d-rockRN

Just as the title states. I took my Corvette to get some body work done at Maaco. I am sure I will be getting a lot of negative comments. I am posting these videos if anyone has ever wondered what it was like to get somewhat major work done at a Maaco. The videos are filled with me monologuing a bit but filled with info and experience.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Dave S

No disrespect, but there's an age old saying...."You get what you pay for!" I guess if you're happy with the results from Maaco then good for you, but I can't ever see taking a Vette to any of their shops & expect to get back professional results. In one of the earlier videos, I think I heard you say that you were pretty well satisfied with their work, but you then proceeded in the following clips to go thru a litany of problems with the job. Not sure if you also had an estimate from a Corvette specialty shop, but maybe you chose Maaco on a strictly cost basis without regard to quality. Also, did you not have collision insurance coverage on the Vette? If so, why wouldn't you use a better shop than Maaco?

Ron'sGS

Vet Interested

Corvette_Ed

I wholeheartedly agree with your agreement.

saplumr

d-rockRN

I had the corvette in storage for a little bit, I was traveling to the Philippines and Hong Kong quite frequently. When I took it out of storage and updated my insurance policy online, I really didn't review what I had and was under insured. Well my wife rear ended me in her Jeep (I don't know if I did something wrong lol JK), insurance was like yeah the Jeep is fully insured and we will take care of that, but because the Corvette is under the same insurance policy they denied repairs to the Vette. As far as Maaco goes I was excited and disappointed at the same time when I got it. I was happy to have two vehicles again. My wife and I were sharing one vehicle, plus having to take our 9 month old to daycare everyday plus my work and her studies it became very strenuous.
I did get what I paid for (no doubt about that) and honestly I didn't know what I was really getting myself into and thats what was so frustrating. My father took his C7 to the dealership to get bodywork done to his front bumper after someone crossed into his lane, they did a horrible job, looked like Helen Keller did the work herself, my 10 year old paint looks better, I think thats what spooked me to take it to a dealership, pay premium money and get poor work. Would I do it again? Knowing what I know now... maybe........ I would be more prepared and know what I am getting myself into and what to expect. The color matches and at this point all thats wrong since I've finished the work up myself is just some body panel adjustments. I honestly forgot there was a Corvette specialty shop in Tampa, should have went to them first. I didn't want to spend more money than what the car was worth getting it fixed, another reason I went to Maaco. Every great once in a while I see someone post something a Maaco and hopefully this will help them in their decision making. I will be making a final 5th video once I have it finished.

ByRiver

Sorry about your car. My wife isn't allowed to drive my Corvette. And while she can pull her car out of the garage that is parked next to my Corvette, she isn't allowed to pull it back into the garage. It sits out in the driveway until I can put it back in the garage. I won't accept any excuse how it was an accident that she hit my car. I'm speechless in how your wife rear ended you. No words.

d-rockRN

I actually picked the car up from my buddies shop (door control module in the window regulator went bad) I wanted to drop the car off back home, but my wife and mother insisted going to the docks in Tampa to get fresh shrimp/lobster. I had the car 5 minutes and had to yield for oncoming traffic before I got on the interstate. Well she thought I was going to try and beat the cars and she didn't hit the brakes as fast/hard as she should have.

jrose7004

I certainly wouldn't let them touch my car!

ByRiver

Yeah, I can see how that could happen. Now you I see where you thought if you went for it she wouldn't had hit you. While she just assumed you would. If you had separate policies, you could had sued her and gotten a better settlement.

corvettezman

I did not think insurance companies paid claims if you crash your cars into each other. It does not make sense if the same owner owned two cars in an accident for a claim to be paid out.

gliderdriver

Sorry to see this happen to your C6 ... and thanks for taking the time to share your experience and insight with the forum ... with Macco and with the insurance snafu that forced you to go this route - I'll have to recheck my policy just to understand completely.

I have some minor parking rash under the nose in front of the spoiler - and was thinking about bringing to a major collision chain to clean it up on the cheap... but wondered if the work would be done correctly ... i.e. I would like a 10 result ... but would a 7 result be OK ... would I be satisfied - even if it was cheap relative to another shop - say 250 instead of 500. I think I would personally want the 10 result. And how do you pick a shop ... I guess getting a recommendation from others in your area is the best way ... but that is not foolproof.

Thanks again ... hope they fix those remaining issue for you.

gn85

I'm not a Maaco fan, but I have seen some decent jobs come out of Maaco, including my friends classic Mustang that he just had painted a few weeks ago. I think the problem Maaco has with it's reputation is that they don't take time or care to do a proper paint job, along with using cheaper products. My friend had his car painted at Maaco, but knew the people doing the work and choose better materials.

When my wife's Mercedes was rear ended, I insisted that it be painted by the dealership (sent out to a dealer approved body shop). When I got the car back, the paint job was HORRIBLE!! There was red overspray on the fog light lens, drips, runs, misaligned panels, bad orange peel. The next time the car came back, I was even more scrutinizing. The car ended up going back FOUR TIMES before it was right. The dealership wanted more money and I told them to take that up with the insurance company. I took pictures documenting each time the car came back to show the insurance company. It was so bad, that I told the service manager that I would be ashamed to present that as a final product to a Mercedes customer.

Moral of the story... all body shops are capable of decent work. All body shops are capable of junk. Being a smarter customer and knowing what you're looking at goes a long way. Always inspect final work in direct sunlight, not in the rain. Don't be afraid to point out something that doesn't meet your satisfaction.

ByRiver

Back in the day, Maaco was just a slight step above Earl Schieb's. Both were considered the fast food of auto body and painting. My first car in high school had a $79 Earl Schieb paint job. It cost me extra to have the car taped off in labor and materials. It would had cost me $175 at Maaco, While a real paint job would had been $500-$1000. Maaco is ok if you need a paint job on your paint faded beater, but no way would it be a quality paint job on a nice car. Maybe they are better now.

1rusty1

I had a company car that the paint was peeling on the hood and roof. I took it to Maaco because it was quick and cheap. Paint looked great when it came out. I drove it another year or so until the miles got too high. 5 years after I turned it in, the company still uses that car for employees who spend time at the home office. It sits out in the coldest of winters and under the hot summer sun. The interior has faded but that damn paint job still looks great. Think I paid 800.00 to have the entire car done. I would have never imagined it would still look so good.

Cherokee Nation

Some Maacos shops are ok it all depends on who owns it.I would go to a auto paint store and have them mix up a can of paint using your vin# of paint before you take it in.

z06clif

Im going to go against the grain here. I have a friend who rebuilds Vettes as a hobby. He buys them ...makes them drivable...then sells them. Hes in the process of rebuilding a 64 vert. He usually does a resto on them but this time he took a liking to the car amd hes keeping it. When it came time for the paint he took it to MAACO...the reason being that the shop is owned by a very good painter with a stellar reputation in the area. Just bcause its MAACO doesnt mean its bad. I agree that MAACO has a bad rep but what we have here is a good painter who owns a MAACO franchise. His body work is good also but he charges for it. You dont get the $39.95 special unless thats what your looking for.

Clif

Not So Fast

No comment
nsf

ByRiver

It costs $8000-$14,000 to properly repaint a Corvette. That's what the guys in my club have paid for old restored or newer Vettes. A large amount of that is for the paint and clear coat. Why own a nice car, but have a crappy paint job?