Maaco Paint Job, what should I ask for? Options

[wuhukf]

I know about some Maaco's not having a good reputation and having shotty work, but in all seriousness, i'm not about to spend more money on a paint job than the car itself is worth. I've decided to paint the car Gunmetal Pearl and I already got gunmetal rims too so i'm pretty anxious to see the finished product. The guy at Maaco suggested I go with the "supreme" paint job which is the mid-level paint job from them. It's a one stage polyeurethane paint job with integrated clear coat. He said their procedure is as follows:

1. Fix my dents and dings and rust and sand the car
2. Bolt on my side skirts and front lip
3. Tape off parts of the car
4. Paint it with the one stage paint
5. Bake it

The quote he gave me was about $1530 for everything and I'm pretty happy about that, but I know thats really cheap. This paint job comes with a 4 year warranty too, but i'm concerned that the paint will just get messed up by chipping off or something. Is there anything I can add or have Maaco do to make the paint job better? Maybe a couple layers of paint, clear coat, base coat, etc.? I really don't know much about paint jobs so I really need the help. Thanks a lot and please respond soon, they have my car right now but haven't started yet, so I want to call them to make changes ASAP.

[Galcobar]

Uhm....he's giving you a decently large load of BS.

Paint is supposed to be done in three stages -- primer, colour/base, clear.

Aftermarkets these days are typically two-stage (factory acts as the primer), unless you go with a high-end metallic job where there's an additional layer. Most standard metallic paints these days incorporate the flakes into the colour coat.

My car was painted by Maaco using their second-highest grade by the prior owner. It looked like 15-year-old paint within two years. Faded, pitted, etc. And I washed/waxed it often, so it wasn't for lack of car. Moreover, when I disassembled my car to get it repainted, I discovered drip lines, overspray, globs of paint stuck in seams....a truly pathetic job.

I spent $1600 on my re-paint, including a batch of dent removals. Maaco prices simply aren't good enough to justify their lack of quality in the paint, poor prep work, or lousy application work.

Best idea I can offer: go to a variety of paintshops, say you want to respray your car with colour and clearcoat, and tell them you will bring it in largely disassembled (bumper covers, lights, trim pieces, interior panels if you're getting the sills sprayed). That makes it easier for them and avoids sprays over the seams. Get estimates, and have them compete against each other. Also, when you pick up your car, don't accept it or pay until you've inspected it. The whole thing should be glossy smooth.