FranciscoR.
Enthusiast
Viper I am / was looking at apparently needs a complete paintjob. 1) how expensive is it? 2) is it possible (and if so how long) to do the prepwork ones self? 3) anything else associated with paint a Viper?
paintjob Cost
- Thread starter FranciscoR.
- Start date
DodgeViper01
Enthusiast
$6000 - $12000 depending on the shop but I usually do not hear of more than $9000 unless extra work like stripes are being done. Mostly due to labor of taking the old paint off. From what I have been told, it has to be stripped by hand with sand paper.
FranciscoR.
Enthusiast
Yeah I figured total cost would be a good 5-6g...if not more. is it possible to do the prep work myself? (just curious)
DodgeViper01
Enthusiast
Yes but I would not recommend it since the fiberglass composite is so fragile, one slip up can cost you more that you can ever imagine. Mess up the hood and you are at $18,000 to replace.
GTSnake
Enthusiast
I'm not sure many painters would be willing to just paint it with you doing the prep work. 95% of the quality of the paint job is in the prep.
EllowViper
Enthusiast
Comments will be as wide and varied as the sky on this one. When I had an estimate on getting stripes on my 01 along with some nicks/scratches repaired and the roof scoop installed, the estimate came in at just under $9k. For a few $$$ more ($400), I could have had a complete repaint with a slick pearl yellow with pearl white stripes since most of the panels, etc would already have been prepped. Most of the costs were prep/labor as you can imagine ($45 per/hr). I would not shy away from doing the prep work since it is not that complecated...in fact, probably easier than a metal car IMO (having done both several times). I ended up doing all the work myself with a material cost of around $1500. As an evenings/weekend sort of thing not knowing your set-up/tools, it could take presumably months for a complete prep (front/rear facias, hood, windshield out (optional), doors off and dissassembled, hatch off, gas fixtures off, trim/moldings, side sills, tail light surround, quarter panels, you I can see where the labor costs come in since the prep work is never ending. I did take a few well thought out shortcuts that I probably would not do again. In hindsight, I would probably had the job professionally done if $$$ would not have been a consideration, but I learned a lot as a do-it-yourself job and it turned out "OK". It took me about 2 months.
rcdice
Enthusiast
EllowViper,
Why did you do a total repaint? Did you have accident damage?
BTW, the lawn mower in you pix gallery is priceless!!!
Why did you do a total repaint? Did you have accident damage?
BTW, the lawn mower in you pix gallery is priceless!!!
gotV10
Enthusiast
how is it recomended to strip the paint from the front facia. chemical, or sanding?
EllowViper
Enthusiast
RCDICE,
My project started innocently enough. I desired painted White stripes but had the usual side sill/facia/rear bumper scrapes as well as a drivers side door ding and that crazy roof scoop idea that needed to be taken care of as well. In talking to my body man, he indicated that pretty much everything but the rear quartes and the passenger door would be getting either touched up, re-painted, or re-cleared given my desires....so why not just re-do the entire thing and not worry about color matching and blending. In looking at his estimate, everything was coming off the car body-wise to include the doors and rear quarters. This was his requirement in order to "guarantee" the paint job for life. My Wifey about fell over...why pay 20% +/- of the purchase price of the car just for a repaint when it looked "just fine" in her opinion. I had to agree at that point. So I rolled-up my sleeves and did it myself. I did not remove the doors, quarters nor the windshield, but everything else came off. Laying out the stripes on the facia and rear was a SOB and is not perfect. Lots of curves and irregularities to deal with when trying to get a straight, consistent 8" tape line. The painting/clear/sanding/polishing is no big deal, but the prep work is what makes/breaks a paint job IMO. I figure in a few years I'll do a complete repaint and do it all the way vice taking some of my shortcuts. I have access to a paint booth that I will use the "next" time vice the arrangement I had in my garage...cough cough.
My project started innocently enough. I desired painted White stripes but had the usual side sill/facia/rear bumper scrapes as well as a drivers side door ding and that crazy roof scoop idea that needed to be taken care of as well. In talking to my body man, he indicated that pretty much everything but the rear quartes and the passenger door would be getting either touched up, re-painted, or re-cleared given my desires....so why not just re-do the entire thing and not worry about color matching and blending. In looking at his estimate, everything was coming off the car body-wise to include the doors and rear quarters. This was his requirement in order to "guarantee" the paint job for life. My Wifey about fell over...why pay 20% +/- of the purchase price of the car just for a repaint when it looked "just fine" in her opinion. I had to agree at that point. So I rolled-up my sleeves and did it myself. I did not remove the doors, quarters nor the windshield, but everything else came off. Laying out the stripes on the facia and rear was a SOB and is not perfect. Lots of curves and irregularities to deal with when trying to get a straight, consistent 8" tape line. The painting/clear/sanding/polishing is no big deal, but the prep work is what makes/breaks a paint job IMO. I figure in a few years I'll do a complete repaint and do it all the way vice taking some of my shortcuts. I have access to a paint booth that I will use the "next" time vice the arrangement I had in my garage...cough cough.
