BWZ_2k2Z28

I got a black 02 Z28 and its got scratches ALL over it. Whoever painted it the last time just sprayed over the old color(pewter) and now the pewter is slowly coming through the black paint. Yea you can imagine how sh***y it looks. I don't have the money for a "good quality" paint job yet and I know Maaco sucks a**. I just want to know if anybody else has used them before and how much would the total paint job would probably cost with no body work. I only need it to last for 2 years tops and I'm not looking for a great paint job, just something to get me by til I can get a nice paint job done.

djfury05

iTrader: (30)

Some Maaco's are better than others. I've never personally used them but have considered them for my DD. Have you thought about just plastidipping your whole car?

BWZ_2k2Z28

Yea I've thought about it. It would cost me around $500 to do plastidip. But I feel like its gonna look real ricey if I go that route. So I just wanted to know all my options before I did the plastidip.

WS6ICK2k

Take auto body at a local community college. I signed up for a few hundred bucks, it included all sandpaper and access to a professional paint booth, guns etc.... I always like learning something new just throwing that out there. Around here they offer it at nights which is nice. Sorry to hijack and please don't get a macco job on your ls1 car, it deserves much better than that.

Check out my pic under my name..... I DID THAT the stripes are painted and cleared.

BWZ_2k2Z28

the school idea is pretty good but not an option for me right now

MUSTANGBRKR02

iTrader: (91)

Probably a Maaco job to start with.

BWZ_2k2Z28

@mustang LOL ya know, I thought about that possibility myself.

Badger351

iTrader: (2)

I had a horrible experience with Maaco.

My car got backed into last summer. I needed a new bumper cover, tail light, and the driver side rear quarter needed some mild dent work. Maaco was the third party being that the shop I took it to outsourced some body work to them. Maaco ordered the wrong bumper first (for a Firebird, not a Trans Am), they broke the second one, my shop ordered the next one and made sure it got there safely. After paint, they put the bumper on wrong which caused the rear bumper crush pad to push up on the fiberglass causing an awkward bump. They returned the car to my shop, to their customer with the awkward bump. In addition they forgot to paint parts of the rear quarter, and they carelessly put the replacement taillight in. My shop told Maaco to fix it, they took it back and refitted the bumper. The bump was still there, still there! Maaco told my shop that they were going to heat up the bump and place books there to see if it was going to get better. (WTF?! With brand new paint?) The next morning, I drove to my shop, then me and the owner went to Maaco to show the Maaco main owner/manager their handy work. At this time the taillight and rear quarter hadn't been repaired yet.

I took the car back to my shop as we took the cover off and refitted it. We had to do some minor grinding on the crush pad, but we put the cover on and it BARELY had a bump, probably from the two improper installations. With the sun's help and a little time it disappeared. The unpainted part of the rear quarter was taken care of with some simple GM touch up paint. The owner of my shop stopped all business with Maaco after this experience, which says a lot coming from a highly well known and respected man (I won't name drop on here...) and shop.

Took over a month thanks to Maaco. I will never go to them again for ANYTHING.

Badger351

iTrader: (2)

Oh, this was in Lafayette, IN btw...

98camarols1

iTrader: (1)

if you can do some research abt prepping car for paint.we can help you out here also.but if you can do all the prep work then and just have regular body shop shoot it for you.doesn't have to be maaco.ask around all body-shops for an estimate. and remember the key to an professional paint is the prep work.

BWZ_2k2Z28

I'd be down to do the prep work in the future but honestly I don't have the time to do it right now. I'm just lookin for maybe like 1 or 2 more coats of black sprayed on and some clear coat. I just want the car to have a presentable paint job until I can afford a really nice paint job. It looks like sh*t right now and I know when it starts gettin hotter here its gonna get even worse.

superlazy

I have to ad not all body shops will shoot the car if they didn't prep it.

snake_skinner93

iTrader: (8)

This is very true. Unless you know someone at the body shop of your choice they'll without a doubt tell you that it will need more prepping. Best to let them do it all. Especially if they offer some sort of warranty for their work.

Skymaira

iTrader: (1)

If the one near you is like the one I used, you'd be better off coloring yours with a sharpie

98camarols1

iTrader: (1)

well then i guess something like macco will be your best choice far as your budget goes..
you got point.but most professional shops wont do it because then they can't warranty their work.but shops like maaco will do it with out doubt.there is really nothing wrong with maaco its just there prep work sucks!they do offer high quality paint jobs but its more $$$$..plus the guys who prep the vehicles are used to tht half *** prep work they do most of the time.when i was in school i went to train in all different shops and macco was the worst.

Guitar

iTrader: (9)

I'd just personally buy a paint gun/compressor/paint or borrow it and setup a makeshift paint booth and spray it if I was going to do it.

SSellers

Get on yelp and search for auto paint or body shops with good reviews in your area. There are plenty of reputable body shops that will do a "Maaco" type job for you if you're just wanting a respray....just like there are plenty of Maaco's that have real body and paint guys working there who do a good job. Don't think it's going to match the price in the ad...that's just for spraying the paint. Any material, labor, or looking at it in a different direction is extra. Eight or nine years back I got a $1200 quote to respray an S10 with their $299 paint service.

Heck, there's a place here that is mainly a restorer and parts supplier for muscle cars. I sent my wife's boss over there and they did a real job on his Lexus hardtop convertible....pulling the plastic apart, lights and glass out, emblems off, door panels out etc....and did a job he said was better than factory on a BLACK car for $3000.

BWZ_2k2Z28

I plan on gettin some quotes from a couple shops around here to figure out all my options. Did a little research and found a technical center that has a auto painting class for like $500 so I'm definitely gonna get in that either next spring or fall. I'd love to try painting it myself right now but I don't have enough time to do it.

nascarnate326

iTrader: (1)

Ive always wanted to have my car painted BPM and just see what happens.

Seems like a lot of people have negative things or have "heard" things but have never used maaco.

I have seen some cars that my lock shop did, and they looked great. Question is do they still look great?

Forcepower

iTrader: (23)

I wouldn't take a car to any by me!!