Just pulled my 1977 LT out of the garage from a long 11 year rest. Changed the oil, put in a new battery and she started right up......now I need some new paint.....the old paint is not bad.....few rust spots...back wheel wells need to be replaced.....I am looking for advice...don't want to break the bank...but I want her to look good...how much for new paint.....some say I should take it down to the bare metal...others say fix the rust and wet sand the old paint and then paint.....what do you guys think????????...how much am I looking at here......thanks for the help

 

Is this going to be a driver? Show car?

If you dont want to break the bank you have already made you decision (general nice driver) cuz stripping it to bare metal will inevitably open a big can of worms, but for a show car bare metal stip is the way to go IMO. As far as painting you can go cheap but the outcome will not be desirable. There are a lot of variables in cost right down to the color of paint on prices. What I do before I tackle a job is get a few free quotes. Estimates will give you a starting point for your list. Tell them what you want and they will give you a ball park to start in ....not to mention the knowlege you gain by asking questions while your there. Use the info to get the prices from the parts store.

 

We have two paint suppliers here in town and the quotes I got for primer, paint, clear and reducer is around $750 for DuPont and $450 for Wellington paint and Akzo Nobel clear. The cheaper was for a cheap paint and good clear.

On the other hand. Southern Polyurathanes sells epoxy primer for $140 shipped and that will get you two sprayable gallons. I have heard good things about there primer and clear. There prices are great too. This is the route I will probably go. And then It will free up more money for a higher quality paint.

If you plan on having someone else do it. The best thing you can do is take them the car. Get alot of quotes, you would be surprized at the ranges in price.

 

I got prices from under $2,000 to over $8,000 for pretty much the same thing. A show quality job can be done for reasonable amounts, and a crappy job can cost you a lot. It's more about who paints it.
Ask around and visit lots of shops. Get particulars on what they do for the price, and then you can make your decision. Quotes are free.