Prep and Paint Cab Only
 

I'm helping my dad get his 75 GMC pickup back on the road.

Super nice $2,000 replacement cab is off the truck and stripped of parts. My dad had a shop blast the cab, repair rust in one small spot, and prime it. The cab is coming back unfinished b/c the shop refused to give even a ballpark estimate on prepping and painting the cab. Cab alone, no doors, and no surprises because they had it in bare metal. They kept saying "time and materials." I think they were planning to take my dad for a ride.

Any thoughts on the cost to finish prepping and painting a really nice cab that has a base coat of primer? Two colors for the middle stripe. I'm tempted to look for a MAACO to take it to. It's going to be a driver, not show truck.

Re: Prep and Paint Cab Only
 

When I painted my 68 a local body shop let me do all the skim coating sanding and block sanding the primer before paint in their shop. I never did any body work before in my life. Saved me a ton of money. A bare cab shouldn't take that long. Maybe the body shop or another body shop would let you do the grunt work with them keeping an eye on your work?

Re: Prep and Paint Cab Only
 

A lot of shops are hesitant to let someone else prep a cab [or any part] and bring it in "just to shoot it" and not have control over what is done to it prior to the finishing.[witch is the easiest part] then you have a part [or whole vehicle] and there is a paint failure on it. Where did you get that done ABC body down at anytown USA did it. Not taking into account that the customer did the prep and then the problem comes from say a chemical crosslinx problem or something that the first timer isn't really aware of. Then through nobody's fault the ABC autobody has bad words about them on an otherwise good rep. I have had people bring me a car or better yet come without it or call my phone "How much To paint my car if I bring it ready to spray?" I have had this many times and 99 out of 100 need more work to be paint ready. 60 out of the same 100 need a good bit of work, and 30 or so will need LOTS of work and then maybe 10 or so won't even have any sanding done and maybe even still have mud on the fenders.
I had even rather offer my shop and space to somebody to help them paint their own when I have space and time that is a lot of fun to me

Re: Prep and Paint Cab Only
 

like hugger said..i wanted to do the prep on my C30...nobody would paint it for the reasons he stated...and I understand that...but when they quoted me $7k to just paint the cab, I learned real quick how to do body work and paint...
I work with several people that have macco paint jobs , and they do a good job for a driver truck... and you can do some of the prep for them to save a few $$

Re: Prep and Paint Cab Only
 

$2000 for mine, here at my favorite Mom & Pop shop, back in 2009.

That was for me prepping, them spraying code 72 Apple Red in base coat/clear coat.

In on Monday; back on the following Friday.

K

Re: Prep and Paint Cab Only
 

I had them do the bed a few months later.

They did the body work on this one, since they were quite a bit faster and with better resulting work.

$1200; in on Wednesday - back the following Wednesday.

They really liked the little cart I made to support the bed, too.

K

Re: Prep and Paint Cab Only
 

Bodywork and paint prep are at least 90% of the cost of a "paint job". The "paint job" is the easy part.

Re: Prep and Paint Cab Only
 

I truly appreciate that some guys are able to do their own prep. I'm not in that position.

I'm trying to figure out how much it should cost to prep and paint a cab alone. It's been blasted and primed. It's a really nice cab. With that information, I would think I'd be able to get a pretty accurate ballpark. It's not a show truck, just a driver. 3k? 5k? 7k? Somebody has to know.

Re: Prep and Paint Cab Only
 

Here's a thought don't know if will help but take some very detailed pics of the cab and show them to different body shops in you area. If one or more show any interest offer to pay them to come out to look at it. A seasoned body man for the hours and painter for the material costs should be able to give you a real close estimate.
One more thought is contacting your local car club (if you have one) and see whom they might recommend.

Re: Prep and Paint Cab Only
 

Inside and out?

Re: Prep and Paint Cab Only
 

Yes

Re: Prep and Paint Cab Only
 

Hard to say without seeing pictures but 4-6 hours to scuff, mask and paint interior, 4-6 hours to scuff, mask and paint 1 color on exterior, another 4-6 hours to do same with other color, firewall another 4-6 hours, underneath 4-6 hours and roof color plus materials equals approximately 3500.00

Re: Prep and Paint Cab Only
 

Thanks, rust has been repaired (it took less than a day), it's all been primed, and the underside has been coated.

Re: Prep and Paint Cab Only
 

Without any needed bodywork I’d say a scuff and shoot job with seam sealer would run roughly $3000 for single stage and $3500 for base/clear.

Re: Prep and Paint Cab Only
 

Thanks. Have $5,500 into it (labor + materials) so it's turned out to be a very expensive endeavor just to get it ready for final prep and paint.

Re: Prep and Paint Cab Only
 

Welcome. Hopefully it’s in epoxy primer...

Re: Prep and Paint Cab Only
 

Invoice says etching before primer. Does that mean it must be urethane? My dad got the info. on what primer they used, I don't have that yet.

Re: Prep and Paint Cab Only
 

Most likely

Re: Prep and Paint Cab Only
 

My dad had a painter look at it. The painter said the cab looks very nice, quality materials used, etc. Doesn't sound like it needs more bodywork. Primer used was Axalta Cromax LE 3004 S.

Bottom line, the painter said 5k ballpark, could be less, and that the cost of paint is extremely high. (I do know that paint is expensive.)

The painter is a friend of a friend. The painter has a resto shop and does everything himself. He has a nice "homemade" paint booth, wall lighting, filters, etc.

Re: Prep and Paint Cab Only
 

Send it to Chicago, I’ll shoot top quality products on it for what I estimated here if it’s seriously a scuff and shoot job!

Re: Prep and Paint Cab Only
 

Too bad your not in east Arkansas I could make you a deal.

Re: Prep and Paint Cab Only
 

Just to close this thread out, it cost me $3800 to have paint laid on the cab and to fully prep and paint a repro tailgate. Retired painter friend of a friend.
(That's in addition to the prior expense to have the superb cab stripped, primed, and body worked by a different shop.)