Painting & Body Work; how much?

[2o6]

My car's body work is not in the best of shape. Granted, there isn't much rust on the body, but whoever had the car last, bondo'ed but didn't sand, and just sprayed over. Around my rear wheel well, the bondo is caked on and black and doesn't look very good. To add insult to injury, Neons in general are notorious for having some pretty shoddy paintwork from the factory.


Here's what I want to do:

- My front and rear bumpers are textured and the front one is cracked (almost split). I plan on getting new bumpers. My front driver's side fender and trunklid could also use replacing, too.


This is where I run into a problem.

- How much should a paintjob cost? I don't want the most $$$ paintjob, I just want to look nicer than it is.

- Would going to Maaco be a waste?

- Should I just rattlecan the fender/bumper/other pieces (or find a black bumper and the like, but there aren't that many black Neons)

- How much/advantageous would it be for me to have a professional shop just paint parts like the Bumper, hood, trunk ect....

- Would the above solution be more cost effective?

- Is it even possible to sand/refine hardened, painted over bondo?

[Rupert]

Really good paint jobs are $Texas, and the cheapo shops can get it to look better than I imagine it does for $400 or so. I mean, it's gonna be a shitty paint job, but it sounds like your current paint is even worse, so...

[AutobahnSHO]

Didn't know you drove a Neon. Sorry.



Depends on how much longer you're going to have it- is it worth the few hundred bucks? Is it worth going to the junkyard for a bumper? (you'll more than likely find a black one.) Is it worth the time masking to do the rattle can?

[Onslaught]

A good paint job will cost you. A cheap one will be SHIT. That's about it.

Now I've seen some "ok" ones from Maaco before. But they don't really do much sanding. They over spray everything. And I'm not even sure if they wash the car off before doing anything to it. I've seen dirt and bugs on the car, under the paint before with them. If you could do all the work with R&I all the lights and stuff and did the sanding then it could turn out ok. Not good but just better then what you've got.

[r0tor]

A good paint job will cost more then your car is worth

[Submariner]

Back in High School, a friend and I bought a Hyundai Pony to screw around for $150.  Yeah, it sucked ass, but that's not the point.

Everything about it sucked - the heater didn't work (except in the summer) the windows notoriously jammed, the four speed stick was a total failure in every sense of the word, it was dog slow, and the paint sucked (it wasn't like the Mazda 323 the two of us later purchased with a 8" x 8" rusted out hole over the rear drivers side tire, but that's another story)

We followed an internet tutorial on how to do a spray paint paint job.  It cost about $55 dollars when all was said and done, but in the end, we had one decent looking Hyundai Pony, painted entirely in chrome Rustolium. 

Yeah, we got pulled over and it was deemed unfit for the road, but we still did take it out every once in a while.

Anyways,

http://www.instructables.com/id/Paint-Your-Car-With-Rustoleum/

[AutobahnSHO]

painted entirely in chrome Rustolium. 

Yeah, we got pulled over and it was deemed unfit for the road, but we still did take it out every once in a while.

haha WIN

Did you get pulled over because of the blindingly shiny BLING?????

[Byteme]

- Would going to Maaco be a waste?

A high end paint job can cost big bucks.  I paid $8,000 and a piano (wife discovered what the paint job cost   ) for paint work on the Jaguar.  Most of the cost was in the prep work, something like 60 hours of block sanding for example.

Maaco's pricing will be for masking, some light sanding, and respraying the exterior panels.  Any additional body work will cost you.  I had a car painted at Maaco and I was quite pleased, but I had removed alll the chrome, lights, etc.  Maaco used to have sales with decent discounts about twice a year.  They may still do that.  Check their web site.  Maaco's a franchise and each store is different.  check out the work underway when you go there to talk to them.

You might also check out some mom and pop shops.  They generally have little overhead so they are generally cheaper and some turn out amazing work.

[MX793]

Maybe a year or so ago I got an estimate at my local dealership for what it would cost to repair some rust on my one rear fender and around the 3rd brake light on the trunk and IIRC they quoted like $500 (they said they'd have to paint both fenders).

[Submariner]

haha WIN

Did you get pulled over because of the blindingly shiny BLING?????

The Chrome Pony was like a giant emergency reflector people stranded out in the wilderness use, except it could reach 60MPH (sometimes) and reeked of the faint but unmistakable smell of cat urine. 

[Onslaught]

Also keep in mind that places like Maaco use the cheapest stuff they can get. If it's just a cheap paint job then that's ok. But don't look for much.

[2o6]

Also keep in mind that places like Maaco use the cheapest stuff they can get. If it's just a cheap paint job then that's ok. But don't look for much.

My car was $1000. I'm not trying to spend more than $500 for the whole ordeal.

A good paint job will cost you. A cheap one will be SHIT. That's about it.

Now I've seen some "ok" ones from Maaco before. But they don't really do much sanding. They over spray everything. And I'm not even sure if they wash the car off before doing anything to it. I've seen dirt and bugs on the car, under the paint before with them. If you could do all the work with R&I all the lights and stuff and did the sanding then it could turn out ok. Not good but just better then what you've got.

See, I'm thinking I could get some primer (and sand down those rough spots) and prime the car for cheap. Then take it to Maaco (or some other local shop) and let them paint it.

Back in High School, a friend and I bought a Hyundai Pony to screw around for $150.  Yeah, it sucked ass, but that's not the point.

Everything about it sucked - the heater didn't work (except in the summer) the windows notoriously jammed, the four speed stick was a total failure in every sense of the word, it was dog slow, and the paint sucked (it wasn't like the Mazda 323 the two of us later purchased with a 8" x 8" rusted out hole over the rear drivers side tire, but that's another story)

We followed an internet tutorial on how to do a spray paint paint job.  It cost about $55 dollars when all was said and done, but in the end, we had one decent looking Hyundai Pony, painted entirely in chrome Rustolium. 

Yeah, we got pulled over and it was deemed unfit for the road, but we still did take it out every once in a while.

Anyways,

http://www.instructables.com/id/Paint-Your-Car-With-Rustoleum/

I'm looking for an OK paintjob, not a rustoleum crapola because I don't really care about this car.

Didn't know you drove a Neon. Sorry.



Depends on how much longer you're going to have it- is it worth the few hundred bucks? Is it worth going to the junkyard for a bumper? (you'll more than likely find a black one.) Is it worth the time masking to do the rattle can?

It's hard to find a black bumpers. However, I'm tempted to leave it be if I can find black bodyparts.

[AutobahnSHO]

If you do the prep work, Maaco would turn out pretty good. It's hard to find your own facility and spraygun...

[Laconian]

If you're going to be stuck with a crap paint job, you should embrace it and do it in a ironic, self-deprecating style, like Subby's friend did. Maybe you could get a local airbrush artist to do something cool.

[2o6]

If you're going to be stuck with a crap paint job, you should embrace it and do it in a ironic, self-deprecating style, like Subby's friend did. Maybe you could get a local airbrush artist to do something cool.

No.

[Laconian]

No.

Yes.

[Rupert]

Yes.

[Onslaught]

Just flat black it.

[Tave]

If you're going to sand and prime the damn thing, you may as well just finish it off.

[2o6]

Just flat black it.

No.

If you're going to sand and prime the damn thing, you may as well just finish it off.

That is if I can get access to the right equipment.

[2o6]

I think the cheapest option would be to rattle can the bad spot(s), sand down the bondo (and paint it) then find a black neon and take the desired bodypanels.



Cause when school starts, I won't have time to actually get the car painted.

[r0tor]

Just flat black it.

True

[MX793]

Forget rattle-canning it.  Go for the brushed-on look.  Or buy black duct tape (electrical tape might also work) and cover the bad spots with that.

[BimmerM3]

Back in High School, a friend and I bought a Hyundai Pony to screw around for $150.  Yeah, it sucked ass, but that's not the point.

Everything about it sucked - the heater didn't work (except in the summer) the windows notoriously jammed, the four speed stick was a total failure in every sense of the word, it was dog slow, and the paint sucked (it wasn't like the Mazda 323 the two of us later purchased with a 8" x 8" rusted out hole over the rear drivers side tire, but that's another story)

We followed an internet tutorial on how to do a spray paint paint job.  It cost about $55 dollars when all was said and done, but in the end, we had one decent looking Hyundai Pony, painted entirely in chrome Rustolium. 

Yeah, we got pulled over and it was deemed unfit for the road, but we still did take it out every once in a while.

Anyways,

http://www.instructables.com/id/Paint-Your-Car-With-Rustoleum/

Either do this or nothing.

Seriously, stop buying random shit for your car, save it instead, and get a better car in awhile.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

Just take it to Maaco. If you're looking to spend under 500 bucks I think they're your best bet! Hell I had them paint my 5 point Oh back in '95 and it turned out nice. 

[AutobahnSHO]

$500 is half a new car.   

For beater cars you must go cheap or get burned when it's time for another beater.

[Byteme]

Just take it to Maaco. If you're looking to spend under 500 bucks I think they're your best bet! Hell I had them paint my 5 point Oh back in '95 and it turned out nice. 

And Maaco used to offer 1/2 price specials all the time.  I haven't seen an ad in awhile so I don't know what the going price is today.  Check with a local franchise.

[2o6]

Either do this or nothing.

Seriously, stop buying random shit for your car, save it instead, and get a better car in awhile.

This is not relevant to the thread, so leave.

And Maaco used to offer 1/2 price specials all the time.  I haven't seen an ad in awhile so I don't know what the going price is today.  Check with a local franchise.

I'm considering just getting black bumpers, trunk and quarter panel and leaving it at that.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

And Maaco used to offer 1/2 price specials all the time.  I haven't seen an ad in awhile so I don't know what the going price is today.  Check with a local franchise.

I usually see the ads in the spring along with the 99 dollar bumper special.

[Byteme]

I usually see the ads in the spring along with the 99 dollar bumper special.

I wqas going to suggest Earl Scheib but I see they closed their doors on the 16th of July