2005 4Runner - Paint Suggestions

Arvo

New Member
Hello All,

I need to paint a 2005 4Runner with really worn off clear coat. I would like to keep it as long as I can, so I want to use good materials. I've gotten 2 estimates in the Los Angeles are, one for $3,500 with Transtar materials and a second one for $2,500 with Matrix clear. What would be a fair price for a good paint job?

First, I'd like to know what you guys think is a fair price to have it painted. It does not have any major body work, but it's an old car, and of course, it is going to need work done to prep it for painting.

Also, how much material do you think it should take to cover the entire car. I was told I needed 1 1/2 gallons of clear and base coat, but not sure if this is accurate. I plan on using SPI universal clear or SPI European clear. Not sure as to the brand for base coat.

I am not a painter, but I have been approached by someone selling a small shop, so their offer has piqued my interest in the painting business.

Thank you very much for reading this and any and all of your input.
 
The only way to paint a vehicle these days for those prices is to just do hack job. I'm going to get at least $7000 to do a job like that and we're not talking show quality, just new vehicle standards.

If you take one of these shops up on their offer, it's almost a sure bet that you are just making things worse, because if you keep it longer than a few more years, you'll have to contend with the cheap paint job dying and peeling off around all the things they did not remove for proper prepping.

We don't do many complete paint jobs for that reason, it doesn't make economic sense to put so much time, effort, and money into a lot of older vehicles. For example, 4Runners are cool, but I am not sure they are worth a complete paint unless everything else is like new.

Edit:
I just checked, a very clean 2005 4Runner is worth $5K.
 
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Thanks for your response.

I figured as much. When I heard the first guy say that he was using Transtar paint, that worried me.
 
4Runner’s are nice vehicles. They’re still worth a pretty penny in this market. Yours would be gold where I am in the northeast rust belt. They’re all rotted out here. There isn’t a 1000 difference in a transtar job vs a matrix job. I’m assuming the difference is just one guy wants more profit, which rightfully so on a complete. I don’t think you’d see and difference in quality based on the material. It’s going to be based on the guy doing the work. I’d love jobs like that. I turn them down here cause your welding in rockers, quarter patches, fenders, etc lol. You should have a great foundation. As stated above it just needs proper prep. Unfortunately I also think labor prices vary widely across the nation. There are many people in my area that would do a quality job for 35-4000. That’s just what are market is willing to pay. If you turned them all down you’d starve.
 
There's a guy I found who is a second generation painter working at a large volume shop insurance shop. However, he knows his stuff and works on the side. He easily has more than 30 years experience since that's all his done since his teens. He quoted me $2,500 for labor and supplies, but I need to provide the paint and clear. I believe he does restorations on the side and has even worked on some celebrity's muscle car restorations as side jobs.

The biggest problem with hiring him is that he does not have a place to paint the car and I'd have to work around his schedule. I'd have to find a place that rents booths. However, I know that he would do a really good job prepping and painting the car.
 
There's a guy I found who is a second generation painter working at a large volume shop insurance shop. However, he knows his stuff and works on the side. He easily has more than 30 years experience since that's all his done since his teens. He quoted me $2,500 for labor and supplies, but I need to provide the paint and clear. I believe he does restorations on the side and has even worked on some celebrity's muscle car restorations as side jobs.

The biggest problem with hiring him is that he does not have a place to paint the car and I'd have to work around his schedule. I'd have to find a place that rents booths. However, I know that he would do a really good job prepping and painting the car.
No way you are going to get a quality job. First off, the supplies alone even using cheap base and clear like transtar or matrix are going to be $1000 or more. And cheap materials is all you will get because nowadays using quality materials will eat up every bit of that $2500. Cheap clear doesn't last.

So after the material expense he is left with $1500 in labor to do the job. A quality re-spray, you are going to pull the lights, the tail lights, the bumper covers, the door handles, the mirrors, etc.etc. Will he mask of the door, hood, and trunk jams?

If the clear is worn off, it's needs to be taken to metal in those areas to do it properly. Plus the various accumulated dings etc. etc. A lot of work for $1500. And if he doesn't have a place to do it, he probably doesn't do side work often so he may have severely underestimated it.
It may work out and he may be willing to do a quality job for that, but in the end the materials won't be and that will kill it long term. Crash gave good advice in his post.
 
Are there any shops or individuals that you would recommend in or around Los Angeles?
John will help; he has been my jobber in LA and Hawaii for 15 to 20 years.
Here is the problem, he calls on some very famous shops and regular shops and perhaps some not-so-good shops.
So you need to be upfront with him about budget so he can make a proper recommendation.

John.
(661) 312-5231
Cell
 
I just took in a 1988 4 Runner over the winter job. Time and material only and NO estimated time for completion. It's almost a rust free truck with fading original paint and i think close to 10K when all done. His dads truck who passed. If I can figure out how to post pictures will do so.
 
I just took in a 1988 4 Runner over the winter job. Time and material only and NO estimated time for completion. It's almost a rust free truck with fading original paint and i think close to 10K when all done. His dads truck who passed. If I can figure out how to post pictures will do so.
Just for everyone's reference, what is the ~10K buying? A like new exterior finish, or more, like door jambs and a full cut and buff?
 
Chrash on this job I will repair a dent on one door and a minor rust spot but msdtly pull the large trim and front bumper and repaint base and clear. may denib hood and buff. The rear cap is a flat black and is in great condition. This is a fill in job and I only do one a year. Oh no door jams just a power wash on those.
 
Man if I told a customer 10k for that job in my area they would pass out from laughter. Just won’t happen around here. But all areas are different.
 
Man if I told a customer 10k for that job in my area they would pass out from laughter. Just won’t happen around here. But all areas are different.
I hear this a lot, BUT I also heard like one shop a year ago that said he was working for nothing anymore and raised his shop rate from 55 dollars an hour to 75 dollars an hour with the attitude they could take it or go elsewhere.
Six months later, he's booked up for over a year, and he is picking the jobs he wants, and he has eliminated the the rife-rafe and poor payers.
Oh hes in a small town.
 
As Chris stated, once your clear coat has failed, the base is now also deteriorating. Clear protects the color coat from the sun's destructive UV rays.

This means you will have to strip those panels to metal, then epoxy, 2k, base and clear. The materials alone can cost $2000 or more depending on the color.

The next problem is the paint on your vehicle is over 17 years old. This means that it has probably faded some, therefore only repairing certain panels will require blending into the old faded paint. This will take some one with ability to tint your store bought paint to match.

If you plan to keep the vehicle, then a total repaint would be the best idea. Considering the outrageous costs of new trucks today, investing $7,000 - $10,000 into yours might be a wise decision. If it drives great, then make it look great.

I have a 2000 F250 Super Duty with a 7.3 Powerstroke Diesel engine that runs fantastic. The interior is not so great and the exterior will need repair and repainting. Fortunately, I have the place and ability to do the repairs myself but even then the cost will be high, but nowhere near just the down payment on a new one.
 
With labor rates what they are in California, I would think those quotes are for low quality materials and a quicky--less than satisfactory job.
 
I got another quote this weekend; $5,500 with PPG DCU2021 clear and challenger base coat. The guy does mainly classic restorations.
One odd thing, though, is that he does not have a spray booth. His place is pretty big and it's partitioned with a door. He says he simply closes the door and sprays. He had a number of really nice restos that he was completing: 58' Impala, 57' belair (painted black), and a few others. The cars looked immaculate. And he mentioned that he would take everything off my vehicle for the paint job and retouch all of the plastic and other items.

The car prices out here are ridiculous. My truck has approx 160k miles and runs great. So, it kinda makes sense to clean it up a bit.
 
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