[Cue-Ball]

Originally Posted by 324matt

Whats my best option?

Your best option is to find a clean shop that has a reputation for finishing jobs on time and doing high quality work. Otherwise you could end up in "paint jail" or with a shoddy job. You don't want to learn this lesson the hard (and expensive) way.

How much am i lookin at $$?

I agree with the poster above. You're looking at a couple of grand for a good paint job. More than that if you need any bodywork. Any less than that and you're probably going to get a crap job. The actual painting itself is not all that expensive. Most good painters can do a single color job in a half day, easy. It's the bodywork, sanding, masking, and other prep that takes forever. I'm redoing my car right now. I spent a year and a half doing the bodywork. The paint was laid down in an hour.

1. Should i contact body shops?

You're better off contacting other hot rodders in your area first. Take the three shops that are recommended the most, then contact them to see what their schedule looks like. Any shop that does decent work could very well have a waiting list (especially in the winter when guys ship their projects off to get painted).

2. Does maco do good work?

I think you already know the answer to that question. Anyone who likes their vehicle enough to be on a forum about it should not be going to Maaco.

3. Should i take off the emblems/rubber seals/grill/lights/trim/bumpers ect ect ect ahead of time, or let the painter do it all?

Anything you can do yourself will save you money. Just make sure you know how it all goes back together. And make sure you realize just how much stuff has to be removed or masked. Windows, door handles, trim, marker lights, etc.

4. Im leary of just some guy in his garage painting it. I dont want it butchered.

Garage paint jobs can turn out pretty good sometimes, but usually only if the owner has gone to a lot of trouble to set it up like a paint booth (filters for incoming air, big-ass fans blowing out, ventilation running from top to bottom, front to back, etc.)

5. Im not looking to win trophys at a car show, i just want a good protective paint job.

A show winning paint job and a "stock" type paint job are really not all that different. The show winner will have a lot more time invested between coats and after the paint is laid down. Multiple passes of wet sanding, extensive buffing, etc. But the basics of a decent paint job and a show winner are the same: Prep, prep, prep!