well i've got the 97 F150

door crack is definitely on driver side, i think is starting on the passanger side now. Rust is ridiculous on the inside of all three doors, its really starting to scare me a little (just along the bottom of the doors for now, but i'm sure it can def. move up). The truck isn't too bad but it does have swirl marks, scratches from parking UB's school parking lots, and a few dents and paint chips just from being so old. The roof also has chips of paint coming up from the tow rain water grooves (i think thas what they are). The truck by no means looks bad bad from far away, but i notice every little thing all the time. I was thinking of having the door rust removed, scratches and dents fixed, and then completely having the truck painted...

has anybody ever done this or know somebody who has...and what might be a ball park figure for all this work. I know it won't be cheap, but i haven't gone out to investigate yet, just thought i'd gather some info from all you guys.

Thanks for the help and replies,
John

 

I just recently had my '88 F-150 long bed repainted and for the materials and labor I spent $4500. The truck didn't have any rust, but it did need some body work to remove the dents and dings from the past 17 years. Also I had the head/tail lights replaced along with some other items that were just worn out (window seals, etc.).

I went with a base coat/clear coat finish which I'm told is the best looking, most durable finish. The paint and clear coat alone cost about $1000 and the labor to paint (and body work) was over $2000. Think about how you want the truck to look and ask many questions of the shop you take it to so that everyone is clear as to how it's going to look when it's finished, and what won't be covered in the price of the work.

Be nitpicky, because if you aren't and you assume that something will be done and it isn't, it's too late to correct it after the fact. Overall I'm happy with how mine turned out, but there are some flaws and some items that I wish had been done that weren't. Good luck!

 

thanks for the response oldfrd,

i knew it would be alot, but 4500 wow. wasn't expecting that. maybe i should just have the rust taken care of and thats it. plus i dont know if i would be educated enough to be so picky as your describing, i'll have to talk to my neighbor at home and see if he's got any local friends who can help me out...can't believe its so extensive and particular to detail.
thanks for your reply its definitely set me straight as far as the reality of the price, and your wisdom is much appreciated.

thanks again,
John

 

you should be able to find someone to paint a whole vehicle for a lot less then $4500. that's way over priced. if i convert that to Canadian dollars it's $5400 bucks. ask around, there are a lot of paint guys that do work on the side for less then half of that. you might have to help him prep it but your pocket book will thank you for it.

 

sgauthier is correct - you can find less expensive paint shops to do your vehicle. It all depends on what you want the end result to be. I wanted a high quality (showroom, if you will) finish and knew that Maaco and others of their ilk do not have the quality I was looking for.

Remember what I said, though, $1000 was for the paint and clear coat material and $2000 was for the labor to not only paint the vehicle but also repair body damage (no rust). The other $1500 was for replacement parts and tax on the whole job.

I would recommend taking a few months and learning as much as you can about what's good and bad in regards to painting a vehicle - and what's involved. Also, check out some restoration clubs and see what they have to say, and get input on who in your area does good work and see for yourself some examples of their work (that's what helped me decide on where I brought my vehicle to).

It sounds like a lot, but if you're going to do it right expect to spend time learning and some $$$ to get a good job. I didn't want a poor quality job that I would need redone in 10 years so I went for the best I could get.

 

Well..you could Maaco it for $350.00, and you'll never forgive yourself for doing it.

Rust repair and paint done right is expensive. Paint alone is going to run you at least $500 for a good 2 stage base/clear. Twice that with labor. The prep is where the money is going to be spent. Rust repair can be very time-intensive, especially if metal replacement is needed. In nearly every case it's cheaper to replace the part if possible.

The only way you're going to know is to get a few estimates because of the uniqueness of the damage. It may not be that bad, but plan on spending somewhere north of $2500.

-Fatz

 

$4500 is not actually too high of a price to do an entire truck.quality work does not come cheap. We can't give the work away. I paid $1500 for a paint job in 1978 on a 1960 t-bird. It was a quality job. paint and material have been going up in prices about 3% per quarter. just to do a quality job doing it yourself with quality products. you will spend a grand then add all your time. average price for an average bodyman around $24 dollars per hr. then add in all your business operating expenses adn see what it comes to. I charge 1500 to 2000 dollars with no body work w/exceptions of small dings and dents.Even at that i don't make that much. We just did a 55 chev sedan with body work and paint(black) a little over $8,000. You want a good job it costs.