Maaco paint job cost
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 229
Likes: 0
From: Sturgeon Bay Wisconson
Maaco paint job cost
Does anybody know the different paint levels and prices that Maaco has, I want just put a decent paint on my 79 cause I use its a daily driver, not a show car. Thanks for the help
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 832
Likes: 1
From: Breckenridge Colorado
Don't know about Maaco, but I just did mine at Earl Sheib for the same reason. I got their highest end paint job which was still only about $800 after the managers special they had and I am completely happy with the result. I would probably go with the best pain job that they do which will probably not be more than $1000. Make sure they do plenty of sanding and have them look for stress cracks after they sand and before they start painting.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 2,581
Likes: 14
From: Tolar Texas
Originally Posted by onaqwst
do the prep yourself.....take everything off
Do your homework on what is required to FULLY prep the car for paint, prep it, mask it off, and let them shoot the paint.
For better results, it would be advisable for YOU to do the wet sanding w/guidecoat on the primer in prep for the top coat.
Choose high quality paint chemicals so your money/labor investment will last for many years.
www.autobody101.com is just one of MANY paint related information resources available to you. Also check out www.corvettefaq.com for some well written articles.
The more you learn before hand, the more money and time you will save. Trust me. I did not research my paint project as much as I have for other projects and it cost me extra. I'm still working at it!
Racer
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 359
Likes: 0
From: Kenosha Wisconsin
Maacos top end paint job is a 1000 dollars. thats for base coat clear coat Uerathane. Like everyone has said, do all the prep work yourself, and let them shoot the paint. Use a good synthetic primer/sealer. And regardless what you do, If you drive it daily, the stress cracks will be back in 3 or 4 years. But if you think of it like I did, 1000 dollars, for 3 years, you can have it painted ten times, over a 30 year span, and spend as much as some guys spend painting it once.
I did mine myself, cost less than 500.00, so I guess I got 20 more times to paint it.
Lowbuck did it for 100 bucks, so I gess he can paint his 100 times???
I did mine myself, cost less than 500.00, so I guess I got 20 more times to paint it.
Lowbuck did it for 100 bucks, so I gess he can paint his 100 times???
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,950
Likes: 498
From: Chino Hills CA
Although I painted my C3 for around $100, I had my '55 Chevy and my '60 Metropolitan painted by 1-Day, doing all of the prep work myself. These paint jobs are 2 and 5 years old and cost me around $700 each. Like most of these low dollar, high volume places, the quality of the paint is excellent, but they often lack in their execution, so you're kinda rolling the dice. Overspray is almost inevitable, so expect it. I would ask to speak to the guys who would be doing the actual work, and offer to tip them $100 if they do a real good job. I'm sure they're not making more than $15 per hour. If I did nothing but paint cars every day for that kind of money, I'm sure I could do a superb job if I wanted to.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 6,798
Likes: 25
From: Pine Bluff Arkansas
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-‘19-'20-'21
If you do all the prep and buy the paint your only paying for a paint booth and hopefully someone that can spray good. Prep work is the key. They tend to get in a hurry masking, also. If he's a good sprayer...then it should look good. Larry
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Racer
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 309
Likes: 0
From: Ocean City MD
The previous owner of my vette had it and all his cars painted at the local Macco. Even his Cuda show car was done there. They did all the prep and painted 2 stage. Except for one small run in the clear it is a better paint job than the factory paint on my new Dodge truck. I believe and I am probably wrong he said it was $1500 for all the prep and 2 stage paint. It was also a color change from blue to a silver. All the door jams look great.
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 4,071
Likes: 0
From: San Diego CA
I paid like less than $800 for my '94 firebird to be painted with the highest level single stage urethane paint job at maaco. I had some body work that had to be done (ding on the rocker panel and the new front bumper correctly aligned. I had them paint the door jams and under the hatch, and it was a color change from red to storm grey. Twas a sweet paint job. I've got pics if interested.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,663
Likes: 162
From: columbia city in
[QUOTE=Dogbyte]Maacos top end paint job is a 1000 dollars. thats for base coat clear coat Uerathane. Like everyone has said, do all the prep work yourself, and let them shoot the paint. Use a good synthetic primer/sealer. And regardless what you do, If you drive it daily, the stress cracks will be back in 3 or 4 years. But if you think of it like I did, 1000 dollars, for 3 years, you can have it painted ten times, over a 30 year span, and spend as much as some guys spend painting it once.
I did mine myself, cost less than 500.00, so I guess I got 20 more times to paint it.
Lowbuck did it for 100 bucks, so I gess he can paint his 100 times???[/QUOTE the next time you are in INDIANA stop on in i have a project for you .would love to have mine painted for 1000 dollars or less and i would buy all the beer .
I did mine myself, cost less than 500.00, so I guess I got 20 more times to paint it.
Lowbuck did it for 100 bucks, so I gess he can paint his 100 times???[/QUOTE the next time you are in INDIANA stop on in i have a project for you .would love to have mine painted for 1000 dollars or less and i would buy all the beer .
Racer
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 336
Likes: 0
From: crystal lake Il.
I had mine done at maaco in palatine Il. They gave me a quote for what was required on my car, it was almost completly stripped. I removed most of the chrome and lights. They did a very good job for $1400. There was over spray in the wheel wells and on the mufflers, I cleaned all that up, it was easy. The worst part was the inside. the door handles were off so the windows had to be down to get in the car, the cleaned it up ok, but it took a while to get it real good. Each maaco is only as good as the people who work there, and I think I ran into some people who take pride in there work. I`m a painter and i`m smart enough to know I don`t have the skills to prep or paint a car.
Pro
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 623
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From: Chicago IL
Do the prep work yourself. On another forum, someone wrote that when they used to work at Maaco, he would be given two sheets of sand paper and he was expected to use all of it on one car. 
Painterman is right, that certain maaco's are better than other's so I would ask around too.
Painterman is right, that certain maaco's are better than other's so I would ask around too.
CF Senile Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 5,738
Likes: 2
From: Central Plains
St. Jude Donor '08
About 10 years ago, I bought a 74 VW Bub for my daughter to drive to school. It was in great mechanical shape, but the paint was sad (faded yellow with a blue hood to repace a damaged one). I took it to Maaco and had her pick a color (she chose Lime Green - which you can get away with on a bug). We chose their "Mid price package". We did all of the sanding and prep, and had them shoot it. I was surprized at how good a job they did. Not show quality, but definately presentable. Good luck, and hope you get a great job on the paint.
Dave
Dave
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,139
Likes: 109
From: B'ham Alabama
Maaco's and similar paint shops are basic low buck operations designed to do basic older daily driver type vehicles. They're top customers are the low end car lots and the "Tote The Note / Buy-Here / Pay-Here" dealers. They just need their cars to look good for a reasonable period of time. A few runs and drips deosn't bother them.
They do not do gerat body / prep work and their taping / masking is usually terrible. However, if you do all your own body work and all your own prep work, remove everything your self, and THEN pay for the better paint job, it will look decent.
However, you have to keep in mind that hte top end painters and body guysbare not working at Maaco. Maaco can't attract a really good painter for the kind of money they are charging.
They do not do gerat body / prep work and their taping / masking is usually terrible. However, if you do all your own body work and all your own prep work, remove everything your self, and THEN pay for the better paint job, it will look decent.
However, you have to keep in mind that hte top end painters and body guysbare not working at Maaco. Maaco can't attract a really good painter for the kind of money they are charging.
Cruising
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
I painted my 74 myself. Had no prior experience, but could read. I found websites, books and even spoke to local auto painters. I then found a Sherwin Williams auto paint store and was given step by step instructions on how to do it. I bought a compressor and paint gun at Home Depot. The sandpaper and fiberglass filler from Advance auto and Walmart. It took a week to prep and mask. One day to paint. One primer coat, 2 base coats and three clear coats. The paintjob looks great, plus the equipment is now mine. I spent under $500.00 for everything. I enjoyed it so much, I now have 5 corvettes that I'm restoring. There's no greater feeling than doing it yourself.
