ArtieFufkin

If you had your box repainted:
-how do you feel the custom/after market paint job is holding up compared to factory?
-did you ask for "durable" clear coat (if that exists) to make paint more scratch, chip, swirl resistant?
-what did you pay for a complete paint job?

Thanks for the help. The recent winter storms we had wreaked havoc on the passenger side of my box. I think a gravel/salt truck nailed the side of it, because I've got tons of tiny chips in the doors

Trying to evaluate my options..we all know the issues with just getting the doors painted with matching colors, etc. Its one of those things that bother me because i put countless hours into washing/waxing and i don't want to let it go.
Thanks!

superboxcarxb

for a good quality paint job i'd say about $2500. my friend got one from a shop for $500 and it looks like someone just got some spray paint and sprayed it black. it's peeling now and i'm laughing at him cuz it looks ugly.

metal112524

Aww, thats so sad.... it really sucks to get screwed over like that but, you get what you pay for but just cause you pay **** loads doesn't automatically mean its any better.

Max

Make it easy. Make it right. Make it Maaco.

TerribleTed

Yeah if you wanna trash your car. Very few Maaco shops can produce a finish that is nearly as good as the factory one. Their basic paint services ($250-400) use the cheapest paints in the market and do not include enought preparation to ensure a good job. Their high end (for MAACO) services are better but generally still do not measure up to a factory look or durability. I am not down on MAACO's It is just that what they do is not the level of even a factory finish and certainly not the level on a good custom finish, BUT, they do not charge like it is either.

My paint jobs that I do at my shop cost $3000 or so for the exterior only (no door jambs at that price) and do not include the needed trim removal (windshied, handles, bumpers, markers, mouldings, etc. ) that are needed for a factory level job. What I do is a show quality wetsanded and buffed finish (that means 15-20+ hours of labor sanding and buffing is included in the price). The paints I use hold up much better than factory ( I use premium quality paints from well known manufacturers, mostly PPG and HOK, tho I have found a Valspar clear that is super nice.) These paints cost 600-800 to paint the ouside of a car (also included in the $3,000 paint price). MY paints hold up way better than factory paints, they are glossier, more chemical resistant, and more chip resistant (yes there are clears that are more resistant than others). I have watched my wifes new car deteriorate parked in the driveway next to my cars which I have painted, there is certainly a diffference.

You need to be sure that the shop you use really does a good job for the money. It is easy to get ripped off. Just because they are using a Urethane clear (mine are urethane clears) does not mean it is a good one. I can buy Urethane clears from $70-$300 a gallon and there is a difference between them. Name brand, Higher line (PPG for instance has like 8 different lines of clearcoats that vary from cheap to pricy), clears are generally very good and comparable to each other. Do they remove the trim? Are they going to remove the windshield and replace the moulding (needed on the xB for a good job)? Do they buff after? What does their job look like when it is done (you need to closely inspect a finished job, photos show nothing)? What is their warrantee? Can they refer you to a customer or customers that had their cars painted a few years ago so you can see if it lasts? (I have customers cars that have been painted 6-12 years and still look nearly new...this of course depends alot on usage and upkeep altho one I am thinking of is 7 years old and is kept outside and doesn't get washed like it should (still looks excellent).) A premium job will cost a bit more money but you should get premium utility from it. A cheapo job that falls apart in a couple years could easily cost you more to fix than it cost to have done in the first place. Removing bad paint to repaint (called stripping) costs about (for the exterior only) $2000-3000 by the time you strip off all the paint and prime the body back up thru etching epoxy and filling primers and get it sanded and ready to paint. So your $500 paint job could cost you easily $6000-9,000 to fix and repaint.

Painting the entire side of your car with the nicked up doors, blending the color on the fenders and 1/4 panels should ensure an unnoticable color match with little problem. Depending on the damage it might be possible to paint only the doors, but if the blending is done the repair could surely be nice.

Max

The Maaco thing was a joke, but thanks for the explanation, Ted.

They used to advertise a $150 paint job. Anyone with any sense at all should know what to expect for that much.

ArtieFufkin

@ Ted

Thanks for the input man.

TerribleTed

I figured as much However MAACO does have its place. Some MAACO's turn out some pretty nice paint jobs. Some indeed do restoration quality work like I do. they do not do it for $259.95 however. The basic MAACO paint services are (if the shop does good work) a very viable option for some cars. Would you want to spend $3000+ painting your ragged but usable Brand X Whatsits to make it more presentable for a few more years? Maybe not. The cheapest MAACO paint services are also useful as a preservative step for a project car that you are goiong to store outside for a while. Slows deterioration and rusting for only a little more than the cost of spray bombs

ArtieFufkin

Hey Ted, can you give me any insight on what I should expect to pay to have both passenger (right side) doors repainted? I'm talking door removal, color matching to rest of car, handles/locks and underneath the trim. As for paint quality, at the minimum factory quality, but with a better clear coat.

fullFXtc

iTrader: (1)

i paid 8k for my paint and if you want more pics or have any ? just pm me!!! i can answer any ? you have!!!!!

TerribleTed

First, to repair paint damage on the outside of the doors removal of them is not needed. Trim removal is needed, repair of the paint damage is needed, blending of the fender and 1/4 panel might be needed depending on where the damage is on the doors. If blending the 1/4 panel is needed then the 1/4 panel glass should be removed and reinstalled for a premium job. I typed in a quick estimate. I assumed that the doors had 3 hours labor in repairs each. I also assumed that the fender and 1/4 panels would need to be blend painted. I allowed time for all trim removal (including the side lip), color match, glass R+I ,and loosening the front and rear bumpers for paint access. Labor rate of $38 per hour. Total came to $1055.20

ArtieFufkin

Ted, thanks, I appreciate it.

I'm undecided on how I want to proceed. The car is a daily driver, so its going to take unavoidable abuse in the future. However, I'd want it to look clean as well. I guess I'm just going to call insurance company then make a hard decision. Thanks again.

TerribleTed

Not a good idea to use insurance for such a relatively small damage. After deductible it is barely worth it to claim. I would save the $$ and fix it . If the blending need not be done the cost will drop by near 40%.

n2htwlz

I painted my car myself so I cant gve an estimate but I hae done other complete custom paint jos for upto 2500.00 including wetsand and buffing. The sad thing about clear is it will hip no matter what, you cant et aay from that. The only thing to help with that is the 3m film clear bras. The swirls happen on any paint but are easily removed.

I probably didnt answer your questions but this is a great topic.