Paint?
depends on the shop and what kind of paintjob you want.. They do give estimates.... you can try getting away with a $500 1 day bodyshop paint job that may last 2-3 years, or spend a few grand for a complete total paint job.
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 4,815
Likes: 24
From: Columbia, Tennessee
Uh oh, better NOT get Maaco!
If you have $2500, take it to a reputable body shop and have them do a full job on it. They will do all the work. It will have a warranty. If there is a problem at all, they HAVE to fix it. It will look better than new.
OR
If the paint is so horrible and your handy with tools, but not so much with painting or you don't have a place to paint it yourself... Sand it down by hand or with a rotary sander yourself, rattle can primer it, mask it off yourself. Take it to a sub-reputable shop and pay $600 to have them throw on a base/clear coat. It will end up looking ok especially if the current paint job is horrible. Should last a few years.
Maaco does a pretty decent job with their painting, but they DO NOT mask anything off for crap. They don't sand or prep the surface very well either.I know a lot of people who do all of the prep work, sanding, cleaning, masking off, panel removal, emblem removal etc...... trailer it to Maaco and just have them shoot the paint. They usually pay $300-800 depending on the car etc. In the end it looks pretty decent and will last a few years and you'll still get all of those "man your car is so clean" comments.
And BTW, keeping it the factory color or close to it will save you a lot of money too.
If you have $2500, take it to a reputable body shop and have them do a full job on it. They will do all the work. It will have a warranty. If there is a problem at all, they HAVE to fix it. It will look better than new.
OR
If the paint is so horrible and your handy with tools, but not so much with painting or you don't have a place to paint it yourself... Sand it down by hand or with a rotary sander yourself, rattle can primer it, mask it off yourself. Take it to a sub-reputable shop and pay $600 to have them throw on a base/clear coat. It will end up looking ok especially if the current paint job is horrible. Should last a few years.
Maaco does a pretty decent job with their painting, but they DO NOT mask anything off for crap. They don't sand or prep the surface very well either.I know a lot of people who do all of the prep work, sanding, cleaning, masking off, panel removal, emblem removal etc...... trailer it to Maaco and just have them shoot the paint. They usually pay $300-800 depending on the car etc. In the end it looks pretty decent and will last a few years and you'll still get all of those "man your car is so clean" comments.
And BTW, keeping it the factory color or close to it will save you a lot of money too.
Last edited by NCross; Sep 14, 2008 at 03:46 PM.
