in writing and go for it. I may send my car your way as even with the shipping cost I would be saving $$ compared to what those specs would be in NY.

Jim
James Neel

A bit under what you would pay for high quality work from the top shops in my area. Materials cost on mine was just over 1500. 3 years ago. Current MGA project materials for finish work and paint have exceeded 2K and it is still in the shop. 111 hours spent to this point. I gotta learn to paint. Don't think I will ever have LaVerne's love of sanding, but it gives me something to aspire to.
Dan Craig

I was recently quoted between $8k and $10k for a paint job, including me doing all assembly/disassembly and delivering many panels already in epoxy primer.

I recently bought a quart of PPG paint for $180 to fix another car. Total about $500 in paint and materials for about the front quarter of a MG midget.
David Littlefield

Surely it depends on how the car is presented to the painter. If it delivered, fully assembled, just after a 200 mile road trip there will be a substantial cost in the initial dismantling and preparation. I have had every panel on my TF removed, soda blasted, repaired, epoxy primered and trial fitted. All the painter has to do is spray with high build primer, flat off, do any minor repairs, paint, lacquer and polish. I have been quoted £1200 plus materials but I will go to the paint shop to do the necessary dismantling and reassembly after painting. I think I am doing the bulk of the work and could see the cost double if everything was left to the paint shop. I can confirm paint is horrendously expensive. I can remember when a pint tin of Belco cellulose paint was 10 shillings. I have just bought an aerosol of computer matched dash board red, and one of metallic sand for £30 and a fly has landed on the red dash and there is enough left for a recoat!


Jan T
J Targosz

Canada ? high prices as ever . My Td : all parts blasted .Paintjob and minor welding work I ended with a bill 10 k ,but a very nice job was done by the shop.

Gerard
Gerard Hengeveld

Paul, I think that price is quite reasonable. As others have noted, you'll never sell a car for more than it cost to restore it unless you do virtually everything yourself (which generally I do).
Kevin McLemore

The car will be taken to the painter in pieces, the tub will be bolted on a roll around, the rest individual pieces. I will put it back together with all new bolts and washers to make sure everything goes in the right place with the correct bolts. I have nothing but time, but heading for the poor house along the way. Like a lot of other guys, I'll have more in this car than it'll be worth! Other than spending money like a drunken sailor, I am getting enjoyment out of it. I think! PJ
Paul S Jennings

The price is not out of line. I spent nearly that much on a partial re-paint for my MGA when the rear fender was backed into by a pickup. They repaired the dent and re-sprayed about 70% of the car. And two other MGs I had done cost much more.

There are really only two ways to go these days... pay $2K for a cheap spray that will last about 3 years before rust bubbles through, or spend $8-12K on a quality job that will last 30 years.

I don't think whether you show the car or not is really important. In fact I consider a quality job MORE important on a DRIVER than on a show car, because it will need to hold up to weather and abuse. I have the best job possible done on any car I paint because it's false economy to do otherwise. Unless of course you plan to sell in which case I wouldn't paint at all. That's just making a problem for the next guy.
Steve S

Not a bad price considering the work. Most likely it will need to be stripped to bare, with a lot of metal finishing and filler required. Not to mention it should be trial assembled in primer to make sure all of the gaps and body lines are correct. Best to do on the actual chassis if possible. Yes a lot of money, but you will be glad you did. My TD had 4-5 layers of paint, thick bondo in placed, and several cracks that needed welding, and was a bit more than your $7K estimate. George
George Butz

I have been observing the paint jobs on the Northern hemisphere participant cars on this site for some time. The use of 2 pack paint products appear to be the norm with the result that cars have a very high gloss finish.

If originality is the objective in a restoration process these products should not be used without the use of additives to reduce the gloss level of the finished product. Cars left the factory painted with acrylic lacquer which does not have the gloss characteristics of modern finishes.

Not knowing the pricing structure for various paint products outside of Aus I am making the assumption that that the cost of a paint job will be determined by the paint used. Here an acrylic paint job is considerably less than a 2 pack finish and is far simpler for a "backyarder restorer" to obtain a quality result.

G Evans

When I began the restoration on the TD it looked like this:


D. Sander

And this was the finished car. I did all the welding, frame straightening, body work and paint myself. 8 years of work, I probably spent in the ball park of 3K on paint and materials. I used PPG DP epoxy primer, Evercoat filler (sparingly) PPG DP epoxy sealer and PPG base/clear paint. With the exception of the left rear fender, these are the same body panels BTW.
David


D. Sander

Car looks great David. I wish I had more time to see it at the GOF Middlebury, VT.
Frank Cronin

Recently finished painting my TD doing all the work myself using single stage Chroma-One. Cost of primer, paint, activators and reducers was less than $600. All the parts were removed, sand blasted and painted separately.
Mike


Mike Hart

Well, it all depends on where you are.

I've just been quoted a ball park figure of £20K ($30+K) for a complete body off based re-spray, all the work done by the garage.

I think this is one for the kids to take on from their inheritance!
Ian Bowers

Show or drive, is the most important factor. And as many have said before you ain't ever going to get your money back. I did a restoration on my, intended to drive, 50 TD. I actually took all the detachables off and took to great body guy, with a request when you have the time and need some thing to do . Got everything perfectly straightened and primed without an oz. of filler for $700. Then took vehicle with tire rack and gas tank loose to a well known national often considered discount/cheap paint sop again with notation no rush when you get around to it. Would seem in both cases the novelty of a 50 TD got their interest and motivation. Again I got a superb job. Another added factor I went to both wearing weekend dungarees and old work shirt with battered baseball cap with a "hey could you help me out" attitude. My point is that you can bring it to s snotty specialist or a local guy who he opportunity rekindles their enthusiasm
Jon Levine

WOW
In the process of finding my paint codes for another thread I came across my notes for paint ...and the bill.
Think I should take my painter another case of beer.
Yes, I helped with tear down, stripping, sanding, reassembly, but my friend Tony did all the serious work and painting.
There are a few flaws, and some chips now, but the job has held up very well.
Total cost: $2500. October of 2001.

Maybe I should go wax it as I'm not ready for $10K to redo it!
David Sheward 55 TF1500 # 7427

I've had the same delamia with my 53 TD. I signed up for a $3000.00 paint job. They put the TD in primer and then sat on it for two years. Finally I retired and would go to their shop and sand, fill and prime twice a week. Then the IRS shut the guys shop down. Took two months to get my car out. So I bought a set of spray guns from Summit Auto. Two more years of learning to paint. Started with the running boards, then the front and back lower panels. Finished all the fenders next. By this time I was good enough to do the body. One coat of epoxy primer, sand with 400. Three coats of color and five coats of clear. Lot of color sanding to clean on the orange peel. I'm happy.


RER Rosa

One more photo. I have about $2000.00 invested in guns, misc supplies and paint.


RER Rosa

And at the other end of the spectrum... $36 for a spray can of colour matched top coat which is enough to apply 4 coats on a rear guard in acrylic laquer. No orange peel & an original finish. Allow another $20 for primer, minimal bog & spray putty & a few sheets of wet & dry & you've got a finished guard. PJ I've seen what you're capable of so if you've got the time I'd suggest you paint it yourself & spend $6,000 on a blower! Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

IMO, I can't see putting that much in a paint job. The original paint on these cars likely were very very far from perfect. As a matter of fact by todays standards it would probably not even have been acceptable.

Same goes for paint type. Can't see doing the BC CC type job on a TD. Enamel maybe but that would be about it.
L Rutt

This thread was discussed between 25/07/2014 and 28/07/2014

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