Is this paint job worth the price?

[AmznAzn]

I have a 1990 LX and its clear coat is peeling, the roof is baked, same as hood, and the trunk is lightly rusted. Also a little damage to the passenger fender.

I went to maaco the other day to get a quote on how much it would be.

Here is what he gave me:

Value Prep and Universal Sealer: 245.00

Presidential 2yr warranty half price: 399.95

Uv Sunscreen and INT Clear coat: 199.95

Surface reconditioning: Heavy Sand Bad Areas 150.00 (trunk,hood,roof)

Fix right fender: Free

Adhesion Promoter for Front Bumper: 25.00 (I got a replacement one)

TOTAL:

Paint: 844.90 crossed out and lowered to 399.95

Body Labor: 80.00

Sublet/ENV: 54.00 (What is this?)

Gross sales: 1152.90 crossed out lowered to 707.95

No tax

Price incl tax: 707.95

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U guys think thats a good deal?
Can i bring it lower by doing some stuff on my own?
He said any color btw.

[Dobermann]

Thats very cheap actually. Normally painting a car with all the prep work is $4000 +.

You know someone there?

[GeoffM]

I don't have any experience with Maaco, but I'll give you this:
Materials won't cost that. If you're confident enough to try it, go read around and do it yourself. That's what I'm going to do.

[GeoffM]

Thats very cheap actually. Normally painting a car with all the prep work is $4000 +.

You know someone there?

It's Maaco. It's always cheap.

Keep in mind, you get what you pay for.

[AmznAzn]

Thx for the quick response,

No i dont know anyone there.

And i was thinking on doing it on my own i just dont have a place to do it in.

I might just go with maaco

[blk91coupe]

I've heard bad things about maaco. One of my friends in highschools truck had been painted by them, they painted over emblems and one of his fenders had rust that hadn't been repaired by them, which was bubbling really bad. My brother inlaw also had a car painted by them and they painted over his chrome bumpers. So I don't know I wouldn't have them paint my car but maybe the maaco in your town would do better.

[AmznAzn]

Has anyone on cb7 forums had a maaco paint job?

[CyborgGT]

Maaco is independently owned/operated, each one is different. Ask around to find people in your own area that have had them done by this particular Maaco. There's a sticky on this...

Personally, I'd shell my car myself and deliver it on a trailer (rent a pickup and a flatbed trailer from U-Haul or something). Keep it drivable so they can move it around but with all lights, mirror glass, trim etc removed and the interior stripped except the driver seat so they can paint the door jambs.

[wherm]

I had Maaco work done, it's ok... I wouldn't do it for that little... But, I'd turn out a better product... Before I got into auto body I had my front and rear bumpers and side skirts painted at Maaco for almost $700. I thought they looked great till I went to school for auto body, then I was able to see how poor the finished product actually was.

[KB7]

I don't have any experience with Maaco, but I'll give you this:
Materials won't cost that. If you're confident enough to try it, go read around and do it yourself. That's what I'm going to do.

this thread is helpful for knowledge credit to KeeleDesign!!
while looking for that thread i found this awesome informational thread i wish i had seen before i did my roof project
before you go and paint the whole car, (if you have never done auto painting before), practive on a flat surface, id get a piece of sheet metal, paint it quickly to have some paint on it, sand it clean, then primer and paint then clear, and see how you did. then do it all over again. then after you feel comfortable with that, get something with a countoured surface and do the same.

painting takes alot of patience and time.
I did it once on my roof to protect it from rusting, i got called into work as i was clearing the darn thing, so i had that part rushed, i wanted 4 coats of clear but only got to do maybe 1.5, sigh, (dont rush anything!!!) and definitely dont use super abrasive sand paper, bad decision

i wish i had decided to practice on a separate piece of metal before hand

Has anyone on cb7 forums had a maaco paint job?

Deevergote is one of atleast a few members
he says good things about them, but I believe he also warns that the experience with them is sually on a shop by shop basis, where one shop may do an outstanding job, another shop may do a terrible job

[blakeandersen]

aircraft primer awl deh way

[tru2037]

You won't find it cheaper - but it will be a very basic paint job: same color, tape off everything (rather than removing) and cheaper paint. Comes w/ a 2 year warranty, I would guess it will probably last twice that, but in all reality thats not very long.

I don't have any experience with Maaco, but I'll give you this:
Materials won't cost that. If you're confident enough to try it, go read around and do it yourself. That's what I'm going to do.

IMO painting is easy, the prep work is what takes all the time. Geoff autobody is a great thing to learn but if he's only looking at doing one car $700 isn't bad for a "regular paint job." The material costs to DIY add up pretty quick (a gallon of paint is over $200), and the tools to do it add even more - HVLP gun, regulator, air dryer, resporator (my gun ran $700 alone). If he were to pull trim, seals and moldings then he'd have to worry about costs of anything damaged also.

Maaco saves you money by short cutting some things, like not removing molding, seals and door handles, and I'll bet they don't do the door jambs either. Not a bad price - paint and supplies are probably around $300 alone, then you've got labor, and misc costs - I've never went under a $1k for a whole paint job but I've always removed everything....

[GeoffM]

IMO painting is easy, the prep work is what takes all the time. Geoff autobody is a great thing to learn but if he's only looking at doing one car $700 isn't bad for a "regular paint job." The material costs to DIY add up pretty quick (a gallon of paint is over $200), and the tools to do it add even more - HVLP gun, regulator, air dryer, resporator (my gun ran $700 alone). If he were to pull trim, seals and moldings then he'd have to worry about costs of anything damaged also.

Maaco saves you money by short cutting some things, like not removing molding, seals and door handles, and I'll bet they don't do the door jambs either. Not a bad price - paint and supplies are probably around $300 alone, then you've got labor, and misc costs - I've never went under a $1k for a whole paint job but I've always removed everything....

Well that's different. I meant spray paint and some prep. That would only be about $100.
If you're doing it the pro way then you have to deal with all those start up costs. I remember several hurdles I had to overcome(buy) to get where I am today, the main one being an air compressor. If you already have some of those things, the cost will be significantly less.

[Accrdwgnguy]

Dont do it! I've seen Maaco jobs, dents "repaired" but you can see the bodywork thru the paint, ie thin primer. Surface defects that weren't warrentied, they blamed it on the previous paint on the car. So either way their prep work is shit. Plus when the guy picked up his car it had 5 miles more on it, than when he dropped it off. Car was a Monte SS with a 400hp 350.

Maaco is a franchise and the shops have to buy the materials from Macco's corporate supplier, and the shops get bent over on the prices. So the shops have to make the money somehow, if not in high volume then in low quality.

Honestly I would just do all the prep work, sanding, fixing dents you can tackle, door dings, and then take it to a capable production body shop. Most of the labor you are paying for is in the prep work, painting the car is cake and only takes a few hours.

[GeoffM]

Honestly I would just do all the prep work, sanding, fixing dents you can tackle, door dings, and then take it to a capable production body shop. Most of the labor you are paying for is in the prep work, painting the car is cake and only takes a few hours.

This. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^