[bronco_kid78]

The deal with the 460 fell through this past weekend and I got a call from my paint/body guy for my bronco. He said he could get my truck in in 3-4 weeks. Last time he quoted me he was going to charge $3500. I visited him today and now he says he is going to charge $5000 to paint the body, pull/fix the dents/damage/rust, chip-proof the rocker panels and top and disassemble and reassemble. I could do it with my friend and his dad for about $2000 + material but we are not experts and do not know what we are doing, such as pulling off trim pieces, doors, etc. What would you recommend? the body man isnt going to straighten any small dents or waviness the body may have. I don't have a job so money is an issue but I want quality. He did the paintjob 20 years ago so he knows his shit and I'm getting a deal... I just want a better deal. What do you think? Does anyone know a bodyman who does quality paint/body for cheap?

 

[78bronco460]

Get a junkyard 460, paint the truck camo with krylon, throw some fat swampers on it, let's go wheelin.

 

[Dave's Bronc 90]

Just like with anything else, the quality of the end result largely depends on the prep work. That is doubly true for paint/body work. Fortunately it would seem that what you don't have in money you do have in time, not having a job and all, so get bust doing the prep work. Learn how to do it and work out the dents yourself. There is a LOT you can do to save yourself some money. Trust me, paint guys get asked the question every single day, "What can I do to make this cheaper?" If he's any kind of professional he's heard it thousands of times before and he won't be offended if you ask.

 

[Dave's Bronc 90]

that sounds absolutely ridiculous. I would tell him where to shove it and pull the Bronco out of the shop.

Yeah, I suppose I skipped that part. It does sound like a crock of shit. More than doubling the price on your paint job may very well be his "friendly" way of telling you he doesn't want your business without really having to come out and tell you.

 

[mda]

I'm confused....Your truck looks pretty clean in the pics you have. (maybe I missed an "I rolled my bronco thread"):drinkbud

What is really wrong with the paint?

IMO if you are considering an engine swap I would not do any final paint until the swap is finished.

 

[bronco_kid78]

the way he pointed it out to me is that he goes through 5+ peeler light duty trucks a month and makes 3.5-4k a piece. He could spend a month doing mine (according to him) and only make 5k.

I'm more into restoring my truck than anything else. I would love to have a pro do it but I dont know if it is in the cards.

Dave - I may be able to work a deal with my friends dad but it is only a possiblity and not cement at all. He has been painting cars in a large shop but doesnt have a complete paint booth w/ventilation. My dad was in contruction for years so I was thinking a trade for trade kind of deal, booth for paintjob.

 

[M.L.S.C.]

IMHO $5k is a HUGE amount of money to spend if you don't have a job. Without knowing details about your situation, I'd suggest that you start looking for an employer first, once the funds start coming in then you can look at the paint job and all. As for the price itself - with paint you get what you pay for, however if you do the prep work yourself you can get more for your money, or the same quality for less. What that means to you - pull the truck in a garage and start tearing down, there's not all that stuff to deal with, besides you'll learn more about how your truck is put together (priceless knowledge if you ever get into an accident).

 

[jopes]

Yeah, I suppose I skipped that part. It does sound like a crock of shit. More than doubling the price on your paint job may very well be his "friendly" way of telling you he doesn't want your business without really having to come out and tell you.

since when does a 3500 orginal quote to a 5k quote equal more than doubling? :twak

 

[SMurray]

uhhh, the amount of things that you could put $5000, or even $3500 towards to make your truck absolutely kick ass is pretty big. IMO thats a huge waste just to make your truck look nice when, from your pics, it already looks pretty nice. Spend the money ons omething that will add to performance.

Hell, for that kind of money you could do a decent engine build if you foudn a good doner...


but i also just read that you like to restore, so if shiny and pretty likie it came from the factory is your bag, then by all means, spend away. BUT, if i were you i would look into doing as much of it yourself as you can, its only going to be something to be that much mroe proud of if you can say that you were the one that did it.

 

[bronco_kid78]

uhhh, the amount of things that you could put $5000, or even $3500 towards to make your truck absolutely kick ass is pretty big. IMO thats a huge waste just to make your truck look nice when, from your pics, it already looks pretty nice. Spend the money ons omething that will add to performance.

Hell, for that kind of money you could do a decent engine build if you foudn a good doner...


but i also just read that you like to restore, so if shiny and pretty likie it came from the factory is your bag, then by all means, spend away. BUT, if i were you i would look into doing as much of it yourself as you can, its only going to be something to be that much mroe proud of if you can say that you were the one that did it.

Ya, I completely understand that. I'd love to say I did it, I just want a quality job. A friend of my dads payed 7k to paint his 79. The motor still runs good. It keeps oil pressure and granted it needs a rebuild, the body is more pressing. The pictures do my truck justice. The paint is starting to bubble on the cowl, the roof is loosing its clear and rock chips are killing it on the rocker panels. The t-gate is getting some threatening rust on the bottom end and there are bare metal spots on the roof. I use touch up paint to keep it from rusting but when you are up close it is less flattering. The t-gate, sides, and hood are all very nice and have held their clear incredibly well. They still blind me when it is sunny, but there are some underlying issues that are threatening the paint that I'm very worried about. The t-gate is my main concern along with the roof.

IMHO $5k is a HUGE amount of money to spend if you don't have a job. Without knowing details about your situation, I'd suggest that you start looking for an employer first, once the funds start coming in then you can look at the paint job and all. As for the price itself - with paint you get what you pay for, however if you do the prep work yourself you can get more for your money, or the same quality for less. What that means to you - pull the truck in a garage and start tearing down, there's not all that stuff to deal with, besides you'll learn more about how your truck is put together (priceless knowledge if you ever get into an accident).

The job deal is out of the question for me until summer. Parents will not let it happen but I might just go around and mow lawns for $10 or so. Either way I would love to be able to do it myself and do it well. My friend has a shop which is great but I'm worried I'll mess something up. The trim on these trucks is pretty funky to pull off, especially the outter grill shell (from what I've heard). They are a real PITA and I'm worried that I will get the body straight and pretty and then go to put the trim on and scratch up my fresh paint.

I'm confused....Your truck looks pretty clean in the pics you have. (maybe I missed an "I rolled my bronco thread"):drinkbud

What is really wrong with the paint?

IMO if you are considering an engine swap I would not do any final paint until the swap is finished.

I would like to rebuild my engine but the money just isnt there. It is one or the other right now and the paint seems to have more issues than the motor. I will be selling a horse trailer soon for about 1k which will get me some money to recoop from whatever I spend. The paint looks good from about 7ft but when you get closer you see the rock chips and peeling paint. It was a great paintjob and has lasted for a long time. The main areas of thebody look awesome but the cowl, front part of the hood, roof, and t-gate are facing some issues. The motor has a knocking lifter but other than that it has great oil pressure and revs to about 6k without any side effects.

 

[TYZBRONCO79]

I don't have a job so money is an issue :smilie_slap:duh

 

[M.L.S.C.]

The job deal is out of the question for me until summer. Parents will not let it happen but I might just go around and mow lawns for $10 or so. Either way I would love to be able to do it myself and do it well. My friend has a shop which is great but I'm worried I'll mess something up. The trim on these trucks is pretty funky to pull off, especially the outter grill shell (from what I've heard). They are a real PITA and I'm worried that I will get the body straight and pretty and then go to put the trim on and scratch up my fresh paint.

How old are you? And your parents... don't even get me started, lol :twak

About the trim and stuff - do you have any junkyards around you, the "U-Pull-It" type? That's a great way of learning things, I destroyed the roofs of two Townie Cars before I figure out how to chop mine, after two years of demolishing other Townie Cars so I don't go stupid on mine when it needed work.

 

[nacman]

I second this idea.

Get a junkyard 460, paint the truck camo with krylon, throw some fat swampers on it, let's go wheelin.

 

[Robs79BBbronco]

I can't see spending 5k on a paint job for a 4x4.....one trip off-road, or one trip to the grocery store later, your paint job will be fawked.
get with your buddy and try to spray it yourself......if you mess up, you can always re-do it.practice makes perfect.

 

[CrazyBRONCOguy]

I would just re paint the hood, the roof and the tail gate, so that they no longer rust. Then rebuild the motor.
Also just a thought, around here you can have the local career center paint it for just the materials cost basically, tech school for high school.

 

[colobronco]

Whoa. What happened to the list of 400 parts we put together?
Don need no 460.

You can prep the steel yourself & paint it with epoxy primer. Get some do it yourself body paint books & you & your pal get busy wet sanding it. Tackle small areas - so as to be able to finish & seal & then move on to the next one. Tailgates are a dime a dozen & because they don't drain water they ALWAYS rust. Some more than others. Take it off & strip out the guts. Will teach you how the power window works.

You're tripping. Take it slow & conserve cash.

 

[bronco_kid78]

How old are you? And your parents... don't even get me started, lol :twak

About the trim and stuff - do you have any junkyards around you, the "U-Pull-It" type? That's a great way of learning things, I destroyed the roofs of two Townie Cars before I figure out how to chop mine, after two years of demolishing other Townie Cars so I don't go stupid on mine when it needed work.

I've asked! I just dont think I have enough time.... We do have a u-pull-it type junkyard down in the "ghetto" (lol) area of gresham. I could check that out for some parts I may need.

The parts I will most likely need for the outside of my truck are

Drip rail moldings, lower t-gate molding, tail light moldings, wheel arc moldings, grill insert, and possibly the outter grill shell. The side moldings are in fair shape, one has a hunk of rubber missing, is there anyway to rip the rubber out of those and replace it?

Also I heard on Trucks "Launching Das Bronco" that you can clean up anodized aluminum trim by using oven cleaner... would you guys recommend doing that? Spray, let it sit, wipe off, polish w/flitz or mothers...?

I can't see spending 5k on a paint job for a 4x4.....one trip off-road, or one trip to the grocery store later, your paint job will be fawked.
get with your buddy and try to spray it yourself......if you mess up, you can always re-do it.practice makes perfect.

Ya this is true. I worry about that. I'd be doing chip guard to help with the rocks and as far as parking lot, I would be parking at the back... I'm a stickler for perfection on my truck and I really dont want it getting effed up right after I paint it.

Whoa. What happened to the list of 400 parts we put together?
Don need no 460.

You can prep the steel yourself & paint it with epoxy primer. Get some do it yourself body paint books & you & your pal get busy wet sanding it. Tackle small areas - so as to be able to finish & seal & then move on to the next one. Tailgates are a dime a dozen & because they don't drain water they ALWAYS rust. Some more than others. Take it off & strip out the guts. Will teach you how the power window works.

You're tripping. Take it slow & conserve cash.

I still have that parts list and would really like to do it. If I can get this paint outta the way with my friend, I'd be able to do both, possibly both over summer which would be kickass. Once the horse trailer is sold I have a couple other things I can get rid of. The 400 will be incredible once it is done. That motor has run good for so many years I'd hate to see it take a sh!t. If I do the pj with my friend then the motor is very likely to happen. I'm going down there today after school and talking with his dad about the trade for trade deal.

And the 460 I was talking about was an extremely good deal and under warrenty. It was in a 78 that was beat to shit but it has new brakes, heater core, water pump, and a brand new 460 with under 5k on it under a warrenty from the place he had it built. So he had all the brackets I would need and all the 460 swap mount brackets which was the only reason I was interested. He placed an ad on portland craigslist if anyone around here needs a 78-79

 

[Ranger429]

The parts I will most likely need for the outside of my truck are

Drip rail moldings, lower t-gate molding, tail light moldings, wheel arc moldings, grill insert, and possibly the outter grill shell. The side moldings are in fair shape, one has a hunk of rubber missing, is there anyway to rip the rubber out of those and replace it?

Also I heard on Trucks "Launching Das Bronco" that you can clean up anodized aluminum trim by using oven cleaner... would you guys recommend doing that? Spray, let it sit, wipe off, polish w/flitz or mothers...?

Most all of that molding is available still new or thru DC in OEM replacement. In fact I still have some of the NOS drip rail moldings. The rubber on the trim can be removed and replaced. There is only 1 screw at each end holding it in place. Get a parts book from LMC or DC, they show exactly what clip is where holding the trim on. It is really quite simple to remove the trim.


Anodizing removal and polishing. Remember that when you take the anodizing off you open the pores of the aluminum to the elements so proper upkeep is required but the end result is a chrome, mirror like finish. Yuo can have the trim sprayed with a clear coat to seal it back up but usually over time that clear will tend to yellow.
http://www.secondchancegarage.com/public/665.cfm

I have never tried the oven cleaner but if it does not remove the anodizing there is no way you will be able to polish it up. The anodizing is a clear coating and that won't polish to a like new finish.

 

[ghglenn]

You could remove the hood and tailgate and prep them yourself. Also, you can prep the roof as well. Take the items to the body guy, have him shoot the parts and roof. He is charging for time so if you do the removal and replacement of the parts = much less $. Build the 400, then a year or two down the road, you can take on the whole paint job and $ and reliablity of the motor won't be a concern. Fresh paint won't get you home!

 

[justin]

Removing the anodized finish on the aluminum isn't that bad, polishing it to make it look decent is the pain in the ass. I started on the grille of my 77 and said fawk it. I sprayed oven cleaner on the entire thing and took off the coating, then spent a few hours polishing a medium sized section. That was in September of 2006 and it still looks good to this day, the rest of it looks like shit because I never got around to polishing the rest of it, I'm just going to replace it.

The molding isn't that hard to remove, just take your time. If you are looking for a quality paint job that will last many years it is going to cost you big bucks. If you had another vehicle, you could find a shop willing to work on it in their slow times. I let a shop keep my truck for 9 months and probably saved 3K doing that considering the amount of body work I needed done.

If you want a nice paint job, save what money you can and go ahead and fix any rust that you can to the best of your ability with some silver primer.

You can save a lot of money by just removing all the trim, door handles, lock cylinders, etc. If you also want the inside of the doors sprayed, remove the panels, glass, and weather seals.