have it all sanded and ready to go over and remove what you can they suck at taping off stuff.there prep work isnt the greatest...the jobs you see for 150 special is all your getting just scuff it and paint it with cheap paint...the more expensive jobs they do are alittle more quality paint but there prep work still isnt good.

 

My 1970 has a magnificent mulsanne blue metallic paint job that get a LOT of compliments. It was on the car when I bought it. I know it was a high end job. The point is these cars are beautiful pieces of automotive art and I'm sure you'd agree a bad or poor paint job is no bargain. My '70 is a driver. No trailer queen, but my gosh is she a looker!
Good luck!

 

Don't let them paint your shark. They're great for an econobox, but not for a classic. They use their own paint, which is garbage and will oxidize very quickly.
I picked up my current Vette from an auction and it had a Maco paint job. it caused me much more work to paint. I painted my Vette myself with the PPG Durethane urethane with PPG 82U clear coat. I blocked sanded and used epoxy primer. Good luck!
Dan

 

Well, I can definitely do the stripping and sanding myself...part of the reason I want the car repainted is that the new paint went right over the original paint (which looks to be a LeMans or Nassau Blue, for those who asked once), and it's so thick it's developing cracks around the taillights and other sharp edges. :( There are dribbles in hidden places and it looks okay from a distance, but I'm afraid if I repaint any more it's just going to start looking worse. I also fear a paint which fades faster on one part of the car...a guy I work with had his Z28 painted by the dealer and it looked fine for a while...now it's three different colors. :eek:

Sanding I can also deal with. I've got weekends and my car's generally covered and not driven daily. Priming is what I worry about...I don't have the equipment, experience or covered space to really do a good job of it myself. Am I better off taking the car, stripped and sanded, to a pro, or can Maaco handle it from there if I pay them enough?

 

It really makes little difference where a car is painted. The key is the expertise of the person who shoots the color coats. If you've seen the work of the guy at Maco, and if he/she is good, where he/she works isn't important.
Just the same, you get what you pay for.

 

i can verify the paint on paul's '75 looks great (considering what he paid). it's every bit as good as what the factory did in 1975. the materials maco uses may not be "dupont" quality, but if the car is not exposed to the elements, the paint seems to hold up very well. paul stripped the original finish, and did most of the prep work. maco just shot the primer/color/clear. for an every day, high mileage driver, the route paul went was well worth it. while i have not had a corvette painted at maco, i have had 4 everyday work cars repainted there. like paul, i did most of the prep my self.

 

just to let a few people know you have to ask for the better paint ...mines getting done in sikkens ...its 75 dollars a quart..now for anybody saying thats cheap paint they use..your out of your mind...and yes maaco carries it here in jersey and thats my cost for the paint since i know him.and thats not including the clear thats more


[Modified by pats406nitrovette, 1:22 PM 10/10/2001]


[Modified by pats406nitrovette, 1:23 PM 10/10/2001]

 

Well, here in Canada I happen to know the gentleman who owns Maaco Canada, well I've meet with him on several occasions, when I use to do systems consulting. He had told me that Maaco is a 'Splash and Dash' (Whilst enjoying a few frosty's :cheers: ) that is, get 'em in quick, out quicker. I realize that really is of little importance, but understand this, I have painted a car before at my fathers shop, which has a pro paint booth. The paint alone for the car we painted was around, I can't remember the exact price but it was around $700 CDN. That was back in 1990. That included the paint, the sealer, clear coat, and something else, can't remember, and we did all the prep work, I know cause it took me most of the day to tape off the car and remove parts, etc. The point is, if you are serious about your car I don't think your going to get a GREAT paint job for less then $4000.00 CDN. That of course would include prep work. Supplying the paint maybe a good option; however, with the expierance I have with paint I would not recommend it unless you are obsolutley sure about the equipment being used, automotive paint is very picky about line pressure, room temp, dwell time, spray pattern, the list goes on. Sounds like a bit of research eh :D . Though doing your homework, you will save a lot of coin down the road. I wish you the best of luck, hey, you might get lucky and Maaco does a good job, and the paint is of good quality, but for $700 I doubt it :jester .

Good luck, I hope it works for ya!!. Nothin wrong with savin' money :cheers:


[Modified by DwayneHillier, 8:48 PM 10/10/2001]

 

73 Ken-I just might be considering a new paint job, maybe your friend(S) would like to do prep and paint mine?

 

Corey-Your tech school can have mine for the winter if they do the prep and paint?

 

OK,
Here's the deal. I stopped by Maaco yesterday on the way home from work. I explained to the shop salesperson that I wanted my Vette painted. No paint on the shark, body work completed, all handles, keylocks, moldings off. That's as much as prep work I can do myself. I have no spray equipment to go any further. 599.00 for the best Maaco paint, 59.00 for the sealer, 200.00 for the primer and another 240.00 for the door/hood, t-top jambs. Also includes to paint the bumpers off the car. He tried to talk me out of that. I had to explain to him about the paint build up in the bumper seams! Not really sure about this one guys. Most of these posts are leaning me away from this factory. However, the last paint estimate I got from a shop prior to this was a whopping $4000.00 :bb I know ya pay for what ya get...but wow. Saturday I go to another shop for an estimate. L8TER, Paul.

 

Since it's too dusty anymore to shoot at home, I would consider a good Maaco guy with a gun if I furnished the paint and did all the prep work, including the cleaning after bringing it to Maaco. I've also shot at tech schools, but their booths are not always the cleanest. If you get a teh school job, do the prep work yourself; remember, these guys are LEARNING! If possible, have the instructor do the spraying, or spray it yourself! :cool:

 

I don’t get it… You guys are all talking about doing the prep work yourself. Well, that is where the majority of the money goes when you have a “professional” do all the work. If you did the prep work and took the car to a highly qualified painter you would get the job done for nearly the same price as Maco, but with better paint.

You get what you pay for!

 

at my tech school there is a $45,000 devilbiss spray booth that we keep SPOTLESS. Before and after every paint job, it gets swept and mopped up. and as far as learning goes.. a Majority of the Seniors do in fact have jobs in real body shops. while others have the usual fast food jobs.. I myself work at Corvette Center in Newington.. but had to take a leave of absence due to school.. Yes some of them are learning but most of the "kids" are damn talented. and I dont know about having 2 vettes in the shop during the same year.. i mean mine will be there this winter... and of course will be home when i go to classes. I suggest that if you want ur 72 done in my school, have someone else prep it.. then come down to the school to have one of the talented seniors do it (ahem :seeya ) labor charges at my school are 9.50 an hour.. with your choice of Dupont or PPG paint. I reccomend dupont only because its really easy to paint, ppg is nice, but the clear is damn expensive. and i hate painting it.. i always run ppg clear

 

Well I have been considering the same thing, so I'd like to put in my 2 cents.

My car needs paint too. Everyone here on this forum has to realize that not everyone can afford the $4,500 - $6,500 paint job. My CAR cost that much. There is NO WAY I can EVER afford that. I'm lucky to even have my vette, but I can't play in the big money games. There's a fair amount of us who fall into that category.

I am sometimes slightly offended when someone posts, a bit snobbishly, about how they would "never do such and such to my vette, its not good enough, too cheap" and etc. That's all well and good if you have the money. But I would hope you wouldn't look down on those of us who don't have the cash to lay out for this kind of thing because we can't afford it!

I realized a lifelong dream by getting my vette. While I would love to do some of the things you guys do to your vettes, the reality of it is I will never be able to.

Therefore - if you have to go to Maaco to paint your car, then go. Do the best you can with what you can afford. Lots of real nice folks have given you some good advice here too, so you should be good to go.

I will most likely do the same! Let us know how it goes!

Tom

 

i totally agree with tdellaringa...you can only do , what you can afford to do,alot of these cars are daily drivers,people spend every penny they got just to own a corvette,sure alot of them might need a ton of work and dont look the greatest ,and if they can only afford to go to maaco and get it painted so be it.and if someone says if "you cant afford it then you shouldnt own a vette" at least these people own a vette and thats all that matters.


[Modified by pats406nitrovette, 6:41 PM 10/11/2001]

 

tdellaringa do the best you can with what you can afford. If you have to get a Maaco paint job there nothing wrong with that. Maaco can do good paint jobs and excellent work. Every person has a limit on what they can afford for there car. Yes I would get my car painted at Maaco and yes I try to save money anytime I can. What do I know I do drive a "FORD"..! :)

 

my local college does free jobs done by the 2nd year students(graduating soon)...But word on the street :lol: is that they do a shoddy job. But, for free, you may want to check your local community college or university. The one here garontees the work, if its shoddy you take it back up, and the students try again, if the still get it wrong, then the instructor will paint it, and you know that guy is good, or he wouldn't be the teacher...

Daniel

 

tdellaringa/Tom,

I value every response to all of my posts. This one is no different. I agree 100% with you. "Do what ya can with what ya have"!! Most replys are designed to offer help, even though not the most economical. Thank you for your concern. I too, did not pay much more for my shark than the price for some of these paint jobs!! Unfortunatly when a body shop owner looks at a stripped shark roll in. They think too themselves...Wow I got em. Don't get me wrong. I know there are legit bodymen at this Forum. And I know the work involved in painting a Vette is extreme. But 4 to 6 grand!! :crazy: Thanks for your heart-felt responce!! Keep ya'll posted. L8TER, Paul.

 

if you have the Time to do it the body work on a vette it is a great thing. I myself am doing a partial body off resto to my 69.. when i mean partial i mean new top panel/fender.. lol damn deer. If you have a lot of spare time, why not go down to the local napa store and get some fiberglass stripper (for cars with lacquer paint or fiberglass cracks) and get to work, read the instructions on the box, make sure you have a well ventilated garage and start crackin. if you know of someone who does body work on the side, have him prime the panels, and check out a body shop for a paint only request. might save ya a lot of $$$