i called maaco & they have a paint job for $900.00 a base coat clear coat how would that paint look is that a good paint job or will it look tacky & cheap thx.........
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maaco paint jobs
- Thread starter bigflame
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...out here a buddy got a 400 dollar maaco paint job, white ranger now metallic green and his shell to match....they did a great job...he said he was quoted 900 at a couple other maacos but before he made his decision he wanted to see their work first...
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I have seen better quality jobs from "mom and pop" places.
One guy I used to work with got one of those quickie in and out jobs. Looked great for the first year. After that, anywhere it was "hard" to prep around, the paint flaked off. Like around the door handles, antenna, emblems, and whatnot. Looked like crap since it started out light blue, and was repainted a shade of maroon.
Each Maaco is independently owned, and I have heard of cheap killer paint jobs, and have heard of crappy jobs. It all depends on the employees.
One guy I used to work with got one of those quickie in and out jobs. Looked great for the first year. After that, anywhere it was "hard" to prep around, the paint flaked off. Like around the door handles, antenna, emblems, and whatnot. Looked like crap since it started out light blue, and was repainted a shade of maroon.
Each Maaco is independently owned, and I have heard of cheap killer paint jobs, and have heard of crappy jobs. It all depends on the employees.
unclemeat
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First thing to remember is that the paint and supplies are going to cost you around $ 400 for a base clear paint job. Second prep is the most important part of a paint job, painting is the easy part. I have done my own paint job, and I would expect a minimum of 15 to 20 hours of labor to do a reasonable job.
Third you get what you pay for.
Third you get what you pay for.
RubySlow
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I have seen good paints jobs from places like earl scheib and maaco if you do all the prep and you give the amigo a few bucks to spray twice on all the coats, because the basic is pretty thin...
drake437
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*sigh*
If I had a dollar for every time this question has come up...
Unclemeat got the ball roilling.
It is simple ecconomics.
FACT: Businesses exist to make a profit.
FACT: If businesses do not make a profit they will cease to exist.
FACT: Macco has been in business for a very, very long time.
MEANING: They steadily maintian a profit. If they recieve a $900.00 check for a all over paint job, then obviously the process must cost less than $900.00 to perform.
Unsing Unclemeats numbers say 15 hours IS what it takes to prep the job.
A very conservative number by the way. Say they pay some guy $15.00 to prep the cars. That amounts to $225.00. Say they have a painter who makes a bit more and he is $18.00 per hour. A modern booth he can have that car in and out in two hours or less. Lets say Two. $36.00 For him.
Paint materails are not cheap. Tape, paper, platic cover. $400.00 is not unreasonal, but Macco buys in bulk so lets say $200.00 said and done.
EPA requires prpoer and safe removal of all paint chemicals. Say $10.00 per car.
The lady in the office answering the phone gets $12.00. If the painter too two hours, the the preper took 15 and she was there the whole time that comes to 17 hours $204.00
Land rent, insurance, eletcricity, water, phone, the clean up guy, uniform rental, building up keep, and other various expenses must come out of each and every job. Say $200.00 Rediculasly low ? We will go with it.
based on this premise the job you seek costs $875.00 Yeah there is A LOT of wiggle room there. But think about it. Where does that profit margin come from ? Cheaper paint ? Cheaper labor ?
Keep in mind the premise I presented adds ZERO body labor. Meaning no time to remove the trim, the emblems, the lights, the mouldings and handles the glass. All things I can completely assure you are essential for a quality paint job.
$900.00 is not a lot of money.
You do the math and try to figure out where their profit is and if those corners are corners you want cut on your paint job.
If I had a dollar for every time this question has come up...
Unclemeat got the ball roilling.
It is simple ecconomics.
FACT: Businesses exist to make a profit.
FACT: If businesses do not make a profit they will cease to exist.
FACT: Macco has been in business for a very, very long time.
MEANING: They steadily maintian a profit. If they recieve a $900.00 check for a all over paint job, then obviously the process must cost less than $900.00 to perform.
Unsing Unclemeats numbers say 15 hours IS what it takes to prep the job.
A very conservative number by the way. Say they pay some guy $15.00 to prep the cars. That amounts to $225.00. Say they have a painter who makes a bit more and he is $18.00 per hour. A modern booth he can have that car in and out in two hours or less. Lets say Two. $36.00 For him.
Paint materails are not cheap. Tape, paper, platic cover. $400.00 is not unreasonal, but Macco buys in bulk so lets say $200.00 said and done.
EPA requires prpoer and safe removal of all paint chemicals. Say $10.00 per car.
The lady in the office answering the phone gets $12.00. If the painter too two hours, the the preper took 15 and she was there the whole time that comes to 17 hours $204.00
Land rent, insurance, eletcricity, water, phone, the clean up guy, uniform rental, building up keep, and other various expenses must come out of each and every job. Say $200.00 Rediculasly low ? We will go with it.
based on this premise the job you seek costs $875.00 Yeah there is A LOT of wiggle room there. But think about it. Where does that profit margin come from ? Cheaper paint ? Cheaper labor ?
Keep in mind the premise I presented adds ZERO body labor. Meaning no time to remove the trim, the emblems, the lights, the mouldings and handles the glass. All things I can completely assure you are essential for a quality paint job.
$900.00 is not a lot of money.
You do the math and try to figure out where their profit is and if those corners are corners you want cut on your paint job.
jimbo74
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i might get a maaco job on my 84 toyota, of course, i will be driving it to them with no glass or interior or locks.... my truck is primered black, but ugly, i will sand it and clean it up quite a bit
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My father got $500 one done on his Lincoln and it was a great job and held up very well for the years we had it. I guess it's a roll of the dice.
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We have a car in our shop right now, the owner says " I got this painted at so & so's shop and he did an amazing paint job !!!!!!!! "
The color is off, there are 5,000 dry spots, loads of dirt, fish eyes, and more runs than a prune eating convention.
I guess an amazing paint job is subjective,,,
Spdrcer34
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I have had a couple vehicles painted @ Maaco.
`79 Cutlass.....I did all the prep work, and body work...I dropped off a trim-less car.....and it came out GREAT, not PERFECT, but a $400 paint job on a car that I later sold for nearly $3,000 isn't bad at all!....I drove it a year, and sold it in 2000. To this day, the paint still looks NEW
`87 S-10....again, I did all the prep work, (many hours blocking the doors, and bed sides) removed all the glass, and seperated the plastics so they could be shot with more flexing agent in the paint....this was the BEST job I have seen out of this particular Maaco. No runs, smooth paint...painter did a great job at laying paint.....And the kid I sold it to won a couple car show awards...and it looked pristine until the day he burned it to the ground!
`94 Sable...this was an 'out of my sisters pocket' type of deal, as she is the one that hit my car and caused the damage....well, this one didn't go so well...they did 100% of the work..and the paint match wasn't great (Factory Silver/Purple Pearl) and the body work was HORRIBLE. I could clearly see the sanding swirls in the filler, and they made NO ATTEMPT to hammer & dolly the damage, and apply as little filler as possible. I guesstimate that the filler was about 3/8" thick in 1 spot. Paint Runs on the flat spots, and it just BARELY started to crack on the bumper when we sold it....
Moral of the story: Yes, it's a CHEAP paint job. YES they CAN do a good job. But if you have time to spare, and KNOW what you are doing (or know someone that does)....you are better off getting JUST a Maaco PAINT JOB, and not letting them do their 'cosmolission' magic on it.
Ryan
`79 Cutlass.....I did all the prep work, and body work...I dropped off a trim-less car.....and it came out GREAT, not PERFECT, but a $400 paint job on a car that I later sold for nearly $3,000 isn't bad at all!....I drove it a year, and sold it in 2000. To this day, the paint still looks NEW
`87 S-10....again, I did all the prep work, (many hours blocking the doors, and bed sides) removed all the glass, and seperated the plastics so they could be shot with more flexing agent in the paint....this was the BEST job I have seen out of this particular Maaco. No runs, smooth paint...painter did a great job at laying paint.....And the kid I sold it to won a couple car show awards...and it looked pristine until the day he burned it to the ground!
`94 Sable...this was an 'out of my sisters pocket' type of deal, as she is the one that hit my car and caused the damage....well, this one didn't go so well...they did 100% of the work..and the paint match wasn't great (Factory Silver/Purple Pearl) and the body work was HORRIBLE. I could clearly see the sanding swirls in the filler, and they made NO ATTEMPT to hammer & dolly the damage, and apply as little filler as possible. I guesstimate that the filler was about 3/8" thick in 1 spot. Paint Runs on the flat spots, and it just BARELY started to crack on the bumper when we sold it....
Moral of the story: Yes, it's a CHEAP paint job. YES they CAN do a good job. But if you have time to spare, and KNOW what you are doing (or know someone that does)....you are better off getting JUST a Maaco PAINT JOB, and not letting them do their 'cosmolission' magic on it.
Ryan
Joe Dirt
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Everyone has great points. The whole key to Maaco or any discount paint shop is the prep work- if you do all of the prep sanding, filling, hammering, and basically anything that isn't spraying the car, your odds are better than not of having a good finish product. Tipping usually doesn't work, because the guy you grease isn't usually the only one working on your ride.
Not everyone needs a $5,000 paint job, and there are shops that fill a niche for everyone. Just don't have over-realistic expectations. But absolutely prep yourself.
When I had my Mustang painted, I did the prep, and pulled the lights, trim, etc, etc... before it went in. Paint came out acceptable for what it was. Nice gloss, smooth finish, and it was absolutely fine for what it was.
$424.00 OTD
Not everyone needs a $5,000 paint job, and there are shops that fill a niche for everyone. Just don't have over-realistic expectations. But absolutely prep yourself.
When I had my Mustang painted, I did the prep, and pulled the lights, trim, etc, etc... before it went in. Paint came out acceptable for what it was. Nice gloss, smooth finish, and it was absolutely fine for what it was.
$424.00 OTD
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