lookin to paint my car

[jrawk79]

Taking your car to maaco is like getting a tattoo from a homemade gun...
spend the time and money and get it done right !

[DatUtahGuy]

hmm. kinda scary because i am about do apply my first clearcoat this summer on my 318is. Why are first clear coats always so bad? what are some tips you can give me so i can get a near perfect clear coat the first time?

Thanks

I can answer with only the most basic response: you have to "feel it".

As absurd as that may sound, once you start applying the clear coat you will see how wet or dry is laying down, depending on what clearcoat you are using(I'm assuming a 4 to 1), it may be easier to get sags.

I would say, spray it wet. If it doesn't flow even(meaning it doesn't look like the final product when you are spraying it) then you need to go over it again a bit slower to apply more product.

Make sure you paint in a WELL LIT AREA. Can't stress that enough. Have plenty of light to get a good look at it from different angles, it should not have a rough texture but settle to a mirror-like finish.

Just remember, it's easier to fix a run or sag because you applied too much clear than to smooth out orange peel because you didn't get enough on there.

[iamsam]

yeah, as a fellow painter, I also remember my first clear coat: the complete opposite. Looked like an orange :D I was too scared of running it.

hmm. kinda scary because i am about do apply my first clearcoat this summer on my 318is. Why are first clear coats always so bad? what are some tips you can give me so i can get a near perfect clear coat the first time?

Thanks

[DatUtahGuy]

Haha yeah, this made me think of my first clear coating job, it looked like Niagra Falls.

yeah, as a fellow painter, I also remember my first clear coat: the complete opposite. Looked like an orange :D I was too scared of running it.

[iamsam]

As a matter of fact, the reason i am lurking in this paint and body section in the first place is that i am planning on painting my car original color myself this summer, and doing it right. Actually a bunch of us are going to. Me and my friend from school (username Finn) are seriously planning it. We are going to set up his garage as a pint booth, he has a giant compressor, and we need to buy the paint gun, paint, gas masks, and other things.

Monty, i noticed you paint cars for a living. As this is my first real paint job, i am doing alot of research to teach myself how to paint, and i have learned that reading books only gets you so far. I have alot of questions that i have formed about painting, and if you are interested in handing out some expertise, PM me.

[iamsam]

Yeah i have never heard anything good about Maaco. My brother got his Honda Accord painted there for around $300 if i remember right, and the paint started chipping off of one of his door handles pretty soon thereafter.

[dgdavidson]

Haha yeah, this made me think of my first clear coating job, it looked like Niagra Falls.

Haha. So does mine! Sigh, oh well.

[monty]

this man speaks truth.

98% is prep work. And then there's the clearcoat, also, not as easy as it sounds.

Haha yeah, this made me think of my first clear coating job, it looked like Niagra Falls.

[DatUtahGuy]

I paint cars for a living. You can ask any painter what the most important part of a paint job is and they will tell you the prep work. Doing the prep your self will not make the job any better than Maaco. People think "yeah I can sand it down and do the bondo and make it straight," but its easier said than done. You can train a monkey to pull the trigger and lay the paint but what really makes a good paint job is the prep work. To do a quality job it really takes a quality shop or person. Any questions pm me.

this man speaks truth.

98% is prep work. And then there's the clearcoat, also, not as easy as it sounds.

[monty]

I paint cars for a living. You can ask any painter what the most important part of a paint job is and they will tell you the prep work. Doing the prep your self will not make the job any better than Maaco. People think "yeah I can sand it down and do the bondo and make it straight," but its easier said than done. You can train a monkey to pull the trigger and lay the paint but what really makes a good paint job is the prep work. To do a quality job it really takes a quality shop or person. Any questions pm me.

[thereisnoyun]

^Wouldn't it be all the same though except for the clear if you did all the prep yourself? Hell, you could even provide them with your own paint right?

Not really, there is too many variables. A body guy can chime in on all the specifics.

yea I wouldnt take it to macco. If I prep all teh shit myself... I might as well get a gun and spray it myself. I think the most decent qoute is 2000 from a reputable shop, to repray my, mount the late model valence and fix two fender rust on my car.

[Kristeun]

^Wouldn't it be all the same though except for the clear if you did all the prep yourself? Hell, you could even provide them with your own paint right?

[TexasTerp]

If you want a good paint job, do NOT go to Maaco. I've only heard horror stories from people about paint bubbling, rust, and just absolutely poor quality. If you are truly invested in the car then search out a few different local shops and get them to "bid" for the job. If you don't really care about the appearance then go to Maaco. Only their best package includes a clear coat which is $1500, and even that is a shit paint job. They only spray ONE coat over the car. It is not worth your time. If it is a track car, the sure because looks aren't nearly as important. But trust me from all the cars I've seen done at maaco (i looked at maaco, then did my research) have been poor quality, both here in MD and in TX.

[ethirtydavid]

I took my e30 to maaco, told them I would prep the whole car - mask everything and bring it to them. For what it's worth, we are talking about an e30 and they said 850 for the spray (same color, whole car).

Maybe I went to an expensive maaco? I dont know.

All I know is if I could get my car painted for $250 I would change the color every 3 weeks ..

[iamsam]

like $250, but i would only do it on a car that is not worth much.