My '84 westy was repainted this spring for $700. It is definitely a
"you-get-what-you-pay-for" paint job.
The guy removed all trim, handles, etc., taped the windows and rubber,
filled minor dents, and prepped it for painting. He welded in a new
rocker panel (I supplied it), and primed and wet-sanded the entire
vehicle. The color was not a direct match, but close.
It took seven months, countless phone calls, some arm-twisting, and
one very real threat to get the van back in my hands. At one point,
since I never could track him down, I was concerned he had died, or
skipped town, or been jailed. My VW was in his paint booth inside his
very-locked shop. Rarely did a vehicle get moved on the lot.
So, I now have a decent-looking van (don't get too close), the
opportunity to remove overspray from some windows, no seam rust, and 7
months of falling behind on a few mechanical issues. All in all, not
too bad for $700, eh?

Kevin

On Sep 30, 2011, at 9:56 PM, John Rodgers wrote:

> I would be curious to hear painting costs in the South or Southeast
> US.
> One outfit I talked to quoted $500 if I prepped the job - R&R'ed all
> the
> hardware, etc, etc ad taped it up. Paint type was not discussed. It
> was
> sort of an of an off-hand quote - prol'ly not realistic. But it
> would be
> nice to hear costs in other southern locations.
>
> John
>
> John Rodgers
> Clayartist and Moldmaker
> 88'GL VW Bus Driver
> Chelsea, AL
> Http://www.moldhaus.com
>
>
> On 9/30/2011 4:22 PM, Jon Kanas wrote:
>> Greetings Troy et al,
>>
>> The $6500 does not sound too far out of line.  It depends greatly
>> on the
>> amount of bodywork required and the paint quality.  Good materials
>> are
>> expensive.  Per others already commenting on the list, find a small,
>> reputable shop who is interesting in working with you, and not just
>> how
>> quickly they can get it in and out to make room for the next
>> insurance
>> job.  A good place to start looking for a shop is through any local
>> hot-rodders in your area.  These folks are intimately familiar with
>> custom metal and paintwork - and face it, the Vanagon isn't something
>> most commercial shops will have dealt with before.
>>
>> I had my Syncro done last year.  The initial paint and bodywork was
>> $5000.  This included some small dents, surface rust under the window
>> seals, seam rust on both rear quarter panels and right front step.  I
>> removed the pop-top and old canvas (removed most of the interior to
>> avoid dust and overspray, then delivered the Syncro and roof to the
>> shop.  They removed the windows, did the body and paintwork, then
>> replaced all the window seals and windshield seal when
>> reassembling.  I
>> found and acquired all of the parts and seals (the shop wasn't
>> familiar
>> enough with Vanagons to know our favorite part suppliers).   My final
>> cost was just over $7700, including the canvas which I replaced upon
>> reassembly.  The project took about two months.  I went to the shop
>> weekly to visit,  typically on Friday afternoons.  All-in-all it
>> was an
>> expensive, but not unpleasant experience.
>>
>> I did add a bit to the paint cost by using a blue-tinted metal flake
>> instead of the normal silver for my Wolfsram Gray, and also painted
>> the
>> roof and lower panels medium blue.  It makes my 1987 look like a
>> newer
>> Syncro.
>>
>> *Best Regards,
>> Jon B Kanas
>>
>> *
>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
>>> Behalf Of
>>> Troy
>>> Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2011 4:41 PM
>>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>> Subject: Van painting cost
>>>
>>> I just got back from the body shop with an estimate of $6500 to
>>> repaint my
>>> van. For this price, I was going to completely remove all the
>>> moldings,
>>> poptop canvas, side windows and rear, bumpers, utility outlets, door
>>> handles, etc. and also reinstall. The $6500 does not include any new
>>> rubber
>>> seals. I'm guessing a good $1200 for a complete set of rubber seals
>>> to do
>>> all the doors and windows, pop top, rear hatch, etc. I do have
>>> some rust
>>> around the rear window, and side windows, and in one of the rain
>>> gutters,
>>> and one dent on the passenger side.  I really wanted to change
>>> colors, but
>>> that would add an easy $1500 to the price. So, I guess I was
>>> thinking
>>> in the
>>> $4000-$5000 range with me doing part of the work, so was a little
>>> surprised.
>>>
>>> I'd like to get some feedback from others who have their vans
>>> painted, and
>>> what they spent, and was was done for the cost.
>>>
>>> Troy
>>>
>>> ------------------------------
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>