Auto body repair & detailing: Car Paint

Question
Hey Dave!
My uncle does autobody including painting cars. He told me if I can supply the car paint he will repaint my car. I am wondering how much it would cost for the paint?

I drive a 1998 Mustang convertible (GT/V8). Its color is currently silver and I would like to change this to white. I would like the paint job to be thorough with a decent to higher quality paint. How much paint will it take, and how expensive will it be?

Thank you for your help!

Answer
Hi Nikki!....Please let me start off by saying that first if all, I would recommend a Base/Clear paint system for refinishing. In my opinion, for a vehicle this size, I would estimate you will need 2 "sprayable" quarts of Basecoat. "Sprayable" refers to a 1-1 ratio mix of 50% Base (or Color), and 50% of Reducer. In other words, 1 full quart of Base and 1 full quart of Reducer mixed together will give you the recommended 2 sprayable quarts. In regards to the Clear Coat, I would estimate you will need 2 full quarts of sprayable Clear also. You will need a Hardener for the Clear, and the mixing ratio will depend on the Manufacturer. That being said, since you mentioned you are looking to change the color from a silver to a white, and that you wish to have a thorough job done, I would recommend 1 more quart of sprayable Basecoat. This is for 2 reasons. First of all, going from a darker color to a lighter one, you will need more product to achieve the proper hiding of the underlying color. Secondly, doing a proper color change, will involve taking the doors, hood, and trunk lid off in order to spray all of the jambs, as well as the underneath sides of the hood and trunk, and interior of the doors. I will also recommend 1 extra quart of sprayable clear for this procedure as well. As for cost, I will estimate this to be around the $500 area. Please remember costs will vary as to Manufacturer, line of paint from the manufacturer, where you buy your materials from, and even location in some cases. Hopefully this will give you a starting point of what to expect....If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to write me another line....Best of luck with your project!....Send me a picture when it is complete if you can...Thanks....Dave