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Paint and Body Maintenance & Repair

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  • bhill2bhill2 Member Posts: 2,471
    This a timely post stream. I have an old but beloved Mercedes ('85 380SE). It very much needs a paint job. I live in a place fairly remote from a major city. Could I trust Maaco to do a reasonable job if I choose their best one? The car is a driver, but it is one of the iconic body styles and I want it to look good.

    2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])

  • tallman1tallman1 Member Posts: 1,874
    I'm not sure how "timely" this is since the post you are replying to is 7 months old but I don't think Maaco has a very good reputation for quality. You might want to do a bit of research before taking your car there.

    You get what you pay for.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    No I wouldn't use that kind of paint on a car. To give you an idea, just the cans of quality paint you should use on the car would cost more than the entire Maaco paint job. I suppose if you regard the car as basically worth nothing, and you're going to dispose of it soon, , then maybe from 10 feet away it would look okay for 6 months.
  • bhill2bhill2 Member Posts: 2,471
    I suppose if you regard the car as basically worth nothing, and you're going to dispose of it soon, , then maybe from 10 feet away it would look okay for 6 months.

    That is so not what I had in mind. I plan to be buried in that car. It looks like I need to do further research. Shifty, I live in Santa Rosa, so if you can recommend anyone nearby it would be muchly appreciated.

    2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Gee this is such a tough question, because painting a car is SOOOOOO labor intensive, and labor rates so high in California, that it is difficult to find a paint job that is reasonably priced vis a vis the car. If I were in Santa Rosa (which is better, labor wise, than the SF Bay Area), I'd snoop around hot rod shops and see if anyone wants a side job or if their shop is slow. These guys know how to use a spray gun. I'm thinking that a really decent job has got to cost you at least $3,000 bucks, and most of that is in the masking and prepping, with only maybe $500--$600 in materials. Where I live, $12000 is not unusual to strip and paint a classic car PROFESSIONALLY, and that's to "look real good", (no overspray, no peel, no drips, no tape lines, with engine bay, jambs, trunk, etc) but not for Pebble Beach. If you want Pebble, you're looking at $20,000 easy. :surprise:
  • earthchild57earthchild57 Member Posts: 1
    Hello. I wrecked my car and now I'm told the frame can't be straightened. I just ran off the road. It didn't seem to hit that hard. I didn't get hurt and the airbag didn't activate. I just can't believe it can't be fixed. I love that car. I'm heartbroken.

    Do I have any options? Can the frame be replaced? It's the front passenger side. They originally said it was the suspension but found the bent frame when they went to fix the suspension.

    It's a 2001 Olds Bravada. I've only had it two years.

    Thanks in advance for your advice.

    Vicki
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    What they mean is either that it's not worth fixing or they don't know how to fix it...but any frame can be straightened using the modern equipment they have now. It's possible that it's way too much work and the advice you're getting is good. It wouldn't take much to total this car, as it doesn't have too much value anymore.

    in any event you have the option of trying another body shop.
  • bigfurbigfur Member Posts: 649
    If you bend the frame on just about ANY 10 year old car its gonna be totalled. Keeping in mind to total a vehical the repairs must reach 75% of the value of the vehical. After a quick search and seeing that the top value of the car would be about 4grand...it does not take alot of time in a body shop especially on a frame rack to push that up to the totalled point.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Straightening the frame is sometimes the easiest part of the job--but all the body panels, doors, fasteners, don't automatically line up once the frame is pulled, and if there are cracks anywhere well then there's welding, lots of disassembly, etc.

    so yeah, at $100+ an hour labor, shop time in a body shop adds up quickly.

    But there is a difference between "can't" and "don't want to" and "not worth it".
  • oldfarmer50oldfarmer50 Member Posts: 22,646
    When you see an older car with clear coat failure it shows as dull patches with whiteish edges. I was wondering would a new layer of clear coat cover that all up or would you have to sand all the old clear coat off before applying the new layer?

    I think I know the answer but hey, I'm cheap.

    2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible

  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    The correct way to fix it would be to sand down to bare metal. If the clear coat is cracked or failing its a good bet the paint is also.
  • lamerilameri Member Posts: 3
    Hello,

    I recently bought a new Hyundai Elantra and the seller offered me this "ResistAll" protection for inside (stains) and outside (a paint sealant) for $599 for 5 years. Do you think it is worth it? I live in California, if that can make a difference for the exterior condition...
    Thank you.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    No, a waste of money. This is merely a profit generator for the dealer with dubious benefit to you.

    Your car already has a clear coat on the paint from the factory, so just wash it carefully and maybe throw a coat of wax on it once a year before winter---and you can buy yourself a can of Scotch Guard for the interior, or if you have dogs or kids (or both) you can buy inexpensive covers for the back seat.
  • lamerilameri Member Posts: 3
    Should I anticipate strong resistance from the dealer? I haven't yet scheduled the service, although I bought the car (and paid for the ResistAll) two weeks ago. I live in CA, in case that helps respond.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Just tell them you changed your mind. A straight, forthright approach is always best. I suppose they could dig their heels in but since no services have been exchanged I'm not sure how must they could insist. This is really a contract question and I'm not qualified to answer that. You can always threaten to take your business elsewhere in the future and complain to the BBB, if you want to push back.
  • palmer12palmer12 Member Posts: 7
    I have some rust on my bumper from a small accident. I was planning on simply sanding down the rusted areas, covering up the rest of the car with plastic, and repainting the bumper with some flat black paint that i bought at the store. Is there anything wrong with my plan of action? Do I need to put primer first? Or is the flat paint enough?image
  • bigfurbigfur Member Posts: 649
    Alright I'll attempt to keep this short but yeah... OK, first off if you are sanding down to bare metal you will most definatly want to put on some sort of primer to help the paint stick. Also when you paint a bumper the easiest way to prevent over spray from damaging the rest of your paint is to remove the bumper and paint it off the car. This will save you alot of headaches with over spray and the possibility of improper masking of the car if your not familiar with masking off a car. (No BS there is an art to it!) Also what kind of car is it that is damaged?
  • phillistinephillistine Member Posts: 1
    Hello all. Not sure if anyone can shed some light on my issue but any help or information would be most appreciated. My son was involved in a minor accident with a friend while attempting to play GTA V with his friend and managed to rear end the other boy's car. Long story short he rolled the rear bumper off of a 2012 Nissan Versa sedan. It appears both were at fault in the incident but tie goes to the guy in front when it comes to these things and I understand that. Mine hit his at about 10 MPH and there was very minor damage to my sons car. I was ready to suck it up and just pay it on my own to keep the insurance from going through the roof. However, the estimate seems a little onerous. From the picture I have seen of the other car it looks like the bumper was pulled off of the brackets but the body shop is wanting $2,500.00 to replace and the estimator said it could even be 20% higher if they find hidden damage. I know it would be mostly impossible for anyone to read this post and give me specifics but this does seem a little high. It is over 20% of the value of the whole car. I have no problem with someone being profitable and know they have a lot of overhead - not hating on that. I have a body shop friend but I want the other father to get it repaired where he wants. Am I out of the ballpark on this or do I have a fair argument for offering the other father $1,500.00? Would it be out of line to ask him to get another quote? He has not brought up a rental car - yet. Many thanks for any input.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Sure get another quote. Without photos, we can't tell you much, but reasonable rational people can always come to an equitable settlement. Since it is a 2012 I understand that he wants the car fixed "right", but presuming the car's body was not damaged (that's the rub) then it's mostly a nut and bolt job and a bit of spray paint on the new, primered bumper. If things were mangled underneath, or the rear pan is bent, etc, then it adds up. Who knows, could be a very just and fair estimate. A 2nd opinion should clarify things.
  • ka1234ka1234 Member Posts: 1
    I agree with whitecaps . I have good opinion about blackfire, menzerna or borgeous products. I was using wet diamond sealant or power lock. Right now I'm waiting to check nano composite crystal.
    But it's depending of what you need for your car. The best way is to check by yourself few products.
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