scarecrow23

Hey everyone,

I'm new to the forum, so I apologize if this is the wrong place. I just bought a used 1992 Camaro. She's my all time first car. A bit beat up, but a steal nonetheless for $1300. I'm looking to get the car painted very soon. There is chipped paint on the roof as well as other places, along with some rust (mostly on the roof).

My first question is where can I find the panel missing from my left rear side fender? The photos attached show the side with it and the side without it.

My second question is: is Maaco reliable for a cheap paint job? I realize it varies from place to place, but what kind of prep work could I do to make their job easier and the outcome better? There's a summer paint special for $249, but I'm hesitant as I have next to no experience with vehicle paint jobs.

Thanks.

Joe Tag

iTrader: (4)

I'll check, I should have that peice give me a zip and ill check Monday on shipping. You can have it for just that. As a welcome to the forum.
I never tried Maaco, but I have heard good and bad about them. Food for thought, quality paint will cost you more than $250.

Edit: just saw yours is a '92. Mine is off an '86. Not sure if it's compatible. Hopefully someone here will chime in. If it works, it's yours for shipping.

BlackenedBird

iTrader: (5)

Maaco's quality varies WIDELY from location to location, but prep is virtually nill for the low cost sprays. About all you get is a scuff-n-shoot, not damage repair. Bodywork & prep yourself & you MIGHT get a decent job from a job that has a good reputation.

Save yourself the headache & get it done somewhere else.
As for the missing piece....Look in the TGO Classifieds section & post your request in Forum section close to your location, if you don't find one listed. Chances are that somebody location you has some laying around. I know I do, NW of Austin, TX.

scarecrow23

Thanks so much for the welcome. I'm 95616 in CA.

scarecrow23

I see. Thanks for the heads up.

I'll look more into paint jobs as well as parts in my area. Also, would a paint job from white to black cost significantly more than white to white?

UNCLE TOM

iTrader: (1)

the part you need should be easy to find . ck. the classifieds section for sale & parts wanted . as far as maaco goes each one is an individual franchise . some o.k. , some not . ask them for #s of previous customers . good luck .

Joe Tag

iTrader: (4)

Color change multiplies the cost significantly. Stay with white if you can live with it.

ZsTransAm

You get what you pay for with paint jobs and $250 is next to nothing. They will just paint over rust, dents, peeling paint, ect so is there really any point? I hope you don't go to Maaco but if you do you should at the very least thoroughly clean and scuff the car yourself and also disassemble as much as you can because they probably won't do any of this.

scarecrow23

I agree. I'm on a budget so I think I'll hold off for the time being... especially since my car has some rust and leftover sticker marks. What is usually the minimum for a full body paint job which takes into account scruffs and rust? I've seen estimates from $600 to $6000.

BlackenedBird

iTrader: (5)

Even Maaco for a full color change & dent repair can run you $2000, so that gives you an idea of what to expect for quality paint & body. And what you'll get is paint runs & bondo filled dents that will just pop out & crack within 6 months instead of an actual dent repair. Minor dings & body filler are fine & an industry standard. Bigger dents should be repaired then body filler skimmed to smooth it all out.

Ron U.S.M.C.

I see cars with that piece at the wrecking yard all the time. I'd try there.

Heres two threads that you might find interesting concerning full prep/paint.

This first one is primarily about getting the highestquality paint jobs using professional painters
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/body...uld-paint.html

and this one is about painting with products that may cost a little less than top of the line. A nice paint job in the end I'm sure but a little more affordable.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/body...own-paint.html

sonjaab

If you can't find one around here send a e-mail to Denny
at www.thirdgenranch.com

Hes prob. got one. Cheap and fast shipping to boot!

Coolwheels84

iTrader: (5)

Welcome to the boards. I had Maaco do the bodywork and paint on my car last year.
I did the dissasembly and reassembly. I took off all the gfx, lights, spoiler, rear bumper, weatherstripping and then put it all back on after paint. I got their best bc/cc paint which comes with a 5 year warranty. My total cost including the two tone paint job was $2500
The Maaco that painted my car does as many restorations as it does ins work so they do really good work. I would absolutely recommend them as long as you do your research and pick the right one and do some of the work yourself. You can ask some of the people on the board that have seen my car in person. You would never guess it was done at Maaco and still looks great so far.

Arizona IROC

iTrader: (4)

I'm not sure if anyone answered this other question but you need the '91-'92 Camaro left rear ground effects.

Cheap examples are found on Epay or locally on Craigslist.

plum92_camaro

http://www.classicindustries.com/cam...ts/c15289.html

here is a link to a brand new pair. Considering the price i'd go with a salvage yard one. if you can find one in white you won't have to have it painted.

scarecrow23

Ron, thanks for the links! These give me a much better idea of how it goes down.

scarecrow23

Thanks for the welcome. I'm glad to hear it turned out well for you. How long would you say it took to do all the disassembling and prep work? I must be bit naive to have thought I could get a nice paint job for so cheap!

Besides a good wash, what would be a good option to make the car look reasonable what with the paint chipping and visible rust?

scarecrow23

I'll be checking out locally. Ebay's looking pretty good for this part. Thirdgen ranch looks good too. Thanks guys.

navy02ws6

Yes. White is the easiest color to paint, as it hides the most flaws, and plus your car is already white, so no need to do engine bay, door jambs, etc. Not to mention all the extra prep work that would be necessary for a color change that Maaco is certainly not going to do for a white respray.

Black is the hardest color to paint as it shows more flaws than any other color. If you're NOT okay with the car only looking good from 20+ feet away, I would strongly recommend against a Maaco color change to black. You really need to spend $4-5k+ for a quality color change to black.

Like the other guys say, Maaco's overall quality varies from shop to shop, but their lack of prep work is very consistent. Single stage paint is cheap, and they're always looking for the quickest way to get cars in and out.

If you want a nice Maaco paint job, do all the prep work yourself, then find the guy that's going to paint the car for you, and slip him an extra $50-100.

Herkyone23

Did you ever find that part? The pick and pull in Fairfield on Air Base parkway has a white camaro and I think it's a '90. Give them a call and see. Hope it works out. I'm planning on going there either today or tomorrow, I can scope it out if you want. I just checked the website, They have 2 a '90 and a '91 I don't remember which one is the white one though. Welcome to TGO.

scarecrow23

Thanks for the insight. I'm definitely going to be keeping it white. As for a good paint job, it appears I will have to hold off for a little while due to to my budget.

I like what you had to say about the prep and c-note slip, aha. I heard there's a pretty good Maaco about a half hour away. I might check them out.

scarecrow23

Thanks for looking out! Luckily I came across a fairly new part on ebay. Just got it a couple days back!

camaroracer21

iTrader: (1)

I have heard nothing but bad things about a Maaco paint job. My advice is to hold off on the paint until the very end. Meaning if you have other projects planned such as swapping the motor, upgrading the trans, or redoing the interior. And when the time comes that you are ready for paint, go to a reliable trusted painter who will take the time to ensure quality work is performed. I have seen many bad paint jobs from mom and pop shops to dealerships and places like maaco.

Coolwheels84

iTrader: (5)

I think I spent about a week before paint removing all the interior, weather stripping, gfx, lights, bumpers, spoilers, gas door, etc.
after paint it took me about a week to put it all back together. Since everything
was out I put in new carpet and weather stripping too.
I'd say if you had it repainted the same white color and didn't have the
jams done but did all the disassembly and reassembly yourself, you
could get a pretty nice looking paint job at Maaco for less than a grand.
(Assuming u don't need a bunch of bodywork)

James Sutton

iTrader: (2)

Expect to pay $4,000 for a quality paint job.

If you're not in a hurry, check out the body shop at your high school. They'll paint your car at cost as a class project. Usually takes a year. Work is supervised by knowledgeable teachers. Mine won a state prize & saved $4,000, which goes a long way toward making rebuild costs align with market value, though you never get back what you put in.

Ron U.S.M.C.

A year without your beloved Camaro !!!!! I could not do it.
I can see the benefit of giving your car to them for a year and getting a decent paint job but as stated above I could not do it. It took me a year to save up enough for my paint job but I was able to drive it and work on it during the year. And that's why I bought a $500.00 wreck.There were sooooo many little things that needed to be done.