Body shops

Don't.

Art

 

x2

Great place to go if you want overspray on your tires, and the "specials" are cheaper than I used to be able to buy PPG or DuPont supplies for the same job at wholesale.

 

They painted two International Scouts I restored back in the 1980's.

I did all the grunt body work and they finished up the details and painted them Pearl White and Desert Sand Matte.

I was happy with the results, but it was my first resto project and I had no frame of reference then.

I am sure it depends on the shop and the manager/supervisor like any other service.

If you are looking to make a "10-15 footer" out of a mess of a car, then it is probably OK.

Their masking was not precise and they oversprayed my tires too, a couple of things I was able to take care of on my own with some careful effort.

As always, you usually get what you pay for.
Alden

 

Depends on what you are looking for. They go from a no thrill repaint to a more refined finish. They have access to several paint qualities. Normally they try to get fleet cars from rental companies. You need to discuss your expectations with the service manager. I once took my mother's car to Maaco just so she could selll.It was taken down to the original primer and repainted. I would not do that for a high end car.

 

buona fortuna!

 

They are a cut rate franchise! Stay away.

 

bunch a places in atlanta........ not to far

 

I'm lucky my uncle restores classic Chevy's as a side business. He has a full paint booth set up and knows body work. Now if it was an exotic or even a Porsche, only one shop in North America Id go. Its called burrard auto strauss and its here in Vancouver. But they don't do American cars, only Porsche, Mercedes, Land Rover, Bentley, Jaguar, BMW, Lamborghini and of course Ferrari. They don't touch anything else.

 

You are getting collision repair shops, cheapo respray shops and restoration shops confused. Insurance repair is not easy $. Collision repair shops are stuck to low labor rates almost dictated by large insurance company's lobbyist and tightwad insurance adjusters. We charge ~$10 more labor/hr for a COD customer. Some collision shops are owned by insurance companies and most have direct repair relationships w/ insurance companies. That is why they do insurance work, the insurance companies feed it to them. Collision repair is faster turn around than restoration work. Collision repair shop is not going to want to take on restoration jobs which take forevers, are messy, every bolt/nut is rusted on, can't locate the parts needing replacement, ....

Maaco is cheap-ass refinish shop. Oh the overspray horrors. Avoid.

What you need is a restoration shop specializing in corrosion repair. Far fewer these days than the first two. And you pay more because it is more difficult.

 

Bundas,

No offense. But you seemingly get ripped off everywhere you go. After following your posts for some time now, it looks as though you have a giant target on your back. The prices you've quoted in your garage thread are insane.

50k for a QP repaint?

I'd suggest you find someone you trust to help you negotiate your restoration projects from here on in.

 

Mitchell, please don't take that car to MAACO. Bring it down to Magnum Collision in Marietta and let some pros do it right. I'll buy you lunch. I'd hate to see you get burned again.

 

Unless there is a specific deadline driving your decision.. I think it would be worth your while to shop around, get some proper estimates, and go to a real restoration shop. If you are going to do it...do it right.

Based on some of your past threads, you won't be happy with a Maaco job no matter what they charge you. If budget isn't an issue, send it to an expert.