That's why you never pay up front and always inspect the work first. I got screwed on my first custom chopper; the paint job was HORRIBLE for what I paid. $1200.00 isn't unheard of if the paint scheme is expensive or they fully buff/finish it (which you can do yourself). The auto body shop near me is decent. They charge $55.00 an hour + materials. They mix their own paints in bulk, so I actually pay less for their paint than I do my own. Also, if you pick a color they are spraying at the time, you can usually cut a deal with the shop. Finally, tell them you are paying cash. Not having to deal with CC companies and insurance is a big + and they usually cut you a deal.
If you let the paint cure, provided the finish isn't too bad, you can use a brown Scotch Bright pad to roughen up the clear coat a bit and paint right over it. Worse case, you might have to sand down the areas that meet each other. For every coat of paint, you add a bit of thickness...
Did all that... small shop, cash after painting... but I was so PO'd, I didn't want him touching my plastics again. Next time I'm taking it to an
actual paint shop.
Part of my cost was for a matte clear... which he didn't do. He used a single stage flat that can't be cleaned ("oh yeah it's durable"). I've literally taken a scrub brush without being able to remove all of the road grime (bike hasn't been fully white in more than a year). It's my fault, as I didn't do proper due diligence on his work... and if I had refused the work, I would have gotten properly mad, and probably made things worse. My only right action was to walk away and put it behind me (until 2 years later with this thread
).
But hey... it looks good going down the highway at 60! It's not until you get within 10 feet that you see the issues. Looks decent in my tiny avatar, don' it?
