Need recommendations on Paint Shops

Gerald_Glaser · Post by **Gerald_Glaser** » Tue Aug 26, 2003 4:42 am

I am now 5 months into my 3 hour annual... Basically, I bought I lemon and was stupid enough to fall in love with her.

I am reaching the point of having just about as much new metal on my '51 C170A as I have old metal. (Can't say original metal, cause it looks like my old bird has had a rough life and many mishaps that required more than creative parts development.)

When I finally get an opportunity to bolts all the parts back together, it is clear that a paint job is in order. It looks like the prices here on the west coast for a quality job will be just under $10k.

Does anyone have a shop they think is particularly good (and predictable on the time it will take to complete)?

Thanks,
Gerry

doug8082a · Post by **doug8082a** » Tue Aug 26, 2003 11:58 am

There was a discussion sometime back about paint shops and someone mentioned Goodner-Crider in Mena, AR. Someone up here in MA flew their Archer down and got it painted for $5500. Looks like a nice job, but I have no direct experience with them.

Can anyone here comment on the folks in Mena? We have similarly high prices on the East coast and if I can get a good paint job for $5500, I'd be willing to take it to Arkansas.

4583C · Post by **4583C** » Tue Aug 26, 2003 3:40 pm

Assuming we will someday get 4583C in the air again I also have started the search for a paint shop. Ada aircraft painting in Ada Oklahoma had an ad in TAP with their web address http://www.adaaircraftpainting.com which caught my eye. On a trip to Ok. City last spring I detoured over to Ada to meet these guys and look at some of their work. I was impressed with the paint jobs I saw and the quoted price although they only deducted about $900 for mine already being stripped. If any of you have seen Senator Inhoff's RV8 you have seen their work. Paul

Curtis Brown · Post by **Curtis Brown** » Tue Aug 26, 2003 7:00 pm

I was considering Mena to paint my 170. Being in Mississippi it is relatively close by, however, after seeing some Mena paint jobs... I am not impressedwith their work. Not enough attention to detail. But I guess you get what you pay for.
Curtis

doug8082a · Post by **doug8082a** » Tue Aug 26, 2003 7:08 pm

That's what I was afraid of... Oh well, I guess I'm stuck with East coast prices...

Post by **GAHorn** » Tue Aug 26, 2003 7:57 pm

Mena has several aircraft paint shops. If you deal with them, make certain you know what you're getting vs what you're paying for. Those guys do a lot of "bargain" jobs, and they also do a "good" job for more money. Bargain jobs are never much of a bargain when you consider an airplane should only need a paint job a couple times in it's life.

Harold Holiman · Post by **Harold Holiman** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 2:01 am

There is also a place in Houston, Mississippi, that is supposed to do a good paint job for a resonable price. I have not had any personal experience with them but several people from the Chattanooga area have used them. I have heard both good and bad from Mena over the years. Pull up the City of Mena web site and it has links to all of the paint shops in Mena. If you need uphlostery work done, we have an uphlostery shop here on our field (9A5) that does excelent work that is as good as any I have ever seen and his prices are very resonable. He will do interiors on anything from Cubs to corprate jets.

Harold H
N92CP
Mbr# 893

170C · Post by **170C** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 1:01 pm

I had mine painted a couple of yrs ago and a friend had his painted last year at a shop located at Dallas Executive (Red Bird) apt in Dallas. I am completely satisfied as is my friend. Mine ran $6500 then. If you want me to give you specific name & phone number send me an email @ bsfs@netzero.net.

Ole Pokey

Curtis Brown · Post by **Curtis Brown** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 3:25 pm

The place in Houston, Mississippi is just minutes for here TUPelo. I have spoken with Mr. Smith and he quoted $7k to paint 56Delta. He seems to do a good job. I like the location for me. I would be able to drive there in 30 minutes and check the progress. My FBO friend is suggesting a place in La Grange, Tx. I think? I got a $8k quote for them.

doug8082a · Post by **doug8082a** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 5:06 pm

Sounds like all the decent shops are in the $7k - $10k range. I too like to be able to drive/fly to the shop to check on the progress. There's a place in NH that's not too far and pretty reputable that I'll probably end up using. They quoted me $7800.

n2582d · Post by **n2582d** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 11:27 pm

Gerry,
My father-in-law had his RV-6A painted by Dennis Mahling of Mahling Enterprises in Laton, CA. He did a fabulous job. Look at the article in the latest (Aug. '03) Sport Aviation on pg. 58 for a picture of the plane. Send me a PM if you would like my father-in-law's phone number.

william halford · Post by **william halford** » Sat Aug 30, 2003 9:56 am

THE PEOPLE WE SHARE A HANGER WITH JUST SO HAPPEN CARRIED THERE AZTEC TO MENA THIS WEEK. THEY QUOTED HIM $6500.00. WHAT SHOP IN MENA I DO NOT KNOW, BUT WHEN IT RETURNS I WILL LET YOU KNOW THE QUALITY OF WORKMANSHIP... 170MB

wa4jr · Post by **wa4jr** » Mon Sep 01, 2003 1:55 am

There is also and ad in TAP from an outfit down in Texas...perhaps Uvalde TX that advertises doing 172 type aircraft in a base color and two trim colors for $4500, including chemical strip. Paint disposal fees are extra. Like everything else, the farther south you go, the less expensive things are. A good paint job for $4500? Don't know. Would want to see some of the work first. The only jobs from Mena I have seen have been on some of our early CRJ aircraft...and the paint peeled back from the radome in streaks not long after the job was done. What type of paint job was ordered by our company I do not know...so I may have been the "Earl Sheib" type job and not one of their really nice jobs.

Post by **GAHorn** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 2:21 am

I'm certain the shop in Uvalde is not charging $4500 for a 172. (the shop in Uvalde is Miller, who does dozens of Citations a year, and last quoted my Baron at $8500. They do EXCELLENT work, but I doubt it'd be $4500.) Another shop down near San Antonio advertises in TAP for both engines and paint jobs. The last engines I saw they'd done were both on the same 310, and were condemned during and annual with less than 200 hours on them. The paint job I've witnessed done by them had a 10 foot X 3/8" run along the underside of the right leading edge, ....which looked a lot like a spoiler on the underside. It was a low wing airplane and the owner didn't notice it for almost a year. It was horrible. I wish I could remember their name, but it was the same as the town they are located in and started with a "D".

william halford · Post by **william halford** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 9:37 am

Some time back while the discussion of painting aircraft was going on. The person that is hanger next to us, carried his piper aztec to Mena AR. Well he got it back last week let me say this is one fine paint job. The workmanship was top notch. I thought it look good but at every airport you all ways have that one person that always think he could have done better. But this indivdual could not find anythig wrong. Around here that is a complement

I might add that this person was called and offered a special deal dut to the fact that they had 2 weeks with nothing schedule and instead of layeing off his painters he woul offer him a special for $ 6800.oo

The person to contact is: Dennis & Linda Goodner 479.394.5575 Mena Arkansas. ;;;170mb

The International Cessna 170 Association

Need recommendations on Paint Shops

Need recommendations on Paint Shops

paint shops

Paint jobs

Paint Shops

West Coast Paint shop