Maaco paint job

[mclasser]

For the past 16 yrs, my Accord has almost always been parked outside. This has taken a toll on the paint; there's considerable clear coat peeling on the roof & hood, and the the rest of the body's lost its its luster.

I'm thinking about getting the whole thing repainted and came across Maaco. I know there's different levels of paint jobs and Maaco isn't the best, but this is an old car that I'm just trying to make presentable again. Even if the paint job lasts a few years I'm fine with it.

Their website lists the different packages but it's rather vague about clear coat. The cheapo special doesn't come with CC but what about the mid-tier package? Anybody have general experience with Maaco?

 

[spasm3]

You could also check with a store that sells automotive paints. They may know good independent painters.

 

[demarpaint]

I had them do a work van years ago with enamel paint, their cheapo special. The job came out better than I had expected. It looked good right up until I sold it which had to be at least 5 years after they did it.

Having said that I would strongly suggest checking out different Maaco shops. Prices vary and the quality of the work varies. The shop I used was recommended to me by two different body shops. Those shops wanted almost five to six times the cost of the Maaco job. They sent customers looking for a cheap paint job to this particular Maaco shop. A few of the other Maaco shops did lousy work.

 

[paulri]

I did their upper tier package 2.5 years ago on my Civic. Apart from a few minor details, the paint still looks very good (then again, I've kept a lot of wax on it since the new job). If it still looks good in another 2.5 years I'll probably have the same shop do my Sienna. I got the separate clear & base coat, the 5 year warranty. I don't know how much longer you want to keep the car. What I was warned against with Maaco was dropping low and getting a cheap job, "saving" money, but then seeing the paint peel in 12 months. I'd avoid paying $600 for their cheapest job, that's for sure. I was also told to find a Maaco Certified shop (not all are). This evidently means they are better trained. I think somewhere in their website they did mention that the shop I went to was certified.

If you do have questions, you can always call each shop and ask what each different level of job entails. They do use Sherwin Williams paint, FWIW.

 

[buck91]

I don't remember what package I picked, but I am sure I would have had it cleared. After fixing from front end body damage on an old Crown Vic I stripped/masked and took it in to Maaco fro painting. Came out great. Granted, the original color was pretty hideous to start, so even a bad job wouldnt have mattered much.... but it came out great.

 

[dishdude]

I'd detrim as much as I could before taking it in and have it repainted the factory color.

 

[paulri]

I was also warned about that. What I neglected to tell them to take off (windshield washer nozzles, for one) they just painted over. That part doesn't look too good, but the paint there has held up for 2.5 years, so what the heck....

Originally Posted By: dishdude
I'd detrim as much as I could before taking it in and have it repainted the factory color.

 

[WhyMe]

i took a bumper for my bmw in for them to paint. they were half the price of a body shop. 250 vs 500. guy showed me some color swabs and i chose the closet one.

to my surprise the color match was pretty good. there were a couple of runs in the fog light area but once the lights were installed could not be seen anymore.

i think if one wants a good cheap paint job they need to do the prep themselves. macco ain't gonna take off you moldings and other things, not for the price they charge.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: WhyMe
i took a bumper for my bmw in for them to paint. they were half the price of a body shop. 250 vs 500. guy showed me some color swabs and i chose the closet one.

to my surprise the color match was pretty good. there were a couple of runs in the fog light area but once the lights were installed could not be seen anymore.

i think if one wants a good cheap paint job they need to do the prep themselves. macco ain't gonna take off you moldings and other things, not for the price they charge.


You're correct in what you're saying. Once again it boils down to who is actually doing the prep, and masking. I was shocked to see there was no paint where it didn't belong, the masking work was done well. Having said that doing your own prep work and masking can only make for a better job.

I strongly recommend visiting a few of their shops and seeing the work. If you're looking for an enamel job, then check those jobs out. The only wildcard here is this, my paint was sound, the vehicle had paint, not paint with a clear coat. There was no failing paint or clear coat, the paint was sound. If the clear coat is failing that could be a real game changer in terms of how the finished product will look and how long it will last.

 

[Audios]

My friend bought a yellow Civic, went to Maaco to paint it red, and it came out bright orange. Overspray everywhere, windshield moldings, glass etc. You get what you pay for, but Ive heard tipping the advisor and painter helps.

 

[Patman]

Every one will be slightly different than another so you need to talk to people in your area that have used that one in particular. A few years ago I heard of one Maaco shop north of Toronto that was really good, a few Corvette owners had their cars done there with excellent results (they paid extra compared to the basic package obviously) It really boils down to how much prep time is spent on the car really, as they'll have the same paint booth (and probably use the same materials) as the high end shops do. (although if they have inexperienced painters that can affect the end results too)

I had two different cars painted at Maaco back in the late 80s and early 90s and I was happy with both paint jobs, but I also didn't keep either of those cars long enough to know if that paint job would have stood up to the test of time.

The one thing I do like about Maaco is that they don't let your car sit around in the shop for weeks and weeks, you should get it back within a few days of dropping it off. I know of a lot of guys that have had paint jobs done at higher end shops where the car will just sit there in a back corner of the shop for a few weeks before they even start working on it, and they get their car done way after it was originally promised.

 

[Lubener]

For a work car yes, anything better, I wouldn't go w/ Maaco. You get what you pay for when it comes to paint and body work.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Maaco does cheap paint jobs. As others have said, it's all in the prep. For an older Honda, go for it, especially if the body is straight.
Another option is to check Yelp for recommendations.
I bet you could find a small local shop who will do your car for a reasonable price.
I had a Maaco style shop do an older Civic and it came out fine for what it was.
I have also had high-end paint work done on a classic Corvette that would run $15K, or more, today.

 

[mclasser]

Thought I'd update this thread. I got an estimate from my local Maaco that is a "Maaco Certified" shop with good reviews. They right off the bat steered me away from the cheap enamel pkg, saying it wasn't worth it. They said with the age of the car, the urethane "preferred" pkg was the way to go.

$800 single-stage urethane 3 yr warranty + $400 machine sanding (and application of sealant after) of the damaged clearcoat on the roof, hood and deck lid = $1200 total

They said the basic prep they do with a scotch-brite pad wouldn't be enough to remove the damaged clearcoat and just spraying on top of it would look ugly (which I agree with), hence the additional cost to machine sand.

I forgot to ask if the urethane comes with integrated clear. If I want to go up to the two-stage base + clear pkg, it's another $400. I asked if there are better deals in the wintertime and they said usually not with at this location (not sure if lying or not).

Now I just have to decide if I can part with $1200 to make the old girl presentable again...

 

[Trav]

Originally Posted By: JeffKeryk
Maaco does cheap paint jobs. As others have said, it's all in the prep. For an older Honda, go for it, especially if the body is straight.
Another option is to check Yelp for recommendations.
I bet you could find a small local shop who will do your car for a reasonable price.
I had a Maaco style shop do an older Civic and it came out fine for what it was.
I have also had high-end paint work done on a classic Corvette that would run $15K, or more, today.

My favorite vette, a bit rough riding but IMO one of the best looking cars GM ever build.

 

[maxdustington]

Originally Posted By: Trav
Originally Posted By: JeffKeryk
Maaco does cheap paint jobs. As others have said, it's all in the prep. For an older Honda, go for it, especially if the body is straight.
Another option is to check Yelp for recommendations.
I bet you could find a small local shop who will do your car for a reasonable price.
I had a Maaco style shop do an older Civic and it came out fine for what it was.
I have also had high-end paint work done on a classic Corvette that would run $15K, or more, today.

My favorite vette, a bit rough riding but IMO one of the best looking cars GM ever build.

Pfft C2s are the Corvette zenith. 1966 427 ci with knock off wheels?!

 

[Patman]

I know I'm in the minority but I prefer the design of my new Corvette over any of the older ones, it often gets mistaken for a Ferrari. But I've always preferred a more exotic look over the older designs. I guess it's an age thing (I was born in 1969)

 

[NYEngineer]

Bunch of years ago I picked up a super straight and clean 1980 Firebird dirt cheap. The front plastic bumper assembly needed to be replaced and the car needed a paint job to look really nice. It was going to be a daily driver so I didn't want to spend a ton on it. I stripped the body down and did any small dings myself. I delivered the car to the local Maaco with the plastic nose off and the small parts like the marker light bezels and Trans Am spoilers all off the car, cleaned and ready for paint.
I made a deal with them to prime and paint the car and parts and give it all back. I probably spent 600 bucks there.
I took the car home and put it back together. Car looked awesome. Should have never sold that one.

 

[grampi]

Good luck having ANY paint work done that isn't prohibitively expensive....even from Maaco...

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: Patman
I know I'm in the minority but I prefer the design of my new Corvette over any of the older ones, it often gets mistaken for a Ferrari. But I've always preferred a more exotic look over the older designs. I guess it's an age thing (I was born in 1969)


I guess everyone has their favorite Corvette model. Mine is the C5. I don't know what it is about the C5, I just like it's smooth, curvy, graceful lines. I also like the hideaway headlights over the C6 and C7 type. I haven't been able to warm up to the looks of the C7...too many angles and sharp corners for me, but I'm sure it's a better car than the previous models, as Corvettes always get better...I also love the looks of the 68-72 C3s, but I would never own one because they are very unpractical...C5s and newer Vettes can easily be used as daily drivers if a person wanted to do that...you can't do that with the old ones...