Has anyone here ever gotten their car painted?

[michael_s]

If you leave the windows down when you take it in, Maaco will do the interior for free.
Prep is key.
Wash it before you give it to them.
It's been a few years, but I have seen a maaco job where they actually painted over mud on the back of a truck.

Good luck.

[Racer X]

you get what you pay for. the prep on my GSX was about $2500 to make it absolutely perfectly smooth without a ripple and then epoxy primer. This was cheap, way outside Seattle area prices, done in the boonies by craftsmen with lower overhead. I figure the paint will be close to another 3 grand, and then maybe another $500-700 for the stripes. Maaco will be good for a few years IF the prep is done right. And Maaco won't do it right.

[Ombligo]

If you know a local teacher, have them check with the Vo-Tech school. Teachers can often get work done by students at cost of material. The students are usually near graduation and do a top-job to get good grades and recommendations from teachers for work.

My wife (who is a teacher) got an excellent job done, including prep and dent removal for less than $250.

[sunfalcon]

I just had my 95 camaro Z/28 painted - one door and both rear quarters b/c of peeling clearcoat. They did a great job, but it cost $900 and is guaranteed for life. I am amazed how expensive automotive paint is - wow!

[BillMac]

I had my 98 Impreza RS repaired/painted by my best body tech. He did it at his home garage, paid under the table. He COMPLETELY detrimmed the car, took care of dents, scratches, etc. After he painted it, he then removed any dirt nibs and sanded with a max of 3500 grit paper and buffed it all. The car looks BETTER than new.

Cost for materials...$700.00
Cost for his labor...$1400.00

So, I'm $2100 in on a 9 year old car. If I ran it through the shop where I work, the labor would have been TWICE that (maybe a little more than 2x). However, I have larger plans for the car. Good Lord willing, I WILL keep it forever. The next big step (3-5 years down the road) will be a complete STi eng/trans swap.

Overall, weigh what you expect from the car. If it just needs to look nice for a few years, do the Maaco or Vo-Tech thing. If you want it damn-near restored and plan on keeping it forever, find a quality tech and shop, and prepare to pony up the big bucks.

[mikebw]

[quote BillMac]The next big step (3-5 years down the road) will be a complete STi eng/trans swap.
Wouldn't you want to do the amazing paint job after major mechanical work? I mean I would be a little worried about a couple accidental scratches during an operation like that.