Paint (Maaco) Tips

[magnj]

So I need paint really bad, and some minor body work from a nice fellow who backed his van into my stang when it was like 2 weeks new to me. Dad said he'd get it painted, but I know he's not going to drop thousands for a professional deal nor would I expect him to.

Now I know, Maaco pretty much guarantees that I'll be re-painting again in about 5 years, but I'm assuming by then this car will get much less use and hopefully sit in a garage somewhere.

Basically I want to respray it the same red I have now. I plan on pulling the molding so they can spray under the seam and then spray the molding separately, this will add a few bucks but is some insurance from peeling (or so I've read). My brother was quoted at 800 for a respray and some minor body work on his prelude, I'm guessing the same or less since my damage is not so bad.

Is this stupid? If not what are some things I can do to help me get the most from this half ass paint shop. I've read I should strip the car as much as possible, clean it very well and tape everything myself. Additionally I have read that you can scuff the paint yourself with a rough sandpaper to get a better finish...is that true, is it worth it. I don't mind putting some blood, sweat, tears in if it means it will look significantly better.

Thanks :SNSign:

 

[BLOWN 5.0 FOX]

maaco has a bad rep because people drop off their POS cars expecting a new car in return for $500....
their painters are skilled (non - noobs anyhow)
It true, if you do ALL the body work prior and be sure to fill all of the lows and bang out the highs, you can have a quality paint job. Another tip is to read up on how to wetsand and buff a car. This will GREATLY enhance the appearance.

Im not sure what kind of paint they use, but you might want to ask, and perhaps see if you can request for a better paint.

If they spray with laquer...its a gaurenteed poor job. sure its old school and it will look nice and flat, but elements can easilly break laquer down, even the new acrylic laquer.
See if you can meet with the painter,and if he seems to know what hes doing, throw him an extra hundred to do a really good job.

Of course this is all assuming your going to a quality maaco , ask around and maybe take a peak at some of their work on a spot check.

good luck!

 

[cenok is family]

the type of paint they use depends on how much you spend. they use single stage on most of the lower end packages and a base/clear on the higher end. just like blown5.0 said, they're good, they just have a bad rap from people expecting show car looks with a $399 paint job. it's rediculous. it's going to cost me upwards of $700 for just the paint and clear ALONE that i'm using, and thats really not that bad. about average for a decent paint.

 

[Darkwriter77]

I think you've pretty much got the idea, already. All you're paying Maaco to do is spray it. Do your own prep work, take off whatever you don't want them to mask and spray around (sometimes they'll forget to mask things and spray over them, which is even worse than having ugly seams), and as stated, know what kind of paint you're getting. Try to avoid the bottom-of-the-line paint ... although I'm honestly kind of wary of the whole gig of clear mixed in with regular paint, as well.

I opted for the mid-level stuff when I had a '94 Crown Vic Police Interceptor painted by them - I scuffed it down myself with super-fine paper, peeled off the old po-po decals, and hand-washed it before sending it off to 'em - and it came out looking VERY nice, and held up a couple of years perfectly before I sold the car. (I've got before/after pics at home, if anyone cares to see 'em.)

 

[magnj]

Thanks guys, I'll have to decide how much time and effort I'll want to put into prep, there is a dent they have to fix, but I don't have a problem with sanding and buffing over a few weekends even if it's gonna look ghetto

 

[magnj]

I know it's not going to be perfect, but I'm hoping since they are spraying the same color + prep + painter tip that I'll get away ok. Fact of the matter is, dad's paying for this one and I can't help out too much so a pro job is out of the question. I'd rather have the rest of the car the way I want it and then worry abut paint then have a 4000$ paint job over a pos.

 

[leroy93lx]

Why not just have ole dad help pay to take care of some of the cars issues and worry about the paint when you have the cash to do it right? Detail it up the best you can for now and start fixing little dumb stuff on the body as you can. Just my .02