SN95 Made Out At Maaco

too bad,my shop is little more pricey though,but quality is good,if customer isnt happy it gets fixed no questions asked,lifetime warranty also...

i painted mine,this would be a 4-5 g paint job,with minor bodywork if needed,everything comes off though also....hate to say it but it cost me $300 bucks with a wet sand and 4 coats of clear to make it pop more...looks killer in the sun....

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Looks really nice, where is your shop located?
 
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The local Maaco's here aren't really anything to write home about. I've had friends get their cars painted there and while they looked great from 20 feet, you could easily pick out where corners were cut and find paint chipping and cracking several months later. Many hack job fixes as well. One friend had his rear defroster lines hacked up, overspray in the wheel wells and on the wheels, etc etc.

When it came time to get my car painted, i just went to a reputable local shop. Cost me 4.5K, but was well worth it in the long run.

People can pay$1,500-$2k for a Maaco "top of the line" paint job and will need a repaint in 4-5 years or you can do it right the first time and pay $4-5k for a real top of the line paint job from a true pro shop and it'll last 20 years to life if properly taken care of. I do understand why people still go to Maaco while knowing this. It's either a point A to point B vehicle, you're not planning on keeping it for that long, simply don't care or will never have the money. This is what keeps Maaco going strong.

I've seen some of the cheap Maaco and Earl Shieb paint jobs, I could've done better with a rattle can and some cardboard.

I still have my new DeVilbiss NIB and I have an itchy trigger finger. Too bad I won't be getting to paint my car for a while.

Different strokes, I guess. I could spend $4-5K on something performance related like boost or suspension goodies and be left with a warm fuzzy feeling, but just the thought of plunking down 5 G's so my car will shine a little more in the sun makes my stomach turn. My next paint job will be a homemade ordeal.
 
Different strokes, I guess. I could spend $4-5K on something performance related like boost or suspension goodies and be left with a warm fuzzy feeling, but just the thought of plunking down 5 G's so my car will shine a little more in the sun makes my stomach turn. My next paint job will be a homemade ordeal.

Different strokes for sure. I've seen some decent rattle can paint jobs on cars. As long as you don't have any deep scratches or dents it can come out OK. Some rattle cans these days actually have good tips that atomize the paint well.
 
the flat look is somthing that is easier to do at home....makes the car look straight also...ive done a few of the bmw flat cars and a few others and with the right color and car it looks good
 
As stated a couple times here, price difference is in materials/ warranty and removal/ installation of all related parts.

There is a reason Maaco etc. offer only a few years warranty, the clears and other materials don't generally hold up as well.

Every production/ insurance shop I know of around here and evey shop I've worked at has a LIFETIME warranty on all work performed.

I've been painting cars for about 20 years now, always at reputable local collision centers.
 
Ok, so 3 things:

1) I agree that I could've put $4-5G into the paint job and had a longer lasting job as well as coverage under all trim. However, I wouldn't be alive to enjoy it and my wife would be in jail for homicide.

2) I'm happy with it. If the paint fails in 5 years then I'll get it redone. That will have at least spread the cost out over 5 years.

3) There were some loose ends that needed to be tied up (e.g., head lights aiming, overspray on rims, missing push pins for weather stripping and some molding). I went back to the shop w/the concerns and they immediately aimed the head lights and removed the overspray from the rims. They are ordering the push pins from Ford and will call me to stop by when they get them.

I cannot speak for other shops, but this one is clearly making an effort to be helpful and do a good job.

Next up is 1 1/2 inch drop and caster/camber plates. I'm thinking that will give it a more sleek look with the Saleen wing.
 
Mostly I was commenting on folks asking what the extra money could possibly go towards between a Maaco job and what other shops charge.

There is certainly a time and place for either route, and I can't knock anybody for which way they choose to do it, I'd just like folks to make as informed a decision as possible, and not think any other shop is charging huge sums just for the sake of doing so.

As long as the results are what you expect then great, if you're wife doesn't kill you well I guess that's a bonus! ;)
 
Mostly I was commenting on folks asking what the extra money could possibly go towards between a Maaco job and what other shops charge.

There is certainly a time and place for either route, and I can't knock anybody for which way they choose to do it, I'd just like folks to make as informed a decision as possible, and not think any other shop is charging huge sums just for the sake of doing so.

As long as the results are what you expect then great, if you're wife doesn't kill you well I guess that's a bonus! ;)
Yes, I prefer not getting killed. I understood what you were trying to do. I think its a good idea to help folks make as an informed decision as possible. My previous post was simply an update. I'm hoping to present my experience with Maaco as realistically as possible.
 
I didn't read all the back and forth but I want to be some where in the middle.

I'll disassemble the car and take the pieces/parts in, all at one time, to get sprayed by someone good. He's the pro so he can tell me what paint needs to be used with which additive and where.

For $2-ish,000 I can get a pretty top notch job. It all really depends on how much you can do vs. what you have to pay to the guy who's doing the things you cant.
 
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1398226573.098757.jpg
i had Maaco do my car only a year later to have my buddy re do it as well I hope it holds up up for you
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1398226607.714191.jpg
after my buddy was done



ImageUploadedByTapatalk1398226712.497101.jpg
this was the Maaco job the red was pinkish . either way your car looks great much better then it was . good luck with it !
 
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Different strokes for sure. I've seen some decent rattle can paint jobs on cars. As long as you don't have any deep scratches or dents it can come out OK. Some rattle cans these days actually have good tips that atomize the paint well.

Oh don't get me wrong, I would never rattle can my car. If/when I paint it, I will build a paint booth of sorts in my garage or a friend's pole barn or something.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1398226573.098757.jpg
i had Maaco do my car only a year later to have my buddy re do it as well I hope it holds up up for you
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1398226607.714191.jpg
after my buddy was done



ImageUploadedByTapatalk1398226712.497101.jpg
this was the Maaco job the red was pinkish . either way your car looks great much better then it was . good luck with it !

That was my other beef with Maaco, I felt like the color did not turn out exactly as I expected.
 
Oh don't get me wrong, I would never rattle can my car. If/when I paint it, I will build a paint booth of sorts in my garage or a friend's pole barn or something.



That was my other beef with Maaco, I felt like the color did not turn out exactly as I expected.
they use very cheap material which is what keeps the cost so low . there reds just do not come out right.
 
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1398226573.098757.jpg
i had Maaco do my car only a year later to have my buddy re do it as well I hope it holds up up for you
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1398226607.714191.jpg
after my buddy was done



ImageUploadedByTapatalk1398226712.497101.jpg
this was the Maaco job the red was pinkish . either way your car looks great much better then it was . good luck with it !
Good deal on your car! It looks great, and I love the 93 Cobra wheels.
 
I hear ya it was good to me for a long time but the elements took there toll to but it was still. a daily then now it's a toy
I hear ya on the elements having lived in CT before. Now we live in SoCal. The sun here is BRUTAL intense. I had them add UV protection to the paint for that reason. Also, I have to park outside w/no cover so I'm scrambling for a decent car cover. I have one I bought at PepBoys for $30, but it comes off if someone sneezes. I'm looking at a good Noah car cover. They are about $200, sheesh.

My car is kind of a daily. I end up putting about 6-7k a year on it. It currently has about 56k on it.
 
I hear ya on the elements having lived in CT before. Now we live in SoCal. The sun here is BRUTAL intense. I had them add UV protection to the paint for that reason. Also, I have to park outside w/no cover so I'm scrambling for a decent car cover. I have one I bought at PepBoys for $30, but it comes off if someone sneezes. I'm looking at a good Noah car cover. They are about $200, sheesh.

My car is kind of a daily. I end up putting about 6-7k a year on it. It currently has about 56k on it.

yeah mine is a summer daily deal I go in the morning when I feel and get it out of the garage use it all day and night and then put it away I hate leaving it on the street