S. Maine: Maaco and other recommendations?

A place for professionals to network and discuss the business and technology inside the shop.



Non-Lurker
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu May 24, 2007 12:57 pm
PostPosted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 6:06 pm
Hi all, Hope this is the right place to post. If not, feel free to direct me...

I recently purchased a 1999 Honda Civic DX for just under $4K. Ideally, I'd like to have the whole thing repainted as the color is not my pick and there seems to be countless dings/scratches over the whole body. Why these didn't jump out as much until after the sale I'm not sure. Here's a pic of just one area:

http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/1175/dsc07687bs4.jpg

I'm not looking to shell out $3K for a paint job as it wouldn't make much sense in this case. On the other hand, I've read many bad reviews about Maaco online -- yet they seem to be the only place I can get a fairly inexpensive paint job done.

Do you have any recommendations for or against a shop in the Southern Maine area? Should I stay dead away from Maaco? The current paint job seems like a joke. Also, I need to move quick since it seems like it's allowing a bit of rust to develop. Thanks in advance!



Top Contributor
Posts: 4397
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2005 7:55 pm
PostPosted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 7:22 pm
What is your budget?
A man can do all things if he but wills them.

User avatar

No Turning Back
Posts: 686
Joined: Sun Jul 09, 2006 8:50 am
Location: Rockville, MD
PostPosted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 8:44 pm
How much work, if any, do you want to do yourself?
There is no one right way to paint a car, but there are a whole lot of wrong ways



Non-Lurker
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu May 24, 2007 12:57 pm
PostPosted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 9:01 am
My budget is as low under $1,000 as I can get, while still maintaining quality.

I would be willing to do some work on my own, but I have ZERO experience with painting vehicles.

Here's an update: I did get a couple formal quotes from Maaco and an informal quote from another shop. Maaco was quoting between $1,400-$1,600 depending on if I wanted to change the color or go with more quality paint. The other shop informally said I would probably have to pay them over $2,200, and they recommended replacing the hood and bumper.

Since the hood is the highest priority (rust still forming), I will probably pay this other shop $800 to replace and paint a new hood. The big patch on the bumper and few other areas, perhaps I could fix by myself. I'm still at a loss for what to do with a scratch on the roof that goes to the metal...

Does this sound like a good idea? I don't mind keeping the red color as it's growing on me and it seems too expensive to change. If I did go about painting the bumper(s), would a spray can from a local auto shop suffice? Would I need to sand or prime, and is there a very good chance I could just make it worse? I guess I don't even know where to start there. Also, still taking suggestions on the roof scratch :) Thanks!



Top Contributor
Posts: 4397
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2005 7:55 pm
PostPosted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 8:48 am
Techo,

Post in the main section. This area rarely gets traffic.

And if you're willing, you can do ALL the work yourself.
Having no experience is fine; that's why you're here.
But you'll need some tools and equipment that can
be costly.
A man can do all things if he but wills them.

Return to The Pro Shop!

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 41 guests