Maaco Paint Job!
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 486
Likes: 0
Maaco Paint Job!
One of our forum members(not mentioning any names), had his vette painted at maaco and it looks great I'll give you a hint he drives a C4. Should I get my 84 painted there? It has a little fade on the rear end. The price is right, but how good is the quality? Can you use a pressure washer on it after the paint job?
And which color can I go with? My interior is dark bronze, the exterior is 2 tone bronze. Obviously I can't go blue. What about:
red, silver, or should I stick with the 2 tone bronze?
Anybody else get theirs painted at maaco?
And which color can I go with? My interior is dark bronze, the exterior is 2 tone bronze. Obviously I can't go blue. What about:
red, silver, or should I stick with the 2 tone bronze?
Anybody else get theirs painted at maaco?
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 14,130
Likes: 7
Cruise-In II Veteran
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.
If the maaco will work with you and you get the car seriously prepped,and get a good urethane paint job,it may be worth the low cost.
It really depends,and depends on the location and who does the work.
Not all maaco shops are the same,but most are in the steps to give it the fastest paint job possible and get it out the door.
Orange peel and overspray got everywhere.Tape lines is where the paint peels fastest with time.
If the maaco will work with you and you get the car seriously prepped,and get a good urethane paint job,it may be worth the low cost.
It really depends,and depends on the location and who does the work.
Not all maaco shops are the same,but most are in the steps to give it the fastest paint job possible and get it out the door.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 442
Likes: 0
From: Albany Oregon
One of our forum members(not mentioning any names), had his vette painted at maaco and it looks great I'll give you a hint he drives a C4. Should I get my 84 painted there? It has a little fade on the rear end. The price is right, but how good is the quality? Can you use a pressure washer on it after the paint job?
And which color can I go with? My interior is dark bronze, the exterior is 2 tone bronze. Obviously I can't go blue. What about:
red, silver, or should I stick with the 2 tone bronze?
Anybody else get theirs painted at maaco?
And which color can I go with? My interior is dark bronze, the exterior is 2 tone bronze. Obviously I can't go blue. What about:
red, silver, or should I stick with the 2 tone bronze?
Anybody else get theirs painted at maaco?
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
Likes: 3,063
From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
Id do as much trim removal as you can yourself, get their "good" job and tip the painter well, let him know you dont want our tires painted.
Wetsand and buff it a month later and it should look presentable.
Wetsand and buff it a month later and it should look presentable.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 486
Likes: 0
The maaco I talked to take the wheels off, and the middle of the road with no repairs is $899 and their top paint job with no repairs is about $1300. Their base paint job is around $400 I think. Add $100 per door to paint the inside of the door frames or sills I guess you would call them.
My 85 is black, so I would like a different color on my 84, I'm leaning towards red but would appreciate some suggestions from fellow vette owners. Orange is to wild for me, but I like it. What other color will work with bronze interior?
My 85 is black, so I would like a different color on my 84, I'm leaning towards red but would appreciate some suggestions from fellow vette owners. Orange is to wild for me, but I like it. What other color will work with bronze interior?
Last edited by 85L98-84L83; Dec 13, 2007 at 11:38 PM.
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 10,691
Likes: 71
From: Phoenix Arizona
with most of the above posts too. It all boils down to the painter with MAACO. I've had good and bad luck. Make sure you get base coat clear coat, NOT intregal clear, it won't hold up in the UV (sun). Be prepared to do alot of clean up when you get it home.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 5,262
Likes: 0
From: E. Amherst NY
Prep work is 98% of a paint job. Bad surface preparation, and even the best painter won't make it look perfect. I got so sick of sanding my '86 when we painted it, but I couldn't be happier with the way it turned out. Prep it once, go over the car again, and prep it again. Frustrating, but its the ticket in case you haven't picked up on it. 
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Instructor
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 155
Likes: 32
From: Fern Creek Kentucky
Maaco in Louisville Ky painted a car for me in '95 which remained in my family (cousin) until '03. The last time I saw the car, which was always kept outside, the painted still looked pretty good.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 8,700
Likes: 298
From: Ft. Lauderdale Fl
My only experience was about five years ago, my wife fired a guy and on his way out, he took a key and went around on all painted surfaces.
The car was a lease and it was due to be turned in soon. Went to Maaco and for $400. they did a job so well, the dealership didn't notice it was a repaint.
Each Maaco is different. Guess I was lucky.
The car was a lease and it was due to be turned in soon. Went to Maaco and for $400. they did a job so well, the dealership didn't notice it was a repaint.
Each Maaco is different. Guess I was lucky.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 181
Likes: 0
From: Boise ID
Maaco uses PPG or sherwin williams paint and they only do bc/cc ( base coat clear coat) If the prep is done right it will last just as long as a $5,000 paint job. Pay for the extra coats of clear. the trick to Maaco is go get an estimate then wait don't call and they will send you a card for 15-20% off this is a good discount on your $1500 estimate. I have had 8 cars painted at Maaco well one car once and my 87 c4 7 times
1st time was wrong color
2nd time was correct color but they sprayed G3 hi build primer on it without hardner in it so bubbles started showing up
3rd 4th 5th 6th and 7th was to repair bubbles
it goes back in in January of 08 to strip the 25-30 layers of paint off and get repainted because after repairing bubbles the car is 3 different colors and has a ton of paint on it. I have ownd my car for 5 years and they have had it about 2 years. needless to say but they really really hate my care and they say they will never paint another Vette. I now paint my own cars except for my 87 I paid them to do the job right and they will do it right or I will take it to someone to do it right and Maaco will pay for it.
1st time was wrong color
2nd time was correct color but they sprayed G3 hi build primer on it without hardner in it so bubbles started showing up
3rd 4th 5th 6th and 7th was to repair bubbles
it goes back in in January of 08 to strip the 25-30 layers of paint off and get repainted because after repairing bubbles the car is 3 different colors and has a ton of paint on it. I have ownd my car for 5 years and they have had it about 2 years. needless to say but they really really hate my care and they say they will never paint another Vette. I now paint my own cars except for my 87 I paid them to do the job right and they will do it right or I will take it to someone to do it right and Maaco will pay for it.
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 24,460
Likes: 7
From: sw Ohio
One thing I would like to point out, dont expect a Maaco job to look perfect. It will look like a factory paint job. Here is my Buick (was dark grey) painted in electric blue with silver flake...(3 yrs after paint)
Racer
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 281
Likes: 2
From: Mount Vernon Indiana
Prep is the key and Maaco won't do any,...period. If you can get a few friends to help prep and remove moldings, you should be able to get a decent long lasting paint job. Notice I said "decent", not perfect.
Decent is good enough for me though.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 322
Likes: 0
From: Chapin South Carolina
I remember as a youth getting the $99 paint job because that was all I could afford for my 72 Firebird. I was lucky in that they didn't get overspray on either door window. Of course their idea of preping them was to just roll them down. Lucky for them my seats where just sprayed vinyl anyways so a trip to Pep Boys and I had black seats again.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
My dad had his Dodge Dart painted twice. Paint flaked, runs visible, really crappy prep. I went for an estimate and they showed me some cars they painted. I asked them where the dirt came from on the top of all the cars they showed me. The guy said it was dirt that they couldn't do anything about. I wouldn't let Maaco paint my Radio Flyer wagon !!!!
Team Owner
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 24,337
Likes: 25
From: San Diego , CA Double Yellow DirtBags 1985..Z51..6-speed
I've had two cars painted by previous owners at Maaco, and both time the paint started peeling off in about 5 years. This time around I'll try painting it myself.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 24,337
Likes: 25
From: San Diego , CA Double Yellow DirtBags 1985..Z51..6-speed
Factory paint jobs don't have a mirror finish, but at least they don't spray over the tires, wheel wells, lights, molding, weatherstripping, glass, etc. Maaco won't get the car cleaned up well enough for paint to stick in the seams, areas under door handles, between panels, around windows, and this is where it will start peeling. Plus the masking lines will look like crap, where parts of the weatherstrip is painted over and parts of it aren't.