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Opinions on Maaco

2614 Views 24 Replies 18 Participants Last post by  CDub LXi
hey! my 85 celica desperately needs a paint job. i know this can be very expensive at a private shop, so i was wondering how bad is maaco really? i just want solid black gloss...maybe metal flake...
So whats the verdict on maaco? yay or nay and why
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from my experiences with them...you get what you pay for. if you get the cheap ambassador paint jobs... then plan on repainting them sooner....or haveing alot more of an up keep then the better methods.
maaco = crap. crapcrapcrap. i've seen peoples cars come back with the windows partially sprayed because they didn't mask them off well enough.

i've also seen a maaco paint job NOT dry properly(like it was tacky for a week) and it picked up lots of dust and dirt that became permanently embedded in the car.
yes maaco = crap

we had a car spayed there had paint on the windsheald and they did a piss poor job painting the trunk and would not correct it even after a week worth of trying.... stay the hell away and go to a real shop to get your work done
I heard Maaco is shit. I remember there being a website with Maaco horror stories and complaints.
since Maaco doesnt seem to be the best bet, does anyone have suggestions for a somewhat cheap paint job?
well i will be the one who doesnt agree. . i mean i have seen some bad maaco paint jobs. . but i got my car painted at maaco i got the second from highest paint job they offer. .. its was like $800 but i guess you can see for tour self, i don't think it came out bad at all. . . i guess its really what shops does it. . it is a franchise, i just got lucky becuase some of my freinds got their cars painted by the same guy. i mean whats better then paying a decent price and getting a great paint job.
when you see cheap paintjobs that paint over the logos and have runs in them

i wouldnt be surprised if the owner said it was a maaco job
The only time anyone in their right mind would get a macco paint job.... is if they wanted to get rid of their car and the paint was screwed up. If you plan on keeping your car.... just save up and get a decent paint job.
If you want house paint on your car done by people they pull off the street, Macco is the place to go :D


One of the best chain places is Abra (I think that's how it's spelt). They do good work at a decent price.

Overall local shops will give you the best deal.
SmokingTiresV6 said:
Overall local shops will give you the best deal.
A bodyshop around the corner from me wanted over $300 just to paint my sisters '94 Civic rear bumper.
Durrby said:
A bodyshop around the corner from me wanted over $300 just to paint my sisters '94 Civic rear bumper.
Quality costs money kids:)

And I didn't say all local shops are the best.
I took my car to Macco and they totaly fucked it up. They did a good job with the actual body work but when it came to painting and putting the car back together they screwed it all up.

The car had to be painted a second time and have the clearcoat redone. The paint was showing the primer in come spots. Also there were holes in the clear coat and no clear coat in some places. They did fix these.

On top of this they damaged my car in some ways and messed a few things up. So I'm going to list off for you everything that they did wrong including the painting flaws.

1. holes in clear coat (fixed)
2. see primer through paint (fixed)
3. did not repair bumper
4. crisscrossed tires. My rear tires are a lot bigger then my front oes.(fixed)
5. dented windshield molding
6. cut and destroyed spoiler seal
7. broke the antenna base
8. antenna base not attached to car
9. broke OEM spoiler from over tightening the bolts
10. windshiels top molding was not attached to car (improperly fixed)
11. could still see red pain on the moon roof. (fixed)

So ya that's my 11 reasons why I'll never use Maaco again.
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Do it yourself. Buy the paint and sand paper and mask everything off and spray it. Im gonna start a DIY tutorial on painting soon. Keep an eye out for it. I am hoping it will become a sticky.
Quikshifter said:
hey! my 85 celica desperately needs a paint job. i know this can be very expensive at a private shop, so i was wondering how bad is maaco really? i just want solid black gloss...maybe metal flake...
So whats the verdict on maaco? yay or nay and why
burning your money would bring better results than having it done at maaco :disappoin
Gridlyne said:
Do it yourself. Buy the paint and sand paper and mask everything off and spray it. Im gonna start a DIY tutorial on painting soon. Keep an eye out for it. I am hoping it will become a sticky.
I can write one up in five min. I'll do it before you can :D j/k
Too lazy.

But I could make one on how to custom fiberglass your own grille.... But that will come after I have a few more demos to show :)
^That'll be awesome. You can show how to make it, and Ill show how to paint it and blend it in with everything.
macco.... Ewwwwww... id rather use 20 tuch up spray cans. my car has 3 layers of paint on it... the previous owner liked to hit things aparently. and its pealing. i think its a macco paint job on the car given not much was taped off.. i cant realy validate any of that tho.
thats why you should do all the body work, tape everything off you want not painted, and make sure you know exactly what your getting. you have to keep in mind that they are working around fumes all day.... every batch of paint will not come out perfect. I'm not really defending them because i know they have a bad rep.....but the one here in Mechanicsburg PA Gives you a gauruntee... if there is something out of place that they did then they will fix it. .... atleast thats what happened to my one friends car.

Also another one of friends with a honda prelude got his done there and the only problem he had was from rocks hitting his front bumper and chipping the paint.
Quikshifter said:
hey! my 85 celica desperately needs a paint job. i know this can be very expensive at a private shop, so i was wondering how bad is maaco really? i just want solid black gloss...maybe metal flake...
So whats the verdict on maaco? yay or nay and why
'85 Celica? Go for it. No reason putting more in the paint than the car is worth... Just make sure that if it cracks withing a reasonable time frame they'll warranty it... they did my cousin's Camaro.
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