Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

Maaco paint job deal

1 view
Skip to first unread message

Ehien

unread,
Jan 22, 2003, 8:00:07 PM1/22/03
to
Just wonder what's the deal with Maaco paint job and its price.

After seeing the 50% off sale ad on TV I visited their paint shop and
got an estimate for my '91 Accord today. Yes they do offer 50% off for
their $500 Supreme Paint Service (2yr warranty) and $129 Value Prep
Surface Preparation at $300. But on top of that they also want to
charge me $200 for labor and recommended me to treat chips and dents
for another ~$130. Total come out to around $600 (extra $50 discount).
If I don't want to treat chips/dents then it's about $520.

Is this a good or fail deal? I just want to drive my car for 2 more
years at most and then sell it. But in any case I don't want the paint
to look non-factory either.

I plan to visit an independent paint shop tomorrow. They have good
reputation for collision repair paint jobs. But I'm expecting higher
prices.

Comments welcome.

Thanks.

TeGGeR

unread,
Jan 22, 2003, 10:14:25 PM1/22/03
to
Ehien wrote:
> Just wonder what's the deal with Maaco paint job and its price.


Maaco is great. Their paint jobs will last at least two years before
going dull and crazed. Uncontrolled overspray is offered at no extra
charge, as is dust under the paint and grease ground into your seat
cushions.

--
TeGGeR®

Ehien

unread,
Jan 23, 2003, 4:45:58 PM1/23/03
to
Really that bad? Wouldn't there be a good Maaco somewhere? Maybe mine?

I visited a local paint shop that is highly recommended by a Honda
garage and even a high end paint shop. They quoted me $600 for the
whole job with "Synthetic Enamel" paint and 1 yr warranty. It's about
$100 more expensive than Maaco's Supreme Paint Service with 2 yr
warranty.

Now I'm stuck and don't know what to choose.

Help. Comments?


TeGGeR <teggerati...@changetheobvious.invalid> wrote in message news:<m6JX9.2668$VS6.7...@news20.bellglobal.com>...

Bald Eagle

unread,
Jan 23, 2003, 5:57:01 PM1/23/03
to
Going to Maaco for a paint job is like going to Aamco for transmission work.
Can't be a coincidence that the names are an anagram.

I went to Maaco once. When I was 20, and didn't know anything. Fool me once,
shame on you. Fool me twice...

B.

"Ehien" <eh...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:d0eee722.03012...@posting.google.com...

Nick

unread,
Jan 23, 2003, 9:53:00 PM1/23/03
to
You may want to bite the bullet and get it done by Honda...I dont' know if the idependant shops and Maacco have factory paint or not (most likely not)
but it may not last as long as one done by Honda....


Nick

John

unread,
Jan 24, 2003, 1:00:36 AM1/24/03
to
Maaco sucks,plain and simple.There paint turns out real nice the day you get
it back,give it a year or so and you'll be picking up the chunks of paint
from your driveway every time you wash your car.Go independant,that is where
you'll get the best deal.Get the proper paint code for your car and buy the
paint yourself and then there is no worry of mismatch.
"Nick" <npo...@NOSPAMMONKEYShotmail.com> wrote in message
news:9ia13vsc1aa2fb0sl...@4ax.com...

Me

unread,
Jan 24, 2003, 10:41:35 AM1/24/03
to
That might depend on how much you want to pay as well. I purchased a
1994 Civic DX Coupe (originally bought in Oct 1993) in 1999 from a
Norfolk, VA Acura dealer, and it had a few little dings in the paint
on the hood. I got in a wreck about 4 months later, and USAA told me
to go to the local Honda dealer to get it fixed. Well, it's 2003, and
I've got at least 10x the amount of dings, but I bought the car at
90k, and it's only and 147k now. So....10x the dings in half the time,
and a little more than half the milage = ???? I'd say a crappy paint
job.

George Macdonald

unread,
Jan 24, 2003, 4:31:48 PM1/24/03
to
On Fri, 24 Jan 2003 15:41:35 GMT, Me <nhz...@dontmailme.yahoo.com> wrote:

>That might depend on how much you want to pay as well. I purchased a
>1994 Civic DX Coupe (originally bought in Oct 1993) in 1999 from a
>Norfolk, VA Acura dealer, and it had a few little dings in the paint
>on the hood. I got in a wreck about 4 months later, and USAA told me
>to go to the local Honda dealer to get it fixed. Well, it's 2003, and
>I've got at least 10x the amount of dings, but I bought the car at
>90k, and it's only and 147k now. So....10x the dings in half the time,
>and a little more than half the milage = ???? I'd say a crappy paint
>job.

Honda doesn't do repaints - it's the dealer or more likely someone they
sub-contract to. There are lots of crappy bodyshops who use lousy paint
systems.

>On Thu, 23 Jan 2003 21:53:00 -0500, Nick
><npo...@NOSPAMMONKEYShotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>You may want to bite the bullet and get it done by Honda...I dont' know if the idependant shops and Maacco have factory paint or not (most likely not)
>>but it may not last as long as one done by Honda....
>>
>>
>>Nick

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??

Ehien

unread,
Jan 24, 2003, 4:42:09 PM1/24/03
to
Since the general opinions on Maaco are mostly negative (still), I
think I'll go with the local shop. $600 is not that expensive compared
to >$3000 with a local collision repair center. This is probably a
good investment too as Blue Book still lists my '91 Accord at above
$5000 (crazy huh). Going prices in southern California are actually
often higher.

Now my main concern is that this local shop (Studebaker) only has a
paint called Fathom Blue Metallic (#566) that closely but not exactly
matches my Cobalt Blue. Under the sun they looked almost identical,
but I'm still not sure how much difference there is after the whole
car is painted. The exact same color is only available from them with
a $300 more expensive "2k Urethane (Dupont)" paint.

Any thoughts on this? I'm thinkging that as long as the color is not
different enough to be identified without side-by-side comparison,
it's acceptable to me. But of course if the shop can accept the exact
paint I buy myself, then I'll consider this method too.

Cheers.


"John" <bis...@eastlink.ca> wrote in message news:<9E4Y9.244968$C8.8...@nnrp1.uunet.ca>...

MrDancer

unread,
Jan 24, 2003, 6:53:59 PM1/24/03
to
"Ehien" <eh...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:d0eee722.0301...@posting.google.com...

> Since the general opinions on Maaco are mostly negative (still), I
> think I'll go with the local shop. $600 is not that expensive compared
> to >$3000 with a local collision repair center. This is probably a

I suggest you attend some local car shows, ones that feature hot rods, etc.
with custom paint jobs. Ask a few questions and you will likely get links
to a good local painter. I did this, and found a highly-recommended painter
that did an excellent job, undercut all the franchise prices, and the paint
still looks great four years later.

--
Remove .your.underwear to reply
--


Lee Cao

unread,
Jan 27, 2003, 2:25:26 PM1/27/03
to

"Ehien" <eh...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:d0eee722.03012...@posting.google.com...

> Really that bad? Wouldn't there be a good Maaco somewhere? Maybe mine?
>
> I visited a local paint shop that is highly recommended by a Honda
> garage and even a high end paint shop. They quoted me $600 for the
> whole job with "Synthetic Enamel" paint and 1 yr warranty. It's about
> $100 more expensive than Maaco's Supreme Paint Service with 2 yr
> warranty.
>
> Now I'm stuck and don't know what to choose.
>
> Help. Comments?

Well, even $600 sounds really cheap for a decent paint job. My '98 Accord's
driver side door needed to be worked on and painted (dad met a local deer).
The whole job came to about $800, with about $400 being paint, supplies and
labor for painting the door and blending front fender and rear door.

Personally, I would be suspect of any paint job that cost less than $2000
for an entire car.

I know this isn't the kind of money you want to spend on a '91 Accord...

Lee Cao


Nick

unread,
Jan 27, 2003, 4:29:19 PM1/27/03
to
Sorry George, that's what I meant :)

George Daleo

unread,
Mar 2, 2003, 4:52:45 AM3/2/03
to
My 89 Grand Marque got damaged in a hale storm. As my insurance co. was
paying to have the paint on the hood, roof and trunk stripped down to bare
metal first so that is what I had Maaco do before painting entire car.
Total price was $800 and yes I went to inspect the car after the paint was
stripped. I am sure each Maaco dealership does different quality work so
check them out first.
The only thing I did not like was that they would not give me a small bottle
of paint for touch-up.


NikoŠ

unread,
Mar 7, 2003, 12:26:47 AM3/7/03
to
In article <Nvk8a.77294$zF6.5...@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>,
georg...@worldnet.att.net says...

It is not necessarily better to strip the car down to the bare metal.
If the paint is sticking well sometimes it is better to use the old pain
as a primer by roughing it up.

If you have a GM paint job in the 80's- early 90's it may be better to
srip it.

Maaco has various qualities of paint. You want the base coat, clear
coat or it will look like someone painted it with crayons after 1
season.

0 new messages