It's not clearcoat... it's a deep scratch in some cases even chipped. Sigh....

etay89 said:

I got my first DSM a maaco paint job 2 years ago.

here it is when I first did it. http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/appearance-interior-exterior/363867-maaco-paint-job-oh-no.html

here it is...AWD swapped and what not.
http://cleveland.craigslist.org/cto/2831571008.html

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That's pretty awesome
I might go to MAACO if there's a reputable one around the Illinois-Wisconsin area. Then after a month I'd get a wetsand/buff but again it depends on whether there's a reputable one or not....

I learned myself its fun, and plus im a diy for the most part, time, and patience too many variables on costs, show car, street car, fun car depends on what your looking for and how deep your pockets get, i mean it could go into the thousands easily.

The one thing maaco lacks is prep. If you did all the prep work and gave them better paint...you'll be okay

H@xtGSX said:

Hey! I am the drunk uncle who paints..... Get me a beer! .... Tell me that shit don't look schweet!?

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Hell yea, get er done

But seriously, since you guys brought up wet sanding. If a piece of sideskirt has started to fade, but the clear isnt flaking off, is it too late? Or can plastic pieces even be saved with wet sanding in the first place?

Id hate to have that one small piece re painted, i've always been able to spot repaints. They just never match.

I guess maaco it is I'll check around the area..

I didnt see if anyone said this... but why not do all the prep work yourself? sand primer, sand. Take off all the trim, weather strip etc. Then you can get a quality paint job, with minimal cost. get your bumper, trim etc painted seperately so all gaps are filled right.

Thats my plan anyway. I have some friends that can hook it up where it matters. I can do body work my self, not paint. I hate it when you do a good job only to find bugs swimming in it (i dont have a booth/access)

Anyone thought of vinyl covering? It's cheaper, last longer, & easier then a normal paint job.

H@xtGSX said:

I can promise there was a lot of hours charged at that $50 rate too. That's what you're paying for when a shop does the paint.

Here's what wet sanding can do:

BEFORE
<img src="http://www.dsmtuners.com/gallery/files/1/3/0/6/8/7/imag0270.jpg" alt="Imag0270" />

AFTER
<img src="http://www.dsmtuners.com/gallery/files/1/3/0/6/8/7/imag0271.jpg" alt="Imag0271" />

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Thats amazing. What grit/grits did you use?

You gotta ask yourself "Do I plan on keeping my DSM?". If so then save up your money and do it right. A half ass paint job'll make a decent car look trashy. I don't know you but I love it when people ask me if it's for sale ( It gives me great pleasure to smirk and say "hell no" )

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How much is vynal covering?

Don't knock Maaco. The problem with their paint job is all in the preparation or lack there of.
My Dad has also used Maaco on his classic show cars and won with thier paint jobs. The first car painted still looks good 10 years later.
If you spend the time to remove, lights, trims mirrors etc... Then take the time to scuff or prep the surface with a light even sanding with 180 grit and degrease or clean it before taking it in the paint job will stick and last. As well afterward if you let the car bake in the summer sun for a few days. Then 2000 grit wet sand and then buff and polish it, the pain will look good and stick around for sometime.

JRSTANGE said:

Don't knock Maaco. The problem with their paint job is all in the preparation or lack there of.
My Dad has also used Maaco on his classic show cars and won with thier paint jobs. The first car painted still looks good 10 years later.
If you spend the time to remove, lights, trims mirrors etc... Then take the time to scuff or prep the surface with a light even sanding with 180 grit and degrease or clean it before taking it in the paint job will stick and last. As well afterward if you let the car bake in the summer sun for a few days. Then 2000 grit wet sand and then buff and polish it, the pain will look good and stick around for sometime.

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Do you guys all hand polish your vehicles manually? I was thinking of having mine sent out for a detailing job.

EagleT2000 said:

Thats amazing. What grit/grits did you use?

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I start with 1000 grit until the paint is almost perfectly smooth. Then I take 1500 grit and sand it to absolutely smooth. Next I use 2000 grit and just go over it until it starts to shine and the cloudiness from the previous passes fades. My last sanding is with a Trizac 3000 grit pad, which will bring the paint up to almost clear again. After that is done, it is time to get the random orbital buffer out and go over the car with Ultimate compound. It gets the paint to slick and shiny, and you can stop there and it will look good. I usually make one final pass with Ultimate Polishing compound, and when that is done the paint will look like glass.

trinhbt said:

Do you guys all hand polish your vehicles manually? I was thinking of having mine sent out for a detailing job.

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A good detailer can work wonders. It is ALWAYS worth the money for a good detailing if you are trying to sell a vehicle. A $300 complete detail job can net an additional $500 or more on final sale price. I personally do all my own detailing and paint care, and it entails a lot more than washing and waxing. I wouldn't expect most people to bother with that level of maintenance, but it is worth the money to have it done at least once a year IMO, whether you learn the tricks yourself or pay to have it done for you.

I would recommend Maaco they painted may car and it still looks sweet. Its cheap just find out whom is preparing your car and through him a few bucks up front. Tell him if the car comes out great that you will give him tip. Thats what I did amazing what a little incentive do.

dsmsleeeper said:

I would recommend Maaco they painted may car and it still looks sweet. Its cheap just find out whom is preparing your car and through him a few bucks up front. Tell him if the car comes out great that you will give him tip. Thats what I did amazing what a little incentive do.

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Just make sure it is a sizeable tip. You also would probably be better off doing the basic prep work (removing trim, stripping or sanding the paint, etc.) yourself, even with incentive, because it is tiring work and the more physical effort they must expend in a short period of time, the less attention to detail they will be able to sustain.

H@xtGSX said:

Just make sure it is a sizeable tip. You also would probably be better off doing the basic prep work (removing trim, stripping or sanding the paint, etc.) yourself, even with incentive, because it is tiring work and the more physical effort they must expend in a short period of time, the less attention to detail they will be able to sustain.

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How long does the entire paint process take with Maaco?

That depends entirely on what is needing to be done to make sure the paint sticks and is smooth when it gets there. If they do all the work, half a day, but it'll look sloppy up close. They can't do real high quality work in that time, but for many people, it's good enough. If you do all the prep and all they have to do is seal, prime, and paint it, probably a couple hours... But it will probably look a lot better. Painting is 99% prep work, and 1% painting. The more of that 99% that you take care of yourself, the better.

Oh sweet. I was wondering if I would have to leave the car there for an extensive period of time.

Just remember..you get what you pay for.