• The Roadster Factory Recovery Fund - Friends, as you may have heard, The Roadster Factory, a respected British Car Parts business in PA, suffered a total loss in a fire on Christmas Day. Read about it, discuss or ask questions >> HERE. The Triumph Register of America is sponsoring a fund raiser to help TRF get back on their feet. If you can help, vist >> their GoFundMe page.
  • Hey there Guest!
    If you enjoy BCF and find our forum a useful resource, if you appreciate not having ads pop up all over the place and you want to ensure we can stay online - Please consider supporting with an "optional" low-cost annual subscription.
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this UGLY banner)
Tips
Tips

Houston Paint Shop Wanted!

DonM

Freshman Member
Country flag
Offline
Hi Folks! I have contemplated painting my 95% original 1976 TR6 for about 5 years and now have the bug again. There is a small amount of rust here and there and a dent on the front of the hood. In the past I have received quotes ranging from $10k to $20k for frame-on, bare metal paint job. I am not looking for show quality. Do I need to go down to bare metal every where? Am I being unrealistic to stay under $10k?

Any shop recommendations in Houston? Many Thanks!
 

TR3driver

Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
Offline
Maaco's web site says they have a location on Airline Dr in Houston. Might be worth taking them the car and asking what they think.

Bare metal may be required in some cases, particularly if the old paint is in poor condition (falling off) or an unknown composition. But even with their best paint job and the labor to sand off all the old paint, you should be looking at well under $5K.

Definitely not show quality, but looks good from 10 feet. We had some issues (had to take it back to have part of it done over at their cost), but overall, I feel like it was good value for the money.

PS, it's a good idea to remove anything you want to have fresh paint under, like mirrors & chrome. Given the chance, they will just mask around it. Last time around, I drove the car there and then stripped it in their parking lot.

X3uytdR.jpg
 

TR3driver

Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
Offline
Left and center LED, right was an (uprated) incandescent for comparison. But I posted just to show the Maaco paint job.

This (very short) video shows off the LEDs better, IMO; still with an incandescent on the right (I never did get around to building the other conversion).
 

DavidApp

Yoda
Country flag
Offline
Paint job looks great. Hope mine turns out that good.

10K to 20K does seem real high. More like we don't want the job but if you insist. Hate to think what they would charge to do a complete car. Inside and out including the underside.

The LEDs are much brighter than the incandescent. Looks like a worthwhile mod to enhance visibility.

David
 

Bayless

Yoda
Silver
Country flag
Offline
Typical production shops really don't want that kind of job. Their forte is fast turn-around and stripping a car to metal just doesn't fit in very well. Therefore, they price it high to discourage you. A "restoration" shop would be happy to take it on but their regular price would likely fall in that same high range.
 

JPSmit

Moderator
Staff member
Silver
Country flag
Offline
I might start sniffing around car clubs - I had Ms Triss done by a retired body man with a two car garage who just did one job at a time - likewise a friend uses a body shop that is happy to do small jobs. they are out there - even craigslist?
 

TR3driver

Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
Offline
$10k-$15k is pretty common around here for a show quality paint job, regardless of what car it is on. But after seeing how much work and skill goes into making every single surface "just so"; not to mention facilities, tools, drying booths, and of course the talent for actually spraying a perfectly even coat of paint every time; I can see that being a reasonable price for a flawless paint job.

Years ago, I let a buddy use my garage to paint his car, and he had a friend in the body shop business guide him on doing all the preparation work. I don't know how many hours total they spent, but it was close to 6 months of nights and weekends. Call it 1000 hours, and $10K starts looking more reasonable. He had a pro come in to do the finish coat, which went pretty quick; but then there was more grunt work in buffing it out, and then having to reassemble the car, etc.

Not really relevant, but last night after dinner we walked past a 66 Chevelle that someone was obviously restoring. Beautiful paint job in what I assume was the original color; but there was one bubble on the whole car and it jumped out at me like a pimple at high school prom. I hope whoever owns it didn't hear me point the bubble out to my wife :smile:
 

PAUL161

Great Pumpkin
Silver
Country flag
Offline
I took mine in pieces to a custom car body shop and for $7,000.00 this was the result. Naturally I put it all back together in my shop. Came out pretty nice. :encouragement: PJ

View attachment 54098
 
Similar threads
Thread starter Title Forum Replies Date
Randy Forbes Houston, we have a problem... Austin Healey 0
T TR5/TR250 I've just agreed to buy a TR250. Help ! [especially anyone in the Houston, TX area] Triumph 11
T General TR Houston AutoRama 2013 Triumph 2
M Help with Tuning Stromberg 175CD Carbs in Houston Triumph 37
Brian_James Wire wheel half shafts and bare 1275 block Houston Spridgets 1
TR4nut Good Chromer in Houston Triumph 6
64rocksprite RB Midget in Houston CL Spridgets 1
T TR4/4A Dirt cheap TR4 near Houston Triumph 6
Brian_James Hard tops on Houston craigslist NFI Spridgets 7
toysrrus "HELP NEEDED" IN THE "HOUSTON, TX" AREA!!!!!!!! Triumph 14
jlaird Houston - I may have a prob here. Spridgets 5
C houston MG 0
Brian_James 77 Midget parts car Houston / Alvin area Spridgets 1
1965_MGB Houston, we have oil pressure ! MG 5
Brosky Houston, we have liftoff! Triumph 17
amcboy Houston, we have a problem...maybe[?] Opinions... Triumph 13
W Bugeye in Houston Spridgets 2
MGBGT_noob MGB-GT Rare GT for sale, near Houston MG 11
Branson houston tx bugeye FS Spridgets 1
jlaird Houston, we have a problem Spridgets 29
jaybird Houston, we have color! MG 30
jlaird Back from Houston Spridgets 1
7 HOUSTON, TEXAS MG 0
O made it to Houston, almost![long] MG 7
O MGB-GT driving the B GT from San diego to Houston[pic] MG 4
B Cove Paint Color Ideas Austin Healey 10
L Removing Master Cylinder Without Paint Damage Austin Healey 27
1 TR2/3/3A British Racing Green Paint Codes Triumph 6
R TR2/3/3A Does anyone know the paint Code for british Racing Green for a 1954 TR-2? Triumph 12
vpanza Wanted Salvado blue paint sample Triumph Classifieds 8
B 1977 Midget - Sandglow Paint Restoration & Tools 3
B TR6 Help with color and color code / paint recommendation Triumph 4
HealeyPassion Finally, paint on chassis Austin Healey 17
Fanch00 Does it make sense to just paint the panels? Austin Healey 3
K TR6 Need help with Mimosa Yellow Paint Triumph 1
C Alternative to Moss's BMC Green Engine Paint Austin Healey 10
PatPink TR6 Hello, I am new to the site and want to post some photos of my 1973 TR 6. I have done all mods to this car except body and paint. Triumph 10
Bayless A Sprite gets some paint finally Spridgets 2
D Body/Paint Shop Recommendations Austin Healey 1
BoyRacer Rattle can Healey Blue paint Austin Healey 2
Bayless More Paint Other British Cars 3
algot1901 Paint Other British Cars 15
BobHaskell "paint" thickness tester? Restoration & Tools 9
algot1901 1950 Ford Prefect Paint Other British Cars 5
Joel Lester TR2/3/3A DIY paint job? vs leave it to the professionals? Triumph 27
EWD TR6 TR6 top dash trim paint Triumph 2
somewhatspritely The black paint on replacement panels. Restoration & Tools 7
GeorgeC OK to paint battery? Spridgets 9
J Opalescent Silver Blue paint code Jaguar 0
Vargus TR2/3/3A what primer / paint ? Triumph 9

Similar threads

Top