Maaco Quesrion

[tynebeach]

Hey, I was thinking about getting my car painted, and I was wondering does anyone have any bad experiences with Maaco? I wouldn't have more than 500 to spend on a new paint job, and would it be worth it to go to Maaco and get the ambassador paint service? Thanks for your time.

[THE4TH]

yo my ex bought my old teg ls and had it painted from red to yellow at maaco, and they did a shitty job.. really bad... she's callin the bbb... but the one here is a little shady... but check it out go down there and see a few they have done and see if they are any good.....

[tynebeach]

yeah that's a good idea, I might have to do that :sun:

[THE4TH]

they always have cars they worked on in the lot.. so head down and if you can check the doorjams.. the sunroof if applicable, the fenders the trunk and so on .. those are the places they friggen on her car

[TorinoGT69]

Maaco charges extra for jams, and trunk. The only way I recommend maaco is if someone else does the body work and you strip off al the trim yourself otherwise they paint around it. They sell cheap one part paint jobs so they are not show quality or anything but they can look good with good prep.

[ccc880]

[Condor]

the paint does not last long. maaco/peach/etc. they dont really spray it on they more fog it on, and its really cheap. after about 6 months it doesnt look good, after 12-14 you need more paint. thats from several people i've met and one i had done there once. you are better off borrowing a gun, getting some good quality acrylic enamel, and spraying it yourself in your backyard. if you want the cheapest paintjob on earth just to sell it then they are ok.

[Doug Rodrigues]

With paint jobs, or anything else for that matter...you get what you pay for. An excellent paint job would probably cost at least $2,000. When you go in for one of those $300 specials...well, what do you expect?

[Condor]

I agree with you totally. My only complaint would be those places make the person that is uneducated about paint think they are getting something other than what they are getting. I agree that if you have a totally mismatching POS and are totally on a budget and just want something looking better than what you have, its the place to go. It's just that they make people think they are getting a 'real' paintjob, and they're not.

[Condor]

In addition, the $300 is their entry level. The'll tell you if you spend 600-800 with them, you are gonna be very happy with it. It's the same paint job as the $300 one. $800 is enough to get a nice base-clear job from a professional that is willing to pick up a little side work after hours.

[Doug Rodrigues]

I painted my own car once years ago....a '79 Corvette. It came in a drab brown color. I figured that with what the paint shop wanted to charge me I could buy an air compressor, paint gun, and all the other sanding stuff to do the job. Turned out to be more difficult than expected. It came out looking pretty good...the second time around! Nobody told me that condensed moisture in the air line would splatter out of the paint gun and ruin the paint! Nobody told me about the bugs getting stuck in the paint....where did they come from? Nobody told me that all the paint fumes were explosive and I could have blown myself up if someone with a cigarette walked in while I was painting. Nobody told me that everything in the garage would be covered with a haze of paint overspray. Red paint ended up being on EVERYTHING. It was a real "learning experience." However, I did end-up with a decent looking paint job far superior than one of those $300 specials.

[MagicRat]

Proper paint and body work is the most single expensive part of restoring a typical old car. I would MUCH rather remove and rebuild an engine than paint a car.....a cheap paint job is a complete waste of money, if you are keeping it. Open your wallet and do it right the first time. You will be much happier.

[Condor]

Definately it is easier to remove an engine, and rebuild it, than to do bodywork and paint. Just to let you know they *have* made advances in acylic enamel since you painted that car - it is possible to do a backyard job, wait a couple months, sand it lightly, and wax it good it comes out nice. I'm not advocating this on a car you want to keep, or a car you want super nice. Also, like anything, you have to take time to educate yourself. I took a couple of years, working now and then with a guy that painted for his job to learn how. It was still really expensive for me to paint my car doing almost all of it myself. I was just mostly saying there is low cost alternatives to the cheapo fog-on. But for sure if you want a super nice paint job you'll either pay in money or sweat and blood.

[Brian R.]

MAACO is bad. Take a paint brush and you can do a better job.

[AnnetteG]

I have had my car touched up twice with Maaco. They job the did was real good.. .my problem is that today I went in, and it seems as if the prices tripled! A normal hub cap cover for my car went for $53 a few months ago.. it's now up to $71. He gave me a total price of $1,040... saw my shock and immeadiately dropped it down to $940... huh? How did he do that? They are not consistent with their prices, not at all.. I can't believe so many insurance companier recommend them. I figured the job to be no more than $400 based on the other things I have brought them with this car.. Now I shop...