Painting a truck topper at Maaco - yay or nay?

"MUSASHI66" (musashi66) 05/29/2019 at 14:22 • Filed to: None

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A while ago, I got a free topper on craigslist for my 2000 Tundra. It was perfect for our needs - just an enclosure for the dogs when we got to the dog park.

Topper was the wrong color, all the clear coat has peeled off, lifters were broken... I replaced the broken stuff, installed some bars on the windows so that the mutts can’t jump out in summer when I keep the windows open for them.

But, the paint issue is still there

Missus would like me to deal with this before we move (in September) to our new fancy house and fancy neighborhood , and she’d like it to be color matched.

Local topper place wants $600-700 for an unknown paint finish.

Maaco wants $400 for Urethane + IC (integrated clear coat) and it is a 4 year warranty, good for vehicles exposed to elements. Or, for $500, they would do Base coat + Clear coat with a 5 year warranty. Prep is included in both, and they would be done in about 2 days.

I am also waiting on a buddy that fixes and flips cars to talk to his painter buddy to let me know how much he would charge me. If it is cheaper, it will be without warranty (I presume).

Does anyone have any experience with Maaco? These guys have a surprising 4.7 stars on Google - surprising as in all I ever heard about Maaco is they do shitty work with shitty prep.

If I didn’t just spend $1370 on timing belt replacement with a new water pump and serpentine belt , exhaust manifold and oxygen sensor installation and a new radiator, I wouldn’t care too much, but whatever I pick will send me over $3000 invested into this truck in the last 6 months or so, and all we ever do with it is drive the dogs around.

I do have a compressor and can get this paint and I also have a garage, but what I don’t have is any experience painting cars.

Decisions , decisions...

OPPOsaurus WRX > MUSASHI66 05/29/2019 at 14:46

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If it were me, I’d sand it down and just spray paint it. You could try to match the color but good luck with that. I’d go either black or white. this was fairly common when I worked at a place that sold these. There was a significant charge to match paint so a lot of guys would get it in a basic color like black or white.Black might match well w ith the black trim

Ash78, voting early and often > MUSASHI66 05/29/2019 at 14:49

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I wouldn’t trust Maaco (or any paint job, IMO) to continue to match the truck in the long run. I’d go with something contrasting because then you won’t be stuck looking at two different shades of silver for years. White is the practical, low-albedo choice.

Also: Talk to your doctor about low albedo.

4kc > MUSASHI66 05/29/2019 at 14:52

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Just like quick oil change places and car dealerships, it depends on which one  you go to and what person is actually doing the work. I’ve seen great maaco jobs and awful ones

Arrivederci > MUSASHI66 05/29/2019 at 14:55

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I’d pick a contrasting color as well, and  maybe even consider wrapping it.

MUSASHI66 > OPPOsaurus WRX 05/29/2019 at 14:55

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I am not interested in black or white - I already have a mismatched finish, so it would be pointless imo.

I could sand it and protect it and paint it, but a pint of paint is $54, quart is $108 and gallon is $373 and I honestly have no clue what I am doing.

2Fast2Furious: Rotary Powered > MUSASHI66 05/29/2019 at 14:56

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Dont expect a perfect match, but it wouldn’t be a bad choice to get it in the oem silver for a like 5 footer match, unless your body guy blends the base and clear. I wouldn’t recommend using spray cars really since that’s about as expensive as doing it yourself with the gun and the finish would probably be  equal in quality.

MUSASHI66 > Ash78, voting early and often 05/29/2019 at 14:58

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It won’t match the truck to begin with - truck is Platinum Metallic 1A0 with 19 years of sun exposure. Their paint job will be fresh version of it so I can think about how pretty the color used to be on the truck. I have zero desire for black or white topper on Platinum Metallic truck - I’d rather leave it as is. 

CaptDale - is secretly British > MUSASHI66 05/29/2019 at 14:59

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I don’t really see the issue with the colors. Th ey look similar enough

Snuze: Needs another Swede > MUSASHI66 05/29/2019 at 14:59

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I do have a compressor and can get this paint and I also have a garage, but what I don’t have is any experience painting cars.

Well, this is how you get experience painting cars!

MUSASHI66 > Arrivederci 05/29/2019 at 14:59

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I consider wrapping it, but I imagine it would close close to painting it, and it wouldn’t last as long either. 

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > MUSASHI66 05/29/2019 at 15:00

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It’s possible to get an okay result out of Maaco type places, if you do the prep yourself. Generally, the reason behind they’re attractive pricing is they cut every corner possible on prep and using cheap paint.

If you’re willing to do some prep work yourself, you can get a good result on something like this without spending a fortune. If you’ve got a compressor and spray gun, this is is something you could get a good enoug h result on yourself.

Bang for the buck would probably be to sand it down yourself, mask it, spray the sealer primer (that is designed to work with the top coat(s) to be used) , sand that and then drop the shell off to have a body shop spray and bake the top coats. If all they have to do it spray color and clear on a prepped shell, they ought to not charge more than few hundred dollars for that.

MUSASHI66 > 2Fast2Furious: Rotary Powered 05/29/2019 at 15:01

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I wouldn’t paint the whole thing with spray cans, that would probably look horrible. But, I could use the compressor and a real spray gun. I just don’t know how and this would be a guinea pig experiment, and I’d rather not do that. 

MUSASHI66 > CaptDale - is secretly British 05/29/2019 at 15:01

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There is no finish on the topper, clear coat is 99 .9% gone.

CalzoneGolem > MUSASHI66 05/29/2019 at 15:03

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Maybe buff it and lay on clear?

MUSASHI66 > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 05/29/2019 at 15:03

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It sounds like way too much work for a topper for a 20 year old truck. I just want something in the “same” color that won’t peel off in 10 years. 

MUSASHI66 > Snuze: Needs another Swede 05/29/2019 at 15:03

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I guess it is, I just don’t see myself doing it ever again. 

TrickJos > MUSASHI66 05/29/2019 at 15:05

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When I was in college I spent a summer fixing all the scratches and damage on the body of my Saturn. I then took it to Maaco and paid for their best paint job, which was still about half the price I was quoted elsewhere. They missed a few spots which they did fix when I took it back and complained. It looked really good for about 5 years and then the clear coat started to flake off. It was the right decision for me at the time and I don’t regret it.

If I needed a topper painted I think I would take it to Maaco and then be diligent about keeping it waxed to protect the clear coat as much as possible. If I noticed the clear starting to fail after a few years I would probably take a shot a respraying the clear coat myself. 

MUSASHI66 > CalzoneGolem 05/29/2019 at 15:07

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I did consider that briefly, but for the work involved, I still wouldn’t have a matching topper.

MUSASHI66 > TrickJos 05/29/2019 at 15:09

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This is what I’ve been looking for, first hand experience. I figure if I get a paint job with a 5 year warranty, they should fix issues that come up. And this time, the truck will be garaged in my new 4 car garage :D, so the topper shouldn’t be exposed to elements too often. 

CalzoneGolem > MUSASHI66 05/29/2019 at 15:09

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You won’t have a matching topper without spending a lot, and Maaco isn’t going to be the answer. They’ll have to custom match the paint to your faded truck.

ranwhenparked > MUSASHI66 05/29/2019 at 15:11

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Maacos are franchises, so their quality and service can vary noticeably from owner to owner. I would doubt that they'd ever do a concours quality job, but I know people who have had good results from them. Obviously I've heard the horror stories, too.

Dogsatemypants > MUSASHI66 05/29/2019 at 15:11

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Why not plastidip?

Future next gen S2000 owner > MUSASHI66 05/29/2019 at 15:12

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It’ll be a far from good but good from far. I would do the 400 and call it good.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > MUSASHI66 05/29/2019 at 15:15

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That’s why bodywork is expensive, because it is all prep work. Just like painting a room, a ctually laying down paint is only about 10% of the job. I painted an entire car in my garage and got a very good result , but I would not do so again. Painting a single body panel, or something like a shell, is within the realm of something that isn’t unreasonable to do.  Otherwise, bodywork is one of those you tend to get what you pay for type things.  

MUSASHI66 > Future next gen S2000 owner 05/29/2019 at 15:20

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Honestly, that is  what I am leaning towards. It’s an old truck. I don’t need anything fancy.

MUSASHI66 > Dogsatemypants 05/29/2019 at 15:21

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Doesn’t last long enough, I would have to do it on my own, and it would end up expensive buying that much of it in proper color. 

TrickJos > MUSASHI66 05/29/2019 at 15:22

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The garage will definitely help. My Saturn was never kept in a garage.

Just after paint.

This year. About 10 years after paint.

LastFirstMI is my name > MUSASHI66 05/29/2019 at 15:24

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Sell the truck and find one that’s in worse shape than yours and matches the topper. Pocket the difference in price and you come out ahead!

Snuze: Needs another Swede > MUSASHI66 05/29/2019 at 15:28

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It’s always helpful to have skills in your repe rtoire. But it’s a lot of labor. As others have said, paint and body work is generally a business with low material costs and high labor costs. The finished product is only as good as what you put into it during prep.

If I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t even worry about it. It sounds like all you do is drive the dogs around in it, so it’s not like you’re looking for a clean daily driver. And you said in a comment that your new place is going to have a 4 car garage to park it in, so it’s not like the neighbors need to look at the mismatch (which honestly isn’ t that awful) . If it’s to please your wife, well, I don’t know your wife so I’ll leave that up to you on how to tackle it - if it were my wife I’d just tell her I’m “researching it ” or something and then worry about more important things. Or just explain that by not doing anything   I’m saving money. My wife loves to save money.

Otherwise, going back to the garage point, I’d go for the $400 job or your buddy’ s painter if he’s cheaper. Sun and the elements are the biggest killer of paint so if it’s going to be garage kept I’d go for the cheapest option and not worry about it.

MUSASHI66 > LastFirstMI is my name 05/29/2019 at 15:30

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That is like one of those FP recommendations .

“I need a fun reliable car for me and my kids”

“Buy this LADA Niva with 236k miles!”

MUSASHI66 > Snuze: Needs another Swede 05/29/2019 at 15:35

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In a year, this might end up being my primary vehicle. It runs, it is paid off, and when my lease expires, I might just drive this - we want every penny spent on the new house to pay it off in 10 years or less. So, I wouldn’t mind having it look decent, but I am not hoping for a concourse finish.

vicali > MUSASHI66 05/29/2019 at 15:40

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On one hand the topper place probably has experience painting fiberglass tops, which might make the job last longer. On the other hand the $400 Maaco is easy and seems reasonable .

I’ve replaced the box on my 86 and rattle-canned it myself, it turned out alright and lasted the 5 years I needed it to. It was a fun project at the time but I would leave it to the pros if I were to do it again.

So my answer is no answer.

Also the 4runner wheels look great..

MUSASHI66 > vicali 05/29/2019 at 15:54

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Thanks! I am really leaning toward the $400 job, and I’ll look into removing the gate and the windows if it is easy to do. If it isn’t, they can just paint to the edge.

Dru > MUSASHI66 05/29/2019 at 16:16

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My brother has a 2004 4Runner that had its hood repainted at Maaco maybe a year or two ago.  From a distance, it actually looks pretty good.  When you get close, well, it does not look good.  But the clear coat was totally gone and paint that remained was fading.  It was maybe $300. 

mallthus > MUSASHI66 05/29/2019 at 16:30

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So hat if it does? Will you even have this truck in 10 years? What’s another $400 in 10 years? It’s like when I buy tools from Harbor Freight. If I need a tool for some particular arcane project, I don’t care if it lasts, especially if it’s significantly cheaper than the “better” option. 

MUSASHI66 > Dru 05/29/2019 at 16:47

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$300 for hood only? Wowza. I’ll feel good paying $400 for the whole topper. 

MUSASHI66 > mallthus 05/29/2019 at 16:49

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With the mileage I do, I am not sure I’ll ever sell her. She’s 19 years old, 134k miles, and I drive less than 10k miles per year total on all my cars combined. Even if she becomes a daily driver, I am about to work from home 90% of the time so I still won’t drive much. So yes, I’d like it to last - why deal with something twice if you can deal with it once?

Monkey B > MUSASHI66 05/29/2019 at 17:07

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go for it, Maaco painters just paint...all day. Usually they are pretty good at it as it’s all they do. You get what you pay for with them, so if you pay for decent product you’ll do ok. I’ve prepped multiple cars, did the fine tape work and dropped them off...it’s cheaper for me to do it that way as I have the skills, but not the facilities. If it’s metallic I’d spring for base coat clear coat as the way the metallic lays can be different enough to make it a poor match. But a lot of caps are never perfect matches.

MUSASHI66 > Monkey B 05/29/2019 at 17:19

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Thanks! They did recommend base+clear for the reason you mentioned, it’s $500 and I get extra year of warranty.

mallthus > MUSASHI66 05/29/2019 at 19:31

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I get that. I’ve owned one vehicle more than 10 years in 34 years of owning vehicles, so a paint job that would be good for 10 years would be perfect for most of my uses. As illustrated, YMMV.

The Snowman > MUSASHI66 05/29/2019 at 21:59

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Rattle cans. Mine looks fine 4 years later and that's white over red base paint. Just scuffed it primer and then white...

MUSASHI66 > The Snowman 05/29/2019 at 22:28

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How many cans did it take you?  I’d buy base and the clear coat but the website selling the paint doesn’t show coverage in sq ft. 

The Snowman > MUSASHI66 05/29/2019 at 22:54

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It was years ago but I think 6 Rust-Oleum cans. Just make sure you buy the 99¢ trigger thing otherwise you'll cramp up one can in...

MUSASHI66 > The Snowman 05/29/2019 at 23:09

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Thanks!

Dru > MUSASHI66 05/30/2019 at 08:05

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Not sure exactly, but it was no less than $250.

2Fast2Furious: Rotary Powered > MUSASHI66 05/30/2019 at 16:11

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Got anything that could qualify as a test panel? I mean it's not too hard to get a ok finish with a spray gun as long as your compressor dies the job justice and doesn't fill the air with water, and you can find the distance and spray pattern for it.

MUSASHI66 > 2Fast2Furious: Rotary Powered 05/30/2019 at 17:07

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I imagine I could find an old car part somewhere :)