Bill,

Different parts of the country will have different rates due to local market pressures and shop overhead.  I can tell you that that price would be cheap in our area to change color on a Westy.  Here materials alone will run around $1,000.00 and labor $3,500.00 to $4,000.00 and this does not include the painting the jams, popping out the windows or any dent repair, just masking the outside and shooting it.  Most shops do not like to do this type of work as there is more money made on crash repairs.  A job like this is usually done as a side job to fill in the slow periods at the shop and a two month completion quote is not unreasonable IMHO.  It could be done faster if the shop were to work straight through on it but most good shops consider this to be advertising not revenue producing and expect to lose money on the job.  In my area a shop would only take on such a project during the summer months as they are too busy with crash work the rest of the year.  The down side to t
he vans owner here is that we want to use our vans more in the summer not have them sitting in a body shop.  I want to repaint our van and will do a lot of the prep work myself but I am not changing colors and I have the luxury of being able to spend the winter prepping it and then tow it to a shop in the spring for paint.

Mark in AK

----- Original Message -----
From: William Treadway <bill@TREADWAYREALTYGROUP.COM>
Date: Friday, September 8, 2006 2:07 pm
Subject: Paint Job
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM

> Recently acquired a Blue 90 syncro westy... a blue one.
> Wanted a white one but the white ones for sale were kaka compared to
> the blue one I bought.
> Now I want to make it white.
> Best offer I have had for a high quality paint job is $3,500 and a 2
> month period to do the job.
> Lots of disassembly involved but I am curious if the list thinks
> that's a reasonable price or has other suggestions
> (other than live with the blue)
> ______
> Bill Treadway
> Broker Associate
> John Daugherty Realtors
> 281-639-4444  Direct
> 281-850-8141 Cell
> 832-550-2615 Fax
>