SodaLuvr

All,

I’m posting for a friend who has several questions regarding paint/body work.

1) Is sanding the entire vehicle necessary for paint preparation?

2) Is “spot” sanding and using a sealer sufficient for paint preparation?

3) How many coats of paint are needed for a good quality job?

4) Which is better, “integrated” clear coat or an actual layer of the “clear coat?” Or, would it be advisable to have both?

5) Since the paint process will be part of a collision repair, would it be advisable to blend and paint the replaced sections, or repaint the entire vehicle? Both of the shops seem to prefer repainting the entire car as it is less expensive than attempting to computer match the color. (Its an 03 Corolla)

Here’s the situation:

One shop, Earl Scheib, offers a paint service for $359.95. They machine sand and hand “block” sand the entire vehicle and mask off the trim, windows, rubber parts, etc. (note: mask, not remove) Using an acrylic/enamel type paint, they spray on a “base” coat, which also has a primer/sealer capability. They then spray two additional coats of paint with an integrated clear coat. They also install UV protection (no charge). 6-yr warranty on the entire job.

Another shop, Maaco, offers their in-house, top of the line paint service. They sand only the scratches and nicks, and apply a “universal” sealer. They then spray with a base coat (unsure how many coats), then a separate clear coat. 5-yr warranty on the entire job, which should cost less than $1000 total.

Of course, all of these costs are on top of the costs for replacing body parts due to the collision.

Please, no “cheapo” comments. If the job is not done correctly, it’ll be done until it is. Budget is limited (out-of-pocket due to being hit by uninsured motorist), so the person is resorting to the least expensive option.

Thanks.

Tennisjon2002

michael,
sorry i can't be of to much help but one thing i know of is I have heard of lots of hit or miss jobs done by maaco but their prices are great. So if you are looking for a great job I would be skeptical with them.

mclarenf3387

Go to a real body shop and get it done right.

And the whole car does not need to be repainted. The area that was damaged can be painted and they can blend the paint if needed to make sure it matches.

This just proves they have no idea what they are doing.

Tennisjon2002

here are some details, keep in mind these are jeep guys so their standards are probably relatively low:

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=159846
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=161707

SodaLuvr

Earl Scheib, the first one, can custom blend. Not a problem, but they charge $200 per piece. Technically reasonable, but when you have to do two doors, a bumper cover, and a fender, at that point, you may as well do the entire car, given the few scuff marks on other parts of the car.

Again, the person who owns the car is on a tight budget, so what can I say? You either fix it or you don't, and not fixing it isn't an option.

Thanks for the help, please keep it coming.

vishnus11

I am by no means an expert, but I do have a friend that owns a bodyshop and has helped me in previous collision repairs. From my understanding....

1) To paint the entire car - even nondamaged panels - you would need to wetsand those panels.

2) No idea

3) I would think at least 3 coats of paint if I remember correct. It could all depend I guess on what the base coat is. i.e. in the extremem case of changin a black car to a white one, you would need more coats of white.

4) No idea

5) Again depends on the color. Some colors are more "blendable" than others. I think your friend would be better off trying to blend those 4 panels professionally, rather than painting the whole car for cheap.

Again, the advice above is what I can give, given my limited knowledge. Hope it helps.

SSMTL01

If you do decide to go to MAACO- just pick it carefully.. some are great and some are absolutely shitty