# Any ever get a cheap Maaco paint job? How did it turn out? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 17, 2020, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ever-get-a-cheap-maaco-paint-job-how-did-it-turn-out/918295 "2020-08-17T06:03:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dummygladhands71](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c0e974/32.png) [@dummygladhands71](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dummygladhands71)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ever-get-a-cheap-maaco-paint-job-how-did-it-turn-out/918295/1 "2020-08-17T06:03:33Z")
I have a 2007 Merc. Runs great, all maintenance done, less that 150K miles but the sun in AZ has destroyed the paint. I am down to bare metal on one of the front quarter panels. I do not want to buy another car when all that’s wrong is the paint job. We don’t rust here in the AZ. So how did a cheap paint job turn out for you? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ever-get-a-cheap-maaco-paint-job-how-did-it-turn-out/918295/2 "2020-08-17T06:52:08Z")
Here are a bunch of Maaco reviews: > **[Top 634 Maaco Reviews](https://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/maaco.html?#sort=top_reviews&filter=none)** > > The salesperson at Maaco failed to inform me that the factory paint on my Volvo 240 which was in excellent shape would last much longer than their new Super Sale ... ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ever-get-a-cheap-maaco-paint-job-how-did-it-turn-out/918295/3 "2020-08-17T07:31:57Z")
Many years ago I had them paint an older car and my experience is, use them if you plan on selling the car within a few months because that’s about how long the paint will keep its luster. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ever-get-a-cheap-maaco-paint-job-how-did-it-turn-out/918295/4 "2020-08-17T08:43:00Z")
Back around the turn of the century, my buddy had a sportscar whose make I cannot recall. He took it to Maaco and got one of their cheapest paint jobs. Probably their very cheapest, because he made what I made, and I didn’t make much. It didn’t look good, but I didn’t have the heart to tell him that. It was red, but it was a lackluster red that just looked sad. Low-Effort Red. It was shiny, but. . .how do I put this. . .it kind of looked like it didn’t have enough pigment, or like it had been sitting in the sun a few years. Also, I don’t recall the details, but they managed to get paint on parts that should not get painted. Not a ton, mind you, but enough that you could see it when your friend tells you to check out his new paint job. Maybe other locations have better outcomes, but if you can, try to see the color they’re using on another car before they put it on yours. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ever-get-a-cheap-maaco-paint-job-how-did-it-turn-out/918295/5 "2020-08-17T13:43:20Z")
They only do a minimum masking job before painting. If you don’t pay them more they’ll be painting trim. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ever-get-a-cheap-maaco-paint-job-how-did-it-turn-out/918295/6 "2020-08-17T13:51:33Z")
Utter crap. When I was shopping for cars many moons ago I came across a Gold 66 Barracuda that I was immediately in lust with until I got closer and saw the overspray, orange peel, drips, and uneven passes. I would have done a better job with rattle cans. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ever-get-a-cheap-maaco-paint-job-how-did-it-turn-out/918295/7 "2020-08-17T13:54:47Z")
If the Arizona sun did in your paint job, make sure you get reviews from people in hot climates. If the sun destroyed the factory paint, I would think the Maaco paint is going to have problems with fading. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ever-get-a-cheap-maaco-paint-job-how-did-it-turn-out/918295/8 "2020-08-17T14:36:50Z")
I suppose it depends on what your alternative is. I got my old pickup (a high mileage 1995 Ford Ranger) painted by Maaco in about 2001-ish. I’d had to replace the two front fenders and the driver’s side door after a fairly minor accident, and none of them matched each other or the rest of the truck. Immediately after the paint job, I had to take a single-edged razor blade to the windows in a few spots, as they’d got some overspray on them. They didn’t paint my bumpers or anything like that though. The actual paint job itself was fine- no drips, runs, etc… Long story short, it looked pretty good for about 3 years, and then the shine basically fled the paint, and it looked kind of rough/abraded. All in all, for around $400 out the door, it wasn’t too bad really- if nothing else, at least it was all the same color, even when I sold it, which was pretty much all I had aimed for. I wouldn’t take a car that I was actually trying to make look _nice_ there, but I might take one that I didn’t want to look absolutely shitty there, as at least they accomplished that. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ever-get-a-cheap-maaco-paint-job-how-did-it-turn-out/918295/9 "2020-08-17T15:41:14Z")
I had my 'cuda painted by Maaco. I bought my own paint, thought. A catalyzed enamel, but I didn’t trust my own spray abilities, so I had them sling the paint. Looked great. No runs, no drips, no orange peel, no overspray. About one or two minor things that would ding you in a judged car show, but not so big that you’d notice. I think they were so happy to get the job they put it in the window on display until I picked it up. Paint lasted 17 years in Arizona. it was red. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ever-get-a-cheap-maaco-paint-job-how-did-it-turn-out/918295/10 "2020-08-17T15:48:10Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I had my 'cuda painted by Maaco. I bought my own paint, thought. A catalyzed enamel, but I didn’t trust my own spray abilities, so I had them sling the paint. Do paint shops generally allow the customer to bring their own paint? And what about doing their own masking? Could someone do all the work of masking, removing trim, and prep to bring a paint-ready car to the shop that could just be rolled into the spray booth? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ever-get-a-cheap-maaco-paint-job-how-did-it-turn-out/918295/11 "2020-08-17T15:49:13Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I wouldn’t take a car that I was actually trying to make look _nice_ there, but I might take one that I didn’t want to look absolutely shitty there, as at least they accomplished that. Now _there’s_ a ringing endorsement they could use in a national campaign. 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ever-get-a-cheap-maaco-paint-job-how-did-it-turn-out/918295/12 "2020-08-17T17:25:19Z")
I think a Maaco type place would have no problem with that. They want to make money, they probably won’t reduce the price if you provide your own paint. And why would they care if you do your own masking? Whatever guarantee they provide is probably voided, but that may not decrease the value of that guarantee at all. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ever-get-a-cheap-maaco-paint-job-how-did-it-turn-out/918295/13 "2020-08-17T18:41:48Z")
I don’t have experience with Maaco, specifically, but my dad did get a cheap paint job for the car I drove when I was a teenager (but legally belonged to him) at an independent body shop. After it was done we noticed some chips in the hood. We took it back and they agreed to repaint the hood under warranty. The re-do turned out to be worse than the original job. They must not have sanded or primed it properly, because after not too long the paint started to flake off the hood. It got so bad one day large sheets of paint were flying off and hitting the windshield as I was driving down the freeway. So we took it back again, and they did another warranty repaint. It seemed like the third time was the charm, that time it seemed like they did a decent job. And the rest of the car seemed fine the first time around; it was just the hood that had issues. I have no idea how well that paint job held up over time; Dad ended up selling that car a few years later. ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ever-get-a-cheap-maaco-paint-job-how-did-it-turn-out/918295/14 "2020-08-17T18:57:48Z")
With threads like this I like to quote the old adage: “You get what you pay for”. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ever-get-a-cheap-maaco-paint-job-how-did-it-turn-out/918295/15 "2020-08-17T20:11:05Z")
Had them paint a door and that’s what they did painted the door, including the trim and overspray on the glass You need to have the car totally trimmed and body work done before you give it to them or you will just get back a painted turd. Taking your own paint sounds like a good idea as well. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2020, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ever-get-a-cheap-maaco-paint-job-how-did-it-turn-out/918295/16 "2020-08-18T01:28:57Z")
> [@Mallard](#): > > With threads like this I like to quote the old adage: “You get what you pay for” …on a good day. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2020, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ever-get-a-cheap-maaco-paint-job-how-did-it-turn-out/918295/17 "2020-08-18T13:49:58Z")
Years ago a neighbor had a car he’d done a ton of body work on. The car ran, but looked awful. On a lark, he painted the car using a paintbrush. It was hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2020, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ever-get-a-cheap-maaco-paint-job-how-did-it-turn-out/918295/18 "2020-08-18T22:46:52Z")
My step father had a used car lot. He would sometimes buy cars that needed work and fix them up. Before he put in his own paint booth, he would occasionally take a car to Maaco. (More often, he’d go elsewhere, but it depended on who owed who a favor.) For Maaco, he would prep the car carefully ahead of time, including sanding, masking, and dent/ding repairs. You also have to go with the original color of the car, because they won’t be painting the inside of the door frame or sills, underside of the trunk lid or hood, etc. He would say, they paint exactly what you give them. If there’s a stray piece of tape, or a bug, they will paint right over it. One thing to note is that, if you are down to bare metal in places, that needs to be primed, which will not be included in their low price job. So, if you took it there, you’d need to ask about priming, or possibly do it yourself if you know how. ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2020, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ever-get-a-cheap-maaco-paint-job-how-did-it-turn-out/918295/19 "2020-08-19T18:49:14Z")
I had some work done at a local Maaco when I broke the bumper of my car and needed it redone. I sourced the part (because they were a PITA to find) and they painted and installed it. Worked out just fine. If you go in and ask for their cheapest shit, well, you’re going to get their cheapest shit. But if you want some panels resprayed and blended with the rest of the car to make it look nice again, they will do it. Just don’t ask for the $199.95 special. And again, the result you will get will be completely dependent on the management at that particular location. I’d recommend calling your insurance company and ask for one of their recommended shops. Insurance companies typically require their shops to guarantee their work, and they don’t keep using shops that turn out shit. If the clearcoat is not destroyed, you can buy a little equipment and correct it and coat it with a UV protectant yourself for a couple hundred bucks and a few hours of labor (well, probably on the high side of “a few” but you can spread it out a bit and do a little bit each day). Then you can just have the local body shop do the one panel you need, which should be cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2020, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ever-get-a-cheap-maaco-paint-job-how-did-it-turn-out/918295/20 "2020-08-19T19:01:49Z")
I bought a used car just before high school graduation (holy crap, that’s now over 20 years ago!) that had a Maaco-quality paint job. The whole car was repainted in the original color but it had absolutely the dullest finish I have ever seen on a car by the time I got rid of it. It started out looking just a little shabby but it quickly degraded to looking like some kind of metalized chalk. I don;t know exactly when it had been repainted but the car was only eight years old when I bought it. Surprisingly, despite what people are saying here, the paint prep must have been okay because there wasn’t much visible overspray. I bought it cheap because it was ugly but otherwise, it was a decent car. The paint started flaking off around the edges of the windshield and trim within a year or two. The original paint underneath looked way better than the respray. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ever-get-a-cheap-maaco-paint-job-how-did-it-turn-out/918295.md?page=2)