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How Much Does Car Paint Cost

Aside from body work, nothing makes a vehicle stand out like an impressive paint that is professionally applied - or at least by someone having high-grade skill levels. Quality paint can have several possible advantages: wearing with greater durability (including sun UV wear) and in some cases, having consistencies and binders that level off nicer on repaints. Where the amount paid for the paint is basic to the process. Given the fact that solutions vary so much in price, some are many multiples of others.

How Paint Prices Break Out

Automobile coatings are mainly of three types - primers, paint solutions and clear coats and they are packaged in quart and gallon-size liquid containers. In calculating the paint component, it is crucial to be familiar with types of paint bases & their compatibilities along with the total number of coats that are to be sprayed. Along with local VOC requirements.
  • Primers - prices vary radically according to base types, characteristics and qualities. The 5 star brand, single quart, high build metal primer is $35 to $50 or $120 for a gallon. Self-etching primers can be found between $60 to $80 a gal. Epoxy primers often fall between these. Important as they are for sound adhesion, prices of some primers surpass that of paint. Beware that some primers may or may not be applied over body fillers and raw metal, while offering various build qualities, dry times, ease of sanding and corrosion resistance.

  • Acrylics: less any or, possessing little amounts of tint, white acryilic enamel averages near $50 to $70 a gallon. Metallics about 10% greater and special finishes, such as pearl and special color selections - at the head of the list. Most acrylic enamels top out at around $80. A major appeal is that they offer some of the lowest VOC standards.

  • Urethane: some Urethanes are among the priciest. The Eastwood company offers a basecoat at $169 a gallon that is to be mixed with an activator, as are others. Other brand Acrylic Urethanes are found as low as $45 to $60. Activators themselves are roughly $25 to $30 per quart. Urethane reducers about $10 to $15 per quart.

  • Lacquers: many lacquers offer a depth of color field that is tough to match. With prices ranging to $90 and more.

  • Spray Can options - the 12 oz aerosol cans come in handy particularly for small areas like rear view mirrors, confined areas and limited spot painting. Dupli-Color makes an economy brand spray (as well as gallon lacquers) at roughly $7.50 per 12 oz can which are available at local car part outlets.

  • Clear Coats - many of the colored urethane clear coats are exorbitant at up to $200 a gallon and more for flat finishes. At the half opposite is Dupli-Color clear coat lacquer at $23 a quart that does not require mixing.

Comparing Amounts - Getting More for the Dollar

Optimizing spending is a balancing act when buying car paint. Especially for products that the applicator has limited experience spraying. Many higher grade products simply flow better, some drying with enhanced coverage and less visible flaws that translates to less work afterward like to recoat and buff the surface.

Sometimes purchasing a color chart from the paint supplier is a wise, preventative move at $4 to $7 or thereabouts.

When matching colors/sheens, it is usually best to consult the stock color code. This helps save on time, and spending more money caused by mismatches or far off choices. AutomotiveTouchup.com offers a resource to locate factory color codes by car manufacturer.

Certain higher build primers do have an effect of lowering the labor efforts and added paint materials needed - achieving this by eliminating repeated passes. Primers that sand easy also reduce efforts and money spent on sandpaper as well.











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