I'm thinking about getting a bull bar, mostly just to mount some lights on. How much would it be to get it painted to color match my car? If i do all the prep... I can't see it being more than $150.

12/5/2007 11:42:08 PM

I'm sure you can't.

It might not. But it totally depends on the color. Some are frightfully expensive.

I've mixed paint that cost over 100 bucks for a QUART. A pint might have been between 60 and 70. And that doesn't even include necessities like activator, hardener, reducer, or clearcoat.

Until you go paint shopping or getting bids from shops, I'd hold off on stating my opinion in that manner. Somebody might be able to hook you up...but keep in mind automotive paint is expensive business, if not for the labor, then most definitely for the materials.

12/5/2007 11:56:18 PM

Quote :

"I'm sure you can't.]"

What?

yea, i know some of the paints we have at BMW are $$$, but more aren't that much. It would be GM Pewter Metallic, not sure of the paint code off hand.

12/6/2007 12:13:46 AM

maybe i'm not properly envisioning this, but painting a bull bar sounds kinda gay to me.

as is mounting a row of lights, unless you actually have some use for them. it's the truck equivalent of the erector-set wing and kazoo muffler.

12/6/2007 12:38:07 AM

^ ok... i dont really want a flashly bull bar, just something to hold some lights thats why im painting it.

Also if you have ever hit a deer, you will know why someone would want more light on country roads. I dont really enjoy dropping $4000 to get stuff fixed, when I could have dropped $200 on some lights that could have possibly prevented it.

12/6/2007 12:46:54 AM

Quote :

"I'm sure you can't."

I'm sure you can't see it being more than $150. Damn near anybody who wants the random bumper or fender or whatever painted says that.

All I'm saying is that it often totals up to something akin to highway robbery when we all were hoping for dirt cheap.

the 100 dolla quart stuff was something like a pewter metallic for a Jeep Grand Cherokee, but I'm sure it also had some pearl in it. A quart of basecoat can damn near paint half a car if you're judicious with the spray gun...you only shoot to hiding.

Quote :

"yea, i know some of the paints we have at BMW are $$$, but more aren't that much."

What kinds of paints are you talking about? I'm pretty sure BMW uses BASF/Glasurit as their finishing line. Are you talking about having a color mixed to order, a prepackaged color, or a spray can?

12/6/2007 12:50:08 AM

^ this is at the factory in SC, we use about 5 differnt suppliers for primer, base, and clear. I think the ruby black is the most expensive, but damn that is a pretty color. If i get a car re-painted, thats what im getting for sure. Its black, but when you get real close you can see the red metal flakes

I had to have a door painted and it was only $200 if i remember, so thats where my estimate came from. I didnt just pull it out of my ass..

[Edited on December 6, 2007 at 12:59 AM. Reason : k]

12/6/2007 12:58:27 AM

as long as you go by a dealer that has a body shop e.g. thompson on wake forest rd., they should have the paint in stock and it should be fairly cheap.

12/6/2007 9:54:59 AM

I think the pearl white for my Lincoln was almost $70 for a pint. Granted, it was a basecoat/separate pearl coat deal, and they went ahead and reduced it for me so it was ready to spray, but...still pricey.

12/6/2007 2:31:04 PM

12/6/2007 2:47:43 PM

Quote :

"Also if you have ever hit a deer, you will know why someone would want more light on country roads. I dont really enjoy dropping $4000 to get stuff fixed, when I could have dropped $200 on some lights that could have possibly prevented it."

There is definitely some truth to that. I had some Hella 500 driving lights on my last Jeep. You can talk about how poseurish they are, but I thought they were a great complement to the high beams when driving out in the country.

12/6/2007 3:16:18 PM

i'd look into getting it lineXed or rhyno lined

12/6/2007 3:49:12 PM

^ again, im not doin to for off road protection... I just want it to blend in.

12/6/2007 9:31:40 PM

well, if you don't want it to be gaudy, the drab black would work fine, it will withstand any dings and knicks you would get (do you ever think about how many little rocks and shit pop up while just driving down the road)

if you get regular paint, and you bump into something, you're gonna have to get it repainted, otherwise it will look like shit- with the lineX you don't have to worry about it so much (unless you hit it so hard it dents the actual bar)

12/7/2007 3:36:15 AM

what the fuck is a bull bar

and why would any bar need to look nice

just spray paint that shit FLAT BLACK son

12/7/2007 4:04:51 AM

Quote :

"just spray paint that shit FLAT BLACK son"

12/7/2007 7:41:09 AM