questions for those who painted their own car

['87CrownMenace]

im plannin on painting mi kar jet black and i just wanted to kno...how long it took(after body work was done)...what paint u used...how much did it cost...and did you used a professional booth to bake? i jus dont want to spend a fortune on gettin mi kar painted kuz mi job sucks lol thanx

[boXman]

Prep it and drop it off at maaco. Prepping is usally the only part they suck at.

[LTDMan83]

Really,you just have to decide how good of a paintjob your looking to get.Maaco has some skilled people at certain locations,it's just the majority of them that suck,and have people working there who really could care less about quality paintjobs.It's all about finding the maaco in your area that has the best reputation for doing a good job.Also keep in mind that even at maaco,a good paintjob,be it a quality single stage enamel,or a urethane base/clear,will still be in the $600-$1100 range.

The base package they have which I think is called the "Ambassador Service" for $300 is nothing more than a "bottom of the barrel", extremely cheap single stage enamel,which even if it does last more than a couple years without cracking or flaking off,will fade very rapidly in direct sunlight,and you will have a Dark Grey car before you know it.The paint business is one in that you ONLY get what you pay for and nothing more.

I choose to go the hard route of prep'ing and painting My Car,Myself,strictly because I actually care about the car (unlike the person who would otherwise be spraying it).Mainly,I know if I do the job myself it will be done right,because I will take as much time as is required to make sure it's done as flawlessly as possible,unlike the professional painter who has many jobs to do that day,and is trying to get it done as fast as possible.

Prep for paint is by far the hardest part of painting a car,I have been slowly getting mine prep'ed for about 5 months now,but I have to work alot so I don't have much time,and I am extremely cynical about bodywork,everything has to be perfect before I commit to paint.


For all the questions and answers you could possibly ever need about painting and bodywork,go here:Link

[Grand Marquis GT]

Yeah those scuff and shoot places are GREAT at spraying.

They just suck at everythings else I know, I worked in one.. I was "too slow for them"...

[JumboFriendly]

Like almost everyone will tell you, prep it yourself. Even then, it won't be cheap. If you need any bodywork, either plan to spend a lot teaching yourself how to do it, or plan to spend a lot getting someone else to do it for you. Black is the worst about showing bodywork imperfections, so you may want to reconsider your choice of color if your body isn't already pretty straight.

[gadget73]

if it ain't right, paint it white.

[Grand Marquis GT]

Black is worth it, if it's done right, in my opinion...

[LTDMan83]

Black is definitely worth it,just a little overdone.

[P72Ford]

It took me nearly four months (off/on) to paint my car and do the body work. One thing about painting a car black... the body has to be really good and straight or else it looks like schnitt. Black shows all waves and issues with the body work. If you prep the car, take your time and go over all the little dings. It helps to have someone who has done bodywork with you if you're a first timer. As far as Maaco is concerned... in my opinion they do horrendous work. My brothers car was painted there and it is downright bad. We did the prep too. The paint is soft (painted 4 yrs ago) and never really developed a nice shine. If you're going with Maaco, buy good paint and ask them to use it. My car was prepped by me, and then a friend of mine shot it in his booth. It was a shame because the paint I used was starting to spoil. It looks good tho. In retrospect, I would have painted it white!

[CheeseSteakJim]

It took me nearly four months (off/on) to paint my car and do the body work. One thing about painting a car black... the body has to be really good and straight or else it looks like schnitt. Black shows all waves and issues with the body work. If you prep the car, take your time and go over all the little dings. It helps to have someone who has done bodywork with you if you're a first timer. As far as Maaco is concerned... in my opinion they do horrendous work. My brothers car was painted there and it is downright bad. We did the prep too. The paint is soft (painted 4 yrs ago) and never really developed a nice shine. If you're going with Maaco, buy good paint and ask them to use it. My car was prepped by me, and then a friend of mine shot it in his booth. It was a shame because the paint I used was starting to spoil. It looks good tho. In retrospect, I would have painted it white!

Can your friend shoot mine too? I live in Granby.

[P72Ford]

My friend is no longer my friend (this was 3 yrs ago). We kind of lost touch, and he no longer works in the local body shop. CheeseSteak Jim, ever make it out to Marks's Auto parts in East Granby for a cruise on Monday nights?

[CheeseSteakJim]

My friend is no longer my friend (this was 3 yrs ago). We kind of lost touch, and he no longer works in the local body shop. CheeseSteak Jim, ever make it out to Marks's Auto parts in East Granby for a cruise on Monday nights?

Yep, quite a few times. I live 10 minutes away from Mark's Autoparts. I put my car in it on opening day last year, if you were there. Light blue '88 Town Car. Looking to repaint it for cheap now that it's been in a nasty accident though. :p

[86VickyLX]

White's a good choice. Black will show any small imperfection. We used a place called Elmer's Autobody. They did a great job painting and detailing there.

[P72Ford]

Mark's is always a great show... only been a few times this year though. Don't recall seeing the 88'. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever been to the opening show.