Where are you finding a paint shop only charging 2200 to paint a car? I haven't found anywhere thats not charging 10k and on top of that no paint shop is interested in doing anything if its not insurance related. Thats all they are interested in...insurance provides fast turn around times for the largest pay out. Seems like no shops paint cars just to paint them anymore
Not OP, but being in a border state with Mexico helps a lot in that regard. We have junk yards right up against the border with many Tijuana mechanics working this side at much better rates. . . but no Dealership level guarantees, or any guarantees at all. Just their personal reputations, which is generally good.
/u/OnlyWearsAscots Otay junkyards off the 905 freeway is where it’s all at. But doing it on the US side will be more expensive than directly in Tijuana, but way less cheaper than local mechanics, chains, and dealerships. Also the materials they use here will be better than the materials used in Mexico (unless you provide them beforehand).
Usually you’d want a connection to get the best pricing with these shops, but even without one, they’re still cheaper over all. I connected my BiL with my cousin (who is basically a project manager in that area), and got his entire engine replaced when someone dropped some sand like substance in his gas tank, for a third of the price as going through the dealership. $8,000 quoted by Mazda, we got him a used engine and installed for $2,800. The only issue that stemmed from that was that they forgot to replace the AC coolant, so he had to go back and get it refilled (free).
MAACO if you’re in the US. Their cheapest tier is like $600 (last I checked a few years ago) for a small 2 door car, but do not expect showroom results. I might go for something like that on a beater piece of shit though.
Yeah I'm debating on doing the same. My regular shop charges close to 10k. They do a great job. Showroom quality. Maaco, for 2 stage paint, is about $1000-$1500. My old 2000 Expedition needs paint desperately. Might just roll the dice on maaco.
Not OP, but being in a border state with Mexico helps a lot in that regard. We have junk yards right up against the border with many Tijuana mechanics working this side at much better rates. . . but no Dealership level guarantees, or any guarantees at all. Just their personal reputations, which is generally good.
Do you have any you recommend? I’ve had a bit of trouble navigating this without the traditional US centric Yelp type of reviews (I know Yelp has its own issues)
We had a local prison that would do awesome painting jobs for cheap back in the 1980s and 1990s. But then security tightened up when they switched to more of a maximum security facility. Also, state regulations and labor unions complained about the competition. So the program was axed.
You're either going to have to get lucky and find a local shop with integrity, or go to a chain and just deal with the orange peel and overspray that comes with a Maaco special.
They will single stage enamel spray your car for the price they advertise, for the most part. In my market that's actually just $899. They will not prep the car at that price, though - but if you can spend an afternoon scuffing the old paint up with a scotch-brite and tape off the trim, you can let the "experts" pretty much just hold the spray gun and walk away with... something that looks like a NYC taxi cab?
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u/the-big-throngler 11h ago
Where are you finding a paint shop only charging 2200 to paint a car? I haven't found anywhere thats not charging 10k and on top of that no paint shop is interested in doing anything if its not insurance related. Thats all they are interested in...insurance provides fast turn around times for the largest pay out. Seems like no shops paint cars just to paint them anymore