This has got to be some of the strangest luck ever

techy101 · #1 06-29-2007, 05:17 PM

Well, I spent the day driving around to a few body shops to get estimates on what the car would cost to get painted. The good places were looking about $3000 or so for the whole deal.

So for giggles, I decided to check and see what Maaco would want for their highest end paint job. Normally, I wouldn't touch them with a 10 foot pole. But it can't hurt to see.

Well, as I'm pulling into the driveway, a car is backing out of a bay. I stopped, and it kept backing up. I honked three times, and the car kept backing up (this all happened quite fast as it wasn't very far from him to me). The car hit my SVX in the front passenger corner. It bent in the quarter panel pretty badly (but this was the worst one on the car anyway) and broke the corner light, and scratched the bumper skin.

The guy who steps out of the car turned out to be the owner of the branch

, and we were able to reach an agreement, since he seemed very anxious to keep this off his business insurance. I can get the parts myself, or pay him to order them/install them, and he'll paint the whole car for free

. It will be their highest end (term used loosley with Maaco) paint job, the multi-stage with clear coat.

This has to be the strangest bad, yet good luck I've ever had

I'm sure it's not going to be the best paint job ever, but heck, spray paint would look better than it does right now.

Now, I need to pick a color quickly. Something that will go well with black, since there will be parts that will still be the factory black (engine bay, door jams, etc...) Any ideas?? I was thinking a dark silver, or some kind of dark burgundy. Toss out some ideas...

michael · #2 06-29-2007, 09:30 PM

Boy did you step in some crap! That's awesome, I'd stick with the factory color as a color change will be very noticeable especially from Macco. Buy the needed parts from someone here and remove all the lower molding, lights, weather stripping etc yourself and if you have to, pay them to go the extra mile and give you a real paint job. Since your svx is black you have the benefit of not worrying about the color matching, I hope this advise helps and good luck with it.

odepaj · #3 06-29-2007, 09:35 PM

neck injuries now! haha just kidding. hopfully this is some good luck, the part I dont get is it seems it was his fault but your paying for the replacment parts (I guess I probably shouldnt be looking a gift horse in the mouth though)? Hope it comes out to be good luck and not bad luck, maaco can make the next paint job even more of a hassle.

Dustin

techy101 · #4 06-29-2007, 09:49 PM

I'm kinda taking the position that I'm not going to push this very hard. All he's really responsible for is the damage. And the parts are much cheaper than the paint from my side of things.

Its probably about the same price on his side of things, and I really don't want to shoot myself in the foot.

I'll be busting my butt to get her prepped well, cuz I really don't trust them on it. I'll also be pulling all the trim, so they don't just tape it off and leave big lines.

gwarusee · #5 06-29-2007, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by techy101

I'm kinda taking the position that I'm not going to push this very hard. All he's really responsible for is the damage. And the parts are much cheaper than the paint from my side of things.

Its probably about the same price on his side of things, and I really don't want to shoot myself in the foot.

I'll be busting my butt to get her prepped well, cuz I really don't trust them on it. I'll also be pulling all the trim, so they don't just tape it off and leave big lines.

sounds like your bad luck is going to pay off. just watch out when removing all the trim, I would not mess with the plastic pices in front of the trunk lid, they are held on by plastic gromets which are most likly going to break along with the tabs that hold them on. Its a pain to find replacment grommets that will work. Those are the only pieces I would leave. Just twist off the rubber cap on the antenna and call it a day

It's Just Eric · #6 06-29-2007, 10:18 PM

I wouldnt take a free paint job from maaco, even if I did the prep work myself....but thats just me

curly2k3 · #7 07-10-2007, 06:59 AM

wow, i didnt even see the damage on that side of the car down at Uni!?! ever pick a color for it?

stallion · #8 07-10-2007, 01:53 PM

dying to see pics. heard rumours but never saw a maaco paint job (especially one of the more $$$ packages)

techy101 · #9 07-10-2007, 03:06 PM

I'm leaning towards a Blood Red, but I've got to find a paint code for one.

The car is supposed to be going in for paint this coming monday, assuming my parts come in.

Alycone · #10 07-10-2007, 10:52 PM

Isn't maaco advertising something like "presidential paint package" for 350$? If I were you, I'd want the parts, but whatever. I think black is ideal for a color change - even if there's a bit of black here and there, what doesn't go with black?

I got my spoiler painted by maaco, since I didn't see any point in having nicer paint on the spoiler than the rest of the car. They did about what I expected, texture isn't great.

subiedo · #11 07-11-2007, 07:41 AM

This thread raises a good question regarding MAACO painting quality. I am looking for a good quality paint job in the Seattle Washington area & have priced MAACO and a highly referred local shop, both quoting around 700.00. Not a high end job, no clear coat but it should come out pretty good. So, with the volume MAACO does (practice makes perfect) vs. a small shop that probably relies on happy customers & good referrals, wouldn't I be better off with my local guy? Have any forum members gone the MAACO route and been pleasantly surprised with the end result? Just curious to know what others have experienced.

dcarrb · #12 07-11-2007, 07:59 AM

It probably has more to do with the skill of the guy or gal holding the spray gun than the name on the building. You might find a capable craftsperson at Maaco, or somebody who doesn't give a flip. Just like anyplace else.

I had a car sprayed on the cheap by Maaco many years ago and my only beef was that the nice, shiny paint revealed all the flaws in my ham-fisted sanding and dent-filling work. When I let that car go 14 years later the paint was still in decent shape.

dcb

Budfreak · #13 07-11-2007, 09:43 AM

I'll go on record once again with saying that Maaco did a pretty damn good job on my 87 Trans Am GTA. I took them in a wrecked & rusted 200 dollar firebird and came out with a damn near show stopper. I wish I had before pics to show what I took them to repair, But I do have pics of what came out.

Funny story about the whole luck thing: I had the GTA picked up and towed to Maaco, And the guy didn't use ANY straps on it.

As you can guess, On the way there he went to go through an intersection and the car bouced right off the dolly.

Me and the former owner were following him and saw the whole thing, And he jumped out of the car and was more pissed than I was! It was kind of funny watching him flip out on the driver though.

It all worked out because maaco fixed the damage caused by it for free and the tow was free too.

svxistentialist · #14 07-11-2007, 10:35 AM

You should strongly consider the very rare SVX colour Graphite Metallic. The code is 222, you will find the paint is available.

It would work OK with black doorshuts and under hood paint, because it is so dark, most people think it is black.

Up close, that colour is beautiful.

Have a look at a graphite car Here
between two blacks, and also here closer up.

It will be a colour change that will not look like a colour change to those in the know.

Joe

techy101 · #15 07-12-2007, 09:54 PM

Never Ever again will anyone be able to say "I didn't hear you honk"

I just installed a set of 118dB Hella Supertone Horns in place of the wussy stock ones.

they're loud!