I got a really good deal on a 98 civic hatch. The body is in pretty good shape, aside from a dent in one door. No rust or anything major. It needs a new bumper and also the fender needs to be painted. Someone before me painted it Type R yellow, and I like the color so thats what it would be repainted.

I thought about just painting the hood and fender, but I fear it will not match. The paint on the rest of the body doesnt look bad, but its not great either.

My question to you guys is do you think I should just do a DIY paintjob or send it to Maaco for a medium level job? I could just buy one of those paint kits on ebay for like 100 bucks, buy my paint and supplies, prep the car myself and then hopefully do a decent job of painting it. Or I could have Maaco do it and take a risk of having them do a crappy job. They do not do prep work though, so maybe I could sand it down and primer it, then have them paint it?

I know its probably not very easy to paint a car, but do you think I could do it if I buy quality paint and a spray gun kit and spray it in my garage?

 

Well for anyone who cares I have made up my mind about what to do. I am in no hurry to finish this project, so I will be doing the prep work myself. The car has no rust or major dents, so bodywork is at the minimum. I sand down the entire car and then maybe spray the primer myself. I might try to find a shop to do the final paint work, or I might decide just to finish it myself. Be sure to look for my project thread when I start this in a couple weeks.

 

Good idea.. getting the paint done professionally (at least at some place that guarantees it)

I'm working on my sol atm. Just be sure not to wait too long between primer and final paint - or you'll have to sand and primer again to fill chips and scratches if you drive it in between.

 

hey man i got a $1000 paintjob from maco and it turned out like this..

cellphone pics sorry for quality



not to shabby

 

^Glossy

 

Very nice indeed. But I dont want to spend $1000 either. I have decided to do it all myself. I am going to paint it white. I need to order a new bumper, fix the exhaust, and get a new oil pan and I will start the work. Look for a project thread

 

I was looking into painting my car here soon and wasn't sure which way to go either.
I can't afford much due to prices on everything else at the moment its totally killing my money.

whats the cheapest paint job Maaco has?
want a decent paint job nothing fancy.
or would it just be cheaper and easier to DIY?

 

Well I think most Maaco's start out around $250. Dont expect a decent job. I hear stories all the time about how they overspray or suck at painting. It will be easier to have them do it, but if you want the best result you should do it yourself or find someone else.