How much will it cost to rebuild a repaint black/ olive M3?

slight said:
I can't do that to a grandpa.
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Sorry, I wasn't clear. I meant a modern BP MP. I know it is not exactly what you are looking for if the finder magification and the M3 details are the attractions. My main point was the economic reasoning behind the original idea.
 
LeicaTom said:
James Bond didn't use a Leica M3 in "Goldfinger", matter of fact I don't think he ever used a camera at all, except in HMSS when he took pictures of the addresses of the
"Angels Of Death" and he used a chrome Minox B and in another film he used that OO7 cigarette lighter camera, he also once had a Rolleiflex that was a tape recorder in FRWL but, as far as I know Bond NEVER used a Leica M3 in any movie at any time.

The most famous image I get from a movie with a M3 is from Bergman's 1966 movie "Persona"

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Liv Ullman and Leica M3/ Rigid f2/50 Cron

Enjoy!

Tom

PS: ohh where can you find a BEATER M3 for $300????? That I would like to know :) - Ohh and BTW is there anyone RELIABLE painting cameras anymore? I wanted to go that route before myself, but no one I've seen can get the paint looking right like original semi-gloss 1960's Leitz BP was and or the Japanese painters take 1 to 2 years to paint a camera and the one guy's paint is for show only, heard it was like super thin so the engravings could be filled.......too bad no one in the states has the capability to shoot a vintage style Black lacquer and get it right :(
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I don't think the M3 was used in the movie, or any other Leica for that matter. I suspect Leica would have released a Bond edition Leica. There have been other Bond luxury items including the recent Omega Seamaster.

To briefly mention Leica in movies. I've only seen the M7 in Euro Trip.

@Pirate

I have been thinking about using a Zorki as a test subject to see how the paint will look. What kinds of paints are you going to be using?
 
If you want a top quality repaint and recovering with genuine vulcanite (not leather), then call Peter Grisalfi at CRR Luton in the UK. His website is here
http://www.angelfire.com/biz/Leica/
His waiting list is 3-4 months. However, once he gets your camera, he does the work very quickly. I had some minor repairs and a CLA done on my M2 and it was back in my hands within a week of it leaving my home!
You don't need to doubt the quality of his work. He's good enough to service our Queen's Leicas.
 
topoxforddoc said:
If you want a top quality repaint and recovering with genuine vulcanite (not leather), then call Peter Grisalfi at CRR Luton in the UK. His website is here
http://www.angelfire.com/biz/Leica/
His waiting list is 3-4 months. However, once he gets your camera, he does the work very quickly. I had some minor repairs and a CLA done on my M2 and it was back in my hands within a week of it leaving my home!
You don't need to doubt the quality of his work. He's good enough to service our Queen's Leicas.
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With Peter you need to phone him and agree when he can do the work. The waiting list has never actually been an issue when he's done work for me. My M2 really needs to go in for a service (it works but 1/1000 is a bit dubious and it has the telltale metal specks on the curtains indicating lack of lubricant), so don't deluge him ;)
 
Can you find a beater M3 for $300? Perhaps not on eBay or in the classifieds here, but deals can be found. The beater M4 I had refurbished by Masa cost me $500. I paid an additional $600 for the paintng, new shutter curtains, and vulcanite, so I had a black-paint M4 that looked and worked like new for $1100.

This week I found an M4 for $200. The shutter is stuck open, but other than that, it looks flawless, not a nick, scratch, or mark on it. Regardless of the cost to get it fixed, it will still be a great deal.

You can find deals on things if you look hard enough. Part of it is luck, but it's easier to find a good deal if you go out and look for one.
 
Henrietta, if I actually get this project off the ground, I'll look around and do some research before deciding. Right now, from back in my old car/bike painting days 20+ years ago, I'm remembering a type of primer that would be perfect for this but I don't remember what it's called. We used it on fiberglass motorcycle fenders and metal parts. It's originally a fiberglass primer, but it's unlike normal automotive type primers. Normal primer used in the auto industry will absorb moisture. This stuff we used is as solid as the paint was, just in a flat, not gloss. Also, it was very very hard. I think it would make a great paint for an M body, but I'll have to do some research to remember what it was and then see how it could best be applied on the brass, if it will even stick to the brass without a base primer of something different.

When/if I get this off the ground for doing it myself, I'll be sure to post about it here.

Edit: Found what I was looking for, it's Gel Coat! Now I have to see if it can be used with Brass. That stuff was the best on metal and fiberglass.
 
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Personally I would start with an M3 with solid mechanics and take it from there. If the mechanics are strong then all that is probably needed is a cla. I'm doing something similar with my M3. It was probably in too nice condition to repaint but I wanted a black paint M3.

I was quoted around £600 for all of the work including an additional repair. If you look carefully you can find a solid M3 for about £500, so the final cost should be about £1100 or thereabouts. For that you will probably get a camera close to new.

When I last looked on eBay, near mint M3s were nowhere to be seen and those which claimed to be in that condition wanted a lot more than £1100. Given the current prices of used M equipment, £1100 is an acceptable price to pay, for me at least.
 
No specific details, I have a M3 that is a beater, and I am fine with that. It is a DS with prism separation, the I am having fixed. The top plate is a mess, I am actually a heck of a multi talented do-it fix it sort, saw this post, I might be silly enough to go black with it. I'll keep you posted on the finder fix. I have a SS M3 I am keeping as my beater user, but may be interested in letting go of the DS sometime. BTW PO can't remember which one of these he used to photograph Secretariat in the KDerby, the photo is in the Chennery collection. I have the photo here on my desk, no need for digital, such a smooth photo of the old Boy (Secretariat) making the final turn into the run home.... wish the lens was still here but the PO sold his lens kit and M6 years ago but for some reason held on to these two old a used M3's.
 
slight said:
Frontman: for about 600 usd, it is good news. I was expecting a lot more - repaint itself will already cost the same money at Shintaro's place.

This being said, could we really virtually rebuild a M3 (not only cla) from scratch ie a very beaten up example?
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Not all gearing etc on the M3 was designed to be adjusted. Specifically the M3 double stroke had gears that would have to be replaced instead of adjusted when they started to wear.

An M2 is a better candidate to rebuild, rebuilding a worn out M3 might cost you another M3 to replace parts from and if that camera has the needed parts in non-worn condition, then it's likely the better camera to begin with!

Having Leica rebuild an M3 from spare parts will likely cost you 3/5ths of an MP...

The M2 or M4 are the more usable ones for this!

PM me for the contact data of a good repainter and CLA-man in Netherlands. He did my black re-paint M2, which had numerous dents. My Flickr (johannielscom) shows it, the engravings got shallow from the panel work but the re-paint is tough as a nail.

Good luck!
 
As many others have counseled, start with a mechanically solid M3. In fact, if you can find one that has been engraved or scratched with name/social, you can pick it up at a discount. This is no issue for you since you can have it filled in or filed off and repainted.

Still you are looking at $1600-2300 for the finished product
M3: $700-1000
CLA: $200-300
Paint: $600-800
Contingency:$100-200

Low end: $1600, high end: $2300

It's tough to justify this economically at today's resale camera's prices, but then there's the human factor of WANTING that black M3 or MP.....
 
I have always thought it very unsatisfying to buy fake items. Lets do the math.

You can easily find a mint-ish black paint MP for $3500 (new $4,995). A used M3 plus paint and a good CLA is going to realistically cost $1000~2000. The wait time will be about 6 months.

So we are talking about $2000 in 6 months (or 1000). My suggestion is stretch that out to one year and it will cost you about $41 ($20) each week. What can you cut back on? No restaurant lunches? No new iPhone this year? Less cable TV?

You will be a lot happier with an almost new MP - than a tarted up old M3 with no meter, and frankly a not all that great a viewfinder.

I have always bought exactly the cameras I wanted, but I have never spent more than $1500 on a car (to be fair I have not owned a car since 1995). You have to decide if you like nice cameras, I personally do.
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Hard to argue. Unless you want olive drab or field grey.

Oh: and no new iPhone this year. Or EVER. Sucker bait.

Cheers,

R.
 
I kinda think a Sandstone drab m3 would be fun with brown leather, or a BRG M3 with brown.
Seeing the culture around here I should do a "hello kitty, or sponge bob" M3 these college students are kinda silly..
 
What's Wrong With Chrome!?!?:eek:

Nah... Just saying, ya'all go ahead and enjoy black paint!:angel:

But seriously, why not chrome?:confused: Haha... The picky human mind...:rolleyes:
 
Hi Rob,
The OD is not, and I don't know about the grey. The M3 OD was a Shintaro handiwork, and the M2 Grey was bought already repainted from a NYC camera show in the mid 1990s.
 
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