If your classic car’s paint has seen better days and is starting to chip or appear outdated, it may be time to invest in a new finish. In addition to bringing new life to your ride, old car painting may be a critical part of restoring it or increasing its value before a sale.
Navigating the intricacies of old car painting can appear challenging, especially if you’re new to the world of collecting. You may wonder how much it will cost to have your vehicle professionally painted as well as what type of paint to use.
In this blog, we’ll discuss types of classic car paint, how much you can expect to pay, and the factors impacting the cost of old car painting.
What’s the Best Paint for Classic Cars?
The first thing you need to know about painting a classic car is that there are two basic types of paint. These are water-based and solvent-based paints. Solvent-based paints are far more common for vehicles, but water-based solutions are becoming increasingly common in the automotive world. Plus, water-based paints are better for the environment.
When it comes to solvent-based paints, the basic types are enamel, lacquer, and urethane, and each has various pros and cons. Lacquer, for instance, was a common choice for automotive manufacturers from the 1920s to the 1960s, but the solution is vulnerable to UV rays and may chip over time. That said, if you’re driving a beauty that originally featured lacquer paint, you may want to risk the hassle for authenticity’s sake.
Unlike lacquer, urethane is highly resistant to chipping and is far stronger than both lacquer and enamel. That said, this type of paint has a huge drawback: It contains highly toxic electrophile isocyanate. Because it’s incredibly dangerous to breathe in this chemical, you’ll likely only want to opt for this choice if you’re having your car painted by experienced professionals.
Finally, we have enamel, the cheapest solvent-based paint. This paint is tougher and more chip-resistant than lacquer, but applying it evenly usually requires a great deal of experience.
While you may leave the choice of paint solution up to a professional shop, you certainly want to have control over what color your classic vehicle sports. This may come down to personal preference, or you may want to pick a color that adds to your classic’s authenticity. For example, if you’re driving a 1969 Camaro, you’d likely want to select an authentic color that remains true to Chevy’s original vision, such as Tuxedo Black or Cortez Silver. This will make your classic look all the more special and genuine.
How Much to Paint a Classic Car?
The amount you can expect to pay for your old car painting will depend on many factors, including:
- Labor: The amount of time it takes for those working on your vehicle to finish the job will have a direct impact on the final price. If the job requires interior paint or rust repair, you can certainly expect it to be more expensive than a simple solid color paint job.
- Painting Preparation: Rust repair, surface smoothing, and primer application will all take time, further adding to the total cost of labor.
- Type of Paint: As we’ve discussed, different types of paint will vary in price, further impacting the total cost of your new finish.
- Number of Colors: The more colors your car utilizes, the more expensive the paint job will be.
- Vehicle Model: If you’re aiming for authenticity, some vehicle models will be more expensive due to paint prices. For instance, Camaro Cortez Silver is more expensive than Toyota Crimson Red.
Make sure to consider these factors when comparing different prices, and of course, you should expect more experienced and skilled professionals to charge higher for their services.
The average cost of a classic car paint job is just under $4,000. That said, you may be able to find a body shop that’s willing to accept less, perhaps even as little as $2,000. Many collectors end up paying far more, though, with complex and luxurious classic paint jobs costing tens of thousands of dollars.
Get Premium Insurance for Your Refinished Classic
Regardless of what classic vehicle you own or the paint you choose, you need to protect your slice of motor history with the best classic car insurance available.
Fortunately, you’re in the right place. Classic Auto offers flexible and affordable policies that are perfect for your ride. We build our insurance policies around agreed-upon value, which means we’ll consult with you to assess how much your car is worth. Plus, our policies include great benefits, like nationwide roadside assistance with flatbed towing, inflation guard, rollover miles, and more.
Ready to learn more about Classic Auto Insurance? You can get an instant quote for your ride here, or speak to our classic insurance specialists at 888-901-1338.
