Most of us have walked into a shop with a number already in our head. That is what happened when one car flipper took his 1989 Camaro Z28 in for a paint job. He hoped for about $800. Instead, the work cost $1,500 and kept the car away for about three months.
The owner, an Oklahoma car rebuilder who posts as @AutoAuctionRebuilds, bought the Camaro cheap. He says it is supposedly an IROC-Z, though he is not entirely sure. The reason for the low price was a scraped and dented rear quarter panel and door. Its clear coat was also peeling off the roof and hood.
Why He Decided On A Camaro Z28 Paint Job
At first, he planned to sell the car as it was. However, viewers kept asking him to do right by it and send it to the local paint shop. So he loaded it on a trailer and drove it to the Maaco in Norman, Oklahoma, where he has had cars painted before.
He also brought new louvered hood scoops and asked for the black trim to be redone in gloss black. Meanwhile, he asked the shop to pull and patch the dents instead of replacing panels.
The Quote And The Long Wait
The Camaro Z28 paint job estimate came back higher than he expected.
“I went in there thinking in my head 800 bucks, we’re going to be good to go.”
“That was not the reality of my situation.”
Still, he says $1,500 is a fair price for the sanding, body work and full repaint. Then the job dragged on. He says the shop had to sand the car down and paint it again because of old body filler work from a previous owner. Altogether, the Camaro sat there for about three months.
When he finally picked it up, it wore fresh paint, gloss black trim, the louvered scoops and an IROC-Z stripe kit. Even so, he admits the long wait irked him.
Adding Up What The Camaro Cost
Next came the parts. He found a set of factory-style wheels listed at $1,000 and talked the seller down to $550. Then he bought the right lug nuts and covers, tires for about $450 and badges for about $80. On top of that, he ordered a $200 steering wheel, a $60 horn button and a $70 dash cap.
By his count, he spent about $1,500 on parts the same day he picked up the car. With the paint, that makes about $3,000. Because he thinks he paid around $5,000 for the car, he figures he is near $8,000 in.
“Imagine spending $8,000 in three months of your time so that when you go to sell a car you don’t make anything on it.”
He says clean examples are listed online for about $11,000 to $13,000. So the car needs to bring at least about $11,000 before he makes anything.
What We Would Take From This Flip
His own advice on paint is simple.
“keep your expectations realistic, and I’m telling you, you will never be disappointed.”
Here is what we would add:
- Get a written estimate before the car is dropped off, and ask what could raise it.
- Expect old filler and hidden damage to show up once the paint comes off.
- Add up wheels, tires, trim and small parts before you price a flip.
- Ask for a rough finish date, then plan for it to slip.
- Decide early whether you are building it to sell or to keep.
Where Things Stand
At the end of the video, he calls the car about 90% finished. He still plans to fit the factory wheels, the steering wheel and the correct air cleaner, then clean the engine bay. After that, he says he will sell it for cash, likely somewhere around $11,000 to $12,000.
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