MAACO $2k PAINT JOB OF MY ‘95 RAM

[@imkwuzn]

I used to be the office manager of a very high quality local body shop. I can tell you that a complete paint job runs upwards of 8-10k. The entire vehicle would be disassembled. All trim removed. Glass removed. Moldings removed, lights, bumpers etc. For 2k I’d say Maaco did a fantastic job given the overall condition of the truck when you dropped it off.

[@stephenmr2]

You are exactly right sir every single part he was pointing out i was thinking if the owner of the white truck had taken those parts off he would have had really very nice paint job it seems to me that all those areas he pointed out that he didnt like are his fault he should have taken those trim parts off and then put them all back on himself then it would be nice.

[@matthewfrohbieter1803]

You get what you pay for, and he got his money’s worth for 2k.

[@grntchstrmdws]

Exactly. This $2000 paint job was next to “Gratis.”

[@craigbmm4675]

have to agree .. for 2k .. looks good

[@MicahMartin-p9s]

A five year old with a spray can would be considered good. But how old was this painter? Overspray is not acceptable.

[@chrishart2064]

I worked at a maaco twenty years ago, that’s the quality you can expect at that price point. A “real” body shop would remove all the trim lights mirror’s etc. before painting. That’s part of why it costs twice as much or more at the real shop. They generally will also use higher quality paints and primer etc.

[@matthewbegin3462]

Exactly, you would spend 5 to 10k for a complete paint job with out those imperfections.

[@jake-thegoat]

Saying "I don't know why they did that" and "Maaco" in the same conversation, that makes me laugh

[@jumpinjojo]

Considering you didn’t remove a single piece of trim, taillight, or moulding, they gave you exactly what I would expect for $2000.

[@zpardee]

So glad to see similar comments to what I was about to post - this is a fantastic paint job for $2k. I think you'd likely get similar, if not (hopefully) slightly better results at over twice the price - around $5k+ from another shop. I'd call this a win. After all, you went to MAACO - you knew what you were dealing with :) I have a 1967 c10 that I had painted a completely different color through MAACO for $1500. Other shops wanted to charge me closer to $8k! Does it have orange peel and overspray? Yes. Would I have paid 5x that amount for the same color to not have that? Honestly, no. I wouldn't. MAACO is a 'good from far, far from good' company and you honestly did very well with it. I have a lower grade than you, and it still shines great after 2 years as long as you take care of it and regularly wax. Enjoy it!

[@70sfred1]

I think it looks pretty damn good compared to before! I wouldn't nit-pick, or should've went somewhere else and shelled out more money for your specifications.

[@largol33t1]

For the price, I rate this an easy 8 out of 10. I'm surprised by the quality for $2K. I thought it would look like a disaster before he even got within inches of the truck. I do like the "dark" appearance of the white and wish car brand would offer it more. I've seen a MINI painted in a similar shade and it looked gorgeous in low light/cloudy days.

[@maroonsn95]

That's damn good for $2k. I'm sure it's just a driver and the things you pointed out, someone would have to go over it with a fine tooth comb to see. The prep work I wouldn't say was bad, just the masking could've been a little better. Overall, I'd be happy with that.

[@kevinbryant6459]

Exactly!!

[@kurtjammer9568]

Nice job..consider the job was free for 2k.

[@remarkable224]

That actually looks better than most MAACO paint jobs that I've seen.

[@speedracerjeff]

Reminds me of Earl Scheib, I had many cars painted there over the years. About the same type of prep.

[@yukonjack.]

I remember Earl Scheib from the '80s, back then a paint job was going for $300-500 bucks.✌️

[@vincemajestyk9497]

At least with Scheib the price more or less matched the quality of the job. You didn't expect much.

[@matthewgibbs6886]

@@yukonjack. i Rember it when it was 99.95 same day. and my dad remembers 39.95

[@yukonjack.]

@@matthewgibbs6886 Maybe it was a lot cheaper than I remember? it probably was $99 bucks from my old high school days. There was an interesting article I googled, he started out in 1937 it cost $29.95 by 1975 he expanded into Europe which I never knew, his initial goal was to do five or six cars a day one person would strip the paint, one would sand, one would mask, and 1 man would paint. All Operations ceased July 16th 2010.✌️

[@jaya.0069]

@@yukonjack. My sister had her VW bug painted by Earl in the 70's for $99.95, she counted 367 runs in the paint. Even painted door handles and bumpers!

[@althunder4269]

This looks ok the only area I'd be unhappy with is the wheel arch chrome which could have been easily removed before painting. But for 2K it's ok.

[@hazelwoodgarage]

I have a body shop, I would’ve taken off the tail lights and wheel opening chrome just because its easier, I would have had some mess ups if I painted it to, paint on tire etc

[@KekeeBlack]

If I went there I’d take everything off, sand it and tape it myself. The prep work YOU are willing to do is what makes MAACO a good option. If you don’t to the prep, manage your expectations.

[@largol33t1]

I think Maaco's pure profit margin is heavily influenced by how many cars they do in a week. They have to repaint the cars/trucks in a reasonable amount of time otherwise they lose money. This reminds me of guy who runs a VERY high end paint shop in southern California was interviewed by Car & Driver. He said the biggest nightmare of running a boutique paint shop is the working hours. He said "I can talk about $30K (yes he charged a Ferrari owner $30K for his finest paint job) paint jobs all day but in the end, if the hours pile up too high, I start LOSING money." He works with 2-3 other guys and one reason he charges so much because he has a Mexican buddy who is VERY experienced with fixing body parts. The Mexican claims that part of the appeal of a good paint job is in the hours done with body work before even touching the spray gun and I believe him 100%. He once spent a few WEEKS fixing up a a Ferrari convertible before they painted it. (Note: they did talk to the owner and he approved all the bodywork). When they finished painting it, it looked jaw-droppingly beautiful. They showed a "low-end" job (the cheapest they offer) where they just fix up small removable parts and spray the body with just 1-2 coats. The difference was night and day although I was still shocked that the "low-end" paint job still looked incredible. The Mexican revealed one of his secrets: for the "cheap" paint option, they will METICULOUSLY sand and polish each coat one square inch at a time before the clearcoat is applied. The pictures spoke for themselves: saw two guys furiously "scrubbing" down the car an inch at a time with a shop towel dipped in polishing compound from a massive tube. Their boss doesn't buy the notion that an electric polisher is better because they can't control the amount of pressure over a square inch. The electric polisher is too large to get into small areas like air ducts and around mirror arms, etc. One final thing: the article said that the Ferrari with the $30k paint job was confiscated by the IRS! The owner was busted for money laundering and for stealing profits from his employees! The shop owner lamented "I guess I won't be doing touchup work on that car any time soon." LMFAO!

[@joeytaylor2785]

I removed the headlights, taillights, door handles and the chrome grill and they still had tape edges and runs.

[@SigmaSheepdog]

II'm glad that I watched this video because I know what to expect when Maaco paints my truck.

[@HiFiInsider]

i can’t find a video on YT on Macco’s most expensive paint package.

[@tombair1401]

For 2k really good job I hate to plug maco but man pretty good job

[@kevinbryant6459]

I absolutely agree

[@HeresJohnny-b4u]

$2,000.00 for a paint job is crazy. I had my car painted at Earl Schieb when I was younger and I only paid $29.95.

[@ImGerald]

Paint on the tire? W-T-F? And I would have done a little prep work myself like removing the head and tail lights. Looks good though.

[@RichardB-z3z]

I see the GA plate in the front. Which location did you go to? We are thinking about taking our teenager son’s car to them.

[@terrywalker9092]

Not too bad overall. You can use plastic paint something like krylon fusion to paint your black trim.

[@marcuswhite1403]

Ain't no way I would spend that much at Maaco and I use to work there years ago

[@brainswole101]

My white 97 2500 looks like a twin to your before picture.

[@albertburton9865]

It actually looks pretty good

[@shalee48]

You paint job would make me Mad if this was my truck and I love Ram trucks Tim

[@albertoquinones1173]

It all depends on the Maaco. My local maaco does the prep work and their paint jobs are pretty good for the price.

[@UFPTX]

How did the actual paint look though? Everything you pointed out seemed like issues that could have been avoided.

[@victormalgieri7733]

It's a pretty good job for 2K.Nice looking truck

[@RT-tn4ry]

What do you expect ! Macco is the Spirit airlines of paint shops , geeesh.

[@Long-nd8bq]

The key to using Maaco is to take off the mirrors, grille, headlights, tail lights, bed cover, and fender flares before you let them start on the truck. They literally just tape over those quickly which leads to paint lines and overspray. I'd even take the bumpers off so they can paint around them correctly.

[@BearBudgetgarage]

I do a more careful job taping if I'm not removing items. But it's just me and I have to safeguard my own reputation. At 2000 I would have pulled the tail lights and the wheel well trim.

[@matthewgibbs6886]

they have to do 10 15 a day and all the detrimming isnt on the work order it isn't coming off. they used to get 2 scuff pads and a sheet of sandpaper thats it for prep

[@barryhunt5357]

I'm on the fence, I need my truck painted, it has some body work to handle, after talking to a couple shops that only do collision repairs and I understand that looks like Maaco will be the one, I'm probably going to use the one in Douglasville, my truck is 25 years old now, and I certainly won't pay for a restoration job, nor do I need it, thanks for the video.

[@Mcculock]

Back in 1980 earl scheib company was painting cars for 69.95 which looked pretty much like what you got for the money great job

[@Sam-un5km]

Maaco where I stay you can get the package they take off all your trimming went they painted

[@nannykboy7326]

Did those rims bolt on are do you needs a wheel spacer ?

[@nothanks81]

It's macco. There tape and prep work is just as budget as there paint. They give the painter just enough supplies for coverage and the prep guys are paid to pull nothing. Best way to way to get decent results is to pull every thing, no lights, trim moldings or glass, do the prep work to the point they just need to back tape the jams and tip the guy spraying it otherwise they all come out like that.

[@normp3273]

For what you paid, it's not bad at all. In fact I would say it's pretty good, I'm wondering if you could take off all the lights and trim to improve the workmanship. Obviously you would remove the lights when you got to the shop. But not too shabby.

[@Marz78963]

I'd call that a win. I have a White 2003 GMC Yukon Denali that the roof and hood is starting to peel off similar to your truck's before photo. Not to that extent but it's starting. I took it in to a local body shop and they quoted me $4,000 to do JUST the hood and another $5200 to do the roof. With the complaint that it's a lot of prep work sanding the hood and the roof down. And for an extra $1200 I could get the rear rocker panels replaced as they are starting to rust. And that's painting ONLY the hood and roof, total quote with rocker panels $10,400 before taxes. Yeah, I'm taking this thing to Maaco. All things considering for 2 grand they did a great job. Could they have did better prep sure but it's Maaco. For what it is that looks great and I'll be doing the same before long with this Yukon. 2 to 3 grand for a full body SUV paint job that would look about as good as your truck compared to 10 grand for just the hood and roof only. Yeah not bad at all

[@SkippyPB.]

agree. all things considered,

[@evanmakopoulos8527]

They did a great job for 2k

[@sarareed8682]

Maaco did good for the price.

[@yanglickberg5685]

So you had this done in 2022? Did they have to also sand down the car beforehand? Or did they just cover everything with paint? I would be surprised if they sanded too because nowadays, the cost for sanding and painting at Maaco is $3500

[@craigbmm4675]

its a 95' truck .. i wouldnt sweat it too much . looks good actually .. much better than before

[@alfredrossi5268]

I understand what you're saying about Marco and the details but it looks good

[@davidbires2351]

Light buff does wonders

[@matthewgibbs6886]

their paint will gum up a buffer. i have ssen cars painted there that were still printing 5 days later. if you can't skimp on hardener what can you skimp on

[@seymourcake752]

Did macco mess up or did they give you what you paid for.

[@anonymousreviewer5035]

Thanks for posting this video saved me a lot of future problems because I cannot do the major prep work and Maaco never advised me of that....red flag!!

[@marksreviewsandrants8554]

I am not sure but I think they might have bought out Earl Scheib,my dad took his truck to them in the 80's and they left the tape on the trim and we had to take it all off,I know the job did not cost a lot but they should not over spray,that sux.

[@rongamble9884]

If they had sprayed it in 2 stage on edges you can use blending agent that will melt the edges of the clear coat I do flat rate paint jobs and that is how I do mine

[@vincemajestyk9497]

At the rate they pump them out I don't think they even offer or could do 2 stage. Takes too much precious time.

[@ballvice7861]

Which Maaco was this? Gainsville?

[@EverybodysACritic35]

Each Maaco is independently owned, so the quality of the work will be determined by how good each location is. I just had my Tundra painted by Maaco and it came out fantastic. I paid for the most expensive package. My total was about $2300 including removing one small dent and remove/reattach my tailgate handle. All the little things this guy is complaining about was not a problem for me. All Maacos are not the same. Review your local shops individually.

[@HaOsLsE]

Which Maaco did you go to for reference?

[@EverybodysACritic35]

@@HaOsLsE S. Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando.

[@largol33t1]

I like the "muddy white" appearance of the truck. It looks sleek but different. I don't know why brands won't offer this kind of color. I'd love to have my car in "muddy white."

[@archiebunker139]

Can't believe there still around

[@j.r6656]

that looks way better before and after 🔥🔥👌

[@michaelrobbins282]

So you got the preferred paint service? I have a question, how much do they charge for their premium paint service? And would the prep work be better on the premium paint service?

[@ClassicRideSociety]

I think the prep would still be extra. The premium paint job cost is for better paint and that they have to essentially paint it twice, once with base color and then with clear. The mid tier paint mentioned in this video has the clear integrated into the color so only needed to painted once.

[@MrC9Oh3]

Looks amazing for 2k

[@steadyeddie7453]

You just confirmed what I was planning to do because your paint job looks good, but the taping off is a failure. I have a 97 Ram in the same PW7 white and the peeling clearcoat. I went to Maaco for an estimate for a complete paint job and also chose their Urethane I/C paint. As we walked around the truck I pointed out that I will remove all the badging and emblems, the body side moulding, the grill, the antenna, the taillights, the bed rail caps, the cargo light, and the rear sliding window. And now, after seeing your video I may remove the side mirrors and loosen the door handles and tailgate handle also. My bed will not get painted as I did this last year andinstalled a bedliner. My concerns are they will still get overspray on the weatherstripping, my new inner fender wells, the tires, bumper covers, engine compartment, etc. I may have to ask to inspect the truck before it rolls into the booth. It's been a year, how is the paint job holding up????

[@GaryCook-n1e]

I like chrome too. But the truck really looks pretty good.

[@Coodeville]

Out here Maaco is staffed mainly with guys right out of body shop school or actual guys learning, They hire " no experience needed" Its a learning thing for most of them.

[@Ethan-yg8me]

Honestly, I think it's a good thing to have places like this around for people who want to get into body work and get their foot in the door.

[@Coodeville]

@@Ethan-yg8me I agree

[@matthewgibbs6886]

learning how to cut corners isn't learning.. we wont hire anyone who worked at a maaco or any wyotech grads. the first has bad habits that are impossible to break and the second they don't teach them sht about collision work

[@grouchynorwegian8690]

I used an independent shop and they charged me $800 (normally $1,000) for urethane on a 2006 Tacoma crew cab and their masking was a lot better. That was three years ago.

[@davidlaws1438]

All in all I think it looks good, a little paint thinner and razor blade, my thing would how long it last, how well it holds up. Main stream paint shops, like the other guy said, 8 grand, which is insane. And I think white is pretty for giving color. Look good, nice looking truck 👍

[@105OUTLAW1]

Hey man, it brought the ram back to life. I'm from Georgia too, which maaco did you go to??

[@mflow3030]

I used the Rome Ga location

[@michaelbetancourt6210]

Not bad for the price expected worse actually and considering how hard it is to find a good painter now a day's

[@kevinbryant6459]

Come on guy for two grand that thing looks great sure you could have taken up all the moldings and everything and taillights out if you wanted those results but overall that's refreshed that whole truck I would be absolutely satisfied with the work and price

[@johnnycashh7148]

Def would have tried to remove whatever I could before i gave it to them but for $2K...not bad. Good for another 10 years. 🍻

[@anthonynapier4668]

It looks good for a 2000 dollar paint job 👍

[@astonmarjo]

Considering what it looked like before and after for only 2k I'd also have to say you got your monies worth. Body work of any sort will easily cost what you paid for everything. 👍💯

[@mikesawyer4707]

It looks pretty dam good to me. My guess is that for around $2000.00 investment you got what you paid for enjoy your truck sir. 😊

[@kurtleimkuehler]

It looks great

[@tylerladerach769]

i mean its a 2k paint job they did a great job for how cheap it was you get what you pay for if you didnt want those imperfections you would have to spend double the money at another shop

[@OGKILLa9365]

Best way to get a vehicle painted at Maaco, remove all lights, tail lights, trim, grill, mirrors, door handles. And sand it down yourself. Then take it to them on a trailer. The paint will come our way better.

[@melissasmess2773]

You saved about $3,000, my Ram is same year and same condition as yours was and May will be 24 years since I bought it so I obviously don't care about it's paint much and it's paid for😂

[@supra8065]

Not bad at all for 2000$

[@mflow3030]

And I’ll agree. Anywhere else would have been $5k or more.

[@RhythmBoy]

What I can see about Maaco is that you shouldn't pay them anymore than for a basic paint job, because they don't look any more different than the $2,000 paint jobs. For that kind of money you can take it to a smaller paint shop where they will put a little more work in to it and prep it better since they have a lot less cars to work on

[@jaya.0069]

For a bit more than 2 grand!

[@robertstephenson2235]

For 2000 that’s a good job

[@pd7439]

“Integrated clear” such a marketing term.

[@ubeuonly]

Fender chrome should have come off. Taillights take 2 minutes to remove. And after 20 plus years. The paint is allowed to check out. Tape can be done correctly by a teenager. My daughter's husband just got his similar F150 completely painted as per original with the windshield removed for $2,400 at the dealer and it looks perfect

[@johnuhelski8613]

That's what we call a 20 footer !

[@bryanstoll7104]

Looks alot better by the video. You have to remove trim yourself. Real paint jobs where I live start at 4k. and go up from there. But like you said beats truck payment

[@ericbritton8146]

Considering how it looked previously, for $2,000, I would be happy with this.

[@user-gl9le6su4o]

Why didn't u take that easy stuff off

[@richarddailey4786]

Looks like you got a great paint job just the dude taping it up didn't know what he was doing.

[@timhudson8958]

You got a bargain for two grand ! I do my own paint work and it’s a huge amount of prep work. I would never do it for a living! I just painted a truck and have almost 2 grand in supplies.

[@normp3273]

Same here. I have just over 2 grand in supplies alone.

[@timholloway8821]

$2,000 is a good deal for that looks good for the price.

[@JP-bk1ve]

Went to Econo paint and showed them the paint flaws i needed addressed with "extra prep" as they call it and paid extra to have paint chips and similar minor paint flaws delt with before the paint job which they agreed to with a nominal mark up which was noted on the invoice.. car finished they didn't do any of it and didn't even sand some places cause I can see the dirt covered under the paint ! the real problem with some of these paint shop franchise is they wait for a complaint from the customer in stead of checking thier own quality and its unexcuseable what they try to pass for a paint job and it has nothing to do with price point.

[@TJ-qz6hr]

Earl Scheib approves this message.

[@glennsvoboda6602]

Funny. Back in 2015 I re did my 1998 Caravan. Door bottom ( slide door) rockers into dog leg . Fixed all dents & dingle. PPG / clear. Wet sand & polish. OK. I got hit in the rear on Sunrise Hwy ( Hamptons L.I.) his adjuster came to our shop. Totaled ( $2800 damage) book value $1800 they take car. I fought it looking in papers 3 highest prices. I got 2 grand and kept van. What a loss

[@ulyssesperez7431]

I’m thinking about taking my 94 Ford F150 work truck. Everyone is asking over 4k

[@matthewgibbs6886]

real paint isn't cheap but cheap is .

[@MotoFamMayhem]

If there's one thing I've recently learned on KZbin, it's not to have Maco paint a vehicle for me 😂

[@The88katana600]

so you got a single stage paint not a base clear . painter did a good job don't see much orange peel

[@olikat8]

Irony- I bought an ugly '95 Ram 1500 4WD with 117k miles for $1200. Stripped it naked, no trim and down to the metal. Took it to the Maaco in Bellevue, WA and they knocked it out of the park for $3k. Had the truck for several years and sold it for $8500. Had 155k miles, needed nothing, and had relocated from the PNW to the Carolinas...

[@diamonddetails9445]

Like I always say, U GET WAT U PAY FURR. Sincerely, Snuffy Smith

[@dextervandemark7082]

If you have a mediocre automobile then make out is okay if you have something you plan on keeping spend the extra money on going to a reputable Body Shop. We are on the verge of painting a 72 Cutlass convertible it won't be done at Maaco. I'd rather spend the five to $10,000 on a really good paint job. I know not everybody can afford that it just depends on what your expectations are. Thanks for sharing this video.

[@tstahler5420]

A year later and you still get what you pay for.

[@glennsvoboda6602]

Sadly I couldn't paint my own truck for 2Gs with the price of quality materials.

[@jamiel3504]

It looks way better than it did but I understand everything you’re saying as I had my cobra painted at the Cincinnati, Colerain ave location several years ago and they actually went out of business a few months after having mine done, what I learned from maaco is , you get what you pay for, the overspray was just lazy BS, they could have done so much better.

[@1MONEYMARCO]

Look good though

[@BentonL]

I was quoted $6500

[@supernova7819]

not bad for 2000

[@claudacious9947]

RAM it in Maaco! 😂

[@christian..]

paint job looks great for 2K young lady..

[@mflow3030]

Thx girl. I’ll agree.

[@jrewing8012]

Man you should have pulled those simple items off, tail lights trim etc for them . 2k paint job is cheap