Technical college paint

[allenw]

Would you or have you let a technical college auto body program do the body work and paint as part of their class project.

[Air-Cooled Head]

Yes, and no.
Yes. It would likely cost significantly less than having a professional Resto shop do it.
No. Because the quality of work, and materials used will likely substantially lower than that of a pro resto shop.

So I really depends on your desired outcome (decent driver vs show winner), and what your wallet has to say about it.
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[modok]

bodywork and prep no,
paint yes.

[allenw]

I am looking for a nice daily driver after all the rust repair, no trailer queen

[orwell84]

I have been thinking about doing this when repainting my bus. I work at a school that has a number of trades programs including autobody. So much of how a paint job comes out is in the prep and masking. You might also be able to choose your own paint and bring it if you didn't like what they used. A technical college would probably have decent spray booth facilities. They would most likely give the gun to a student who has shown some skill. The teacher would want to turn out a decent job as it reflects on his class and his teaching, so crazy orange peel or runs become teachable moments to make it right. You can offer to be a reference for those kids when they go looking for jobs. Let them take selfies with your funky old volks and feel some pride in their work. They often take the time to make things right as they are not under the pressures of a shop in business.

[motofly196]

Alot of the final product weighs on the instructor. I went to an auto Refinishing and Collision tech school. The ratio of students who care vs. Ones that don't are pretty equal. For a project like yours, my instructor would only put the ones who show promise and care about the customers car.
Just remember that your car will probably only get worked on as the students progress through the program. My school no longer accepts restoration projects, only collision vehicles that are applicable to the chapters we are studying.
I you don't mind waiting a few years for the final product....I say go for it. But be prepared to replace a bunch of missing and lost parts.

[vwkirb]

The other thing (i'm in technical school right now) is that there are always plenty of crappy cars around that need refinishing.
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[scottyrocks]

I'd want to see some recent examples of their work.
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“If you care for a thing long enough, it takes on a life of its own, doesn't it? Mending old things, preserving them, looking after them – on some level there's no rational grounds for it.”
– D. Tartt, 'The Goldfinch'