What do you guys charge to blast a car - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

ausisoda · 08-30-2009, 04:30 AM

As the question states.
I use $80 diesel
$80/$100 abrasive
and i spend up to 8 hours on the shell im talking inside and out and underneath and all the nooks and crannys that most people miss.
And i charge $700 the doors bonnet and boot lid gives me another$250
am i to cheap?
I think i am.

blastserv · 08-30-2009, 07:28 AM

$1000 or so for a complete shell like you said inside outside and underside and every little spot or nook and cranny...

all the hanging metal around 400-600 most of the time i use soda on the decklid and hood so closer to the $600...

i have had to charge 2300 for a complete car before because the guy brought every metal part except the seat frames the trans and engine block...

i am not cheap and would never promote myself as....there already is a guy in town that is cheap and that is why i have work...he is very poor with the details of his blasting...

JonM · 08-30-2009, 08:15 AM

About 4 years ago I had my Corvette done...cost 700 at that time for the entire thing.

Betterblast · 08-31-2009, 06:13 PM

I like to make at least $300. for the outside only and another $300. for the inside parts plus media so I might have charged about $800 depending how much media it took. You said you would get more from the other parts so I think you are right on. It sounds like your fuel costs a bit more down under. A full tank for my 185 Airman is about $50. and I get about eight hours out of it. Twenty gallons. I shot a whole corvette with soda for $2000.

A guy just e mailed me for a quote on a 42 inch mower deck. I told him maybe $80 and got no response. I wrote back to him to see if he was interested. He said he was thinking it would be $20 or $25 bucks. Gees some people are cheap.

blastoffinc · 08-31-2009, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Betterblast

.....snip.....I shot a whole corvette with soda for $2000.

Was that the inside and the jams or the entire car inside and out? Was that a price given up front or was that the actual time?

blastoffinc · 08-31-2009, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonM

About 4 years ago I had my Corvette done...cost 700 at that time for the entire thing.

Was that done with soda?

JonM · 08-31-2009, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blastoffinc

Was that done with soda?

Yes sir...By these guys http://www.amerstrip.com/

Betterblast · 09-01-2009, 05:56 AM

Blastoff ,That was everything. He said he wanted it back naked. I charged buy the bag. $80.00 about 24 bags. I don't go buy the hour I don't want to watch a clock and then it gives the customer the chance to say you took too long and he knows this guy who blasted a whole car in an hour and your equipment must be wrong and so on. I just tell them what price range I know it will be based on past jobs and they don't need to know how much I used for the same for mentioned reasons. It will however give them and all of my customer and anyone they recomend consistant pricing. Ofcourse if it happens to have the thinest coat of paint ever applied and uses no media I can add a couple hundred to the bill to get a reasnable labor. Also be aware that there are two types of fiberglass depending on the year. Some you will find are actually made of a sort of ground up compressed fiberglass. These are much softer and will always have some texture no matter how carefull you are. You will find this in mustangs too. I have a stang hood in my shop that you can see if you cut through it it is the same all the way down. A normal fiberglass body will come out baby smooth. I have been offering walnut now because it also will not etch glass or chrome and works as fast or better than the soda without the cleaning issue. I remember one guy in here said about cleaning the body after he blasts it with soda. Remember if you do then the customer may blame you for a peeling $8000. paint job. I would prefer to advise them of the need to clean after soda. They can use 50/50 vinigar and water. Or Holdtite but either way I don't know of a test to prove it worked. That's why I like the walnut. On a metal body you would not want to remove soda because it will act as a rust inhibitor fo a couple of weeks, so will the holdtite but it is expensive. Whew

Mediajunky · 09-01-2009, 06:59 AM

I also like to use the walnut, many people from around here are looking for soda, but we are not sure if we can use soda in the same type of pot or if we have to get the one with the funnel bottom. Walnut works great on body panels, I didn't know that it wouldn't etch glass, I always covered it up but that is great to know. What do you do about the rust, cause walnut don't touch it either?
I stumbled on this thread looking for help in pricing o job. The amounts listed/mentioned above.......is that in US dollars? I have an idea what I want to charge, but being new, I'm not sure how long the jobs will /should take. I am currently working on a 67 charger, I was asked to quote a 69 camero and a 1940 Ford pickup.

blastserv · 09-01-2009, 09:17 AM

metaljunky, where are you located?

i would give them a price from between 1100-1600 depending on how much they want blasted.it always works like this...

how much to blast my car?
what parts are we blasting?
just the outside...
o.k. probably around 900...

then the car shows up and it is on a rotisserie and they want milk crates full of the suspension parts including the inside and outside and underside of the car inside the wheel wells and all sorts of other things done...

lots of questions while they are on the phone with you will help make a happy customer in the end.

nEighter · 09-01-2009, 09:22 AM

a buddy's corvette was $800.. it is a 67' if that helps.

Betterblast · 09-01-2009, 06:12 PM

Mediajunky
The walnut won't do rust as you say. I either am doing a vette so it doesn't matter or you switch to crushed glass or your abrasive of choice to get the rust. Ofcourse you have to watch the chrome and glass then.

I also do auto glass so I took a broken shield in with me. I blasted it with walnut at 80 or 90 psi right up against it and saw nothing from it. My prices are us dollars I live in Pennsylvania

Mediajunky · 09-02-2009, 06:46 AM

I live in Ontario, I priced the 67 Charger at 1200.00 That was for all the body panels and the shell. I have 10-12 hours in already on the shell and I am not done yet. There was alot of bondo in the rear quarters, but I'm sure it's not supposed to take this long.
I have a 10 h single phase compressor,it'll kick out 35 cfm. It seems to be working good, I just don't know why it's taking so long.
Crushed glass is awesome, it cuts good, fast but warps body panels. We plan to use it for the engine bay. Do you recycle your walnut shells? We do, but I don't charge for the sifting.

Jakkel · 09-02-2009, 08:23 AM

I just did a 71 challenger last week. I did the just the outside of the car the engine bay and floors boards for $1000 us. Used fine crushed glass. Took about 5.5 hrs. blasted at 70 psi. No warpage on the roof or hood.

blastserv · 09-02-2009, 09:30 AM

jakkel...you are right about where i am on the deal.not sure if you did the floors inside or outside but i can do a car in less than a day.

taking all the bondo out almost always has your customer leaving saying you warped his body panels.i always want to give them a fresh clean car but you do leave yourself open for remarks about warpage.they see no bondo and assume you dented there car.just a thought

BulldogMedia · 09-02-2009, 02:12 PM

I am getting from $1000 - $2000 depending on what they want done.

Mediajunky · 09-03-2009, 07:10 AM

I took recycled glass that was in kind of a dust form and blasted a scrap trunk at 25 pounds pe\ressure from 2 feet away and still got warpage. Did you use a special nozzel? I have been trying to find a different kind of nozzel that will blast in a fan pattern to try again.
What kind of compressors are you guys using, any of you use an electric compressor. The ratings for the cfm, and psi are different for electric and gas powered and I don't know how to convert the power/pressures

panderson2414 · 09-03-2009, 06:02 PM

I really really really REALY, Am still pissed off about the vinegar thing. I have done so many cars with every different abrasive made do NOT EVER USE VINEGAR, I say **** you to all those who think im ignorant. I have blasted Daytonas, one of a kind vettes, 440 tri pack GTO, every make and model. Vineger ****s up paint jobs and I will not stand for it. Get your wikapedia **** out I will ask the biggest and best car builders in the mid west and have them post for you. **** vinegar

BulldogMedia · 09-03-2009, 08:30 PM

Man Paul who pissed in your wheaties today!

panderson2414 · 09-03-2009, 08:40 PM

bulldog, a while back, someone I cant recall who it was made me feel about two inches tall. They quoted wikapedia. Contradicting everything I know about soda blasting. I have held my say untill tonight. I dont need crap from anyone. I just came off a hard job just south of you and Im still a little pissed off about people that think theyare smarter than me.