New Zealand Datsun Club

Car came to a crashing holt after a trop I was using to slowly back car of trailer gave way. Crashed into the garden and the massive strop ratchet flung up and chipped and scratched the bonnet. Awesome, goes with every other panel on the car. Paint job is fucked anyway, all you can see is sanding marks, swirls, runs etc Will be going back to Paul Stephens and asking if that is the norm for a $5.5k cash paint job.

Shit that sucks man

Good reson to sand it back and get the colour you wanted!

Oh my!!

5.5k is pretty ridiculously cheap for a 2 pack metallic paint with a 3 layer pearl, I wanted Mazda Velocity Red on my car and was quoted more than that to do it all properly including door jambs, engine bay etc.

I wouldn't lose too much sleep over it, you're bound to scratch and chip it a bit putting everything together, you might as well just get it pretty much done and then take it back for a respray of the outside and touch-up of the bits you damaged yourself - that's my plan, based on the advice my panelbeater gave me, so I'm in pretty much the same situation myself.

I got my valiant blocked back, and sprayed in two pack clear over base and oven baked for around $2.5k. And around half of that was materials.

must be 3-4K for paint / consumables for that type/colour of paint, so about 2K labour for final prep, blowing it and buffing? seems reasonable enough IMO - but if there are runs and swirls and shit, then thats a problem with the prep and quality of workmanship is it not.... Did you bail the painter up when you made final payment with respect to swirls and runs?
think 5.5K is fair money, but I would expect (like you) a pretty good result. should look a lot better than the average back yard job.
my sedan was painted on a gravel drive in a nor-wester, and my man on the gun, only got one small run. only other prob was final buff, slightly over buffed bonnet, and feint line of primer was visible on the raised body line ridge. all other marks and garks were my fault


Gutted for you tho, keep your chin up - you will get there

i got quoted 600-800 cash in labour to spray the 140j, i just have to supply my own paint and pearl etc, my door shuts, boot, engine bay etc are already done though

I have told him about the runs etc, he said to take it back in and they will buff it etc but the real issues are:

1. Not everywhere on the car has enough paint on it. Edges look like there is no orange on it.

2. Sanding marks and swirls over the entire roof and most of the other panels.

3. Bubbling under the paint (water in the primer that wasnt taken back).

4. Paint chips WAAAY too easy. Like I have never seen on a car before

Anyhow all niks and shit I fuck up is my own fault and I will pay to fix.

But here is another example of a WTF moment: The point really is that I wanted the car painted properly. I was quoted an amount, I got the car back and the bill was actually $1k higher as they said it was more work and a more expensive paint than they originaly thought I wanted. All Fair enough, but I just wanted a decent paint job. I think I probably got a $2500 paint job and if I had paid that much I would have been happy enough with what I got.

Also remember, there wasn't any panel beating to do, just sand back all the primer and repaint it.
Just so as to make sure I am filling you all in on ALL the facts:

They said they spent 100 hours on the car.
They also said I rushed them and thats why it wasnt all buffed properly etc.
I booked the car in weeks in advance and have them a month to paint it.
Car went to them as a shell, nothing like lights or windows to remove or anything else, fairly straight forward.


Am I expecting too much? Feel free to tell me I am if you think I am. I am not trying to sound like a winger or a pedantic bitch. I have just spent too much money and time to come out with a rough looking car at the end of it.

On a poitive note I have drilled the larger holes for all the wiring to go from the doors to the car and put since wire gromets in and they look really good. So door poppers and wiring ALMOST finished.