[Fragzem]

Hey guys... I've got an 85 Monte Carlo.... the colors are...

Dark Metallic Chestnut
and
Light Metallic Chestnut


I was thinking of going black.... but to match the paint tone, the dashboard is brown and the interior is tan and that wouldn't go over with the more expensive black.

So.... what I'm asking is....

Does anybody have any idea how good those two colors would look if I had it done over? I mean, how good can Dark Metallic Chestnut look? I just can't picture it in my head. I doubt anyone knows where, but to see a car in one of these colors wouldn't hurt?

Thanks

-Pete

any other suggestions..? and what's the worst thing that can happen at Maaco?

[astroracer]

If you take the car to a reputable body shop and have it blocked and sanded so the paint is flat with no waves you can have a beautiful car with those colors. Taking it to Maaco is the wosrt thing you can do if you want a good/high quality paint job... They don't spend the time to do it right, they use fairly cheap paint and if you want the better quality job you still have to pay for it...

[Fragzem]

How hard is it to sand down the car myself? I guess I couldn't wet-sand it perfectly without waves by myself. but... say I just got all the paint off of it... would that make it any cheaper or no? I'm guessing no, cuz getting the paint that's on there now off, isn't that hard to do anyway?

I've also heard if I get all the moulding off myself I save some money? but I wasn't thinking of putting any of it back on anyhow.

Sorry guys that last question was kinda dumb...about the sanding and all...... Seeing now that there's other posts about that.

Anyway... One valid question I do have... is... would lacquer paint be best, as it was originally on this car? Or should I have it clear-coated ?

[milo]

Taking mouldings off will help, The best tip I know is to wash each panel with ajax and a red scotchbrite pad one panel at a time. The object is to dull the paint right up to and around the edges of each panel. When you see a Macco paint job fail it's always around the door handles and edges of the panels. This is because of the absent minded prep work inherent in these speed shops. Get the paint clean and dull before you drop it off and you'll get a better than average job out of them. Let them do the sanding

[astroracer]

Laquer is old news... Base Coat/ Clear Coat my friend. Maaco usually uses an un catalylized single stage enamel but they will had the hardener if you want to pay for it... Pay for it...
I would suggest picking up a paint and body book at a book store and reading through it. It will give you most everything you need to know and then you can talk to a body shop and not let them snowball you....
Mark

[Fragzem]

Oh boy, everyone's talking about Maaco... heh, I don't wanna give the wrong impression.. the thought passed my mind... but I wasn't definatley going to bring it there. Not as stupid as I sound

heh.. well, thanks for all the info guys

-Pete


I still can't imagine any kinda brown being metallic... that doesn't compute for me... anybody know where I can see a pic of any metallic brown-shade painted car? like tan or somethin?

Originally posted by 4 Jaw Chuck
Well Frog, I don't know how old you are but let me tell you a little story.

I graduated high school in 1985, the job boards were jammed with jobs and it seemed I had my pick...Not like today. I decided to just pick the highest paying job on the board and see where that led me. It happened that I went for my first full time job interview at a shop called Composite Technology, they specialized in repairing helicopter blades of all types. The job was for a painters assistant.

I guess my youthful exhuberance impressed them because I started the next Monday. Starting wage was $8.50 an hour, not exactly chump change when my friends were making $3.55 an hour at the burger joints. I was in heaven and all I could think about was the stuff I could buy. The very next week I went and bought an almost one year old 85 Yamaha FZ750.

The job was cool, I worked under a young guy who had gone to school as a painter and he was a real nice guy...we became good friends. The job also required I learn composite blade repairs, aluminum honeycomb skin bonding and balancing. I was a sponge. The paints we sprayed were aliphaic polyurethanes and laquers with etching primers and epoxy super koropon primers to name a few. The list of other chemicals I used on a daily basis was extensive, now that I think about it none were any good for you. Remember this was before suplied air respirators and laws requiring them.

I worked hard and learned a lot (I use it all to this day) but I soon got bored and applied for a job painting with Boeing of Canada, starting wage was $13.60/hr. I was now making more money than my Mom...after only 2 years out of school. This job was brutal and required me to paint non-stop for the entire shift except for breaks, I quickly learned to paint with both hands..I had too. A full siphon feed gun of epoxy weighed nearly 12 pds and most of the time my arms were over my head. The paints we sprayed were even more brutal, I remember the fuel tank primer was so potent that I had to stand up wind of it or I would get a headache. This was in a room that had two running walls and air changes every 2 minutes...the breeze was 5 MPH in that room...I know I measured it. I worked there for about nine months and I noticed a change in my health, I would wake up in the morning feeling like I had the flu every day and I soon had a bad reputation for sick calls. By the end of a weekend I would feel Ok again, I also developed ezcema on my hands from the constant chemical exposure. I have it to this day, it itches like poison ivy and drives me crazy. Nothing stops the itch, even potent steroids don't work for long.

I of course went for tests and ran the treadmill and did all kinds of lung function tests. After all that they could find nothing wrong with me, the company nurse declared me fit for work and work I did. Later I received a call from a young doctor at the hospital I work at now, he wanted to see me...I guess I was an interesting case. He did some more tests on me and then gave me an article from a medical magazine, it was called "Polyisocyanate poisoning and it's effects" or something like that. The article certainly opened my eyes as I sat in his office and many of the symtoms described in that article fit me to a tee. When I finished he asked me what I wanted to do with my life? I was 20 years old, single and making some serious cash for a person my age in Canada...I was up to $16.50/hr at that time.

He explained that there was no way I would live to 40 if I continued my profession and since the chemical was in ever paint, epoxy, glue and thinner I used, there would be no way to avoid it...it goes right through a charcoal filter. He then asked me how many old painters worked at Boeing, I honestly couldn't think of one except for crazy George...he was crazy too. I once watched him drink an entire large bottle of Scope before a shift.

I left his office a changed man, I gave my notice the next day and decided to go back to school...somehow. The week I left they installed full hood supplied air respirators in the shop...the B@st@rds. I guess it was cheaper than retraining me...or a possible lawsuit.

Of course the industry is different now with water based paints being the norm now, I am glad I left when I did. Planes are still painted with the same stuff I used, the water based stuff doesn't stand up to 600 mph winds. So my advice to you is to seriously think about your health because what ever you do today you will have to live with all your life, if you need a job take it but keep your eyes open for another opportunity. And for God sakes protect yourself and demand proper protection, reading the MSDS sheets is required for your safety...READ THEM!

Good luck.

Sincerely, Chuck.

Hey guys.... I feel like ******* now having someone paint my car.. I feel wrong to even ask someone to do it!!!! Especially some poor guy making NO money at Maaco.. heh