best paint job?
 

where, besides Maaco, can i get a good paint job for my entire mustang? It really needs to get a new paint job with all the sun spots and chips on it... and also i need to repair the right side since i hit something and dent it (i know.. sorry) so i was looking where i can get BOTH at once. Are there any good companies around that will do a good job around $500?

i live in FL by the way if you can name some near by shops

thanks

If you want someone to do a 'good job' and if you want the paintjob to last more than a year, you'll have to pay more than $500.

well... i saw Maaco and their presidential sale... and i looked around the net and read that it sucks BAD and the starting rate is $199... so i'm looking for a good paint job... but i guess your right since i don't want to take it somewhere cheap and end up getting a worse paint job... but do you know any places/stores that are actually GOOD and wont rep me off?

If you get a GOOD paint job, and by good I mean one that doesnt need to be wet sanded/ buffed and is better quality than the factory job, expect to pay at least 4k. Then again, everyones opinion of good is different.

WHOA.... 4K?... Black Sunshine said a good $1500 would be enough... what if i sand the paint off myself... and HAD the paint that i need to make it look good... and just took it to a place to ONLY paint it... how much would that be?

I didn't say $1500 would be enough. I just said you'd have to pay more than $500.

If you have no experience with wet sanding and buffing cars, you shouldn't attempt it on your own. You could buy the factory paint from the dealer and take it somewhere to get painted, but it will still be pricey.

Just save up and get it done right. That way you won't buy a piece of crap $500 paint job and end up having to get it repainted in another year.

Im not sure you really understand what exactly is involved and or how long it actually takes to properly paint a car. Proper prep is one of the most important steps in painting. I dont suggest you do any prep work because the shop will probably need to redo it, and if they dont, the paint job will not look good or last. Take it to a few different shops that have a good reputation and get quotes.

maaco does no prep work, that's why they're so cheap. 03 is right...3-4k for a good paint job. if you're paying less, you're getting less.

For a decent job it would not cost $4k to do the same color on the car. Your best bet is to go to all the local paint places near you and get a quote from each one and take a look at their work in the shop too. I went to a good 5 different places before I made up my mind on a paint shop.

They still need to sand and do all the prep work even if its the same color. The difference is they dont need to really worry about engine bay, door jams, etc. A job like that would be significantly more.

i remember seeing the earl shibe commercials, they would paint any car for $99.99. my brother used to have an old 78 ford ltd he had them paint it midnight blue. it looked really really good when he drove it off the lot but it started chippin like crazy at the bottom from the gravel road we had to drive down to get home. the old color was tan so the chips showed up like crazy. i think their prep was washing the car with sos pads. if u sanded everything down and primed it urself and did a thourough enough job, maaco would probably look decent for a few years i would guess, but it would not compare to a 2,000 dollar job.

Yeah the car has to be prepped someone or the paint will not stick, or I should say, stick very well.

I know a guy that does amazing work, really takes pride in what he does and I guarantee is probably one of the best in this state, but is quite far from where you are at currently. Like everyone else is saying though you are looking at at least 4k minimum, if you want a color that's harder to spray like... pearl or certain candy colors you are looking at quite a bit more. Certain colors can make imperfections that can only be seen outside of the paint booth unfortunately.

Also, I'd say about 95%+ of Maaco's suck, its a franchise and occasionally you will find a really good one, or maybe a bad one with a few good people. I'd say stay away unless you know the guy personally who's painting the car.

There is NO good Maaco. period. you get what you pay for, and a good paint job is expensive...

If ur wanting to get the whole car painted then it would prob be cheaper to hit a junkyard if it's just a fender, spend 50 bucks on one and it won't matter that it's a different color. That will prob be cheaper than having a body shop straighten the damaged one out then paint the whole car.

Alot of good answers for ya. Yes, you do in fact get what you pay for. When you pay $200, 500, whatever, for a paint job- thats what you get. The stereotypical guy that paints for Maaco or any other "low-dollar" body shop could probably lay it out with a smokin' paint job that is shiny as hell and looks like the car is wet. But you wont see that for $500.

Like mentioned above, look around. Go to a few places and just tell them what you want, and see what they offer.

BTW, what part of Florida are you in? I doubt you live close to Crystal River, but if by chance you do, I could hook you up with a really good painter- and very well priced too.

depends on what color your painting car. if its just returning it to stock quality ie painting it the same color it started out than it wont be that bad. you run into real money when your changing colors. that can be upwards of 3000 easy. i paid approx 1500 for mine but mine started out the same red it is now, the money was in the stripes/details. To find a good painter. first off ask you freinds, its a small world and its likely they know a guy who knows a guy who can hook you up.