My dad used to say that a simple “scrape and spray” would cost around $300. But he would say, “You get what you pay for.” From there, the price goes up based on how much time and money it takes to paint the car well.
When I was growing up in the late 1970s and early 1980s, my dad ran a body shop in south Oklahoma City. The front of his shop said “Don’s Collision Repair,” which was his first name. He was happy with his business and the work that his employees did. His paint booth was one of the best in town.
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If I had a dollar for every unhappy customer he got from a $300 “Maaco Massacre,” I’d be sitting on my yacht on a beach in Fiji writing this article. But most people didn’t know what was going on. I mean, that catchy tune got a lot of car owners who didn’t know what was going on.
“Uh-oh, better call Maaco,” does this sound familiar? What do you think, “Maacover”? Both of these are brand slogans for Macco, but the second one is the most recent. Macco is a company that sells franchises for auto painting and collision repair. Its headquarters are in Charlotte, North Carolina. Anthony A. Martino started the business in 1972 when he opened the first Maaco Center in Wilmington, Delaware.
How Much Does a Maaco Paint Job Cost?
How much Maaco will charge to paint your car depends on a number of things, such as the paint package you choose, how much prep work your car needs, if you want to change the colour, and so on. Basic paint jobs have always cost around $300 if the only prep work is a light sanding of the whole car. If you’re not painting a car for a smashup-derby, you’ll need more than just a little sandpaper, so you’ll need to get an estimate.
Because of this, estimates aren’t given over the phone or through email, even if pictures are attached. Instead, you should go to your local Maaco body shop to get a quote.
Estimates are always free, and you don’t have to make an appointment in advance. But you can schedule one online or by calling the shop to avoid having to wait. Now, you might end up paying more than the estimate for the painting job. Why? Even though it is very rare, hidden damage may be found during the repair and painting process.
Now, a $300 paint job might sound like a good idea sometimes. You might decide to ignore the damage on the car’s outside and just pay to have it repainted. But keep in mind that the recommended repairs must be done to get the smoothest finish and highest shine possible. Even if you paint over dents and scratches, you will still get your warranty. But the warranty will be void if you don’t fix the things the estimator told you to fix.
Maaco Store Locations
Maaco has been in business for 47 years and has worked on more than 20 million cars in that time. The company’s operations have also grown a lot, and there are now more than 500 of them in the U.S. and Canada. There are two different websites for each country: https://www.maaco.com for the United States and https://www.maaco.ca for Canada. Visit the website for your country to find the closest Maaco.
Maaco’s Maacover
The following are all parts of a full Maacover:
Body repair
Technicians at Maaco start the makeover of your car by getting rid of any small dents and scratches that don’t look good. This 5-step process makes sure that the finish on your car is smooth as glass. Here’s what to do:
Grinding to get rid of all the paint in the area
Working on the damaged body to get it back to how it was
Putting a mixture of filler and hardener on uneven surfaces to make them smooth.
Sanding and glazing the repair area lets you know if you need a second or even a third coat of filler.
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Once the filler is dry, it needs to be sanded again, and then a professional-grade sealant needs to be put on.
Surface preparation
If you don’t fix the chips and scratches on your car and leave them out in the weather, they may damage the paint job over time. So, surface repair comes into play. By fixing these problems, you can get the smoothest finish and highest shine possible.
Estimators at Maaco look over your car and suggest surface repairs. Their most basic option to fix light chips and scratches takes care of most chips and scratches caused by normal use. If the chips and scratches are deeper, you may need to use the option to fix excessive chips and scratches, which involves more sanding and a Bondo filler.
Maaco also recommends paint removal for problems like cracking, peeling, or coming apart. If you choose this option, your car will be taken apart and repainted. Before a paint job can make a surface shine for a long time, minor surface repairs must be done.
Surface sealant
If old paint mixes with the new paint after a paint job, it could make the car look dull and change its colour. Sealants act as a barrier between these two paints, making sure that the painted surface has a high gloss and a consistent colour. Sealants and a smooth layer of primer also make paint last longer, which helps keep the shine. Maaco has three grades of sealants, which are:
Basic: Sealants in this group work best on cars that don’t need much work to get ready.
Preferred: The paint finish uses urethane to make it last longer.
Premium is a glue made of urethane that sticks to bare metal. This grade is best for cars that need extra work to get ready.
Painting services
Do you like your car but hate the way it looks? It might just need a Maacover to give it that clean look. Getting your car repainted also lets you choose the colour or shade, raises its resale value, stops rust from forming, fixes chipped paint, etc. Maaco has three packages of paint:
Simple: a single-stage enamel paint is used to give your car a nice shine and a perfect colour match. The service is guaranteed for one year.
Preferred: This paint job is for people who want something that will last longer but won’t break the bank. It is a single-step process that uses urethane paint, which doesn’t chip and lasts much longer than enamel paint. The warranty is good for three years.
Premium: It is a two-stage paint service that offers the highest level of durability, the best glossy finish possible, a perfect colour match, and a five-year warranty.
So, what is the difference between a paint with one stage and one with two? The only steps in a single-stage paint job are painting over a primer and buffing. Most of the time, you don’t need to add a clear coat because the paint already has all the chemicals needed for a shiny finish. Clear coats didn’t become popular until the 1980s, so many classic cars have this kind of paint. So, they are often repainted this way to make them look like they came from that time.
In contrast, a two-stage paint job starts with a primer coat and then a base coat for the colour. The paint is then covered with a clear coat to protect it and give it a shiny look. Single-stage paints don’t last as long and don’t stand up as well to the weather as two-stage paints. They are more expensive, though, and take longer to put on.
Proper car care
Car care is the last step in Maacover. Proper maintenance can go a long way toward making sure that a paint job lasts for a long time. Maaco tells us:
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You can park in the shade, but you shouldn’t park under trees.
Avoiding driving on sand or loose gravel
Cleaning your car often
In terms of washing, this is a great way to get rid of things like asphalt, tree sap, bird poop, bugs, or mud that could damage the paint on your car. It is best to wash your car by hand twice a month. Use a mild car wash soap and a soft cloth or sponge to avoid scratching the wax or sealant away from the clear coat. Don’t forget to rinse your car’s undercarriage to get rid of dirt, salt, or other chemicals that could cause rust or corrosion.
Also, Maaco says that you should wax your car every 3–4 months for the first 4–6 weeks after a paint job to protect the new finish from things like UV rays, soil, acid rain, and other things that can damage it. Make sure to use car wax that doesn’t have cleaning ingredients like silicone in it.
Use the wax applicator to spread a thin layer of wax over the whole car in a circular motion. Let the wax dry all the way before taking it off. Put firm pressure on it and wipe it off in a circular motion with a clean, dry microfiber cloth. If you let the wax sit for too long, it might get hard to take off. More than once, I have made that mistake.
Maaco Additional Services
Maaco does more than just paint cars. Here are some of the other services they offer:
Cosmetic car repairs. Maaco categorises repairs as either Class A or Elective repairs. Class A repairs involve making an insurance claim with your insurance company whereas, elective repairs are those paid out of pocket.
Direct Repair Program (DRP) (DRP). The company works with every major insurance company to provide fast, quality service and to keep repairs affordable.
Fleet services. Maaco offers various fleet vehicle services, including remarketing, rebranding, and accident management. Their clients include car rental companies, public agencies, telecommunications providers, food and or beverage companies, and manufacturers.
Industrial services that don’t involve cars. Maacover can also help airlines, waste management companies, hotels and resorts, amusement parks, equipment rental companies, and a lot of other types of businesses. Some of these services include fixing furniture, rental equipment, stop lights, gas pump covers, trash cans, and golf carts.
Fixes for lease return. Maaco will fix any damage to your leased car before you turn it in. This will make it worth as much as possible. You also won’t have to pay the dealership’s crazy repair fees.
Bed lining is sprayed. Technicians at Maaco will spray spray-on/in bed liner into the bed of your pickup truck. This will protect it from the sun, rain, snow, sand, chemicals, and rust.
Note that not all services are offered in all places. Find a shop near you and give them a call to find out what services they offer.
Conclusion
Even without the jokes, Maaco does great work and has earned its place in the auto industry. Many businesses benefit from having a Maaco service centre in their area because they offer a wide range of repairs and services.
Most painting jobs at Maaco take two to three business days. If your car needs a lot of bodywork, new parts, or extra work to fix damage that is already there, it could take a while longer. Just help out Dad and me by paying a little more for the better paint job. The people sitting next to you in the car will be thankful.
Check out Water Instead of Coolant and Smart Car Weight if you liked this article.
Sources: https://micdot.com
Category: Car
