cheap paint job?

[RonA]

I foolishly spent all my money on the drive train in my pickup. Now I would like to get it painted and I don't want to spend alot of money. I have a friend who got his painted at a place called Miracle Auto Painting. They charged him 600 dollars and after six years it still looks pretty good. They went out of business a couple of years ago. Has any one had a cheap paint job done recently that they are happy with, and if so where did you get it?

RonA

 

[TKingsbury]

I hate to admit, but I went the "cheap" route. I had One Day paint and body in North Highlands (Sacramento area) do mine. It ended up looking pretty good, but they had to redo it to make me happy. Make sure whoever you have do the job understands that this is your pride and joy, NOT some old work truck. If you want the best paint job they can do, ask, don't go by what they have on the wall ie;good, better, best. With that said, remember that you will be dealing with a production shop. They are trying to make a buck so don't expect perfection. Take everything humanly possible off of the truck. The less they have to mask the better because they aren't going to take the time to mask perfectly. Oh yeah, I paid $850 and that included door jambs and $100 off winter special ($950 reg). All in all, would I do anything differently, HELL YES. Am I happy with what I got, for the most part yes. I get alot of compliments so it must be ok. A little long, but that's my take.

Travis. .

 

[McCRam]

I took my old chevy to maaco. the paint looked good until you got five feet from it. Then you could see the orange peel on it. I did get a lot of compliments on it though. My complaint is that after one year the paint started to fade, and at two years the hood looked terrible. My . 02, save your money and pay for a quailty paint job. However, if it is a truck you are going to beat up a bit, or you put a lot of scratches on your truck, go for it.

 

[tugboatphil]

Ron,



I took my old Ford (the last gasser I'll ever own) to Maaco about a year before I sold it. It had developed hood cancer and it was spreading fast. I didn't get their cheapest paint job, but it wasn't far from the bottom. I ended up selling it to my next door neighbor (not something I normally like doing). That was in 1994, and it still looks great.

 

[1stgen4evr]

Paint

I have done some painting and I have paid for some painting. Aside from really cheap paint, result will reflect the care you have taken in prep. I also look at whether the shop does a good job under the hood. That is, raise the hood and see if there is over spray on everything. I had a New Yorker painted that looked super but inside the engine area and in the trunk was absurd. It just screamed poor quality. I have had the 93 D350 touched up a bit and it is time to do a complete repaint. If I had the time, I would do it myself. I don't know a shop other than maybe the Mercedes shop near by that does work to my satisfaction. But I can't stand a 2k dollar paint job.



I was in a conversation with the paint supply store owner and his comment was that paint now is better than it was 30 years ago, that the problem is air quality. Well, I don't know about that. I have a 70 Ford that has been sitting out since new and the paint is about as good on it as it is on the 93. It is my understanding that the govt has caused the poor paint problem with restrictions on lead in paint and permissable solvents.



And that is my 2 cents worth.



James

 

[RustyJC]

It is my understanding that the govt has caused the poor paint problem with restrictions on lead in paint and permissable solvents.

James,



I'm far from an automotive paint expert, but I fear that you're right - these modern paints that use water as a solvent/carrier to reduce or eliminate VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions just don't seem to measure up.



Rusty

 

[y-knot]

I think you missed the point, he was looking for a cheap paint job. That is not what you would take your pride and joy in for. Also, you do not have the luxury of being picky or choosy when a cheap paint job is your first priority. That is after all why they are cheap.

 

[dan brooks]

Personally, I'd avoid Maaco like the plague. My parents had their Grand Marquis painted about three years ago. It looked fairly well for a while, but after just over two years the paint started peeling badly. Now it looks like total garbage.



Oh, and the paint job had a two year warranty - looks like they timed it just about right.



I'd like to have mine reshot somewhere down the road, but I'll probably end up doing the prep work and disassembly/reassembly myself, and having a friend do the spray work. Of course, that all depends on how my camper shell turns out - if it looks good I may shoot the truck myself, too.

 

[Lock93]

This question is really common in classic car clubs. Some good advice already here that I'll repeat, and I'll add some of my own to get the best quality paint job for the least amount of money (read: this is not advice for a cheap paint job - but a good value and you do a lot of work)



1. Take off everything you can yourself; you'll take more care than they will, and its less for them to remove/tape



2. Prep the body yourself if you have the know-how; heck, even if you don't, do what you can with rust (wire wheel it till its gone & treat), fender replacment, etc. Anything you do will be less they'll have to do.



3. Buy your paint at a automotive paint store to insure quality. Quality materials can cost $600 or more by itself, so you get an idea of what a typically maaco paint job gets you...



4. Seek out a "maaco" like shop that is willing to provide taping and spray services only - these guys do this all the time, and are typically pretty good with a spray gun -- plus everything is legal since their booths are up to code (in most cases)



5. Color sand and buff it out yourself if you're not pleased with the shop's work in this area. They do it QUICK. If you care enough, you'll take the correct amount of time to do it right -- and its fairly easy with the right materials. A good paint supply store can set you up with quality "do it youself" products and tools.

 

[RonA]

I was down in the delta yesterday and the spot next to ours had a 92 Dodge with a 5th wheel. His paint on cab looked brand new so I asked him where he got it done. Said it was the original paint. Nice looking cab. 209K on odometer. Aftermarket bed was peeling and faded. Guess some last, some don't. Wally world has gloss white for . 99 a can. 50 bucks and I'm ready for the show-n-shine. I may even go all out and whitewall the tires.

RonA

 

[Stomp]

Paint

I saw an add in a paper the other day for a place in Ukiah that seemed pretty reasonable. I will dig up the paper and find the number, because I need to get mine done also. Just give me a day or so.



I have seen a couple of rattle can jobs that didnt look to bad. :-laf



Stomp

 

[Stomp]

The place is called Miracle Auto and the number is 7074850338. I dont know if they are expensive, but they do have some specials going on might be something to look into. I will try to call them tomorrow to see what they have to say.



Stomp

 

[John - K5AWO]

In Tempe, Arizona, Miracle Auto Painting is still in business. They are a good 2nd class paint shop. About the level of what you are looking for. That would be a bit of a drive for you. Think a couple hundred bux extra to a local shop would be better.



I can't afford the 1st class shops, they all want 3 grand and more, but it looks perfect in every way when 1st class shops finish.