Cost to paint a truck??

[kebo]

I revived this thread to show you a pic of the truck after my $2000 paint job. I'm just now getting it all back together with the brushguard and applying the new badges on the side of the bed. So, you might like it even better now!!! :thumbsup: This truck used to be badged with 4x4 OFFROAD decal. I NEVER did like the factory alloy rims on it that had the 5 teardrop shaped holes in them, so I found a set of the 5 spoke alloys on craigslist that came off of a 2002 FX4 truck. I really liked those rims! So, I got those on put it, and decided it needed a new badge to go with the new look. I also had new keys put on the front torsion bars to lift it up 2.5", these are usually called leveling kits. It sits level now, as it's supposed to do, which enhances the stance alot.

Here is a closeup of the badge I ordered from someone I found on the "E", who has a small graphics company. He custom printed it with the Real Tree Advantage Classic camo pattern for me. I had him add the "Advantage Edition". It matches the camo trim I put on it, and the custom seat covers from Marathon Seat Covers. He did the badges for $40, but he actually sent me two sets so it's like I got them for $20/set. Nice guy to work with!

The only thing left to do now is to polish the headlight lenses with a polishing kit I got at Advance Auto. The lenses are pretty dull, faded, and yellow looking. The polishing kit should make them look almost new again. Little detail things like that can really set it off. I really like my truck now! I plan on keeping it for about 8-10 more years, unless someone makes me a good offer on it!!! LOL! :thumbsup:

 

[Diamondpilot]

She turned out nice. My favorite F-150 I had was a 99 Short Bed Step Side Regular Cab. It had the 5.4 and 4.10 gears. Man, was that a fun truck. You pics bring back memories with the step side bed.

Chris

 

[boxygen]

Nice Job. :thumbsup:I really respect people that take the time and money to keep "old" vehicles running and looking good too. Its not really an old truck, its newer than everything in my driveway! I love living in New England, but I am envious of the southern states without their road salt! We just redid my dads truck (95 chevy silverado) and we put $2000 in parts and materials to do it. It included new rockerpanels -inner and outer, cab corners, inner and outer front fenders, a bumper, tailgate, rear fender patches, a full spray job with enamel paint and lots of POR-15 on the frame and underside. Oh yeah, and 4 straight weekends with me, my dad and brother working 10 hours a day! :confused2:
You'll have no problem keeping that 10 more years. If I lived down there, I'd only need one truck my entire life.

 

[buck12]

Nice Job. :thumbsup:I really respect people that take the time and money to keep "old" vehicles running and looking good too. Its not really an old truck, its newer than everything in my driveway! I love living in New England, but I am envious of the southern states without their road salt! We just redid my dads truck (95 chevy silverado) and we put $2000 in parts and materials to do it. It included new rockerpanels -inner and outer, cab corners, inner and outer front fenders, a bumper, tailgate, rear fender patches, a full spray job with enamel paint and lots of POR-15 on the frame and underside. Oh yeah, and 4 straight weekends with me, my dad and brother working 10 hours a day! :confused2:
You'll have no problem keeping that 10 more years. If I lived down there, I'd only need one truck my entire life.

I do feel for you guys up north. I have 93 F150 that I have owned since new. She is now a hunting/beat around truck but has no rust. The couple of times a year the highway department spreads salt I do my best to just stay home. I bought a new F150 last year but started out looking at used trucks. I found an 07 that I really liked until the dealer pulled a car fax which showed the truck was from MI. I said no thanks.

 

[buck12]

I revived this thread to show you a pic of the truck after my $2000 paint job. I'm just now getting it all back together with the brushguard and applying the new badges on the side of the bed. So, you might like it even better now!!! :thumbsup: This truck used to be badged with 4x4 OFFROAD decal. I NEVER did like the factory alloy rims on it that had the 5 teardrop shaped holes in them, so I found a set of the 5 spoke alloys on craigslist that came off of a 2002 FX4 truck. I really liked those rims! So, I got those on put it, and decided it needed a new badge to go with the new look. I also had new keys put on the front torsion bars to lift it up 2.5", these are usually called leveling kits. It sits level now, as it's supposed to do, which enhances the stance alot.

Here is a closeup of the badge I ordered from someone I found on the "E", who has a small graphics company. He custom printed it with the Real Tree Advantage Classic camo pattern for me. I had him add the "Advantage Edition". It matches the camo trim I put on it, and the custom seat covers from Marathon Seat Covers. He did the badges for $40, but he actually sent me two sets so it's like I got them for $20/set. Nice guy to work with!

The only thing left to do now is to polish the headlight lenses with a polishing kit I got at Advance Auto. The lenses are pretty dull, faded, and yellow looking. The polishing kit should make them look almost new again. Little detail things like that can really set it off. I really like my truck now! I plan on keeping it for about 8-10 more years, unless someone makes me a good offer on it!!! LOL! :thumbsup:

She looks great. Now take it off road and put some fresh scratches on it.

 

[Ford tractor]

Heck, I still remember when 3-4 guys would pool money to buy a $100 car, sand it with 120-240 grit by hand, use old news paper to cover the windows and spray with 20 rattle cans. Total cost $120 -- including the car. You could get the whole thing done on a Saturday and be cruzing that evening. They looked much better at night...

 

[timswi]

From what I can see, I'd say you got an outstanding paint job for a very good price...Congrats on this...Look great!!!!

 

[Dargo]

I would say $2000 is a little on the cheap side but if he does a good job its a deal. I would pass on the cheap paint job, it would be better not to do anything rather than go cheap.

I've painted several dozen cars in the past. Fortunately I never did it for a living because I'm too slow and too picky. My dad and I painted a guy's '55 Chevy for show and it took almost 2 years and cost over $25,000. That is similar to the way my '62 Biscayne was done. However, just to paint a full sized truck, I wouldn't touch one for $2k. By the time you buy the primer, paint, reducer, strainers, tips, filters, tape, paper, clear coat, cleaning materials and all the various sandpaper, I'd say you'd have close to $1000 in materials alone if you use quality materials.

Then, if there is any, body work to be done (and there always is, you have to add in bead blasting, rust inhibitors, different primer, filler, hardner, more sandpaper and a lot more time; there's no way I'd even think about it for the other thousand dollars. I work with a lot of body shops and sell materials to one of the top 5 body shops in the country. For a "good" paint job that is good enough where most people can't tell it's a re-paint, you're looking at about $6000. Anything special you want moves the price up from there. Heck, one buddy who specializes in restorations took almost 3 years to restore a Shelby Cobra for a guy and the guy was thrilled to get it back so soon and thrilled that it only cost him $65k for the restoration.

Unfortunately, for a complete paint job, a couple of grand will only get you a glorified "Earl Scheib" spray bombing; over-spray on trim, glass and tires at no extra charge.

 

[Bikewanderer]

I just went through all this with my truck. In 2006 I decided to go out and buy a new truck - the thing was so expensive I decided I needed a beater truck, so bought an old powerstroke dually. It worked out well until we decided to get out of debt and paid off the truck. We had worked so hard to pay it off I realized how much money I had parked in the driveway and decided I didn't want it anymore. So I sold the new truck and bought a nice flatbed and paint job for my old Ford.

I love my truck! I have nearly $7k in it now when you consider purchase price and the flatbed and paint job - but that's still a third what I sold the duramax for and half the value the duramax lost. I also saved $1500/yr in property tax and insurance. Insurance on my ford is $180/yr.

No matter how you run the numbers it's always cheaper to maintain an older car than it is to buy a new one. If you keep up on the maintenance and repair things when they break and keep it cosmetically in good shape it makes it much easier to own and old vehicle. Nobody wants to drive a crapbox.