one of my friends' car (92 civic) is looking to get a descent paint job for around 600 dollars..he only going to keep the car for another year.....is there any particular one day paint and body that you guys would suggest him taking there....???..thks

 

First off I take it the car is not one that your friend is too concerned with or up there in value if he is looking at One Day shops.

I have considerable experience with paint shops from the low end (One Day,Maaco,etc..) up to the high end.

There are two types of paint shops. The quickie ones as you mentioned and the real ones.

Quickie shops do not use a standard paint but a paint ,"MIX" made for them with some clear in it similar to one stage Urethane but not as good though they will tell you otherwise. Problem is that this paint cannot be buffed or color sanded for a nice luster. Last I checked was 2 years ago. Also on painting entire cars they paint everything and I mean everything. They try their best to mask off glass, emblems, grills, etc... but there is only so much you can do with tape and wire. Some better than others, none perfect.
Plus they bake your car in an oven at temps that are way too high for other parts on your car and have caused many issues for owners such as dried seals and the worst case scenario-cracked paint from improper surface prep which they will not take responsibility for. They do not sand the car down, they just run something over the paint and start painting. There painters are ok at best and horrible at worst. How about paint on your dash, steering wheel, carpet, etc.... Yep, seen all of that and more as well.

The other issue as with all paint shops is the quality of the painter. A paint job is only as good as the painter.I guarantee that over 90% of cars on CL that owners paid someone else to paint something have issues that a pro can easily spot. Perhaps even higher. In fact most of the cars I have seen at various club meets have poor painting issues from so called pros. Owners love it, but I just shake my head as I walk away. Sandpaper scratches under the paint, fisheyes, poor surface prep leading to early and excessive chipping, etc.... Yep it is that wide spread. I just expect perfection in a paint job for a Lexus or other nice car. But enough rambling, back to the 92 Civic.

Paint is relatively inexpensive. I bought some recently for my spoiler and body kit (when I decide which I want) and everything ran me around $200.00. This is with the good stuff of course. SW or Dupont Paint, activator, clear, reducer, etc.....The money is in the labor if done correctly. Proper painting takes a very long time. Sometimes to do it right would take more time than the paint shops are allowed in the insurance repair bible.

I probably gave more information than you asked for, but then most of the time with painting you get what you pay for.

Also many people free lance paint jobs for very good prices and do a heck of alot better than quickie shops for around the same price. Check the Recycler, etc....

My advice, go to the paint shop and look at cars that have already been painted. Look at several examples. Get a warranty in writing and ensure that it covers any surface issues as well. This will give you an idea of how your friends car will come out . Also the more you remove the less that can be painted such as lights, handles ,emblems, seals, etc.. That said, the paint generally will not fall off in a year from those shops so I hope I did not scare you. Now two years.....Also many of those shops are franchises ,so check around to check the quality of their paint jobs.

 

Lee, any suggestion as to where I can take my hood to have it repaint with a reasonable price? Maybe I should pay you to do it! I can see what you are talking about because just about a year ago when I had my hood repainted due to significant amount of rock chip. I thought they did a great job but a month later i notice there is a spot on the hood that was not properly prep or paint or sand. They did do a "good" job on the body kit as other members can support the fact.

 

If I were to have someone paint something on my car it would be these guyes

http://www.allmagicauto.com/

Lower your volume as their website is annoyingly loud. Scared me the first time I visited. I get nothing for the reference other than helping out some fellow CL members. I do know the owners though from prior business dealings with them but have not had much contact in a couple of years. I still hear good things about them to this day. I got the complete tour when this new shop opened from a smaller place that was located across the street.

Keep in mind that they have a 2 week wait the last I heard which is a good thing I suppose. State of the art facility with the latest in painting technology. Paint booth is awesome. Most importantly their painters are good. Not cheap but others here have also used them with great results.
Lee

 

wow, great stuff tehre lee, you did tons of homework on this topic i am sure! and from your rear spoiler i can see you know what you are talking about

in terms of price, you said not cheap, but how expensive would you rate all magic auto then? personally i don't mind paying good money for great quality. i am obsessed about my car

oh and about all magic auto, they are good on painting, but how about install and fitting?

 

Henry,

I have learned my lessons many times with various shops. Lost alot of money having to have stuff redone elsewhere. One day I said screw it and learned to do things myself. Nothing better than having a person that CARES about what they are working on vs. a time clock watcher. Makes all the difference in the world.

I would say they charge the same as what other real shops charge such as Caliber Collision shops. Fitting is very good as well. Good question. For those wanting better than showroom paint for a show car then expect to pay well into the thousands (10k) from elsewhere. I believe most just want a good paint job that last, matches, and for a fair price.
Lee

 

Thanks Lee, I think I will take my car there next time for sure.

 

yup, same here, really appreciate your comments lee. when i get to repaint my car or parts again, i really know where to go!

 

hands down best one,,,, actually two day paint place is IN N OUT,,,,,,,, they are located in placentia and they are bomb,,,, had them paint a few cars back then,,,,,,, paint comes out really clean,, i wouldnt go with silver or any crazy colors,,,, but red and white so far,,, was really really nice,,,,,,,, dont let them do any body work though,,, they suck at that,,,also i would pull the lights and stuff off yourself.... oh yea,,,,, they are cheap too

 

wow..thks for the responses guys..ill let my friend know about this....