Respray costs and use of Scotchguard

[Plan B]

Hi guys. I'm planning to get a respray done over the coming winter and just starting to get some quotes. I want to keep to the same metallic Arena Red colour so no violent colour changes and no need for expensive trick paints. The front end has the usual extensive pebble rash but otherwise the body is in fairly good nick and has no cracks or anything nasty. I had a bit of a chair falling off episode when the first quote I've just had in was for ~£10K for a full body job excluding under bonnet/inner body areas and £7K for front end only (including doors). The paint shop guy reckoned the paint materials alone would be circa £3K (huh?).

I was expecting maybe £4K to £5K for the full body job. I understand that a proper respray needs lots of prep etc but £10K seems a bit excessive - - or do I need to sober up on this?

I live in the N Herts area so any recommendations for a competent GRP paint shop in the area would be appreciated.

Also I hate the thought of laying down new paint just to see new stone chips appearing at the front nose section. Any opinions/experience on applying a Scotchguard bra (or other equivalent)on the nose section?.... and is it worth the £900 to get this done??

[PeteGriff]

Plan B said:

Hi guys. I'm planning to get a respray done over the coming winter and just starting to get some quotes. I want to keep to the same metallic Arena Red colour so no violent colour changes and no need for expensive trick paints. The front end has the usual extensive pebble rash but otherwise the body is in fairly good nick and has no cracks or anything nasty. I had a bit of a chair falling off episode when the first quote I've just had in was for ~£10K for a full body job excluding under bonnet/inner body areas and £7K for front end only (including doors). The paint shop guy reckoned the paint materials alone would be circa £3K (huh?).

I was expecting maybe £4K to £5K for the full body job. I understand that a proper respray needs lots of prep etc but £10K seems a bit excessive - - or do I need to sober up on this?

I live in the N Herts area so any recommendations for a competent GRP paint shop in the area would be appreciated.

Also I hate the thought of laying down new paint just to see new stone chips appearing at the front nose section. Any opinions/experience on applying a Scotchguard bra (or other equivalent)on the nose section?.... and is it worth the £900 to get this done??

Hi James, as you may have seen I had my Griff completely resprayed last June (2013) in original colour Arden Blue Metallic. I was very lucky because we run two big paintshops for our special vehicles and my guys know 'plastics'. Anyway, to help you somewhat, the paint cost about £386 trade for 4 litres, plus another £100 for lacquers, fine surface fillers and stopper. I had everything stripped out (bonnet off, doors, mirrors, boot, wheels, lights etc) - very recommended if you are going to get a thorough finish (even had the door cards removed). So as long as your paint is not the 'flip' or other exotic type which can cost upwards of £700 per litre, you should only be looking at about £500. It's the labour that really costs and you definitely need somewhere that takes care! I would have thought in the region of £5k for a decent complete respray and £2k for a frontend (not doors). I would shop around if I were you. Unfortunately I cannot offer the service of my guys as we are generally very busy with all our own work

On the protection film side I personally do not like it. You can always see the line and polish gets caught along the edge so you need to clean it out. Mine has done some 2000 miles since it's respray and to date I only have a few very minor chips so still looks like new. Put the money this may cost into some other work on your Griff.

All the best, Pete

[shake n bake]

Do a whole lot of shopping around, £10000 is £7000+ too much. Don't be drawn in to these huge body shops with massive buildings, the company I work for are a volume dealership so car turnover is very high.
We spent 25k in three months on paint work and the better repairs are done by the smaller body shops.
I think it's sad when an individual is quoted like you were, they looked at you as a cash cow and in the long term does them or anybody else in the trade no favours.

[PeteGriff]

shake n bake said:

Do a whole lot of shopping around, £10000 is £7000+ too much. Don't be drawn in to these huge body shops with massive buildings, the company I work for are a volume dealership so car turnover is very high.
We spent 25k in three months on paint work and the better repairs are done by the smaller body shops.
I think it's sad when an individual is quoted like you were, they looked at you as a cash cow and in the long term does them or anybody else in the trade no favours.

Well said

[TVR Beaver]

Mine was around £3K for a full strip (doors off / lights out / under bonnet etc)and was done about 5-6 years ago... still as good now as it was then....
http://www.autorefinishing.co.uk/

Surface and Design get good press also and I think are about the same price....

what you've been quoted is just an insult to your inteligance.. who tries it on like this FFS!
I've got the same kind of thing with a small extension I'm doing at home now.. looks like builders want to retire on it LOL

shop around or use one of these two

[Loubaruch]

TVR Beaver said:

............
I've got the same kind of thing with a small extension I'm doing at home now.. looks like builders want to retire on

I had exactly the same experience when quoted for a new porch (stone walls, double glazed, tiled roof)
One builder £14k the other £13.5k. Did the job myself for £3k.

A friend in the trade suggested that neither builder really wanted the job so quoted a silly price, if they do this many times a week the odd punter may accept and the job then becomes attractive. Perhaps this is the same scenario with your respray?

[shake n bake]

Also, don't use that awful stick on stone chip nonsense, it's fine for small sections on the lower door frame edges but across the nose you end up with a solid line across the front of the car. It also deflects the stones in to the windscreen and on to the boot lid and quarter panels, and it costs as much as getting the nose painted again!

[Pete Mac]

I got a very tentative quote from these guys close to me:

http://www.specialisedpaintwork.com/

They specialise in Lotuses (Loti..?) and I googled them for recommendations, which were good but I can't give you a first hand recommendation.

They were talking around £3,500 for a full respray and then we started talking about how much of the work I could do.

Worth a call, if only for a check price and if you like the price, for a difference of £5-7k.. it would be worth putting the Griff on a loader from N. herts, however I am sure there are plenty of paint shops closer. Pete

[TVR Beaver]

Loubaruch said:

TVR Beaver said:

............
I've got the same kind of thing with a small extension I'm doing at home now.. looks like builders want to retire on

I had exactly the same experience when quoted for a new porch (stone walls, double glazed, tiled roof)
One builder £14k the other £13.5k. Did the job myself for £3k.

A friend in the trade suggested that neither builder really wanted the job so quoted a silly price, if they do this many times a week the odd punter may accept and the job then becomes attractive. Perhaps this is the same scenario with your respray?

Mmmmm.. don't want to thread hi-jack.. but have been quoted £8-15K... costed it myself at £3-3.5K for the materials.. trouble is I don't get the time to do it myself ... .may as well come round in a striped jumper and mask! .. Robbers !!


BTW.. got the plastic stuff on mine... fantastic is all I can say.. and you can't see it

[paul2000]

HI I think who,ever said £7000to £10.000 for a respray must be on something, I know you pay your money and rolls the dice but that price is just plain daft, I had mine done for £3625 and that's with a carpet set inside ,I am very happy with the out come ,ithink if you look at the likes of sportmotive racing green they are not far from off the same price and I have also heard good reviews about them also ,the people who did mine are Glamorgan classic cars they are in south wales hope this helps

[Plan B]

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions I feel a lot happier now. I can only think the paint shop guy thought I was some sort of LOMBARD. BTW they specialise in Porsche & Bentley - nuff said.

[portzi]

TVR Beaver said:

Mine was around £3K for a full strip (doors off / lights out / under bonnet etc)and was done about 5-6 years ago... still as good now as it was then....
http://www.autorefinishing.co.uk/

Surface and Design get good press also and I think are about the same price....

what you've been quoted is just an insult to your inteligance.. who tries it on like this FFS!
I've got the same kind of thing with a small extension I'm doing at home now.. looks like builders want to retire on it LOL

shop around or use one of these two

If you went to the last Classic car show at the NEC and saw franks Smiths (RO West mids) Chimaera on the stand you would be impressed. that was done by Surface and design. Not had anything done from them personnaly, but only heard good reports about them.

Edited by portzi on Friday 5th September 17:47

[Plan B]

I know there are lots of red cars in our community but still love that colour

[Hoover.]

Plan B said:

I live in the N Herts area so any recommendations for a competent GRP paint shop in the area would be appreciated.

Finishline in Gravely/Stevenage do a fair few TVR's...... I got a quote off them incl the dreaded which was just over £3k.... seemed to know what they were talking about, would love to see some of the TIV's they have done though

[Pupp]

Pah! Resprays... mark of a proper used car is a decent patina!

and flakey clearcoat

and chips

and dull patches

and swirls in the paint that still is somehow sound...


...where do I sign up again?