$3800 Maaco paint job. 135k miles, 96.... Bought her for 6500 a year ago, been slowly bringing her back... Interior is next...
Maaco paint job, just back from the shop! (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter AlamedaGuy
- Start date
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Could you post up details of the paint job? Did they remove lights, glass, grill,
fender flares, mirrors, molding, bumpers, emblems,--- ?
Tape off or just paint over the fender flare, door handle, mirror gaskets
and other things they didn't remove?
Can you post up a few close up photos showing the fender flare/body area,
door handles, emblems, where the body and windshield meet, etc?
fender flares, mirrors, molding, bumpers, emblems,--- ?
Tape off or just paint over the fender flare, door handle, mirror gaskets
and other things they didn't remove?
Can you post up a few close up photos showing the fender flare/body area,
door handles, emblems, where the body and windshield meet, etc?
For posterity and because this will come up in searches, I've had two maaco paint jobs. Both done at the same shop, 63rd and Federal in Denver.
Paint job #1: 1988 FJ62. Simple re-spray in 2015, no body work to speak of. Factory code single stage enamel. Came out pretty good! Some overspray. Prep was done with tape for the most part, not much removed. No prep done by me. This cost me $800 and I was very happy with the result for the price. I have since sold the truck, but I have been in touch with the two subsequent owners, and more than five years later it still seems to be holding up OK.
Paint Job #2: 1996 LX450 (the clunker) done in 2019. This job was a little more involved as I came in because my windshield frame had some rust showing around the roof line. I also had a little rust in the driver's A-pillar and some surface patina (aftermarket hood that came "primed" black and front apron had some minor surface rust). Paid $2800 for rust repair, seal/primer and paint. It's clear they just sprayed right over whatever was there and did basically no prep or body work whatsoever. I am 100% certain no part of the truck was primed or sealed in any way. I question whether they even bothered to clean the truck before applying a new coat of 045 white. Any part of the truck that had surface patina has turned into worse rust than it was before the job, and I have spots of rust forming where there was *nothing at all* to begin with. They charged me for work that was not performed and I am still furious, but my time is worth more than small claims court, so it is what it is.
Here's a nice shiny photo of the day I picked it up. If I feel motivated, I'll take some detailed photos of the horror that was this botched paint job and post them later
Paint job #1: 1988 FJ62. Simple re-spray in 2015, no body work to speak of. Factory code single stage enamel. Came out pretty good! Some overspray. Prep was done with tape for the most part, not much removed. No prep done by me. This cost me $800 and I was very happy with the result for the price. I have since sold the truck, but I have been in touch with the two subsequent owners, and more than five years later it still seems to be holding up OK.
Paint Job #2: 1996 LX450 (the clunker) done in 2019. This job was a little more involved as I came in because my windshield frame had some rust showing around the roof line. I also had a little rust in the driver's A-pillar and some surface patina (aftermarket hood that came "primed" black and front apron had some minor surface rust). Paid $2800 for rust repair, seal/primer and paint. It's clear they just sprayed right over whatever was there and did basically no prep or body work whatsoever. I am 100% certain no part of the truck was primed or sealed in any way. I question whether they even bothered to clean the truck before applying a new coat of 045 white. Any part of the truck that had surface patina has turned into worse rust than it was before the job, and I have spots of rust forming where there was *nothing at all* to begin with. They charged me for work that was not performed and I am still furious, but my time is worth more than small claims court, so it is what it is.
Here's a nice shiny photo of the day I picked it up. If I feel motivated, I'll take some detailed photos of the horror that was this botched paint job and post them later
I also went with a Maaco paint job back in 2014 when I began pouring money into my then stock 80’s build. I had the truck since 2008 and the clear coat started and continued to fail on some of the classic spots (hood, roof, flares). i got a few quotes out of my price range for a truck I had plans to wheel and bushwack with from local paint shops and didn’t have a space to try painting myself, so I ended up going with Maaco in downtown San Jose and couldn’t be happier. I removed all the lights, grill, mirrors, and bumpers. Should have pulled the flares to get the full fender sheetmetal repainted, but left them on and got the classic Maaco paint over flare gasket look haha. They did pretty good for a $2200 2 stage premium paint match with extra prep on the hood and roof. 6 years later, I’ve had no real issue with the job. My truck has tons of pinstriping, but as far as the paint holding up, it’s been all good. I’d go back to the shop again if I needed to, assuming the shop is still ran by the same guys. Although it sounds like the prices may have gone up. 
I think shop by shop quality variance is common based on reviews I’ve read in my area.
just before repaint
fresh paint
9/2014
7/2020
just before repaint
fresh paint
9/2014
7/2020
Nice! Is that a Toyota paint color or your own choice?
It is the original Toyota 1A1 Anthracite Metalic. It has a lot of brown in it...I bought the 98 SR5 4x4 from Toyota of Irving (TX) in 1999 with 55K miles for wholesale because no one liked the color and Texans prefer 2WD if it’s an option. I’ve always really liked the color.
I had an anthracite 4runner too
I am also interested in this. My clear coat just gave up the ghost on my hood so paint is in the future at some point.
This is what Macao did prep wise on mine.
I never had any rust issues but i did want rid of the 6M1 green. Had them put on 040 base with a clear coat finish. I think i spotted 1 run on the inside of the tailgate but not noticeable when closed. Zero overspray. Pretty fantastic job to be honest.
The shop was run by a fellow mudder @Mdej3
I never had any rust issues but i did want rid of the 6M1 green. Had them put on 040 base with a clear coat finish. I think i spotted 1 run on the inside of the tailgate but not noticeable when closed. Zero overspray. Pretty fantastic job to be honest.
The shop was run by a fellow mudder @Mdej3
For the majority of us, unless you spend $500, Maaco is probably fine. If you use your truck, probably fine. If you are fully restoring your 80, spend $7k on a paint job. My honest opinion.
If you let them do the prep, they'll just use tape in most areas instead of removing stuff. Overspray is all over the place when you look up close, but it looks good from ten feet. I also got overspray on tires, suspension, frame, etc. The first paint job was OK (some overspray), but the second one was pretty excessive. For instance, they sprayed easy-to-access parts of the undercarriage black, even though we never discussed that as part of the project. Including my yellow TJM springs which are now kind of a fade from black to yellow
IME a quality paint job, as good or better than the factory, when you factor in (the paint shop) removing everything including the flares, door handles, lights, grill, roof rack, bumpers, rear wing, all rubber, moldings, and door panels, windshield, quarter glass, hatch glass, and fixing the Nutsert holes in the roof, then add some minor body dings or rust under the gaskets, doing all that by the book (with no overspray on the undercarriage or suspension, engine bay, radiator, etc) using quality paint and clear coat starts at $10,000 and goes up from there. Then add for a new grill, badges, emblems, rubber, moldings, ----. Adds up quick.
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Anyone have recommendations for a place that would go this far in Colorado?
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My experience with Maaco has been less than good. The view from 10ft is great. But then you look closer and you see the results of shortcuts taken. By the time you clean the gasket that has paint on it, it needs to be replaced. I've never seen them get it right. A great paint job is 10K and you'd better watch everything if you want it right. At 4K you get what appears to be good paint but so many corners were cut that it turns out to cost you 8K and it still doesn't look great.
If you don't remove door handles, it isn't possible to tape so pristine that they don't get paint on the trim. Same thing for so many other things.
The vehicles I have painted now have the doors off, the door cards off, the windows down with the door runs off and gasket removed so that it is painted correctly.
There are so many chances for major imperfections if things aren't done right. It will destroy the value of a great cruiser if you're planning on selling it.
If you just want a good looking 10 foot view paint job, they do OK, go wheel it and you'll never know the difference.
This is all IMHO from past experience, YMMV.
If you don't remove door handles, it isn't possible to tape so pristine that they don't get paint on the trim. Same thing for so many other things.
The vehicles I have painted now have the doors off, the door cards off, the windows down with the door runs off and gasket removed so that it is painted correctly.
There are so many chances for major imperfections if things aren't done right. It will destroy the value of a great cruiser if you're planning on selling it.
If you just want a good looking 10 foot view paint job, they do OK, go wheel it and you'll never know the difference.
This is all IMHO from past experience, YMMV.
I would recommend driving the vehicle to a bunch of Autobody shops and just asking for a ballpark figure of what a quality paint job will cost.
Stay away from the body shops that just want to repair new cars for insurance companies with names that include the words collision or dealer. Look for the body shops where the owners have lots of tatoos and shops full of old classic cars with names that include words like custom, restoration, or classic.
Body work is entirely different than being a mechanic, you will know the right shop when you find it. Your looking for an artist who will tell you it will take at least 2 weeks and cost at least $10,000.00. Quality paint and body work is $$$$$ but you get what you pay for.
