Painting and Prep work (1 Viewer)

[okie]

I am getting ready to paint my fj40 (1970) Its a stocker. I live in the bay area and am really needing to know where the best places to get your cruiser painted is. I don't have the time, money or space to perform this in my garage. My budget is 2500 max for a paint job. I want to do the interior and exterior ( with hardtop) and am dissasembling everything myself. I am expecting a good looking job done. Financially this is something that i am going to keep for a while so it has to be nice. I am going to use Dupont Imron paint because I heard it was the toughest ( or one of em) . I also need to paint my frame and axles. Should I have that done or do it myself. Because the frame is boxed, it makes it hard to cover everything. Advise would be greatly appreciated. I am very tight on money. I don't want a mako or earl sheib or miracle job. they dont last and it is a waste of money. Basically looking fo ra place that does GREAT prep work. Never had a car with a paint job before , looking forward to it Yes im going to wheel it and drive it daily. Thanx, Rachel

 

[honk]

$2500.? Forget it. You won't find a place to do the job you've described for that amount in the bay area, and it's unlikely you'd be able to find one to do it for that anywhere else.

I doubt that Imron is used anywhere within the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

Make some calls...

 

[okie]

THe thing is the guy that is going to paint it has a shop in oakland and all they paint is trucks (utility ) . I am just worried how they do their prep work. I doubt they do anything. They offered that price to paint it inside and out. Undercarriage and frame. Have you ever heard of using 3M products?

 

[Poser]

Have just had five different shops around here not want to touch a couple trucks that did not even need body work or any disassembly, for four grand...


Most larger paint shops are not even distributing Imron any longer...


Good luck!


-Steve

 

[RHINO]

i called a couple paint shops too,,, looks like about $3600 and up depending on the prep work.

 

[Poser]

Have used 3M products many times...respirators, sanding discs, sealers, adhesives, adhesive removers, cut-off wheels, spray cleaners, etc.…they make all the good chemicals….or at least they did at one time…


Good luck!


-Steve

 

[LXGXFJ]

Painting and Prep

I agree with Poser, some of the best auto body supplies come from the 3m guys. I've worked in the body shop and the paint shop and 3m is all over both. Depends on what product they're using for what purpose. Other brands can be as good in places. I would say that Imron is way outdated. Most companies are well beyond that technology. Acrylic Urethanes are very current and very good. I have always used PPG paints. Again, there are other great products out there. I never had a "come-back" for paint failure. "pilot error" is about the only reason good paints fail. Prep-work is VERY important and sticking with the same paint line all the way through is too. Don't use one brand of primer, another brand of sealer and back to another brand of paint. Paint and body work is expensive, even if it's done wrong. I am thinking about opening up a shop again and stick to Toyotas only... preferring the older stuff. But for now, if you have any questions, you can PM me. Find someone that is good that takes pride in their work. Usually the guys at utility truck shops are just there to get'em in and get'em out. They won't ever see those trucks again. I am in East Texas, wish you were closer, I'd help you out or help you find a good place. Lot's a luck.!!

 

[okie]

thanks guys. Where are you all getting your paint jobs done at? If you already have what kind of steps did they take and what should I look out for?

 

[jim45r]

Hey, where are you in Norcal? A buddy of mine (and mechanic) just got a great job on his 4runner, and he's been 4wheeling in the county for years- prolly knows quite a few possible body men. He's in South Santa Rosa, off Todd. I'd tried to pm, yer full.

 

[okie]

Oh. I'll empty it. I live in Livermore , near Dublin in the bay area. PM me tonight . thanx alot, Rachel

 

[74fj40]

another very strong paint product is is the non cadlyst expoxy which you can get at a sherwin williams. its also a rust protectant because its so durable

 

[petescoffee]

Get a quote from Miracle Paint in Dublin. I know you said you don't want a miracle job but... A friend of mine, Bob Smith, had his HOt Rod painted there and they did a nice job. They can use what ever quality of paint you want. You have to tell them what you want. They paint a lot of cars.

$2500 will be a tough call anywhere in the bay area especially if any more body work is still needed.

I had mine painted in Concord/Clyde by Nogurrea Auto Body. He doesn't have a booth. He does nice work. IT isn't show quality but its still nice. He has a FJ40 of his own that is show quality though. $2,500 will still be hard. He paints a lot of FJ40's as there is a LC shop next door, Breath of Fresh Air.

As far as the frame and axles. Paint them your self. That is what I am doing. I am going to use the Chassis Saver PAint by MAgnet Paints. It can be brushed or sprayed. I have used it on a Equipment trailer and it bonds well. The Chassis Saver is light Sensative though and should be top coated if it will be exposed to the sun. Should be fine on your chassis though.

PM if you want check out my LC or more information. I am located in Walnut Creek.

 

[dgangle]

Okie,
Looks like you are in for a real education on bodyshops. I really hate to always sound so negative but....I have never met another group of 'professionals' that are so unworthy of trust and cannot keep their word. It must be the chemicals they breathe all day. We all want it good, fast and cheap too. I had a hard time getting anyone to even be interested in painting my 40. Too much time = too high a price and no profit. I was at their mercy while they had it for 6+ months always saying they're going to get to it soon. No amount of coaxing, freindly visits, beer on Friday afternoons or disguised threats could get these people to get off their ass and work on my truck. I have a freind that is going through this right now with his CJ. Like a dumbass he paid for 'materials' up front and is screwed. After 6 months of collecting dust he said fawk you and had it towed to another bodyshop suposedly willing to finish someone elses work and it has been there untouched for 3 months. Same story, different day and different shop.

IMO, the only way to go is to do it yourself because for us it is a labor of love and not a job where there is no way to make money. Don't have the skill? Read up, practice and learn from your mistakes. Have the ambition but no facilities, want a primo job and want it fast? Pay the piper or don't play. I'm a salty bastard, I know. Good luck and I hope you have allot of patience and tollerance of being lied to.

 

[Steve C]

As mentioned above, I would stear clear of Imron and think more about the acrylic urethane. I have used PPG's DCC acrylic urethane several times in my home garage with good results. The big advantage of DCC is that it is single stage and wet sandable. This allows the whole car to be wet sanded with 1500 grit and then buffed. That way it is easy to get any bugs out, and it can be touched up later. Imron is considered to be non-buffable. I'm convinced that you could do a real nice paint job with a 30 dollar touch up gun and a small compressor using acrylic urethane paint. It's that forgiving. (however you do need a respirator to deal with the isocyanates)

As far as body shops go, I don't think that the typical "crash shop" is set up for restoration work.

One alternative might be to use something like POR15 to stabalize the rust. That way you would have all the time you need to find the right shop to do the work or else get set up to do it yourself.

All just my thoughts and opinions.

 

[landcruiserdude]

Having done complete repaint/restoration on a 1971 FJ40 (bone stock) several years ago in Oklahoma, I can tell you that your budget for an interior/exterior repaint is not realistic, at least not here in the US. Maybe in Mexico or the southern US where labor rates are cheap, you might be able to get it done for your price range, maybe even less. For a quality paint job, you need to remove your glass, and when you do this, chances are you'll have to replace your weatherstrip. All of this adds time/cost to the job. A quality painter will also strip the old finish, to start with a solid base, and will want to use quality materials so that the job holds up. Try adding $1500 to your budget, and you might be able to find a shop in between insurance jobs. If you strip the finish yourself down to bare metal (consult with painter first), and remove and reinstall the glass yourself, then that might cut some off the total, but then again, maybe not, as you need to consider what your time is worth, or what you have to pay a professional to do the job.

 

[ken_79-fj40]

I'm with dgangle on this one. If you want a nice overall paint job most body shops won't touch it for $2500. And those that will probably won't do a great job and will take forever. Body shops like crash work, it quick and they make plenty of money. A buddy of mine had his 68 camaro redone by a local body shop which is VERY good. Basically the only outer panel still original is the roof. It cost him 6 grand which for the amount of work done was truly a "buddy" deal. It's absolutely gorgeous, but it took 6 YEARS for them to finish it. And now he still has to assemble the car. Personally I do my own paint work. Buy the right materials, take your time, learn as you go. Solid colors are pretty easy in single stage enamel, and bugs and dust from not having a booth, as well as runs, do buff out. I don't consider myself an expert by any means, I think my bodywork sucks, but enough wet sanding and buffing does a lot. I recently won the "best paint" award in the street class at a good sized truck show, beating out over a hundred trucks. I don't think they looked real close, but they did look.

 

[johnnybravo300]

just paint it yourself.
if nothing else the paint fume sniffage might save you some money on beeeeer!!!

 

[okie]

ok. thnaks for your help, but I absolutely can't do my own paint work. I don't have the time or the money to do it right. Nor the experience and eventhen the time to get experience. I have found a truck painting shop that willdo my truck inside and out. All im looking for is maybe one out there ahs been to a small hole in the wall that has done great work. But for me it is unrealistic that I could do that myself. Besides Im living at my parents house and they will definately not even let me think of painting it here. My options are: this body shop in oakland, or others outside the bay area. Other than that there is no negotiating, I just can't pay more than that for a paint job. So if you have any suggestions for good small shops OUTSIDE the bay area I would really appreciate it, thanx

 

[landcruiserdude]

If you found a shop that you're comfortable with, that will do it for $2500, then I doubt you'll do any better given your location. Even Macco might run you $2000 to paint it like you want (in sections, disassembled, inside and out), and they will just use a grease/wax remover, then scuff the old paint, tape it off, and then shoot it. If this truck painting place you've found will use your specified materials, and do quality prep work (and you do all the disassembly and reassembly), then that would be an excellent price. Be sure to check up on them periodically and make sure they do what they say they're doing, unless you trust them.

Did you ever locate the 60/40 front seats? I've got several sets, but they're located in Oklahoma, so shipping isn't really an option.

 

[Boberino]

I had a local shop ( that is well known for their quality and attention to detail ) give me an estimate. It was $5,000.00. That was for a color change inside and out. Too bad you can't DIY. I am.