Alan,
I don't know about where you live, but in Seattle you can pay anything you want
for a paint job. More $ isn't always better.
If you want a good job, look at other peoples cars that have been painted. If
you like the work, ask where it was done. If you don't want to spend too much
money, then plan on doing a lot of "shopping around", or go to a chain (in our
country Macco is one) and work with them to get the best deal. A chain will
quote you a price and get the job done. Any place else might quote you a
different price for a job you want done now, as opposed to a job that you will
let them do in their leisure.
If your car is in bad shape it may not be worth painting at all, unless you
don't care about having more money in it than it is worth. That has NEVER been
a consideration with me since I "love" my cars and tend to keep them for 30
years or more. Still, I don't like to get ripped off. For a non-show finish
that looks good going down the road, and you can be proud of in a store parking
lot, Macco is hard to beat (if you buy their best job). Also, I have had good
luck with them negotiating out "issues" since they have a reputation to up
hold. Some smaller shops may not back up their work. Again, you need to ask for
references, or know others who are happy with their work.
I am guessing the reason that you don't see metal flakes in some of your car's
finish anymore is that they have oxidized out. The metal flakes can corrode
just like anything else, and if this happens, they disappear, leaving a dull,
spotty, etched look to the finish.
The last thing that I will say here is that I never expect a perfect job. I
would not be someone to make a recommendation for that sort of work to anyone.
Paul
In a message dated 4/2/2004 11:12:39 AM Eastern Standard Time,
alan__harper@xxxxxxxxx writes:
>
>
> I have owned the 76 NYB for 5 years now. I didn't want to drive it in
> the winter, but have, on several occasions. The car is a 4 door.
>
> It's starting to show some corrosion. I have rust spots along the lower
> sides of the car, and corrosion along the bottoms on both sides. The
> anchoring area for one of the skirts is badly corroded, so I pulled off
> both of the skirts.
>
> The original paint is a metal flake red, with a white vinyl roof. The
> paint no longer looks like red metal flake. It is sort of brown with no
> metal flake showing.
>
> I kind of like the skirts off the car. It shows the road wheels nicely.
> I got those wheels from Brad Hogg about a year and a half ago. Also,
> you have quick access to the valve stem. With the skirts on, sometimes
> you have to move the car to get the valve stem down to the bottom, near
> the road for access, which is somewhat of a pain in the butt.
>
> I just took the car to Frontenac Auto Body for an estimate of body work
> and paint. They have a good rep in the area for their work. The
> estimate is a shocker. It's 2 pages long and totals $5191.56 Canadian,
> about US$3900. OUCH!
>
> The car needs a windshield first. I took a rock in the Rockies a couple
> of years ago. At least the star on the windshield is off to the right
> of center and not getting bigger. I also could use some re-chroming.
> Maybe I should try to buff it up with some chrome paste instead.
>
> The power train is A-1. The motor has about 30,000 miles on it since
> rebuild and runs like a top, with duals. I just drove it down to Key
> West and Louisiana. We drove along the north coast of the Gulf, the
> Redneck Riviera. The car ran like a top the whole way. The rear end
> developed a whine, which I noticed by the time we got home, so, I had
> the rear axle re-packed with new bearings, differential and wheels.
> The spider gears in the diff are fine.
>
> The interior is real nice, being a red cloth, tufted pillow upholstery.
>
> So, the power train is great and so is the interior, but the paint job
> is a mere $5200 plus extra for a windshield and maybe re-chroming.
>
> If anybody wants to see the estimate, I can scan it and forward.
>
> I think I will look around and see some other shops and compare prices.
> What are you guys paying for a paint job?
>
> Alan Harper
> 64 Mercury 3/4 ton flatbed
> 69 Dodge D100 pickup
> 76 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham
> 78 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham St. Regis
> 92 Ford T-Bird
> alan__harper@xxxxxxxxx
> preservationist of our chrome heritage
> SI VIS PACEM, PARA BELLUM
>
>
>
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