Has anybody gotten a very good paint job from maico or earle sheib ?

Anywhere you go, it all depends on preparation, materials and attention to detail.
If the prep is done right, good quality materials are used and a well experienced painter pays attention to detail, the results should be great.
Can that happen at a low-ball paint shop? Sure, but not likely...
Check the results on cars you see going in. Find out if there is a guy with good experience that cares.
Do some investigation. You may also find a bodyshop with the ability to turn out great work for a very reasonable price.
You've got to do the legwork, though.

Dan

Thanks dan. My thinking exactly. I just want a factory type paint job. No "like glass" paint job with hours of sanding and polishing. I did that once and it was no joke to take care of it or watch the car at the local cruise ins. And the prices are ridiculous. For me that is.

One of my airbrush customer's hired a former Maaco painter as head painter at his bodyshop. He's excellent, He loves to paint and researches new products and technology constantly. One of the best I've seen in years. Others have sent prepped cars to another Maaco and have gotten great results. This will not happen everywhere so just look at the jobs coming out of their booths. They paint all day and generally are good for that reason. But some stink. My friend fired a painter after a week because of that. He nicely told him he really should just stick to bodywork. That's this business. I've seen them all. If you do quality prep just ask an independant if they will shoot it for you. But if they are good they will want to inspect your work first. What you miss will show and reflect on the shop who painted it. And there is no guarantee over someone else's work. I don't do it. How can anyone?

. I just want a factory type paint job. No "like glass" paint job with hours of sanding and polishing. I did that once and it was no joke to take care of it or watch the car at the local cruise ins. And the prices are ridiculous. For me that is.

Can that happen at a low-ball paint shop? Sure, but not likely...


It really depends on what you want, and IF you are reasonable in your expectations...

I did the prep and trim removal on a '66 El Camino... $450 paint job from "Miracle" (Nor cal chain), including the wheels door jambs and bed... Three weeks later, and I won 2nd place (El camino/Ranchero class with at least 12 other cars) at a public judged 1000 car show... I sold the car a year+ later, and several years later a subsequent owner contacted me and inqired about the paint. He was floored, because it still looked great...



This past May, I had "One Day Paint and Body" (west Coast chain) paint my '70 Chevelle. I pulled ALL the chrome (they only mask stuff).

they filled about 25 emblem and trim holes, filled numerous chips (both were extra cost options), the "longboarded" the existing finish (extra), painted the door jambs as well as under the hood (my choice) and trunklid, basically everywhere because I was changing the color. They also fixed a few small dings and some bondo checking (remove and refloat).

Base Coat/clear Coat which the color sanded and then buffed, removing most orange peel.

There were a few issues, but the car looks great (body guys and show judges will NOT agree). I have many "car guy" friends that think it looks great, until I point out the flaws, but I still have to look hard to find them again... It honest looks better than most cars I have seen at the local cruise night...

A few issues, and a "1 week" job turned into 5 weeks in paint jail... about $2600 and it has a 5 year guarantee (full not prorated) on the paint (1 year on any body work)... under $2900 with a new windshield R&R'd...

I would probably use them again, but I'd be more active in checking the car./work...

Not perfect, but at this stage in life, I just wanted something that was shiny and a single color... IF I get a bug up my butt, I can always have it done nicer someday...

But for now, I didn't have the patience to have the car in the shop for months, nor the desire to to spend big bucks for a "driver" that will likely get chips and dings, maybe even in my garage...

Had a great result with Maaco in Savannah GA, about 7-8 years ago with our CJ7.

THANKS TO ALL THE GUYS WHO CONFIRMED MY INITIAL THOUGHTS. i WILL DO THE BEST PREP I CAN AND WILL SHOP ALL THE DISCOUNT PAINT JOINTS.

I would have more faith in a guy who shoots low end jobs all day everyday then a guy who shoots 1 car in his garage 1 once a year.
I always look at currency of skills and materials in the factor.
"Hey I have some reducers activators and clears from a job I did 4 years ago, yea I can spray that."

we have a local shop that does $150 paint jobs. they use quality paint and they have great guys that do top notch work, but the $150 only covers one coat of paint and you have to do the prep, etc... or they can do everything and give you a show quality paint job for around 1.5k to 3 k depending on work needed and layers of paint.

most maaco jobs have look good upfront but give them a bit of time and they turn bad. only time I would take a car to them would be to spray a quick coat of paint and then sell the car.

just remember you get what you pay for!

There are clearly two schools of thought on this subject, but I see it this way. Not all of us have water cooled checkbooks that allow them a truckload of cash for a show car paint job. For the working stiff raising a family, sometimes we have to do the best we can and if that means Maaco, then that is great. I'd much rather see a respectable Maaco painted Chevelle on the road than a trailer queen in a garage with a 10k paint job. Or worse yet, an unpainted car languishing for years due to lack of funds for a high end paint job.

There is a place for the concours cars and there is a place for the local car show guy. But for me the more drivers out there the better!

Just paint it the best you can and drive it like it was intended!

also, you could do a decent paint job in your garage (or check with the local body shops, sometimes they will rent out a booth if they are slow).

me i painted my GTO way back when in my garage and made sure to hang the walls and floor with the plastic sheets (the kind you use to keep paint off carpet when painting a house) and had some fans as exhaust pointing out the bottom of the garage door (was open about 2 feet.

I plan on doing the same with my 72SS. I picked up a good gun (used) off eBay, got the paint locally, and just picked up a nice 36gal 6.5hp used craftsman compressor off craigslist. Just don't foreget to get an inline mositure trap (i got one from lowes that ahs the little desicant beads in it for $15).

take your time on prep and get the body straight and blocked off, lots of articles out there and several forums out there just on auto body painting.

for me I only have about $550 invested in everything and I will have the equipment to keep or resell after I get done with the paint job. I think i will keep it though, since I already have a few buddies and neighbors asking if I could touch up the paint or clear coat on their cars (down here in AZ if you have a dark color paint it will peel or chip or fade the roof and hood within a few years).

. I'd much rather see a respectable Maaco painted Chevelle on the road than a trailer queen in a garage with a 10k paint job. !

10k is a little on the LOW side. :D

Maico did a terrific job on my '70......its completely dependent on the body guy and painter......I had a Maico close to my house where I'd always see Lowriders and Hot Rods in front of....stopped and got to know the owner and his guys and let em have at it :thumbsup:


http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u268/clifw/DSC03810.jpg

I have a friend who has a Maaco paint job on his 69 Camaro and it is sweet. He has been on the cover of two mags and also a nice five page spread in Popular Hot Rodding. He tipped the workers $400 to get a great job. They delivered. :D

There are clearly two schools of thought on this subject, but I see it this way. Not all of us have water cooled checkbooks that allow them a truckload of cash for a show car paint job.

I think that sums it up best...

Generally, we all like our cars to look nice. Some people want a perfect show car and are willing and able to pay the price (with or without the wait).

Sure, I'd love the perfect show-winning paint job, but I'd rather take that savings and put it into something else; maybe another car, maybe some other stuff for the first car, maybe a vacation with my family or add to my retirement... Unfortunately, I don't have the money to do all these things, so I have to pick-and-choose and budget...

By going the "cheap" paint job route, I can have a nice looking car to cruise in, and not feel guilty that I am depriving my family of anything just so I can be selfish (I already spend enough money on the cars as it is :D)...

Red base coat $62.40 a pint and clear coat $300.00 a gallon.I guess you get what you pay for!

Like they said, go to the shops, ask questions and investigate. Ive seen a few decent ones from the knock em out shops so it is possible but honestly most the time they come out looking like Tex-cote, wheels/trim sprayed over, etc. Dont think I could do it but on the other hand would never pay all the money I did for a higher end paint/body.

I would have more faith in a guy who shoots low end jobs all day everyday then a guy who shoots 1 car in his garage 1 once a year.

I don't know if I would agree. I hadn't painted anything in 15 years when I shot my red 65. The car has done extremely well at the shows. Numerous first in class, peoples choice, best gm, best in show. I have a passion for excellence (perfectionist), that goes along way in restoring/painting a car. If you can find someone that really cares about what they do, thats half the battle.

Much of the body work was done when I took my 70 malibu to Macco. I still could have done more. I really should have done a guide coat but I was still learning the basics of body work. The paint went on well. I had them do 3 coats of clear and then I color sanded it myself. That's what made the difference. I paid 1600 for the job but that included under the hood, jambs and trunk. Its not show but its a head turner. I'm pleased.

I once had a Macco paint job done to an old Caddy. It wasn't too bad for the cheap price, but I don't believe that Maaco spends a whole lot of time in prep work. I don't think that they even remove the current paint before they spray it. I believe they just scuff it up a little bit to clean it up, and let the new stuff fly. It only lasts several months before you begin to see small areas of peeling, and so you have to keep on getting it paionted once a year to maintain it. So the initial investment is cheap, but you have to keep on paying or you'll have a car that looks like crappola.

I once had a Macco paint job done to an old Caddy. It wasn't too bad for the cheap price, but I don't believe that Maaco spends a whole lot of time in prep work. I don't think that they even remove the current paint before they spray it. I believe they just scuff it up a little bit to clean it up, and let the new stuff fly. It only lasts several months before you begin to see small areas of peeling, and so you have to keep on getting it paionted once a year to maintain it. So the initial investment is cheap, but you have to keep on paying or you'll have a car that looks like crappola.

Their paint prices, material quality and procedures are on a scale and they do what you tell them. If you mean they don't strip it prior to painting no collision shop will do that. I was in collision for decades and we sent properly prepared cars there often because A.) Work overload and B.) Practicality. To say that the paint at Maaco needs to be redone every year is an exagerration. Many jobs are indeed simply masked and shot for quick resale or short lived effects. Others are not. Like anything what one wants needs to be stated prior to the execution of the job...any job.

Their paint prices, material quality and procedures are on a scale and they do what you tell them. If you mean they don't strip it prior to painting no collision shop will do that. I was in collision for decades and we sent properly prepared cars there often because A.) Work overload and B.) Practicality. To say that the paint at Maaco needs to be redone every year is an exagerration. Many jobs are indeed simply masked and shot for quick resale or short lived effects. Others are not. Like anything what one wants needs to be stated prior to the execution of the job...any job.It was a long time ago,(in the early 90's) but when I went to Maico(sp?) they had three paint jobs that they offered (yes, they had/have names or titles for all three of them) and I chose the most expensive one that they offered, and not only did they leave paint on parts of the engine, and inside the air cleaner too, but the paint lasted 6 months before I began to see small areas the size of a dime that had peeled off. And the longer I owned the car after those first 6 months, the more the paint peeled.

That's what MY experience was as their customer. That's all I can say for certain. I've had paint jobs done by other places before, and never had that happen. So what is it that Maico does differently? There must be some corners that they cut, which is why their paint jobs are so cheap. So I guess you only get what you pay for.

It was a long time ago,(in the early 90's) but when I went to Maico(sp?) they had three paint jobs that they offered (yes, they had/have names or titles for all three of them) and I chose the most expensive one that they offered, and not only did they leave paint on parts of the engine, and inside the air cleaner too, but the paint lasted 6 months before I began to see small areas the size of a dime that had peeled off. And the longer I owned the car after those first 6 months, the more the paint peeled.

That's what MY experience was as their customer. That's all I can say for certain. I've had paint jobs done by other places before, and never had that happen. So what is it that Maico does differently? There must be some corners that they cut, which is why their paint jobs are so cheap. So I guess you only get what you pay for.

Like any other chain...some good some bad. Some of these guys are hammering out work by noon. Quantity vs. Quality. The Maaco we sent some cars to were prepped by us. Knowing the owner for years enabled us to get a better job than most. Many of their employees are green and use Maaco for a stepping stone. My associate's painter came from there. Camera monitoring employees every move to meet X amount of jobs; at a bargain basement price no less. I too have seen early paint failure but look at what most people are paying. It just boils down to talking to the owner and seeing of what the boys are capable doing at a certain price.

Like any other chain...some good some bad. Some of these guys are hammering out work by noon. Quantity vs. Quality. The Maaco we sent some cars to were prepped by us. Knowing the owner for years enabled us to get a better job than most. Many of their employees are green and use Maaco for a stepping stone. My associate's painter came from there. Camera monitoring employees every move to meet X amount of jobs; at a bargain basement price no less. I too have seen early paint failure but look at what most people are paying. It just boils down to talking to the owner and seeing of what the boys are capable doing at a certain price.Scott, I don't know what part of our state you're from, but FWIW the Maaco where I had that bad experience from is/was the one in Lordship Stfd. off of Lordship BLVD.(I think that's Woodend RD.) but I don't even know if they're still there or not.

Scott, I don't know what part of our state you're from, but FWIW the Maaco where I had that bad experience from is/was the one in Lordship Stfd. off of Lordship BLVD.(I think that's Woodend RD.) but I don't even know if they're still there or not.

They could still be there and if they are it does not mean they still have the same employees. By no means am I surprised that you got a bad job. Unfortunately that's what we have come to expect when hearing the name. That's why unless one is familiar with the owner it's best to do your own prep. But a bad job can be had outside Maaco too. Price and research of any shop is best. Easy for me to say because of experience but a little foggy for those unfamiliar. We all know how nervous people are about getting their car painted. And rightfully so. I'm up north Bill.

the secret to a good paint job is to always use a new broom. seriously, it depends on who does it. they have good and bad painters like everyone else. check some of thier previous work out . talk to them . you can tell alot by a simple conversation

Like any other chain...some good some bad.


Actually, Maaco shops are not really a "chain", they are individual franchises... So each shop can, and often does things differently...