Originally Posted by carguy604

All Macco paint jobs that I've ever seen look as though they were applied using the shop broom and a quart of Tremclad. Macco is a production shop: get 'em in, get 'em squirted, and get 'em out! There's no time for them to do a proper prep job. Since painting is 9/10's prep and 1/10th squirting it on, don't blame Macco. Just recognize that you're getting exactly what you paid for. If you still want to chance it, at least do all your own prep - that way you're evening the odds a bit.

Originally Posted by Frizlefrak

It's actually quite simple. Everything fits just like it belongs there. The drivetrain is a 4.9L aluminum V8 and 4T60E Auto from a 1994 Cadillac Sedan Deville. Axles are a combo 1993 Pontiac Transport minivan / Fiero combination. Fuel injection is all intact using original Cadillac PCM to drive everything. Wiring harness built by Injection Technology, everything else fabbed by yours truly and my motley band of misfits.

It's really quite easy to work on, although I haven't had to do anything substantial in the 2000 miles since the swap.

Performance wise it's similar to a stock L98 (it'll lay waste to my 84 Vette). I also intentionally left it looking as stock as possible save the trunk decal "2M8". The exhaust was custom fabbed by a local shop....quiet at idle, throaty when you stab the go pedal.

The Honda boys never see it coming.....they do, however, see it going

Originally Posted by Aggravated4life

Its very rare a maaco will even touch a Vette,let alone do a good job.The paint will eventually peel off and flake away.Family member had a car painted there and it did look nice but less than a year later it was peeling.
Orange peel and overspray got everywhere.Tape lines is where the paint peels fastest with time.

Originally Posted by anesthes

Where they offered in a removable targa top? I kinda wanted to build one.

-- Joe

Originally Posted by xrcrx

You say there's no time for them to prep. It depends on the shop! they prepped mine, I drove in I drove out. Gotta trophy from a car show here in Houston and a couple times in a pair of Magazines. Not bad for paint applied with a broom. You're picking on a name-it's the shop and employees not the name on the sign.

Originally Posted by carguy604

Actually, if you'll re-read my original post you'll note that I said "don't blame Maaco". Furthermore, I also said "you're getting exactly what you paid for". In other words, Maaco is just filling a void in the marketplace for a cheap paintjob. If that's what you want, they may be your guys. On the other hand, if you're looking for top-quality workmanship, you're probably (note that I said probably!) in the wrong shop. There can always be exceptions to the rule (and that goes for $5,000 jobs as well) but nine times out of ten when it comes to paint & bodywork you get what you pay for. I'm not "picking on a name", I'm just saying (as you did) that prep work defines a paint job - and we know that they're not in that business. Basically, it boils down to "You pays your money and you takes your chances!" On this issue, I'm reminded of my Grandfather (the tradesman) who always used to say: "Good enough, isn't!". Maybe I'm just old-school, but I believe he was right. Personally, I'd rather do it right rather than do it cheap (and maybe have to do it over). That's my 2-cents worth. (By the way, your car IS very striking! Not the colours I'd have chosen, but it IS very original and very well done. Nice job! No wonder you've won a few awards!)

Originally Posted by Ajaste

A glowing recommendation for Maaco this ain't After all those trips back there I'd be tempted to offer to park it on the mgr's desk unless it's done right once and for all.

Originally Posted by sircrashalot

I can't resist. I am an auto appraiser and go into hundreds of body shops on a regular basis. Maaco will vary tremendously depending on the location. They are a franchise. The end result will also depend on what else is going on in their shop when your car is there. Many Maaco's have small work areas. There is a prep station where cars are getting scuffed down & taped up (everything gets taped at Maaco unless you pay for R&I (remove & install)). All lamps, mldgs, handles, emblems, wstrips, bumpers need to come off for a proper paint job. If you pay Maaco to do all this youll find they end up no cheaper than any other body shop. If you do it yourself, why not then take the car to a real shop?

About 3 feet from the tape and R&I going on is the scuff/sand prep area where there are cars getting sanded, minor bodywork, etc. putting dust and paint into the air. Next stop is the booth where the car is sprayed, then baked at higher heat than than paint Mfg. recommended temp for less time than paint Mfg. suggests for a supposed quick cure that really overcooks the surface without letting the paint underneath properly cure or breathe, resulting in adhesion issues, bubbling, cracking, uneven paint over time.

Then your car comes out of the booth, with the paint still super soft & sticky due to the short bake time. Meanwhile Jose is still going to town with the da on the car 5 feet away, sending dirt dust body filler and other color paint through the air where it gets to settle onto, or rather into your curing paint where it will remain forever. Oh, I forgot to mention that since the paint booth doors are constantly being opened (Maaco will paint 10 or more cars a day per booth as opposed to a body shop that may put 1-2 through a booth in a day) there is all kinds of dirt & snot inside the booth too that already got into the paint.

While your car sits so that the floaty air junk can stick to it well, then next critical Maaco paint job phase begins. I know this from experience, because it was my job for one day a long time ago. A kid making minimum wage with a full set of permanent markers, one being somewhat close to your cars color, and a whole set of black ones in different tip styles, 'details' the paint job. The colored marker is used to fill in all the areas where they overtaped and therefore got no new paint to the intended surface. The black ones are used to cover the overspray on all your mldgs and weatherstripping.
Then begins the final, and most critical phase of the Maaco paint job. As my manager for a day put it:
"If the rims and tires are shiny, they dont even look at the paint".

SO, the min. wage punk hits your wheels with some simple green on a rag, then armor alls the heck out of the tires so you wont look at the paint, does a big burnout and parks it outside ready to deliver. Ta-Daa....one fine Maaco job.

Notice that Maaco will never refer to themselves as a body shop. They choose words very carefully and refer to body shops, but only when discussing the competition.

All this being said, they are franchised so it could be very true that some folks have gotten good results form their local Maaco. there is one near me that has a pretty good rep. BUT, the key thing to remember is that if you are doing the prep and removing all the mldgs, handles, etc. getting your car painted at a real body shop who will very likely have a much better painter (Maaco pays their guys the least $$ and based on meeting production goals, so the good painter who is meticulous simply wont work there), and who will bake the paint properly then isolate the car from the dust & dirt of the shop better, then color sand & de-nib it instead of using markers on it, will cost no more than Maaco.
Shop it, you'll see. Paint material costs what it does- when a body shop quotes you more than Maaco it is beacuse they pull everything off that needs to be pulled off.

Bumper covers are a perfect example, especially on Vettes. Maaco IS NOT gonna remove your rear bumper and pull everything off it to shoot it. A body shop will. Why? Because when the plastic cover expands & contracts at a different rate than the body panel next to it, the globbed in paint that settled into the gap between the two will eventually crack, and begin to peel. By pulling the cover off, the paint can be properly applied and 'broken' + flex additive mixed into the paint for the plastic cover to allow for the additional expansion/contraction.

If you bring your car to a body shop in pieces it will cost no more than Maaco and you will get a better result anyway. Period.

Besides, your local family run bodyshop has likely been there a lot longer than Maaco, run by the same folks, and will be there run by the same folks for a long time. Go to your Maaco once a year and you'll see a complete set of new faces. Hmmmm.....

Originally Posted by c3corvettechick

Ditto and again and again.. I took my 80 to them last March for simple body work and a color change, they had it 3 months. I Paid $3600.00. They lied to me non stop about repairs and costs involved. The original pick up time was 10 days..Right! It has now been back to the shop 5 times 2 times because the hood was out of alignment and was bulging. A huge fissure popped up in the middle of the hood and it had to be repainted. They forgot twice to paint under the hood. A stress crack popped up they fixed an hour after I pulled it off the lot and 3 months after the paint job was done the paint started cracking like an egg.
I just got it back from a full paint job AGAIN this time they had it 6 weeks and is still isn't right. There is overspray on the fenders, and it needs to be wetsanded in places .. yada yada yada..... I sicked Maaco National on them to no avail and turned them in to the Better Business Bureau to get my money back... we will see. I also have the 5 year warranty. the local dealer here says he will no longer warranty any vettes. Hell just don't paint them!!
Chick

Originally Posted by Ajaste

Great post and a valuable public service. Thank you

Originally Posted by m.martince

I went to MAACO for an estimate and the owner came out and said he would'nt touch a vette for under 5,000. He started stating problems with fiberglass and personal issues. Ever since they went franchise their name went into the dirt.

Originally Posted by 85L98-84L83

I had good work done and it was cheap. Best thing to do is leave it with them for about 10 days don't rush them. Besides who doesn't like working on nice cars. 98% of people will put in more of an effort on a vette or a porsche, than on a honda or toyota.

Originally Posted by cuisinartvette

Ive learned over the years to walk away when I run into them. Nothing but f'n problems.

"Good work aint cheap and cheap work aint good"

Originally Posted by 85L98-84L83

I have heard not to paint your car when it is cold out, something about it not sticking good or setting right.