# Has anyone had a truck painted by Maaco??



## merrimacmill

I have decided to change my trucks over to white. I currently have several different colors of trucks right now and I really want that to change and become more uniform. Now most local body shops want at least 3K to paint a truck so I began researching Maaco. 

Now, I know how famous they are for crappy paint jobs, but remember these are work trucks. They are going to get scratched, dented, and replaced in several years. It just does not make sense to put 3K into a paint job that will get a scratch its first day out. The more I read about them, the more satisfied "fleet" type customers I come across. I have read a few posts on lawnsite saying that they were very happy with the out come. 

Does anyone have any experience with this?


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## Brian Young

I had my old 94 painted by MACCO and to be honest, it turned out pretty damn good. They even took out the bed liner. I think I paid around 500-600 bucks, if that. They did the door jams under the hood to my surprise. It started to bubble on new fender's I primed (so probably not the best primer) about 2 years later but I'm not complaining. I would rec. them to any one.


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## Brian Young

Another thought, I hear ya on the 3k! I'm taking our dump in for major body work with new doors, new cab corners and new rocker panels...ouch! We plan on keeping it but the repairs are going to be in the 2k range and thats only because I know the guy.


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## merrimacmill

True, thats about what I've been hearing from everyone on Maaco. I think I will take a trip down to one of their local shops and talk to them see what the next step is. I think I would take my oldest truck (back-up/shovelers truck) 97' chevy down and have them paint that first before I try it on the 07.


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## snocrete

merrimacmill;1069210 said:


> I have decided to change my trucks over to white. I currently have several different colors of trucks right now and I really want that to change and become more uniform. Now most local body shops want at least 3K to paint a truck so I began researching Maaco.
> 
> Now, I know how famous they are for crappy paint jobs, but remember these are work trucks. They are going to get scratched, dented, and replaced in several years. It just does not make sense to put 3K into a paint job that will get a scratch its first day out. The more I read about them, the more satisfied "fleet" type customers I come across. I have read a few posts on lawnsite saying that they were very happy with the out come.
> 
> Does anyone have any experience with this?


I've had 2 vehicles done by them. 1 was a mazda I used to have bout 14 yrs ago, they did an "ok" job....but I didnt really care cause i was selling it, and was having it done "close to the same color" as it already was. The other vehicle I had done was a dump truck....this truck was originally red, and I had it done white.....It was a waste of money, and I would never go to them for a color change again.

If you are going to be doing something like going from red to white....it will not last several years. You seem to keep pretty nice clean equipment, and I dont think it would be worth it.. JMO.....You would be better off slowly changing your fleet over to white trucks by just trading when the time comes for each vehicle. I doubt you'll lose any biz over having "nice" looking trucks that arent all the same color.

Edit: Just read your last post....I guess doing a 97 truck is one thing....but there is NO WAY I would do an 07.


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## Pristine PM ltd

What were the issues? Bleeding or peeling?


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## Brian Young

snocrete;1069330 said:


> I've had 2 vehicles done by them. 1 was a mazda I used to have bout 14 yrs ago, they did an "ok" job....but I didnt really care cause i was selling it, and was having it done "close to the same color" as it already was. The other vehicle I had done was a dump truck....this truck was originally red, and I had it done white.....It was a waste of money, and I would never go to them for a color change again.
> 
> If you are going to be doing something like going from red to white....it will not last several years. You seem to keep pretty nice clean equipment, and I dont think it would be worth it.. JMO.....You would be better off slowly changing your fleet over to white trucks by just trading when the time comes for each vehicle. I doubt you'll lose any biz over having "nice" looking trucks that arent all the same color.
> 
> Edit: Just read your last post....I guess doing a 97 truck is one thing....but there is NO WAY I would do an 07.


But for the money he ISN'T spending on new or newer trucks and the fact he's not going to spend thousands per truck that will most likely do the same thing in a couple years makes it worth it. One pet peeve of mine and its just me,lol, but I hate it when things dont match. Our dump is going from ugly brown to white. Just my 2 cents.


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## snocrete

Pristine PM ltd;1069333 said:


> What were the issues? Bleeding or peeling?


Are you asking me?....If so, the main things were overspray & flaking/chipping. You had to be careful at the car wash. I complained, but got kind of a "oh well" answer, and "you get what you pay for". So I guess I did, so I figured I couldnt ***** to much. I'm just saying I wouldnt do it "just to change the color" of a decent looking truck....ecspecially going from red to white(if that may be what hes doing?).


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## snocrete

Brian Young;1069337 said:


> But for the money he ISN'T spending on new or newer trucks and the fact he's not going to spend thousands per truck that will most likely do the same thing in a couple years makes it worth it. One pet peeve of mine and its just me,lol, but I hate it when things dont match. Our dump is going from ugly brown to white. Just my 2 cents.


Do you think its worth it for him to do it to a red 07 truck (just an example) that still has a nice factory paint job? Do you think it will make him any more money by doing it? Do you think he will lose any work by leaving that truck red?


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## Brian Young

snocrete;1069339 said:


> Are you asking me?....If so, the main things were overspray & flaking/chipping. You had to be careful at the car wash. I complained, but got kind of a "oh well" answer, and "you get what you pay for". So I guess I did, so I figured I couldnt ***** to much. I'm just saying I wouldnt do it "just to change the color" of a decent looking truck....ecspecially going from red to white(if that may be what hes doing?).


Yeah, now thinking about it for 500 bucks its not going to look 100% but you might get lucky, they might have just hired a vo-tech grad who's still full of p!ss and vinegar and do a real nice job. A guy I know just traded some landscaping for a paint job from them and it turned out nice but you could see some body work they did. But again he didn't spend, well anything but he would have only spent about 800 bucks I guess. Like snocrete said if your trucks are still decent I might hold off with a color change.


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## snocrete

Another thing Collin....I am gonna assume the 07 is the NBS dump I saw in your vid? If MAACO paints that white, it will NOT be the same white as that new service truck you bought. It will look dull and crappy next to that or any other new white GM.


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## IMAGE

You have nice trucks Collin. I'd make friends with a good body shop and see if they can make you a package deal. It shouldn't be anywhere near 3k unless your at a GM dealership, or they are doing body work also. (unless prices are that much higher there possibly? - but it's a pretty competitive market also, so prices are usually not to bad)


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## got-h2o

Our Macco here does an awesome job. I have a buddie that has quite a few trucks done that he flips yearly. I can get white done for $375. I have and will again. Another guy here that I turned on to them has them do black on his. About 4 trucks so far, and they are unbelievable for a cheap paint job.....especially in black. A couple of them he had jammed and all. They just did an enclosed trailer for him in black and you'd literally think it was a new trailer.

The first guy I spoke of had them fix rotted wheelwells on an early 90's F150. He paid $650 for the rust repair and paint on the whole truck (white). They cut out and welded patch panels. Looked great, especially for an auction truck.

Like you said, they're work trucks. Curb appeal is what counts, and for the price I would if I were you. Now mind you, our Macco takes pride in their work......I can see others not.


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## merrimacmill

All good points here. I know, it almost feels like a sin to paint a truck with under 20K miles on it white. But image has always been a big thing for me. I know of a couple companies with everything matching around here, and it really puts the whole image thing over the top when they pull up in 6 matching identical trucks.


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## P&M Landscaping

Collin, I know uniformity is key for you. I have heard of multiple bad experiences of color change from Maaco. I've also heard of horror stories of runs in the paint. If I were you I'd paint the older truck, but leave the newer dump and the black 2500.. Just too risky on that type of truck.. Have you talked to any of these body shops about a fleet discount? It doesn't take them long to paint a car but rather prep the guns and clean them.... So I've been told. My only advice is to try to stay away from Maaco. I spent the extra money to have the Jeep done by a pro body shop, and I should be ready to pick it up today. I'll letchya know if it was worth the extra money


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## bterry

You should find out if the paint will be single or two stage paint, both have merit. Do some more research on it if you're concerned about single stage paint. If they use a two stage system (probably will), insist that they spray the clear the same day as the base. 

Spraying a full size std cab pick-up with no box or jams will take an hour for single stage paint. Two hours for base/clear. Body work, taping, assembly of small stuff afterwards, etc not included. Cleaning a gun takes less than 5 minutes. Prepping one is done in less than one minute.

I would not be affraid to have Maaco paint a plow truck. Keep in mind they may employ not-so-experienced painters. Don't expect them to make your 10 year old work truck look new, and you'll most likely be very happy. Quality body work is more important than spraying. Be sure you talk with them in length so everyone knows what is expected.


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## fireball

had them do several trucks. Guess I have to be considered a satisfied customer. Biggest problem was overspray onto the chasis. But a couple times through the mudhole took care of that problem. 

I sometimes wondered what their super dooper paint job would be like.


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## asps4u

As a body shop owner, I will chime in with my $.02. I've seen thousands of Maaco paint jobs through the years, and I do recommend people with older vehicles go to Maaco, as most older vehicles are not worth putting the money into. They will be using a single stage paint, (no matter what they tell you) and there will be issues with their tape lines, over spray, dry spray, dirt, fish eyes, runs, & pin holes, just to name a few. However, you do get what you pay for, and the average person, doesn't notice many of these issues anyway. They use an inferior product line and it shows. They can paint an entire car for less than I can buy a gallon of clear, but I use top of the line BASF Glasurit paint. That is one of the ways they can keep their prices so low. Also, they don't remove anything, they tape it all off, so you will have a problem down the road with it shrinking back and there will be your old color showing around the edges of all door handles, trim, mirrors, etc. The biggest reason you are getting quoted so much more from reputable shops, is because of the amount of de-trim & prep work that needs to be done in order to do it right. $3000 is cheap to paint a truck, especially a color change so they might not be removing everything either. I won't touch a color change for less than $10k and our complete paint job staying the same color starts at $5k, but when we are done with it, it's perfect, and our customers know that! 

On your 97, I'd say go for it, you're not going to hurt anything, but you are out of your mind if you paint that 07 just because you want a different color. And you've lost your mind completely if you let Maaco do it. Anytime you don't have to disturb the factory finish, don't. Aftermarket paint, no matter what brand or quality level, is not the same as OEM. They will be made by the same manufacturers, but they are much different. You will notice that hoods, roofs, fenders, all will start chipping easier once it has been painted, and there is nothing anyone can do about it, that's just the way it is.

If you do have them paint your trucks, have your mechanic do the prep work. Take the time to remove all the emblems, moldings, door handles, run channels, lights, antennae, mirrors, grille, bumpers. If you really want it to be right, take off the bed too, which you'll have to replace the bolts (even on the 07), so they can paint the back of the cab and front of the bed, otherwise they won't be able to get color in there, you should remove the windshield and backglass as well. He also should sand out any chips or scratches, as all they are going to do is tape, scuff and shoot. There are a lot of other processes that go into doing it right, but on older work trucks, it makes sense to save the money.

IMO, having poorly painted trucks all the same color will look worse to your customers, than having nice looking different colored trucks. Good Luck with whatever you decide.


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## Pristine PM ltd

now that was a useful post. I have been curious about these types of companies before, and that makes alot of sense what you said.


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## merrimacmill

asps4u;1069524 said:


> As a body shop owner, I will chime in with my $.02. I've seen thousands of Maaco paint jobs through the years, and I do recommend people with older vehicles go to Maaco, as most older vehicles are not worth putting the money into. They will be using a single stage paint, (no matter what they tell you) and there will be issues with their tape lines, over spray, dry spray, dirt, fish eyes, runs, & pin holes, just to name a few. However, you do get what you pay for, and the average person, doesn't notice many of these issues anyway. They use an inferior product line and it shows. They can paint an entire car for less than I can buy a gallon of clear, but I use top of the line BASF Glasurit paint. That is one of the ways they can keep their prices so low. Also, they don't remove anything, they tape it all off, so you will have a problem down the road with it shrinking back and there will be your old color showing around the edges of all door handles, trim, mirrors, etc. The biggest reason you are getting quoted so much more from reputable shops, is because of the amount of de-trim & prep work that needs to be done in order to do it right. $3000 is cheap to paint a truck, especially a color change so they might not be removing everything either. I won't touch a color change for less than $10k and our complete paint job staying the same color starts at $5k, but when we are done with it, it's perfect, and our customers know that!
> 
> On your 97, I'd say go for it, you're not going to hurt anything, but you are out of your mind if you paint that 07 just because you want a different color. And you've lost your mind completely if you let Maaco do it. Anytime you don't have to disturb the factory finish, don't. Aftermarket paint, no matter what brand or quality level, is not the same as OEM. They will be made by the same manufacturers, but they are much different. You will notice that hoods, roofs, fenders, all will start chipping easier once it has been painted, and there is nothing anyone can do about it, that's just the way it is.
> 
> If you do have them paint your trucks, have your mechanic do the prep work. Take the time to remove all the emblems, moldings, door handles, run channels, lights, antennae, mirrors, grille, bumpers. If you really want it to be right, take off the bed too, which you'll have to replace the bolts (even on the 07), so they can paint the back of the cab and front of the bed, otherwise they won't be able to get color in there, you should remove the windshield and backglass as well. He also should sand out any chips or scratches, as all they are going to do is tape, scuff and shoot. There are a lot of other processes that go into doing it right, but on older work trucks, it makes sense to save the money.
> 
> IMO, having poorly painted trucks all the same color will look worse to your customers, than having nice looking different colored trucks. Good Luck with whatever you decide.


Ya, that was a good post. Very informative.

Well, after reading all this I feel like I'm back to square one. Sitting around with unmatched trucks trying to decide what to do... haha

Oh well, I'll keep you guys updated on what I decide.


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## clydebusa

Good post, glad you asked the question! I will keep my red, white, black truck configuration. Wish they were all white, but hey if I can get a blue one it would be patriotic!ussmileyflagussmileyflagussmileyflag


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## deere615

You know I have been thinking for the past year about having my blue truck painted white to match my 2500hd, I never heard of this company until now, I might check it out becuase I too really like everything to match but my trucks got 150,000 on it so I don't want to spend a whole lot on it


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## snocrete

asps4u;1069524 said:


> As a body shop owner, I will chime in with my $.02. I've seen thousands of Maaco paint jobs through the years, and I do recommend people with older vehicles go to Maaco, as most older vehicles are not worth putting the money into. They will be using a single stage paint, (no matter what they tell you) and there will be issues with their tape lines, over spray, dry spray, dirt, fish eyes, runs, & pin holes, just to name a few. However, you do get what you pay for, and the average person, doesn't notice many of these issues anyway. They use an inferior product line and it shows. They can paint an entire car for less than I can buy a gallon of clear, but I use top of the line BASF Glasurit paint. That is one of the ways they can keep their prices so low. Also, they don't remove anything, they tape it all off, so you will have a problem down the road with it shrinking back and there will be your old color showing around the edges of all door handles, trim, mirrors, etc. The biggest reason you are getting quoted so much more from reputable shops, is because of the amount of de-trim & prep work that needs to be done in order to do it right. $3000 is cheap to paint a truck, especially a color change so they might not be removing everything either. I won't touch a color change for less than $10k and our complete paint job staying the same color starts at $5k, but when we are done with it, it's perfect, and our customers know that!
> 
> On your 97, I'd say go for it, you're not going to hurt anything, but you are out of your mind if you paint that 07 just because you want a different color. And you've lost your mind completely if you let Maaco do it. Anytime you don't have to disturb the factory finish, don't. Aftermarket paint, no matter what brand or quality level, is not the same as OEM. They will be made by the same manufacturers, but they are much different. You will notice that hoods, roofs, fenders, all will start chipping easier once it has been painted, and there is nothing anyone can do about it, that's just the way it is.
> 
> If you do have them paint your trucks, have your mechanic do the prep work. Take the time to remove all the emblems, moldings, door handles, run channels, lights, antennae, mirrors, grille, bumpers. If you really want it to be right, take off the bed too, which you'll have to replace the bolts (even on the 07), so they can paint the back of the cab and front of the bed, otherwise they won't be able to get color in there, you should remove the windshield and backglass as well. He also should sand out any chips or scratches, as all they are going to do is tape, scuff and shoot. There are a lot of other processes that go into doing it right, but on older work trucks, it makes sense to save the money.
> 
> IMO, having poorly painted trucks all the same color will look worse to your customers, than having nice looking different colored trucks. Good Luck with whatever you decide.


Good post!


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## JERRYJMJ

*Macco*

when you decide to send your truck to get painted, take some time to remove the lights, fander flares , mud guards by yourself, so they don't have to use masking tape around it, you can't remove glass, but it will make their job just that much cleaner thats what we did when we sended our casr/truks there .


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## JohnnyRoyale

Wrap them.


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## JohnnyRoyale

snocrete;1069860 said:


> Good post!


.........X2!.........


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## JD Dave

JohnnyRoyale;1069961 said:


> Wrap them.


That's a greta idea!!


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## WilliamOak

I cant believe nobody brought that up! 
wrapped trucks will do 1000000x mroe for your image than matching paint alone will.. and you're looking at WAY less than the cost of a good paint job.


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## clydebusa

Correct me if I am wrong but wraps run between 2k and 3k. If we are thinking Maaco, it is because it is cheap paint job at a few hundred bucks.


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## JohnnyRoyale

You get what you pay for.


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## WilliamOak

And a wrap on the cab only of his dump/service body wouldn't be allllllll that much compared to a nice paint job. And you could work it into some type of fade towards the bed of the '06 to save some $$.


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## dcj387

My friend had his truck done, same color, came out pretty good


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## RIVERVIEW7

I had my one truck painted and it came out good , and the price was fair.


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## IMAGE

fireball;1069467 said:


> had them do several trucks. Guess I have to be considered a satisfied customer. Biggest problem was overspray onto the chasis. But a couple times through the mudhole took care of that problem.
> 
> I sometimes wondered what their super dooper paint job would be like.


glad to see you still here buddy


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## 2COR517

I was going to say wrap, but Johnny beat me to it. 

Local landscape company did about six trucks in charcoal gray. For $500 or so, not too bad. All the trucks match.

I understand why white is so popular, but I don't care for it


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## creativedesigns

JohnnyRoyale;1069961 said:


> Wrap them.


........

I think wraps are the way to go. A great billboard portraying your work...


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## PDQ Pete

My brother-in law just had a ford crew cab long bed done at Maco from yellow to white 400 bucks. Looks pretty good he took everything off he could and painted his own door jambs.


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## shooterm

Body Work and Painting is borked because of auto insurance. The type of work does not cover 3k in real money. Its a standard practice for shops to have two sets of pricing.


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## asps4u

PDMcgowan;1080828 said:


> Body Work and Painting is borked because of auto insurance. The type of work does not cover 3k in real money. Its a standard practice for shops to have two sets of pricing.


I would love to hear more about this...please educate us


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## shooterm

Yap its the garges you see all over town that barely have anyone in there. Normal people go big shiny most expensive place because why not its insured. People with a network go to there personal shop,


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## lilpusher

Every Maaco is a independantly owned operation. I used to manage one for 3 years, our shop did excellent work but the one on the otherside of town a completely different story. Before you get any work done there should be examples of their quality in the shop or lot. Ask to take a look at completed work. Asps4u is right on about OEM being far superior to any aftermarket job. Our shop did use a 2 stage paint on most jobs. The fleet pricing was always single stage. I am looking at wraps myself because they are removable when your done with the vehicle and no one will be asking why was the truck repainted thinking I'm hiding prior damage


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## Scottscape

go with wraps.


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## BlizzardBuster3

Only once... I had a Truck done there, white over white. It was a nightmare, including a lot of over spray. It looked like a quick, getting rid of it, who cares paint job. Not what I expected even for the price. I've seen and done better "shade-tree" work.

Sorry if I'm chiming in late on this one...


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## mikelawtown

The DPW posted at the airport in North Andover mass had a 2007 chev done when it was NEW, changed the color to school bus yellow and looks great still...Paid 800.00


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## hal57

merrimacmill said:


> I have decided to change my trucks over to white. I currently have several different colors of trucks right now and I really want that to change and become more uniform. Now most local body shops want at least 3K to paint a truck so I began researching Maaco.
> 
> Now, I know how famous they are for crappy paint jobs, but remember these are work trucks. They are going to get scratched, dented, and replaced in several years. It just does not make sense to put 3K into a paint job that will get a scratch its first day out. The more I read about them, the more satisfied "fleet" type customers I come across. I have read a few posts on lawnsite saying that they were very happy with the out come.
> 
> Does anyone have any experience with this?


I am kind of replying to all the posts. My brother bought the $500 job on an old truck and he was able to sell right away. He is the older brother that has done many paint job... It worked. But I have a friend that did his 2012 Cad. He said he paid over $2000 and he had the same paint as the $6000 Job at Cad. So guess it depends on the job you want to. So far most posts are just talking about the minimum one. Has anyone up lately got the real good one?


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## Freshwater

hal57 said:


> I am kind of replying to all the posts. My brother bought the $500 job on an old truck and he was able to sell right away. He is the older brother that has done many paint job... It worked. But I have a friend that did his 2012 Cad. He said he paid over $2000 and he had the same paint as the $6000 Job at Cad. So guess it depends on the job you want to. So far most posts are just talking about the minimum one. Has anyone up lately got the real good one?


While this is an open kind of discussion/topic, you do realize this thread is from 2010?


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## Bighammer

You'd do better to buy a gallon of a polyurethane paint and a cheap spray gun, mask it off and go to town on your own.


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