Hi All,

Has anyone here ever used Maaco for a paint job. I was at a shop and I saw a few completed jobs and it surprised me. I saw the 2 stage paint job and I couldn't tell theirs from another shop's 2 stage urathane.


Thanks
Jack

 

It's all in the prep. A lot of people who take cars to Maaco do their own prep work and have them shoot the paint. The real test of Maaco's quality is to look at one of their complete jobs several years down the road and see how it held up.

Of course, the quality of Maaco or any franchise operation is variable from shop to shop. The individual management makes the difference.

In the end, the truism of "you get what you pay for"...far more often than not, proves itself again and again.

 

I and a friend have had Maaco do some paint work. I had resurected an 97 Geo which I used three cars to build along with many new parts, anyways, I had Maaco do a level two paint on it. It was the hard coat enamal without a clear. I did a thourough prep prior to bringin it in. It came back looking really nice for what it was. My friend had to replace a hood and have it repainted to match. Although the match looked good, the clear coat (or whatever it is) had several areas where there were dust flakes and in a couple of spots it looked uneven.
If you prep it right and remove lamps, trim and bumbers it may come out really well, not factory but acceptable. They charge extra to paint inside the door jams and under the hood etc., so if you want this done and want a nice uniform paint it would be a good idea to remove the door panels and show them excatly what you want done. Even on the inside of the fuel door or they will just spray over it.
After all of that if you find dust specs and such you can have them re-do it at their expense.

 

There are 100 miles of message threads on paint jobs.

Read the thread below:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...-any-work.html

That thread has 800+ replies and has been viewed 34 thousand times....

When it comes to paint it's a toss up how it will turn out. You know very well that MAACO is not known for quality paint jobs. What is deemed "quality" is very subjective. Some MAACO shops might very well be great places to have your car done. They might see the opportunity to paint a nice Vette like a work of art instead of painting Datsuns and Hondas....who knows?

Ask questions, go see how they feel about their work.

Prep is truely everything. However, if the guy who sprays the paint has few skills then it will look accordingly.

If you just want your car to look decent then go seek a decent paint job. The guy in that thread I noted paid 17 grand for his paint job. He is not happy. You won't be happy either unless you do diligence in finding out what you really expect in the job. Write things down, get them in writing. If you both sign a contract, then you have recourse.

You do get what you pay for.....sometimes.....

Set your expectations and make sure who you pay to paint it is well aware and able to meet them. Putting things in writing with both people signing works 85-90percent of the time.

my .02

Good Luck!!!!....

Rd

 

Maaco is not the place to go to get that "factory finish" if you have the money it would probably be best to find a reputable collision shop. Look around and talk to a number of them. Summer is probably the best time if you live in a seasonal area as there are fewer collisions and the shops slow down until the fall.

Maaco is okay if you just want to get a uniform coat of paint and may be looking to get that special finish elsewhere down the line.

 

I would be surprised too, if I saw a good paint job from Maaco! Was it the $249.00 special.

 

I like Miracle better than Maaco. Good for 5 years. If you have a valuable car, I would save up and talk to a lot of people. If you live near San Jose, CA, I can tell you some good people. But it aint cheap. My car cost $8K and was a very good deal. By the way, $8K is a lot of money.

 

This is so true. I had a 78 ford, and I did all of the prep work myself, wet sanded and removed the badges and body moulding, and took it to a Maaco in Norristown, PA, after I selected the premier paint package, I left through the shop and found the painter, I talked to him a few minutes about 'My Car' and then tucked $40.00 "Lunch Money" in his shirt pocket. Got the car back and it had a perfect paint job, (it's enamal but it was reasonable job). but I've seen jobs by some low buck shops that the thing looked like it was painted with a mop. Anything you get for nothing is usually worth it !

 

Prep is absolutley the key to a good paint job.
I prepped in my shop and sprayed at Miracle that is similar to Maaco. This is the cheapest single stage paint they offer and I really wouldn't put it on my personal car. But for a Rustang it's ok lol

 

Run while you still can. Maaco could not even paint my kid's bicycle.

 

I took my old Bimmer to Maaco (now my younger brother's car). I was pleased with the results. For $800 they removed a couple dents and repainted in the original color (cirrus blau - I assume means cloud blue - which is a metallic base) in a 2 stage paint. Car came out real nice even without wet sanding and buffing. I would take another car to them, and I would take a corvette to them if it was not destined to be a show car. Just my experience, take it for what its worth!

 

To flip = yes
Driver = yes
Show - NO

in all cases do your homework, get references, talk to the manager (many times)

My 81 was a MAACO job, it will get dirty, rock chipped, and rained on.
Manager personally oversaw the entire job and only moved it himself.
They did me right..........

 

Back when I had my '84 vette I had OneDay paint and Body (similar to Maaco) paint it. The 84 was a DD it was my only car and I wasnt blessed with a brilliant income.

The quality of the work was just fine, since the original was in great shape (body wise) the paint came out a good 7-10 footer.

all the statements above about getting what you pay for though apply, not all budget paint shops (even within the same company) are the same.

Would i do it now for my 78 (if I had to) no I wouldnt.