Mike pretty much nailed it on the head. You can go inexpensive but you'll most likely be right back in the same situation in a few years and end up paying more in the long run. That's why I'd recommend saving your money and pay a little more to have it done right the first time.

Paint is an investment, so spend some time doing research and look around at shops in your area.

 

MAACO = Junk.

I work at a body shop and know what goes into a GOOD paint job. We have people bring in cars all the time that have been painted at MAACOs..Needless to say their 500$ paint job is a $500 paint job, NO jams, under the hood, under the trunk, etc are painted. Typically, they will use a single stage paint to save money and time which is a mix of paint and is never a good brand.

We use OEM spec paint at our shop from Finishmaster, like DuPont paint.

Mike pretty much said it all with his post, there are so many factors to consider when getting a paint job and getting someone who can actually paint and prep well.

I guess it just depends on what you want, good or cheap.

 

As a guy who has painted cars in his backyard (with everyone on here freaking out as I did, apparently forgetting I had painted my Torino years before the Monte Carlo), I can verify the labor intensive. It took me 3 or 4 days of solid work to get my Monte painted... and it was straight and smooth when I painted it and I spent all day working on it. do you think you're going to get a gruop of skilled laborers in a shop to do quality work for 3 days for $500? Plus materials? Plus shop overhead? Plus the environmentalists breathing down your neck?

The bit about Aamco and Jiffy Lube is spot on as well. The thing is, places like these all hire the "new guys" out of body shop school who haven't worked their way up and built a reputation. As you know, some guys never quite get their skill, some show up at work still hungover, and some guys and gals are just naturals who are great at what they do from the day they pick up a paint gun. At Maaco, you never know which one you're going to get.

most quality paint shops will either mix their own paint or use something like the Martin Senour at NAPA or Carquest whatever they use now (Since Dupont was bought out and I do'nt know if htis translates to a change in brand paint). Maaco more less just says "close enough" on their paint... while they're are literally hundreds of shades of red in this world that look the same to a naked eye, when put up against the right paint code, it will not match. Maaco mixes up a batch of red paint and says "close enough" and then sprays your car... then you look like you have two different paint codes on your car. this whole "two different colors" bit is sometimes there when you get the good brand paints...

 

Thanks everyone, I actually have been looking and talking around and turns out one of my friends at work has a family friend who owns a paint and body shop. So my friend is going to talk to him and see if he can cut me a deal.

 

My horizon was done at maaco, initial result was great. But the first paint job got real dull after a year or so and it had to be painted again. (free under warranty) In the time it was in for its paint, they sanded my window while sanding the car, there is overspray in places. If i had to paint a car again, i'll go to a local reputable body shop to get it done.

 

I don't have any good pictures of my sister's car when it was black. I only have one shot from when she was showing me what kind of tail light she had, while I was buying her new ones. She always wanted an orange car, and she used to own a silver Toyota Celica before she sold it to buy an Impala.

She always missed her Celica, and she always wanted a weekend car. My sister and bro-in-law are pretty well off, so she finally got her Celica. It was black when she bought it.



They have a body guy in NY who did a lot of work for my bro-in-law when he lived up there. They took the Celica up there, and $3000 later it is now sunset orange metallic. (yes, I talked my sister into putting a beautiful GM Paint code on her Toyota )

 

I remember you showing us the celica mike. Where ever tha last pic is looks like its got a nice view.

 

That's in upper state NY.

I think that guy is going to have my Monte and an MPD-1 hood in a couple of years

 

Same stuff just new owner and name talked to several reps on this, all the same ppl still are there