Hey everyone! I tried some of your suggestions in the comments and have managed to fix both the paint on the mirrors and gotten the windshield barely noticeable. Thank you to everyone who provided these tips they were quite helpful. Thank you all for watching.
Id take that to my insurance if they scuffed your windshield and it was not there before the paint job thats annoyance . They should not scratch you windshield and then call it a day.
Could have saved your car from the accidents if you did some prep yourself. Trash bags tend to not let paint run through but some masking tape is made poorly and let's paint seep through. Entirely preventable if you just masked it off yourself.
That’s just a random worker error. What we should be focused on is paint quality…and from the video, if you don’t cheap out all the way, you should be fine going to them for a paint job.
It's easy to hit the windshield but the discount is why stuff like that happens. Anyone that has painted a car or a house or a room knows prep takes a ton of time and the avoidance of prep is why it's cheaper
I thought that company was out of business. But 8 years ago I got a Maaco repaint and it lasted 7 years before the clear coat started peeling on the edges on the passengers side doors. For what I paid I was satisfied.
@@Carlos.Rivera daily driver and outside. Though covered when not in use. I have a lot of cars. Switched cars almost everyday to keep the rotation going. Waxed every month with the other cars except during winter weather. At the end of Fall put 5 coats of wax to get through the season without washing because it is just too cold to do it.
What my cheap ass loves about macco is that they don't try to push you to upgrade your paint. If you say you want paint on it, they simply....put paint on it 👍
Maaco is great for what they specialize in, quick and affordable paint jobs. I've met some very competent and professional technicians that have worked for them. Obviously you aren't gonna bring the lambo there. But if you wanna slap some new paint on your daily driver and don't need anything fancy, they're a great option.
Couple of pointers. The paint in the mirrors, use Windex and a razor blade to take out. About the windshield, it might not be sanded but dry compound from the buffer. Try the same Windex with razor blade. If it is dried up compound, it will come off easily. If it is sanding marks, use 1,000, 1,200, 1,500, 2,000 and 3,000 grit wet sanding over it (it has to be wet sanding, not dry). Then use cutting compound with a wool pad and a buffer to polish it.
One thing worth mentioning is location matters greatly as well. Before you go to a Maazco make sure you research locations before taking your car in. There is a Maaco in a much more wealthy city in my state about 40 miles away from my house with perfect reviews but the Maaco nearest me has terrible reviews. If you're getting a paintjob it's worth commuting to make sure you're getting a good service. Paint jobs last, want to make sure they last as long as possible.
Remember that Maaco are franchised locations. The quality of the work will vary from store to store. However, some general guidelines apply here: 1. You get what you pay for. Do not expect a factory paint job from the cheapest place. 2. Prep Work, Prep Work, Prep Work! Where Maaco usually cuts most corners is when getting the car ready to paint. They will do the bare minimum based on what you paid, and nothing else. Detrim your car as much as you can. Take off anything that isnt supposed to be painted and that you dont want to be either painted or oversprayed. Mask off stuff you dont want painted too. It never hurts to start your own prep work just to ensure that it goes well. Remember, a paint job will only ever be as good as the prep work was. This is why you might also want to consider giving the car at least a brief first sanding before dropping it off to be painted.
I got the $1200 maaco job on one of my cars about 5 years ago. One thing to keep in mind is not every maaco is the same. I went to one with good reviews and I spoke with the owners and felt comfortable with them. I also saw some of their work and was impressed for the price. Now my color was Ford white so nothing hard. Overall I was very impressed in the end. In hindsight, I wish I would have done some more prep work like taking off the headlights and tail lights since the taping wasn’t the best.
Average paint job at a small shop will will you easily around $5,000 people need to stop complaining about $500-$1000 paint job that's done in a few days.
1200 considering they did a color change, and red at that, is an insanely good deal. I charge 2500 to respray and thats the same color, 3500 for a color change including the jams. The overspray on parts is forgivable but that windshield damage isn't at all, and they had to have known and just hoped you wouldn't say anything.
@@bwcafishingI know this is quite late, but if you happen to see this here you go: Just go down to your largest local dealership and ask for their paint guy. Most dealerships with 200-300 cars on the lot will have a mobile paint guy that comes and fixes damaged cars right on the lot for the dealerships. They will often gladly do personal vehicles at a significantly discounted rate for cash.
Top tips for people who wants a nice Maaco paint job. Remove all the parts off of your car, headlights, tail lights, emblems , trims etc...if you want great results. Otherwise they will mask these items. I had Maaco paint many of my projects and I often sand the areas that they often miss for good adhesion, sand with 400 grit wet sand with a pad or red scotch brite pad
@@bagginn door edges, door handles, headlight and tail light areas, etc. just imagine they use a 6 inch da sander for 99% of their prep. You should sand all the nook and cranny for proper adhesion. 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper or a red scotch brite pad works great. These are the common areas that fail because of poor adhesion.
I have experience as a painter . Ive done a few full restorations and realize that a good painter is a artist . Since retiring and moving to a place where I dont have a garage I have used Maaco Twice and spent about $1100 each time..... 6 years apart. The first was a Base + clear , the second was integrated clear . Different shops and different parts of the country. Both jobs were very good. Today i picked up my car that had a ding repaired on the front fender it cost $400 , I found that a bit high ,but it was paid for by my neighbor.
With Maaco being such a high volume shop, the painters have a lot of experience. Even though they’re not a premium option, that experience at least means a consistent decent quality.
If shop liability laws are the same in Florida as Texas, the shop is responsible for either buffing out the windshield marring or replacing it. That was straight up negligence on the shop's part. Please check with Maaco's manager or corporate team, you might be able to get that resolved at no charge to you. They should also owe you for transportation expenses during the vehicle is in the shop for corrective repairs.
Maacco is good depending where you go. My local macco has 4.5 stars over a few hundread reviews. But ultimately the layers of paint they use is thin. I had my mr2 painted the same factor color and is starting to peel at the edges where the windows and rubber pieces are. Other than that $900 is still what i paid for. Would i go this route again. Maybe. But i can't stomach too cough of $5000-$8000 to get it professionally painted when i dont have a garage to protect it.
Remember. If you’re unsatisfied with flaws, have them fix it. You aren’t paying for flaws. You’re paying for a uniform paint job. They will most likely fix the problem areas.
That was definitely the worst issue I had. Unfortunately I think they had me sign something before that freed them of damage liability so I was stuck with it.
@@running2redline those waivers dont hold up in court. You cant legally get rid of all liability with a waiver. They do it as its worth trying and most people wont even bothering filing a suit cause they are tricked into thinking they cant by the waiver.
The sanding scruffs on your windshield you may be able to get out with lacquer thinner and a buffing pad. More often than not the scuffing is them trying to remove clear coat overspray. The same can be done for the side view mirrors.
Do what I do if you don't have a custom color; find a color that you see on another vehicle and give that paint code to Maaco. That way you know what it looks like as a whole and in sunlight or at night.
You can do that as they do carry some brands OEM paints, or just ask them all of the brands they carry and they should have a booklet for each. But if you see a color you like on a OEM there’s a decent chance they can do it. This was at the one I went to so I can’t guarantee all are like that but it’s worth a shot for the money you save.
Nice! I think I'm going with them after a $6000 estimate from a buddy. I'm going to take as much trim off as I can. I figured my best job will be worst than their paint job!🤷🏼♂️
i am a cheap diy kinda guy. but I agree, in a lot of instances someone with experience will whip out a better job than I could my first go, even If I was putting a lot more effort into it.
you can literally use a paint scrapper from the 99 cent store and take off the paint from the side mirrors in seconds and for the sanding part on your front window it literally will take you 5 minutes to buff it out with a buffing machine and your front glass will make the thin scratches disappear like new.
Tell us what pad and compound to use. i work for a wood door place and when the DA or Orbital sander hits tempered glass, it's done, change it, no soup for you... one year.
@Slingbart typically the front glass window on all cars are not tempered the area laminated only the side windows and rear window and roof window are tempered.
The only thing I think you really have a legitimate complaint about is the sanding marks on your windshield. That to me is not acceptable,. Everything else looks terrific.
my $1299 paint job (1966 El Camino) took 3 months. And I had it totally stripped down as far as trim/ molding. Plenty of places where dust specs had settled in paint while it dried, but overall good. You get what you pay for.
I remember Earl Scheib in LA-- "$29.99, no ups, no extras." My buddy had his old '55 Ford repainted. They did it while we waited. The various chrome pieces were all individually masked (kinda) and by and large, you get what you pay for. Worked for him.
I've done two MACCO $249 special paint jobs over the years on severely faded paint and road rash on front bumpers on two Hondas. They were charcoal gray 88 4dr and red 97 4dr Honda Accords with +10yrs/+150,000 miles on them. Best bang for the buck paint jobs for a beater car you just want to spruce up a bit. Kept them both the same color and got the price I wanted when I sold them a few years later.
@@jponz85 I sold the 88 Honda Accord 2 years later and the paint job still looked good in the southwestern sun being parked outside 24/7. I handed down my 97 Accord to my niece a year later and she pretty much trash out the car less than a year after that. Both cars still looked better that having faded paint with the Macco paint job.
$1200 isn’t bad, but the car I need painted (old Camaro) would need some body work. I question what their capability and quality of bodywork is like (i.e just a ton of Bondo). I imagine the $1200 is for a very straight body.
Yes my $1200 was for pure paint no bodywork. So not only am I unsure what they would charge but I can’t attest to the bodywork quality either. Hope you still found this video helpful.
There's an age old saying, "You get what you pay for". What give Maaco such a questionable rep, is that most of the folks you see get paint jobs from them, are getting the most basic paint jobs. So that becomes Maaco's reputation. A LOT of folks fail to see that. If folks step up and pay for premium paint job, they'll cost as mush as anyone else. Now those are the stories I want to see more of
You definitely got a qualify paint job from the looks of up, but not removing all the masking, overspray on the mirrors not being removed and that horrible sanding scuffs in the front windshield is just carelessness. Completely unacceptable in any setting, budget or otherwise. It would have taken zero extra effort to avoid those mishaps. Luckily it's an easy fix, even to buff out the scratches in the front windshield, but still. Sloppy sloppy sloppy prep work.
Never do any body work before taking the car in as they will void your warranty but not disclose it. This happened to me in 1992 with my 82 Z28. Two years after the job was done all the paint started flaking off the car. The local Maaco in Tampa couldn’t get the PA Maaco to pay for the repair because I did a small area of bodywork in the headlight recess. My receipt said “Customer did own bodywork, not responsible for cracks”. That basically totaled my car as it required a full strip and repaint.
I respect you for keeping your cool they legitimately damage your windshield. But It doesn't matter if they are budget they should respect your vehicle better. EDIT good video.
Those sand marks are an easy fix ..no need to change it ..can even get the stuff at harbor freight. Not that you should have to , that would never have left our shop like that , .anyway just trying to help . That can be polished out
My suggestion is, if you are going to have them do the paint job. Pull all your lights off and do the tape job yourself. I agree with the other posts about the damaged windshield should be replaced by Maaco or they give a partial refund.
Macco quality is completely location dependent. 71st and Binford in Indianapolis does cheap paint jobs and high end work on cars like Porsche and Ferrari too. It’s just like any franchise.
The quality of a paint job at Maaco will vary depending on the skills and experience of the people at each location. Just like your mechanic. One place may have an excellent painter, but a poor prepper or taper. Another shop may have great preppers but a half blind over-caffeinated painter. It's all hit or miss. Best thing you can do is prep your vehicle as much as you can. Remove emblems, badging, and everything you are comfortable removing. You will end up wit a better paint job.
my buddy had a maaco job done like 15 years ago... they literally just washed the car and painted over the clear. its wild... open the doors, and the old paint color was still there
Unpainted door trims are normal. They can do it but it doubles the price, I chose not to get them paint. However if they went over the clear that’s horrendous. Definitely can ruin a car
Your not gonna get the same results from every Mayco shop . My land lord had his truck painted, the paint on the fenders was so thin you could see through it ,the paint on the back of the cab was so thick it looked like a water fall . He removed the tail light lenses, They painted the reflectors light bulbs and all . So research and talk to previous customers before trusting any paint shop.
Thanks for the review. Your presentation was excellent. Love your car color. I only need a hood repainted. The clear coat disintegrated. Wish me luck. This should be good.
The reason that they had you bring your car 3 weeks before they did any work on it was that once that they had your car, you were committed..it's an old tactic..if they had let you bring it in 3 weeks later, you had that 3 weeks to change your mind/find a cheaper/better paint shop..
I had them paint a 1966 T-Bird that I was restoring many years ago … like 1979😮 and the top of the line paint job (and they didn’t have clear coat then and I painted inside the doors and trunk and hood areas) was about $350 which at that time was a LOT😮… I had body work done at a body shop and the end result was a beautiful flat coating if enamel paint😢they repainted it after a month of curing and I got it back with a gloss finish. I removed all the chrome and bumpers and anything that would make their paint job easier and hopefully get a better result. The paint job was on a scale of 1-10 an 8. I also used Earl Schibe (SP) in the mid 60s to paint my 1953 Ford Convertible and color close to the factory color but not exactly. $29.95 was the cost😮
The maako guy who did ricer Miata's stuff seems pretty good. He basically said they can do cheap, but they can do expensive too if that's what you want.
I just got my Nissan Ultima paint it and originally they wanted 2700 with a five year warranty ended up giving me a deal for 2300 with a five year warranty and it came out nice up very happy with it
Several years ago my friend got the cheap enamel paint job from Maaco. What a mess! There was oil in their compressed air causing "fish eyes". Looked like there was too much paint on the car. Bad masking, drips and runs. He took it back twice, very little improvement.
as somebody who works in a body shop and bought a truck with a maaco paint job. i will NEVER take my truck there. So much extra sanding because they SUCK at prepping.
The amount of orange peel on the deck lid, the messed up windshield, the mirrors..... yeahhhhh I didn't want my mustang to be a show car but I refuse to have this quality on my 03 gt glad I watched this
Fully agreed. In my scenario the car has high miles and isn’t worth a whole lot to begin. A standard 5k paint job would be a third of the cost of the car so I figured I would give maaco a chance. 6 months later it’s holding up good and I’m content. Thanks for watching.
If u spend time have the body clean remove wax it will also help I paint my door jams under hood n trunk n body work let them spray the car remember I'm selling these. Cars. They can still paint it cheaper than I can buy the supplies as I no longer own a paint booth when you pic car up again get over spray off you are good to go but I really never had any over spray . In my neck of the woods when they started hiring Mexicans the paint jobs actually got better. I think I had three I was not satisfied with after over 40 yrs owning a car lot. You get what you pay for go with the middle option for your own personal driver. You will be happy
In FL also. I had a Nissan Cube for 10 years. Had the windshield replaced 11 times. Like #8 insurance sent a rep to make sure everything was above board. That windshield would crack if a bug hit it too hard was insane.
I painted my dodge Magnum in my driveway about 2 years ago. Not perfect. But im proud of it cause. I have never painted a car in my life 😂. And black at that and a car of that size. And paint hardener and clear coat. Around 400 bucks.
Which Maaco did you go too? I think I would look online for suggestions on the windshield damage, maybe call the windshield company you used to ask about ability to repair it - it may not cost that much to do - very interesting video, have a 99 Mustang in laser red, I believe - original paint job, lots of cracking on hood -
I went to the one in Sarasota Florida. The windshield was quite disappointing but otherwise the paint is solid. Glad you enjoyed the video thanks for watching!
If you have experience in auto body prep work.. and bring in a pre-prepped car (fully sanded and masked off yourself) and just need a place to shoot base and clear.. macco isn't a bad route to go 🤷
I thought the Maaco near was really good turns out they were. They did the Burgendy on my dad's E92 really well, it was also rather pricey. 1200 or so for a naked bumper. But it turned out to be quality work. Bunch of old guys working there.
Dude, I would have taken it back and made them fix that window! Its not like a little paint on something that was your window! anyway, glad you got it fixed.
This is ok for certain types of cars...also the price tiers coincide with different types of paint and paint quality...pretty sure the cheap and middle tier are a single stage paint
It used to be a decent bait and switch business. The 95 dollar offer pulled you in but you finished by taking the 800 dollar job anyway and it was good. I doubt that every Maco is the same.
i own a brz and noticed something. I see the mirrors got painted but the only part thats supposed to be painted is the cap. thats all. im not sure if you requested differently but the painted right over black trim and didnt tape if off. other than the sanding marks and the mirrors not shabby for 1200
Good eye. That is exactly what Happened. I did not ask them to paint over the two tone but they did. I was okay with it though as I actually liked it better. Thanks for watching.
Seeing quotes of ~$300 for a brz windshield replacement glass, that’s insane that it’s just an “oh well🤷🏻♂️” i think the important mention of a maaco paintjob is at what distance does it look “good”? I’ve seen the low tier, inside 20ft from the car you see the blemishes, the sanding marks, the dullness. In the higher ones, you’re seeing clear coat inconsistencies where it’s too thin in main areas, runs, overspray on trim and glass. There’s only two instances you’d want a maaco job, you’re purposely deceiving a potential buyer with just pictures to complete a sale, or you have a drift/track car. I’d never recommend their work, no one needs a paintjob that bad, and when you actually do have enough to correct it with a quality job, it’s going to cost more to reverse their work.
So firstly, I live in a state where you can claim one windshield annually on your insurance free of charge or consequence. That is what I did and didn’t pay a dime. That explains my attitude to it. The third situation it is viable for is that your stock paint is so bad that nothing could be worse and if you have ever owned a Subaru you know this to be the case. Maybe I got lucky but the paint itself looks good from very close and had held up far better than stock in months since. Not saying it’s for everyone but in my situation I’m still glad I did it half a year later. Hopefully this clarifies things. Thanks for watching.
Thank you for providing this video. It was extremely informative and helpful. I am in exactly the same situation and this may fit my needs. Just curious, since you are/were in Florida. I am reading this in April of 2024 . . . . how has the paint held up to the heat and ocean air? I am in South Carolina . . . . . with a similar environment.
It held very well for the following year that i owned the car with absolutely zero signs of issue. However I sold the car awhile back so I cannot attest to its current state
Tbf, not having the door jams done looks better imo, but I like that darker gray. I am interested in how long the clearcoats last though. Still looks good for how "inexpensive" it is.
Great video. I live in Hernando County and work in Tampa, but don't need a paint job at the moment. That said, it is great to know that the Maaco in Sarasota does good work. 👍
i blasted my dads car with my 1500 psi pressure washer at 45 degrees while about 2 feet away and it ripped off the maaco paint. but hopefully they did better with yours
I only owned the car about 10 months after painting but by the time I sold it things looked as good as they did when I picked it up, no issues. Also yes it was in that area
It sounds like an Earl Scheib $39.00 any car paint. How much was the first Earl Scheib paint job? Cars We Remember: Reader recalls Earl Scheib paint centers ... He initially started his ads at $19.95 for a complete paint job, then $29.95 and then the price went up as the years went by. He even offered “medium” and “premium” paint jobs for additional money.Jan 17, 20 Or Cal Worthington and his dog spot. he is funny, worth looking up for humor.
Man if $1,200 is cheap for a paint job I'm screwed I literally know nothing about the cost of painting a car but that's a lot at least for what I'm trying to do all the clear coat is gone on one side of my car just want to protect it from continuing to do that
You may be able to look for a shop that would do a clear coat only known as Xcote. I just had that done to my Miata for 800 (similar situation) and it looks brand new. Unfortunately body and paint work is really expensive, best of luck!
Winshield... no way. They fla-tout caused physical damage to your car by scratching up that windshield and they owe you a new one. Otherwise, I'd say you definitely got your money's worth. The big question is, in 2-3-4 years, did it hold up? Did it peel and if so, did they honor the warranty? Those are the things that I would mostly worry about with a place like Maaco.
I actually sold the car about 8 months after this, so unfortunately I couldn’t properly answer many of those questions. It’s worth noting the paint still held up great for that period of time. Overall, it’s definitely somewhat of a risk if you want a really high quality job but I do believe it’s possible, just seems to depend on location and luck. Thanks for watching!
Sanding on the window has nothing to do with the brand. That's a location specific shop thing. Careless worker. I had two cars done there. And with maaco it always depends on location. Some are better then others.
Hey everyone! I tried some of your suggestions in the comments and have managed to fix both the paint on the mirrors and gotten the windshield barely noticeable. Thank you to everyone who provided these tips they were quite helpful. Thank you all for watching.
Id take that to my insurance if they scuffed your windshield and it was not there before the paint job thats annoyance . They should not scratch you windshield and then call it a day.
Could have saved your car from the accidents if you did some prep yourself. Trash bags tend to not let paint run through but some masking tape is made poorly and let's paint seep through. Entirely preventable if you just masked it off yourself.
So what did you do?
@Hank Hill I wanna know too. I heard nail remover does the job
@@likeablecloud2454 I probably could have eliminated some, however my guess is the sanding my windshield part may have been inevitable.
I get it being an cheaper alternative but scratching the windshield is insane.
For real! Overspray and left behind tape is fine but damage to the windshield either requires a partial refund or they need to pay for the damage.
Yup, a sanded windshield is a deal-breaker.,
I hear ya, but isn't polishing glass just like a few minutes with a small buffer using like 1000 grit sandpaper? Not the end of the world.
That’s just a random worker error. What we should be focused on is paint quality…and from the video, if you don’t cheap out all the way, you should be fine going to them for a paint job.
It's easy to hit the windshield but the discount is why stuff like that happens. Anyone that has painted a car or a house or a room knows prep takes a ton of time and the avoidance of prep is why it's cheaper
The disc burns on the windshield are outrageous!
You misspelled "dick".
Wow you thought of that all by yourself?
@@ohguy1991 you're welcome
I know this was ducking retardee lol
They could've just taken a razor blade + solvent to scrape the paint off the glass... those guys aren't so bright
I thought that company was out of business. But 8 years ago I got a Maaco repaint and it lasted 7 years before the clear coat started peeling on the edges on the passengers side doors. For what I paid I was satisfied.
What you pay
@@UnderCrownkings don’t remember exactly but I know it was less than $700
@@isuzuaxiom9576 goo damn deal
Did the car was daily driver? Sleep outside? Where you live?
@@Carlos.Rivera daily driver and outside. Though covered when not in use. I have a lot of cars. Switched cars almost everyday to keep the rotation going. Waxed every month with the other cars except during winter weather. At the end of Fall put 5 coats of wax to get through the season without washing because it is just too cold to do it.
What my cheap ass loves about macco is that they don't try to push you to upgrade your paint. If you say you want paint on it, they simply....put paint on it 👍
Porsche flag, Porsche hat, Subaru BRZ with a Maaco paint job. My kind of value dude, nice review!
Maaco is great for what they specialize in, quick and affordable paint jobs. I've met some very competent and professional technicians that have worked for them. Obviously you aren't gonna bring the lambo there. But if you wanna slap some new paint on your daily driver and don't need anything fancy, they're a great option.
That pretty much is spot on for the experience I had. Thanks for watching
Hoovies garage had his Lamborghini murcielago painted at maaco, its on youtube
Couple of pointers. The paint in the mirrors, use Windex and a razor blade to take out. About the windshield, it might not be sanded but dry compound from the buffer. Try the same Windex with razor blade. If it is dried up compound, it will come off easily. If it is sanding marks, use 1,000, 1,200, 1,500, 2,000 and 3,000 grit wet sanding over it (it has to be wet sanding, not dry). Then use cutting compound with a wool pad and a buffer to polish it.
Make sure the razor blades are brand new.
0000 grade steel wool and a bucket of soapy water like you would do dishes in also works wonders on overspray!
All tricks of the trade
I’ll be honest. Aside from the sand marks on the window shield, I think it looks great.
One thing worth mentioning is location matters greatly as well. Before you go to a Maazco make sure you research locations before taking your car in. There is a Maaco in a much more wealthy city in my state about 40 miles away from my house with perfect reviews but the Maaco nearest me has terrible reviews. If you're getting a paintjob it's worth commuting to make sure you're getting a good service. Paint jobs last, want to make sure they last as long as possible.
Problem is how do i get back after dropping the car off.
Remember that Maaco are franchised locations. The quality of the work will vary from store to store.
However, some general guidelines apply here:
1. You get what you pay for. Do not expect a factory paint job from the cheapest place.
2. Prep Work, Prep Work, Prep Work! Where Maaco usually cuts most corners is when getting the car ready to paint. They will do the bare minimum based on what you paid, and nothing else. Detrim your car as much as you can. Take off anything that isnt supposed to be painted and that you dont want to be either painted or oversprayed. Mask off stuff you dont want painted too. It never hurts to start your own prep work just to ensure that it goes well. Remember, a paint job will only ever be as good as the prep work was. This is why you might also want to consider giving the car at least a brief first sanding before dropping it off to be painted.
Would you consider washing the car prior to a paint job as prep work?
I got the $1200 maaco job on one of my cars about 5 years ago. One thing to keep in mind is not every maaco is the same. I went to one with good reviews and I spoke with the owners and felt comfortable with them. I also saw some of their work and was impressed for the price. Now my color was Ford white so nothing hard. Overall I was very impressed in the end. In hindsight, I wish I would have done some more prep work like taking off the headlights and tail lights since the taping wasn’t the best.
Average paint job at a small shop will will you easily around $5,000 people need to stop complaining about $500-$1000 paint job that's done in a few days.
1200 considering they did a color change, and red at that, is an insanely good deal. I charge 2500 to respray and thats the same color, 3500 for a color change including the jams.
The overspray on parts is forgivable but that windshield damage isn't at all, and they had to have known and just hoped you wouldn't say anything.
Any recommendations for finding independent paint techs like yourself in other states?
@@bwcafishingI know this is quite late, but if you happen to see this here you go:
Just go down to your largest local dealership and ask for their paint guy. Most dealerships with 200-300 cars on the lot will have a mobile paint guy that comes and fixes damaged cars right on the lot for the dealerships. They will often gladly do personal vehicles at a significantly discounted rate for cash.
Top tips for people who wants a nice Maaco paint job. Remove all the parts off of your car, headlights, tail lights, emblems , trims etc...if you want great results. Otherwise they will mask these items. I had Maaco paint many of my projects and I often sand the areas that they often miss for good adhesion, sand with 400 grit wet sand with a pad or red scotch brite pad
What would be some common areas that you would sand ?
@@bagginn door edges, door handles, headlight and tail light areas, etc. just imagine they use a 6 inch da sander for 99% of their prep. You should sand all the nook and cranny for proper adhesion. 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper or a red scotch brite pad works great. These are the common areas that fail because of poor adhesion.
@@brucewayne2773 Thank you!
@@Xanthro2 👍
I have experience as a painter . Ive done a few full restorations and realize that a good painter is a artist . Since retiring and moving to a place where I dont have a garage I have used Maaco Twice and spent about $1100 each time..... 6 years apart. The first was a Base + clear , the second was integrated clear . Different shops and different parts of the country. Both jobs were very good.
Today i picked up my car that had a ding repaired on the front fender it cost $400 , I found that a bit high ,but it was paid for by my neighbor.
What a nice neighbor! I wish I had neighbors like that. we should all try to be good neighbors.
With Maaco being such a high volume shop, the painters have a lot of experience. Even though they’re not a premium option, that experience at least means a consistent decent quality.
Get some glass polish mate and give the windscreen a buff. Those sanding marks will come out
If shop liability laws are the same in Florida as Texas, the shop is responsible for either buffing out the windshield marring or replacing it. That was straight up negligence on the shop's part. Please check with Maaco's manager or corporate team, you might be able to get that resolved at no charge to you. They should also owe you for transportation expenses during the vehicle is in the shop for corrective repairs.
It was thankfully replaced free of charge
Maacco is good depending where you go. My local macco has 4.5 stars over a few hundread reviews. But ultimately the layers of paint they use is thin. I had my mr2 painted the same factor color and is starting to peel at the edges where the windows and rubber pieces are. Other than that $900 is still what i paid for. Would i go this route again. Maybe. But i can't stomach too cough of $5000-$8000 to get it professionally painted when i dont have a garage to protect it.
Had the paint job for 5 years now
Yeah really depends on who’s doing it. Maaco is a hit or miss
Remember. If you’re unsatisfied with flaws, have them fix it. You aren’t paying for flaws. You’re paying for a uniform paint job. They will most likely fix the problem areas.
They would have definitely changed my windshield I’m sure they have insurance too
That was definitely the worst issue I had. Unfortunately I think they had me sign something before that freed them of damage liability so I was stuck with it.
I would just set their place on fire and call it fair.
@@running2redline those waivers dont hold up in court. You cant legally get rid of all liability with a waiver. They do it as its worth trying and most people wont even bothering filing a suit cause they are tricked into thinking they cant by the waiver.
@@Ooshwink82 thats right. i been to civil court for 600, 800$. All you need is an address and serve them
The sanding scruffs on your windshield you may be able to get out with lacquer thinner and a buffing pad. More often than not the scuffing is them trying to remove clear coat overspray. The same can be done for the side view mirrors.
Do what I do if you don't have a custom color; find a color that you see on another vehicle and give that paint code to Maaco. That way you know what it looks like as a whole and in sunlight or at night.
You can do that as they do carry some brands OEM paints, or just ask them all of the brands they carry and they should have a booklet for each. But if you see a color you like on a OEM there’s a decent chance they can do it. This was at the one I went to so I can’t guarantee all are like that but it’s worth a shot for the money you save.
Nice! I think I'm going with them after a $6000 estimate from a buddy. I'm going to take as much trim off as I can. I figured my best job will be worst than their paint job!🤷🏼♂️
Paint cost more then labor
i am a cheap diy kinda guy. but I agree, in a lot of instances someone with experience will whip out a better job than I could my first go, even If I was putting a lot more effort into it.
you can literally use a paint scrapper from the 99 cent store and take off the paint from the side mirrors in seconds and for the sanding part on your front window it literally will take you 5 minutes to buff it out with a buffing machine and your front glass will make the thin scratches disappear like new.
Tell us what pad and compound to use.
i work for a wood door place and when the DA or Orbital sander hits tempered glass, it's done, change it, no soup for you... one year.
@Slingbart typically the front glass window on all cars are not tempered the area laminated only the side windows and rear window and roof window are tempered.
The only thing I think you really have a legitimate complaint about is the sanding marks on your windshield. That to me is not acceptable,. Everything else looks terrific.
Fully agree. Thanks for watching!
Use #0000 steel wool on the paint left on the glass.
Go Hogs!
my $1299 paint job (1966 El Camino) took 3 months. And I had it totally stripped down as far as trim/ molding. Plenty of places where dust specs had settled in paint while it dried, but overall good. You get what you pay for.
I remember Earl Scheib in LA-- "$29.99, no ups, no extras." My buddy had his old '55 Ford repainted. They did it while we waited. The various chrome pieces were all individually masked (kinda) and by and large, you get what you pay for. Worked for him.
I got my pick up truck painted by Macco in 1985 . I was very pleased with their work then and I’m hoping to get my VW beetle done soon.
the sanding marks on windshield are unacceptable in my opinion. I would not be ok with that.
I've done two MACCO $249 special paint jobs over the years on severely faded paint and road rash on front bumpers on two Hondas. They were charcoal gray 88 4dr and red 97 4dr Honda Accords with +10yrs/+150,000 miles on them. Best bang for the buck paint jobs for a beater car you just want to spruce up a bit. Kept them both the same color and got the price I wanted when I sold them a few years later.
How long did that $249 special paint job deal last you?
@@jponz85 I sold the 88 Honda Accord 2 years later and the paint job still looked good in the southwestern sun being parked outside 24/7. I handed down my 97 Accord to my niece a year later and she pretty much trash out the car less than a year after that. Both cars still looked better that having faded paint with the Macco paint job.
$1200 isn’t bad, but the car I need painted (old Camaro) would need some body work. I question what their capability and quality of bodywork is like (i.e just a ton of Bondo). I imagine the $1200 is for a very straight body.
Yes my $1200 was for pure paint no bodywork. So not only am I unsure what they would charge but I can’t attest to the bodywork quality either. Hope you still found this video helpful.
bro you are too calm and understanding for how many things they messed up
There's an age old saying, "You get what you pay for". What give Maaco such a questionable rep, is that most of the folks you see get paint jobs from them, are getting the most basic paint jobs. So that becomes Maaco's reputation. A LOT of folks fail to see that. If folks step up and pay for premium paint job, they'll cost as mush as anyone else. Now those are the stories I want to see more of
From what I hear, if you stick to the urethane, they're usually pretty good...
Fine steel wool and razor blades to take care of overspray brother.
You definitely got a qualify paint job from the looks of up, but not removing all the masking, overspray on the mirrors not being removed and that horrible sanding scuffs in the front windshield is just carelessness. Completely unacceptable in any setting, budget or otherwise. It would have taken zero extra effort to avoid those mishaps. Luckily it's an easy fix, even to buff out the scratches in the front windshield, but still. Sloppy sloppy sloppy prep work.
That's why it's $1200 bucks, you can not make money at that price without doing a half ass rush job.
Never do any body work before taking the car in as they will void your warranty but not disclose it. This happened to me in 1992 with my 82 Z28. Two years after the job was done all the paint started flaking off the car. The local Maaco in Tampa couldn’t get the PA Maaco to pay for the repair because I did a small area of bodywork in the headlight recess. My receipt said “Customer did own bodywork, not responsible for cracks”. That basically totaled my car as it required a full strip and repaint.
to remove over spray use 000 steel wool with buffing compound rub lightly by hand!
I respect you for keeping your cool they legitimately damage your windshield. But It doesn't matter if they are budget they should respect your vehicle better. EDIT good video.
Agreed there was definitely room for improvement. Thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed.
Those sand marks are an easy fix ..no need to change it ..can even get the stuff at harbor freight. Not that you should have to , that would never have left our shop like that , .anyway just trying to help . That can be polished out
I’ll definitely look into solutions. Thank you
My suggestion is, if you are going to have them do the paint job. Pull all your lights off and do the tape job yourself. I agree with the other posts about the damaged windshield should be replaced by Maaco or they give a partial refund.
Fuck that shit just go to a good paint shop
Macco quality is completely location dependent. 71st and Binford in Indianapolis does cheap paint jobs and high end work on cars like Porsche and Ferrari too. It’s just like any franchise.
I’ve had 3 cars painted at that location they are great I have no complaints they’ll be paying my next car in a few months
You can fix the windscreen with cerium oxide. This is glass polish.
The quality of a paint job at Maaco will vary depending on the skills and experience of the people at each location. Just like your mechanic. One place may have an excellent painter, but a poor prepper or taper. Another shop may have great preppers but a half blind over-caffeinated painter. It's all hit or miss. Best thing you can do is prep your vehicle as much as you can. Remove emblems, badging, and everything you are comfortable removing. You will end up wit a better paint job.
Nailed it, completely agree
my buddy had a maaco job done like 15 years ago... they literally just washed the car and painted over the clear. its wild... open the doors, and the old paint color was still there
Unpainted door trims are normal. They can do it but it doubles the price, I chose not to get them paint. However if they went over the clear that’s horrendous. Definitely can ruin a car
Your not gonna get the same results from every Mayco shop .
My land lord had his truck painted, the paint on the fenders was so thin you could see through it ,the paint on the back of the cab was so thick it looked like a water fall .
He removed the tail light lenses,
They painted the reflectors light bulbs and all .
So research and talk to previous customers before trusting any paint shop.
Thanks for the review. Your presentation was excellent. Love your car color. I only need a hood repainted. The clear coat disintegrated. Wish me luck. This should be good.
Thanks for watching and good luck!
The reason that they had you bring your car 3 weeks before they did any work on it was that once that they had your car, you were committed..it's an old tactic..if they had let you bring it in 3 weeks later, you had that 3 weeks to change your mind/find a cheaper/better paint shop..
As long as the prep is done right, Maaco is perfect for a project/daily
I had them paint a 1966 T-Bird that I was restoring many years ago … like 1979😮 and the top of the line paint job (and they didn’t have clear coat then and I painted inside the doors and trunk and hood areas) was about $350 which at that time was a LOT😮… I had body work done at a body shop and the end result was a beautiful flat coating if enamel paint😢they repainted it after a month of curing and I got it back with a gloss finish. I removed all the chrome and bumpers and anything that would make their paint job easier and hopefully get a better result. The paint job was on a scale of 1-10 an 8. I also used Earl Schibe (SP) in the mid 60s to paint my 1953 Ford Convertible and color close to the factory color but not exactly. $29.95 was the cost😮
That sounds like an awesome project, glad it turned out well!
The maako guy who did ricer Miata's stuff seems pretty good. He basically said they can do cheap, but they can do expensive too if that's what you want.
Maaco where I live costs like $1500-$2500, that's not cheap for me.
It definitely seems to vary on location. I agree that price is approaching just going to a professional shop
A sanded windshield is NOT a small thing. Paint can be scraped off, but sanding marks are forever.
Thankfully I was able to get the windshield replaced at no cost, but it was inconvenient to deal with
I'd like some fresh paint but I don't know how to go about assembling a checklist to be able to start my car..
I just got my Nissan Ultima paint it and originally they wanted 2700 with a five year warranty ended up giving me a deal for 2300 with a five year warranty and it came out nice up very happy with it
Congrats that sounds like a solid deal. Five year warranty will go a long way too, best of luck with it!
I also have an asphalt grey 86 I'm having painted by Maaco. Thanks for the video!
Good luck. Hopefully you end up liking it as much as I did. Thanks for watching and nice car!
Several years ago my friend got the cheap enamel paint job from Maaco. What a mess! There was oil in their compressed air causing "fish eyes". Looked like there was too much paint on the car. Bad masking, drips and runs. He took it back twice, very little improvement.
You just color sand it- micro grit sand paper and water
Looks like the metallic red that came on 1st gen Lancers and other Mitsubishi's in the early 00's
as somebody who works in a body shop and bought a truck with a maaco paint job. i will NEVER take my truck there. So much extra sanding because they SUCK at prepping.
Interesting, I wonder if doing prep yourself and having them just paint would be a better method
The amount of orange peel on the deck lid, the messed up windshield, the mirrors..... yeahhhhh I didn't want my mustang to be a show car but I refuse to have this quality on my 03 gt glad I watched this
Glad it was of help
After watching this I’d say it’s Best place for a drift/race/drag car in my opinion. no need to go all out when it can get beat up
Fully agreed. In my scenario the car has high miles and isn’t worth a whole lot to begin. A standard 5k paint job would be a third of the cost of the car so I figured I would give maaco a chance. 6 months later it’s holding up good and I’m content. Thanks for watching.
Should have just bought some vinyl wrap for a few hundred dollars. Went online and found someone that could do the job in a few hours
If u spend time have the body clean remove wax it will also help I paint my door jams under hood n trunk n body work let them spray the car remember I'm selling these. Cars. They can still paint it cheaper than I can buy the supplies as I no longer own a paint booth when you pic car up again get over spray off you are good to go but I really never had any over spray . In my neck of the woods when they started hiring Mexicans the paint jobs actually got better. I think I had three I was not satisfied with after over 40 yrs owning a car lot. You get what you pay for go with the middle option for your own personal driver. You will be happy
In FL also. I had a Nissan Cube for 10 years. Had the windshield replaced 11 times. Like #8 insurance sent a rep to make sure everything was above board. That windshield would crack if a bug hit it too hard was insane.
The car looks great but the damage to windshield looks terrible. They should have replaced it for free. ❤ Thanks for the review.
It was replaced at no cost thankfully
I got a Marco paint job when I first started driving... I pulled the pine needles out of the paint on the tailgate for a while after getting it home
I painted my dodge Magnum in my driveway about 2 years ago. Not perfect. But im proud of it cause. I have never painted a car in my life 😂. And black at that and a car of that size. And paint hardener and clear coat. Around 400 bucks.
Pretty impressive stuff glad to hear it turned out well.
Which Maaco did you go too? I think I would look online for suggestions on the windshield damage, maybe call the windshield company you used to ask about ability to repair it - it may not cost that much to do - very interesting video, have a 99 Mustang in laser red, I believe - original paint job, lots of cracking on hood -
I went to the one in Sarasota Florida. The windshield was quite disappointing but otherwise the paint is solid. Glad you enjoyed the video thanks for watching!
If you have experience in auto body prep work.. and bring in a pre-prepped car (fully sanded and masked off yourself) and just need a place to shoot base and clear.. macco isn't a bad route to go 🤷
Can’t agree more, it seems the more prep you do yourself the better your results would be. Thanks for watching!
I thought the Maaco near was really good turns out they were. They did the Burgendy on my dad's E92 really well, it was also rather pricey. 1200 or so for a naked bumper. But it turned out to be quality work. Bunch of old guys working there.
maaco is a gamble you never know what your going to get
Very true. Depends on location too for sure.
you could put resin in those windshield scratches
I got an Earl Sheib $800 paint job on my maroon '91 Toyota 22RE pickup and it looked nice with wax jobs every 6 months, for 10 years.
That sounds awesome. Deal of the decade right there.
Dude, I would have taken it back and made them fix that window! Its not like a little paint on something that was your window! anyway, glad you got it fixed.
This is ok for certain types of cars...also the price tiers coincide with different types of paint and paint quality...pretty sure the cheap and middle tier are a single stage paint
Fair enough evaluation; but why is there always some minor points they miss or screw up ?? Otherwise a great concise video !!!
It used to be a decent bait and switch business. The 95 dollar offer pulled you in but you finished by taking the 800 dollar job anyway and it was good. I doubt that every Maco is the same.
From what I’ve heard location can make a huge difference
i own a brz and noticed something. I see the mirrors got painted but the only part thats supposed to be painted is the cap. thats all. im not sure if you requested differently but the painted right over black trim and didnt tape if off. other than the sanding marks and the mirrors not shabby for 1200
Good eye. That is exactly what Happened. I did not ask them to paint over the two tone but they did. I was okay with it though as I actually liked it better. Thanks for watching.
My experience with them was great, it took them 2 days to finish and by the 3rd day I was driving my car back home :(
Not all Maaco's are the same so it's a gamble.
Paint jobs often look great from 10ft and beyond but I'm sure you'll find imperfections up close.
I dont have ta worry about this, im 13 and drive a Varla electric scooter
I got a Maaco paint job on my Suburban 17 years ago for $425 , I did all the body work , stills looks ..wax it once a year
Aren’t they liable for damaging your windshield?
It was replaced for free, all good
Seeing quotes of ~$300 for a brz windshield replacement glass, that’s insane that it’s just an “oh well🤷🏻♂️”
i think the important mention of a maaco paintjob is at what distance does it look “good”? I’ve seen the low tier, inside 20ft from the car you see the blemishes, the sanding marks, the dullness. In the higher ones, you’re seeing clear coat inconsistencies where it’s too thin in main areas, runs, overspray on trim and glass.
There’s only two instances you’d want a maaco job, you’re purposely deceiving a potential buyer with just pictures to complete a sale, or you have a drift/track car.
I’d never recommend their work, no one needs a paintjob that bad, and when you actually do have enough to correct it with a quality job, it’s going to cost more to reverse their work.
So firstly, I live in a state where you can claim one windshield annually on your insurance free of charge or consequence. That is what I did and didn’t pay a dime. That explains my attitude to it.
The third situation it is viable for is that your stock paint is so bad that nothing could be worse and if you have ever owned a Subaru you know this to be the case. Maybe I got lucky but the paint itself looks good from very close and had held up far better than stock in months since.
Not saying it’s for everyone but in my situation I’m still glad I did it half a year later.
Hopefully this clarifies things. Thanks for watching.
@@running2redline oh, boss I meant their solution for the window, not yours, you handled it well, but you shouldn’t have had to deal with that at all.
FYI paint comes off of glass with a razor blade. Not a problem.
That trick fixed the mirrors, the windshield I just had replaced free of charge
Thank you for providing this video. It was extremely informative and helpful. I am in exactly the same situation and this may fit my needs. Just curious, since you are/were in Florida. I am reading this in April of 2024 . . . . how has the paint held up to the heat and ocean air? I am in South Carolina . . . . . with a similar environment.
It held very well for the following year that i owned the car with absolutely zero signs of issue. However I sold the car awhile back so I cannot attest to its current state
Tbf, not having the door jams done looks better imo, but I like that darker gray.
I am interested in how long the clearcoats last though.
Still looks good for how "inexpensive" it is.
Thankfully the door jams did turn out nice, and the clear held up great for the year I had the car after this video. I’ve sold it now though
@@running2redline Ah, s'all good :D Thank you though for the update!
Great video. I live in Hernando County and work in Tampa, but don't need a paint job at the moment. That said, it is great to know that the Maaco in Sarasota does good work. 👍
And marks on a windshield shouldn't happen, but it can be fixed
Thankfully it was replaced for free
Use steel wool to get the paint off windows. And buff scratches out of the glass.
That’s exactly what I did but with a razor blade and it worked. Thanks for watchign
i blasted my dads car with my 1500 psi pressure washer at 45 degrees while about 2 feet away and it ripped off the maaco paint. but hopefully they did better with yours
Hi. Wondering how the paint is holding up couple uears later? I live in Venice, FL. Was the shop you used near me?
I only owned the car about 10 months after painting but by the time I sold it things looked as good as they did when I picked it up, no issues. Also yes it was in that area
It sounds like an Earl Scheib $39.00 any car paint. How much was the first Earl Scheib paint job?
Cars We Remember: Reader recalls Earl Scheib paint centers ...
He initially started his ads at $19.95 for a complete paint job, then $29.95 and then the price went up as the years went by. He even offered “medium” and “premium” paint jobs for additional money.Jan 17, 20 Or Cal Worthington and his dog spot. he is funny, worth looking up for humor.
I wouldn’t take $39 to spray paint a car, this guy is a hero
Man if $1,200 is cheap for a paint job I'm screwed I literally know nothing about the cost of painting a car but that's a lot at least for what I'm trying to do all the clear coat is gone on one side of my car just want to protect it from continuing to do that
You may be able to look for a shop that would do a clear coat only known as Xcote. I just had that done to my Miata for 800 (similar situation) and it looks brand new. Unfortunately body and paint work is really expensive, best of luck!
Winshield... no way. They fla-tout caused physical damage to your car by scratching up that windshield and they owe you a new one. Otherwise, I'd say you definitely got your money's worth. The big question is, in 2-3-4 years, did it hold up? Did it peel and if so, did they honor the warranty? Those are the things that I would mostly worry about with a place like Maaco.
I actually sold the car about 8 months after this, so unfortunately I couldn’t properly answer many of those questions. It’s worth noting the paint still held up great for that period of time. Overall, it’s definitely somewhat of a risk if you want a really high quality job but I do believe it’s possible, just seems to depend on location and luck. Thanks for watching!
Sanding on the window has nothing to do with the brand. That's a location specific shop thing. Careless worker. I had two cars done there. And with maaco it always depends on location. Some are better then others.
Uh-oh, I didn’t know Maaco still existed.
Windshield replacements are free in Florida?? Did not know that, how come?
I don’t know why, but I’m glad that’s the case