C3 Full Decent Respray Cost?
- Thread starter GCorvette
- Start date
Custom exotics
Well-known user
Full strip back to bare fibre glass all lines sharpened all door gaps and alignment sorted full double prime and full repaint in choice of colour including all the de and reinstall of parts (ie lights all door hard ware badges etc ) around £9000 we remove all panels that are removable to repaint door glass removed and if needed front and rear screens removed any new parts you wish to supply for the body will be refitted we ask as a minimum that you supply all new door weatherstrips as we will remove thes to paint and we offer a full guarantee with our paintwork you do get what you pay for so def ask what your getting for your money and def look at any recently completed work ti see if you think its acceptable to you As a side note and for info purposes for anyone reading this if your using a bodyshop who are doing the job properly the cost of materials on there own is anywhere from £1000-+1500 including oven cost etc so you have to ask what are they not doing if there quoting 2.5-3k
kentvette
CCCUK Member
I think that's the first time anyone has listed the work done and given even a "ball-park" figure, so that's really helpful. Not sure I'm in the market for a re-paint just yet, (despite my wife's constant badgering about one!) but it's good to know what I'd be looking at!
antijam
CCCUK Member
As Custom Exotics points out, the cost of materials used in a quality refinishing is around 15% of the total price - highlighting the amount of labour involved in stripping, prepping, and reassembly. The cost of a respray could be reduced if you are prepared to do the stripping and reassembly yourself, i.e removing and refitting all the chrome. glass, weatherstripping etc.
I wouldn't suggest doing the prep yourself. For a painter to take responsibility for the quality of the job he will want to ensure every stage of the process is done properly. Fibreglass bodies can present some problems not experienced with metal bodied cars. A few years ago I paid around £15k for the paint job to turn this glassfibre body....
....into this.
The body needed serious restoration as previous collision damage had been badly repaired. Having been stored in a damp garage, the body started to 'sweat' and it took a fortnight of heating at night and leaving it out in the sunlight during the day to dry it out before surface prep could begin.
Contrast this with a respray I had done in restoring an old MG. This is a car that has to be fully assembled to check fits, alignment, function and aesthetics...
......before taking it all apart again for paint. The painter was presented with 40 separate metal parts to be painted on all surfaces. I then had to put it all back together again.....
This job cost only £6k. The cost of a respray is not paint, it's man-hours.
I wouldn't suggest doing the prep yourself. For a painter to take responsibility for the quality of the job he will want to ensure every stage of the process is done properly. Fibreglass bodies can present some problems not experienced with metal bodied cars. A few years ago I paid around £15k for the paint job to turn this glassfibre body....
....into this.
The body needed serious restoration as previous collision damage had been badly repaired. Having been stored in a damp garage, the body started to 'sweat' and it took a fortnight of heating at night and leaving it out in the sunlight during the day to dry it out before surface prep could begin.
Contrast this with a respray I had done in restoring an old MG. This is a car that has to be fully assembled to check fits, alignment, function and aesthetics...
......before taking it all apart again for paint. The painter was presented with 40 separate metal parts to be painted on all surfaces. I then had to put it all back together again.....
This job cost only £6k. The cost of a respray is not paint, it's man-hours.
Custom exotics
Well-known user
But bare in mind yes you could save yourself some money doing the de and reassembly yourself but as the old saying goes you damage it you pay for it !!! Meaning you mark scratch chip the freesh paintwork putting it back together dint expect the bodyshop to sort it free of charge and as cars like c3 corvettes dont tend to have panels a simple scratch on the wing putting a headlamp unit back in could lead to the front end having to be repainted
antijam
CCCUK Member
It is indeed Chuffer! The Daimler 2.5 litre 'hemi' V8 was a simple but surprisingly robust motor. back in the '70's Russ Carpenter, a drag racer, decided it would be capable of tuning to considerably more than its original 140 HP. He incorporated it into the 'Glacier Grenade' dragster....
.... and achieved considerable success with the car. Carpenter reckoned initially that 400 HP would be easily achievable - he eventually took it to 1500 HP!
When restoring my car I got Russ to rebuild the engine.....
....it doesn't produce 1500 HP, but as Rolls Royce used to put it, it has 'sufficient' power for an enjoyable drive.
Apologies for taking this thread off topic but it's always worth remembering that the USA wasn't the only source of high power pushrod V8's
Last edited:
Roscobbc
Moderator
There used to be a Sierra estate with a 'blown' Daimler V8 engine around our way - haven't seen it for a few years. As good as the 'small' Daimler V8 was its bigger 4.5 ltr version was weak. My first V8 powered car was a Dailmer 2 1/2 litre. It 'threw' a rod. It was surprising heavy for something with ally heads (more than a small block Ford and only a few lbs more than a SBC). Americans (and presumably Russ Carpenter) used these with a bottom end girdle (to keep it all together) and were quite competitive in the day using the engine for midget racing. Irrespectively a great engine for lightweight cars like Pop's (and SP250's)
Chevrolet
CCCUK Member
No need, absolutely "luuvvin" the history there, and the two "superb" cars you have in addition to the C3! Afraid I am old enough to remember walking by Lewisham police station with my uncle, as two uniformed officers drove out in an open black Dart. That's for catching the "Ton-Up Boys" on their motorbikes said uncle who was in the Met.
Attachments
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
I well remember the Daimler V8 being favoured by the hot rod and dragster guys in my early Santa Pod days .I Have say Antijam , that engine bay is stunning
I sold my everso slightly breathed on Jaguar XJS 3.6 manual to and ex cop Jaguar enthusiast who also had an SP250 .
I could never understand why the Daimler V8 played second fiddle to the Jaguar Mk 2 !
I sold my everso slightly breathed on Jaguar XJS 3.6 manual to and ex cop Jaguar enthusiast who also had an SP250 .
I could never understand why the Daimler V8 played second fiddle to the Jaguar Mk 2 !
Roscobbc
Moderator
Like you I remember seeing one of these (in black also) emerging from Romford nick in the mid/late 60's - a rare sight even then.
Jimbo64
CCCUK Member
With regards the cost of a respray, I totally appreciate the open, honest and frank information and estimate from Custom Exotics.
Looks like I'm going to have to start a separate and "hidden" savings account for the respray of my Vette from "She who must be obeyed!"
I know what was involved and obviously the cost, for getting my V8 Morris Minor bare metal resprayed 8 years ago and knew when I bought my C3 that she had had a poor respray done many years ago in the US.
As always, do your homework in respect of the entrusted sprayer, have sufficient funds for same and leave as much as you can to them, so there aren't any of those hindsight moments of "why did I decide to refit the screens/chrome, rubbers, lights etc myself."
I know my limitations and the ultimate level of what I want at the end of a respray and knew what I was getting into purchasing a fibreglass bodied car.
Pretty certain my respray won't be done prior to driving from Aberdeen to CCCUK Nationals and back next year! Stone chips add to the useability factor !
If there's a "Best clean glass or tyres categories" I'll give that a go!
Looks like I'm going to have to start a separate and "hidden" savings account for the respray of my Vette from "She who must be obeyed!"
I know what was involved and obviously the cost, for getting my V8 Morris Minor bare metal resprayed 8 years ago and knew when I bought my C3 that she had had a poor respray done many years ago in the US.
As always, do your homework in respect of the entrusted sprayer, have sufficient funds for same and leave as much as you can to them, so there aren't any of those hindsight moments of "why did I decide to refit the screens/chrome, rubbers, lights etc myself."
I know my limitations and the ultimate level of what I want at the end of a respray and knew what I was getting into purchasing a fibreglass bodied car.
Pretty certain my respray won't be done prior to driving from Aberdeen to CCCUK Nationals and back next year! Stone chips add to the useability factor !
If there's a "Best clean glass or tyres categories" I'll give that a go!
Alexm
CCCUK Member
I paid about 6k for a full strip and paint at Mechspray on my 73 about 6 years ago, and it still looks good now.
A friend of mine has recently had his 69 fully stripped ( some damage repaired) and repainted by pilgrim cars ( the cobra kit car company who also import and restore a lot of mustangs) and it came to 4.5K ( 100 hours labour and 1.5K paint.
And it looks excellent!
A friend of mine has recently had his 69 fully stripped ( some damage repaired) and repainted by pilgrim cars ( the cobra kit car company who also import and restore a lot of mustangs) and it came to 4.5K ( 100 hours labour and 1.5K paint.
And it looks excellent!
Daytona Vette
Well-known user
There are different levels of expectation, by different people and different prices going back in time - I have had a full strip and repaint on a C3 for less than 3k, but that was 35 plus years ago
I have had several paint jobs done in the past and most by esteemed outfits, that worked on prestige cars and some by renown custom painters, with some disappointing results, so the more you pay does not mean a better job, certainly the less you pay, you only have yourself to blame when you are unhappy with the result, it is about quality of workmanship and dedication by the craftsman to turn out the best possible finish - Take it to Custom Exotics say no more - hand them the keys and then when you get the finished job - you will go Wowww! - as I did!
I have had several paint jobs done in the past and most by esteemed outfits, that worked on prestige cars and some by renown custom painters, with some disappointing results, so the more you pay does not mean a better job, certainly the less you pay, you only have yourself to blame when you are unhappy with the result, it is about quality of workmanship and dedication by the craftsman to turn out the best possible finish - Take it to Custom Exotics say no more - hand them the keys and then when you get the finished job - you will go Wowww! - as I did!
sublimemike
Well-known user
Most of it is down to the labour.....Mine was nearly all original paint with a bad attempt by some guy to patch up the rear deck where the AV gas had acted acted as paint stripper. Those cars that have had 2 or 3 paint jobs then the labour is more to sort and guarantee a good finish
Chevrolet
CCCUK Member
Hope she hasn't set up her own CCCUK account/profile without telling you? You could be in trouble there?Looks like I'm going to have to start a separate and "hidden" savings account for the respray of my Vette from "She who must be obeyed!"
Custom exotics
Well-known user
Are we talking about the c3 in your profile pic ?