Want to paint my car on a budget... HELP!!!

P-Tein · 01-10-2009, 03:11 AM

Yes well, I just bought a 1988 Mustang GT for $1000 down from $3000 and it needs paint. The body has cracks/chips in it but no rust. I want to paint it myself and get the best possibly shine.

What are the steps I have to take? Such as standing, prepping, buying the right paint and clearcoat so it looks glossy/shiney.

Also, what grit sandpaper should I use?

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XanRules · 01-10-2009, 03:25 AM

pictures before we can answer.

burtondk12 · 01-10-2009, 03:38 AM

haha oh god, this should get good. prep and sand it yourself and bring it to maaco. they spray good just have crap prep work

Donzo · 01-10-2009, 04:30 AM

I made a thread where I posted pics of a guy that painted his Jeep Liberty in his driveway. It actually came out looking pretty damn good. However, I'm hoping you don't plan on painting your mustang camouflage...

Smoke · 01-10-2009, 01:13 PM

You can probably sand your car and stuff to save you coin but that's as far as an amateur can go to save money.

In painting the saying, "You get what you pay for" is truly no exception.

P-Tein · 01-10-2009, 04:20 PM

Very cool guys, ok so i think I will prep the car myself then bring it to Maaco, anyone know approximately how much it costs to get it painted or do I have to get an estimate? I just want it a glossy clean black, nothing fancy... and defintely no camouflage!

shissqbob · 01-11-2009, 12:59 AM

that's definitely your best bet. I would highly urge you to mask off most of the car as well. If it can't be masked off, then you should remove it. Maaco doesn't have a problem with spraying the paint, those guys do it all day. They're basically lazy...well it's painting on a budget: parts that should be removed (headlights, window trim, etc.) are just masked off with tape...

I would say you pay no more than 300 dollars to get it sprayed at Maaco. My friend just got his Mustang sprayed for that much and he didn't prep it himself.

Pakelika · 01-11-2009, 09:28 AM

$300 seriously? and no prep? That sounds really cheap. Maaco wouldn't even do my brothers door panel for that much. Was something like $500.

RedMpreza · 01-11-2009, 02:00 PM

I saw an ad on the TV today and Maaco is having a special, $299 (which is half off) for their ambassador paint service... may be worth it for that little...

eatus ravenous · 01-11-2009, 02:41 PM

Maaco paint may look good at first but 3 months later it will look like crap their clear is crap period . they will get paint everywhere its not supposed to be and the car will look hacked . find a small local shop and discuss getting your car painted. offer doing some of the crap work they have ( cleaning , washing , trash etc ) to offset some of the cost but get it done somewhat correctly or you will always hate it .

blackcompany · 01-11-2009, 03:14 PM

Sand it yourself and rattle can it flat black.

SparkysJDMSpeedWagon · 01-11-2009, 04:03 PM

The very best is just to pull off anything you don't want painted, then mask whatever's left. It's easy to pull off the headlights, turn signals, taillights, but you could mask off the cowl vents, and the radiator behind your grill or bumper opening...that always looks so cheezy when people have overspray back there.

Smoke · 01-11-2009, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedMpreza

I saw an ad on the TV today and Maaco is having a special, $299 (which is half off) for their ambassador paint service... may be worth it for that little...

I'm not really a fan of maaco, but they're good for a quick fix or if you don't want to spend a lot.

OP: I would look into the signature and supreme paint service.
The rest of them don't even mention ADDING A CLEAR COAT.

You would be looking at $800+

shiro666 · 01-12-2009, 09:10 AM

Hot Rod had a great article on DIY paint jobs with Rustolium brushed on with foam brushes. It involves a lot of sanding and reducing, but results were awesome. I know that they have it in their technical article section on the website.

Wouldn't try it with black, though.

Brown's Mazda · 01-12-2009, 09:19 AM

Just remember what ever you spend at Maaco, you'll be spending each year to do it again.

dunk · 01-12-2009, 10:17 AM

I've done my fair share of garage painting, and it is possible to do a nice job. It's not as cheap as you might think. Don't under estimate the price of supplies, (sandpaper, body filler, primer, paint, clear, masking tape) none of it is cheap. Add to that the intial cost of buying some of the tools of the trade (DA sanders, sanding blocks, welder, grinders, air compressor, spray gun) and it gets a lot more pricey, especially if you're just painting one car.

-Duncan

dunk · 01-12-2009, 10:18 AM

Oh, and you also picked one of the hardest colors to paint, especially for a beginner. Black is very unforgiving. It will show every wave in every panel. How do you feel about white ?

-Duncan

boostdog · 01-12-2009, 11:19 AM

+1 for white...you bought a 1000 dollar mustang and what are your plans for it? track car ? street car ? car shows? those are things to consider...heck if it will see mainly track time and little street time...hit it up with some good ole rattle can. i saw a thread on here where a guy painted his hood OBP out of a can and it looked fantastic!

smurfwrx · 01-12-2009, 12:12 PM

I would never take my car to maaco. Not a chance. UNLESS...... I bought a junker that just needed a little "refreshening" like it sounds like you need on that stang. In that case, I think it'd be foolish to pay a bunch of money to have it painted.

I want to paint my wrx in a few years and I will be paying through the nose I'm sure.

obs2008 · 01-12-2009, 12:16 PM

give it olive drab krylon touch man. $60 and easy to touch up

01-10-2009, 03:11 AM	#1
P-Tein Scooby Newbie Member#: 197399 Join Date: Dec 2008 Chapter/Region: Tri-State Location: Bronx, NY Vehicle: Blue 2006 WRX TR 1990 Mustang GT	Want to paint my car on a budget... HELP!!! Yes well, I just bought a 1988 Mustang GT for $1000 down from $3000 and it needs paint. The body has cracks/chips in it but no rust. I want to paint it myself and get the best possibly shine. What are the steps I have to take? Such as standing, prepping, buying the right paint and clearcoat so it looks glossy/shiney. Also, what grit sandpaper should I use? * Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

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01-10-2009, 03:25 AM	#2
XanRules Scooby Guru Member#: 157348 Join Date: Aug 2007 Chapter/Region: South East Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Vehicle: It's rowdy outside I ain't signin' s***	pictures before we can answer.

01-10-2009, 03:38 AM	#3
burtondk12 Scooby Newbie Member#: 178590 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: ct Vehicle: 03 sedona	haha oh god, this should get good. prep and sand it yourself and bring it to maaco. they spray good just have crap prep work

01-10-2009, 04:30 AM	#4
Donzo Scooby Guru Member#: 95337 Join Date: Sep 2005 Chapter/Region: Tri-State Location: Putnam/Westchester NY Vehicle: 2008 Spec.B	I made a thread where I posted pics of a guy that painted his Jeep Liberty in his driveway. It actually came out looking pretty damn good. However, I'm hoping you don't plan on painting your mustang camouflage...

01-10-2009, 01:13 PM	#5
Smoke Scooby Guru Member#: 172486 Join Date: Feb 2008 Chapter/Region: NWIC Location: Cheney, WA Vehicle: 95 V4 STi-RA swap Stage 49.8	You can probably sand your car and stuff to save you coin but that's as far as an amateur can go to save money. In painting the saying, "You get what you pay for" is truly no exception.

01-10-2009, 04:20 PM	#6
P-Tein Scooby Newbie Member#: 197399 Join Date: Dec 2008 Chapter/Region: Tri-State Location: Bronx, NY Vehicle: Blue 2006 WRX TR 1990 Mustang GT	Very cool guys, ok so i think I will prep the car myself then bring it to Maaco, anyone know approximately how much it costs to get it painted or do I have to get an estimate? I just want it a glossy clean black, nothing fancy... and defintely no camouflage!

01-11-2009, 12:59 AM	#7
shissqbob Scooby Newbie Member#: 198014 Join Date: Dec 2008 Chapter/Region: MAIC Location: Nazareth, PA Vehicle: 2004 WRX Java Black Pearl	that's definitely your best bet. I would highly urge you to mask off most of the car as well. If it can't be masked off, then you should remove it. Maaco doesn't have a problem with spraying the paint, those guys do it all day. They're basically lazy...well it's painting on a budget: parts that should be removed (headlights, window trim, etc.) are just masked off with tape... I would say you pay no more than 300 dollars to get it sprayed at Maaco. My friend just got his Mustang sprayed for that much and he didn't prep it himself.

01-11-2009, 09:28 AM	#8
Pakelika Scooby Newbie Member#: 166080 Join Date: Dec 2007 Chapter/Region: E. Canada Location: NS, Canada Vehicle: 2007 WRX TR Crystal Gray Metallic	$300 seriously? and no prep? That sounds really cheap. Maaco wouldn't even do my brothers door panel for that much. Was something like $500.

01-11-2009, 02:00 PM	#9
RedMpreza Scooby Newbie Member#: 110734 Join Date: Mar 2006 Chapter/Region: NWIC Location: Moscow, Idaho Vehicle: 1998 Impreza Coupe Victory Red, w/CF bits	I saw an ad on the TV today and Maaco is having a special, $299 (which is half off) for their ambassador paint service... may be worth it for that little...

01-11-2009, 02:41 PM	#10
eatus ravenous Scooby Specialist Member#: 26068 Join Date: Oct 2002 Chapter/Region: NESIC Location: north central mass	Maaco paint may look good at first but 3 months later it will look like crap their clear is crap period . they will get paint everywhere its not supposed to be and the car will look hacked . find a small local shop and discuss getting your car painted. offer doing some of the crap work they have ( cleaning , washing , trash etc ) to offset some of the cost but get it done somewhat correctly or you will always hate it .

01-11-2009, 03:14 PM	#11
blackcompany Scooby Specialist Member#: 143158 Join Date: Mar 2007 Chapter/Region: South East Location: Clarksville, TN Vehicle: 2007 STI UGM	Sand it yourself and rattle can it flat black.

01-11-2009, 04:03 PM	#12
SparkysJDMSpeedWagon Scooby Specialist Member#: 52530 Join Date: Jan 2004 Chapter/Region: South East Location: Goldsboro, NC Vehicle: 2004 For Sale: Silver 04 wagon w/18g	The very best is just to pull off anything you don't want painted, then mask whatever's left. It's easy to pull off the headlights, turn signals, taillights, but you could mask off the cowl vents, and the radiator behind your grill or bumper opening...that always looks so cheezy when people have overspray back there.

01-12-2009, 09:10 AM	#14
shiro666 Scooby Newbie Member#: 183474 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Leeds, Maine Vehicle: 1976 Monte Carlo 1967 Camaro	Hot Rod had a great article on DIY paint jobs with Rustolium brushed on with foam brushes. It involves a lot of sanding and reducing, but results were awesome. I know that they have it in their technical article section on the website. Wouldn't try it with black, though.

01-12-2009, 09:19 AM	#15
Brown's Mazda Vendor Member#: 186428 Join Date: Aug 2008 Chapter/Region: MAIC Location: Fairfax, VA Vehicle: 05 Makin' cars pretty	Just remember what ever you spend at Maaco, you'll be spending each year to do it again.

01-12-2009, 10:17 AM	#16
dunk Scooby Guru Member#: 15359 Join Date: Feb 2002 Chapter/Region: MAIC Location: Monterey, CA	I've done my fair share of garage painting, and it is possible to do a nice job. It's not as cheap as you might think. Don't under estimate the price of supplies, (sandpaper, body filler, primer, paint, clear, masking tape) none of it is cheap. Add to that the intial cost of buying some of the tools of the trade (DA sanders, sanding blocks, welder, grinders, air compressor, spray gun) and it gets a lot more pricey, especially if you're just painting one car. -Duncan

01-12-2009, 10:18 AM	#17
dunk Scooby Guru Member#: 15359 Join Date: Feb 2002 Chapter/Region: MAIC Location: Monterey, CA	Oh, and you also picked one of the hardest colors to paint, especially for a beginner. Black is very unforgiving. It will show every wave in every panel. How do you feel about white ? -Duncan

01-12-2009, 11:19 AM	#18
boostdog Scooby Specialist Member#: 149752 Join Date: May 2007 Location: NW Arkansas Vehicle: 07 wrx tr rr tuned stg2 12.8@105mph	+1 for white...you bought a 1000 dollar mustang and what are your plans for it? track car ? street car ? car shows? those are things to consider...heck if it will see mainly track time and little street time...hit it up with some good ole rattle can. i saw a thread on here where a guy painted his hood OBP out of a can and it looked fantastic!

01-12-2009, 12:12 PM	#19
smurfwrx Scooby Guru Member#: 151928 Join Date: Jun 2007 Chapter/Region: South East Location: Columbia, SC Vehicle: 09 Triumph S3	I would never take my car to maaco. Not a chance. UNLESS...... I bought a junker that just needed a little "refreshening" like it sounds like you need on that stang. In that case, I think it'd be foolish to pay a bunch of money to have it painted. I want to paint my wrx in a few years and I will be paying through the nose I'm sure.

01-12-2009, 12:16 PM	#20
obs2008 Scooby Newbie Member#: 163068 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Jersey Vehicle: 08 outback sport	give it olive drab krylon touch man. $60 and easy to touch up