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[asapguy]

Wow!! Been working on my wife's 55 T-Bird. Just painted inside the engine compartment so I can install the motor. Luckily back in 1999 I bought a qt. of Torch red for the eng. comp. & later went back & had a gallon mixed for the entire car, it was $96. This was Ditzler Delstar enamal. I never used the paint. The car sat in the back of my shop for the next 13 yrs while I restored two other cars (Model A's). Two weeks ago I started working on the bird. Last week I painted a new bumper for my son's BMW. He bought base coat/clear coat. I was so impressed with the paint job & how easy it was I went into my supplier to find out the cost for base coat clear coat in Torch red. Talk about sticker shock, approx. $800 was what I was quoted & that's with a discount. He checked on a gallon of Torch red Delstar & it would now cost $740, that's the same paint I paid $96 a gallon for in 1999. I know reds are expensive. Someone gave me a gal. of white Delstar & that now runs over $300.
Back in 2006 I painted my 29 Rdstr. with red DuPont Centari & don't remember it costing anywhere near what today's prices are.

[Ford blue blood]

Just got back from the paint store myself, one gallon of Vaspar HS35, a quart each of 172 and 173 reducer and a quart of HPC1 activator plus a pint of some touch up brown = $182. Sad part, most of the paint will hit the shop floor while blocking the car out. It has it's first go with a 220 block, taped and shot it again, now letting mean ol Mr. Sun do a couple of days of baking before the 400 block, then tape her up again for the last coat of primer before the 600 blocking. Looks like I might be able to do the whole car with just two gallons of primer. Folks look at you like your head is spinning when you tell them a super paint job will cost 7 - 8 K with a perfect car to start with!

[frank long island]

i know how you all feel i painted my 64 ranchero with ppg base / clear 2 tone blue / silver 3 qts of the blue was 365.00 plus 1 pint to jamb out 125.00 1 qt of silver 75.00 which i need more of clear,reducer,hardners ran another 250.00 not to mention 2 gallons of 2k primer and hardner 200.00. and people want to know why i can't paint their car for 100.00 dollars

[raceron1120]

Wow! Suddenly, patina started looking a whole bunch better! But sometimes NOT, of course... Those prices are crazy.

[Ford blue blood]

Nope....not into that "patina" thing....IMHO cars are supposed to be shiney.

[frank long island]

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just clear over the patina you can get semi, gloss or matte finish this way you can have your cake and eat it too!

[V12Bill]

Bought paint about 6 months ago and struck up a conversation with another customer while we waited for our paints to be mixed up. He had paid $800 for a QUART of paint for his Harley!!

[bills1020]

I've been painting cars for about 25 years now. I found a product line from Montana, which was bought out by Chem-Spec recently but they still carry the Montana products. Most of the colors don't match well enough for a late model collision shop doing blend work but are perfect for allovers. Within the last 3 years I have done 3 '69 Camaros, 4 '70 Chevelles and a couple hot rod fords with the stuff and it works great. I have seen cars that I painted 15 or more years ago and they still look fresh. Most of the products cost about half of what Dupont or PPG costs.

I know alot of you guys like acrylic enamel. I haven't bought any for a long time but they used to have one that I put on all the red corvettes i was painting for Mershon's at that time. Sprayed good and sanded and buffed easily if you got on it within a day or two.