BKelley ...has his in the shop getting it painted now. it's being done by a reputable body shop. you may want to contact him and see if he can shed any light on the subject for you.
I just delivered mine to Eddie's in Norton, Ohio. I pulled out all the powertrain, glass, chrome, bumpers, lights, interior, mirrors etc. and had all of my sheet metal soda blasted. If there were an "secrets" under the paint, I wanted to see them. Amazingly, the only plastic I found was at the roof line pillar, where the factory joins the roof to the body. Zero rust (not even under the battery tray) and only two very minor dings. When the shop manager saw it, there was nothing "hiding" and we went over the car in intricate detail. I expect to pay well north of $4000.
I had one in...Paint Jail...for over a year. 14K spent on it and then gave the car away...the Guy picked the car and parts up at the painters.
That is what I am afraid of. I want it done right not rushed but it shouldn't take a year. I have 4k cash now and I can probably come up with another 1k in 8 weeks to cover hidden cost. I am torn between the paint schemes though. either a green or black cherry
Most shops mix their own paints. If you are torn between colors, have them paint a test panel with the colors you are considering so you can see what it really looks like. My shop has done that for me on several occasions. You are spending a lot of $$$ and time on this project. The last thing you want is to end up being disappointed with the color.
Looks like a 4-6k job depending on what they find underneath. I don't see the problem with filler, if you want it straight they'll need to skim it. This is for a driver quality paint job.
I agree surface prep is the most important thing when it comes to painting anything. I actually sand blast and paint for a living and we are told that every single day. But the paint is on hold since I had to put a new motor in my daily.
$40 an hour is pretty cheap. If someone actually knows what they're doing 4,000 should go a long way.
