[BlueSS454]

Again I agree with all of this, but for situations like you & I where we do quality work, & just need a painter, there are options. Not a ton of them, but they are out there. It's much better than overpaying someone to do bodywork or have a car stuck in paint jail for years.

Right. I understand and 100% agree with you on that. It took me quite a while to establish myself and my work enough to be able to have an arrangement like I have now.
I’m just referring to average joe hobbyist that either wants to try doing the bodywork, can’t afford or isn't willing to pay guys like you or I to do the bodywork and send it out for paint.
A private commercial shop won’t take their car and paint over their bodywork work.

 

[1970 GMuscle]

I didn’t miss any point. Most people don’t understand how things work.
I had this very conversation with a friend of mine that owns a regular production body shop just yesterday. He will only shoot paint on cars outside his shop prepped by me and one other person that owns a restoration business. We have a mutual understanding of each other’s expectations and work. The 3 of us work very well together.
Here’s how this type of situation always goes down...
Who painted your car?
XYZ body shop. The car owner conveniently forgets to mention that he did a less than adequate job on the body work because he has zero experience in the industry and no clue how this procedure should be done. The side of the car looks like the Atlantic Ocean and XYZ shop painted over it and now has that mark of their name on a $hit job. The car is our business card. Then what if the paint job fails because the bodywork sucks and isn’t done right. Are you willing to get into that fight with a customer? I’m not.
Most people that attempt this think you just mix up some filler on cardboard, slap it on the car, and sand it. It doesn’t work that way.
Here’s your 2 options...pony up the money to have it done once and done right.
Or, do an novice job and have maaco shoot it because they are the only ones that will and be unhappy.
Either way, no one with a good reputation will willingly do this.

Man,
You really got a thing about Maaco.

 

[1970 GMuscle]

I didn’t miss any point. Most people don’t understand how things work.
I had this very conversation with a friend of mine that owns a regular production body shop just yesterday. He will only shoot paint on cars outside his shop prepped by me and one other person that owns a restoration business. We have a mutual understanding of each other’s expectations and work. The 3 of us work very well together.
Here’s how this type of situation always goes down...
Who painted your car?
XYZ body shop. The car owner conveniently forgets to mention that he did a less than adequate job on the body work because he has zero experience in the industry and no clue how this procedure should be done. The side of the car looks like the Atlantic Ocean and XYZ shop painted over it and now has that mark of their name on a $hit job. The car is our business card. Then what if the paint job fails because the bodywork sucks and isn’t done right. Are you willing to get into that fight with a customer? I’m not.
Most people that attempt this think you just mix up some filler on cardboard, slap it on the car, and sand it. It doesn’t work that way.
Here’s your 2 options...pony up the money to have it done once and done right.
Or, do an novice job and have maaco shoot it because they are the only ones that will and be unhappy.
Either way, no one with a good reputation will willingly do this.

I completely understand why you and your Resto shop will not touch this kind of work.
But your advice says your way or maaco.
He wants a nice driver quality paint job.
What he should do is investigate all of his options.
I wish him well and hope he is happy with his end results however he may choose.

 

[BlueSS454]

I completely understand why you and your Resto shop will not touch this kind of work.
But your advice says your way or maaco.
He wants a nice driver quality paint job.
What he should do is investigate all of his options.
I wish him well and hope he is happy with his end results however he may choose.

It’s not a matter of my way or Maaco. I am simply telling it the way it is from an industry perspective. A good non franchise (privately owned) body shop isn’t going to paint over someone else’s body work. Go talk to shop owners and you’ll find out for yourself. It’s a matter of liability and opening up a can of worms that no shop owner wants to deal with.

 

[1970 GMuscle]

It’s not a matter of my way or Maaco. I am simply telling it the way it is from an industry perspective. A good non franchise (privately owned) body shop isn’t going to paint over someone else’s body work. Go talk to shop owners and you’ll find out for yourself. It’s a matter of liability and opening up a can of worms that no shop owner wants to deal with.

You mention multiple times. Your way or Maaco.
That there’s 2 options.
Thanks for offering me to speak with shop owners. Luckily I’m not having my car painted now. I know I don’t want to do body work. It’s labor intensive and takes a keen eye. And tremendous practice to get all the details right.
Maybe someone will touch up his body work and paint it.
I understand restoration shops and many body shops say no.
that’s all man.
I hope he gets his car as he wants.
Maybe post some pics then and get some more people inspired to wrench their cars.

 

[Pete 67]

You mention multiple times. Your way or Maaco.
That there’s 2 options.
Thanks for offering me to speak
with shop owners. Luckily I’m not having my car painted now. I know I don’t want to do body work. It’s labor intensive and takes a keen eye. And tremendous practice to get all the details right.
Maybe someone will touch up his body work and paint it.
I understand restoration shops and many body shops say no.
that’s all man.
I hope he gets his car as he wants.
Maybe post some pics then and get some more people inspired to wrench their cars.

I get your passion & feel like the point you're trying to make is coming from a good place, but you're needling the wrong guy. Tom first & foremost, is one of us, a hobbiest who does all his own work....but realized he did it better than 99.9% of most pro shops. It took him awhile of taking on jobs in his garage before he decided to take the plunge & open a shop of his own.

He posts tons of pics in the many build threads he's has going on the site. You won't find too many guys in this hobby/industry that can tear a car down to it's bones & weld it all back together with better gaps than it came from the factory. When I say bones, I literally mean it's inner skeleton with no qtrs or even a roof still attached. Not too many guys are willing to take on those jobs & the speed he builds them is really impressive.

Not trying to speak for him, but I understand his POV because he definitely sees both sides of the issue on this one.

 

[1970 GMuscle]

I get your passion & feel like the point you're trying to make is coming from a good place, but you're needling the wrong guy. Tom first & foremost, is one of us, a hobbiest who does all his own work....but realized he did it better than 99.9% of most pro shops. It took him awhile of taking on jobs in his garage before he decided to take the plunge & open a shop of his own.

He posts tons of pics in the many build threads he's has going on the site. You won't find too many guys in this hobby/industry that can tear a car down to it's bones & weld it all back together with better gaps than it came from the factory. When I say bones, I literally mean it's inner skeleton with no qtrs or even a roof still attached. Not too many guys are willing to take on those jobs & the speed he builds them is really impressive.

Not trying to speak for him, but I understand his POV because he definitely sees both sides of the issue on this one.
[/QUOTE

Pete, your making this personal which it is not.
I’m very happy the hobby has someone like Tom who can do the utmost high end restoration. It saves significant cars which is great. Hats off to him.
The starter of the thread posts he wants a driver quality paint job which can be real nice.
I hope he is exploring his options. Heck I hope he shoots it himself. There is some good info here and elsewhere to show and tell him he can do it.
Or he may find the right guy who is experimenting and learning the trade himself or a hobbyist to paint it.
Regardless this is about getting a paint job done.
Hope he is happy with his end results.
Get it done Chris !!!!!