Date: Fri, 23 Nov 2001 06:16:49 -0800
Reply-To: Zoltan Kuthy <zol@FOXINTERNET.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Zoltan Kuthy <zol@FOXINTERNET.NET>
Subject: Maco paint job explained...
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
William,
The Maco paint job is a time related work. Further more it is a business
that watches the cost of the material that is used up and makes sure it will
be the least that they give you for your money. If they take $900 from you,
that would pay $100 for the time spent by the worker and $800 is for the
office. Kind of like the WTC victims donation money handling. Or if you
bought something for $10 and paid $90 for shipping and handling. At Maco
they will spray all your window rubber around, the door handles around at
the base, some of your tire, some of your bumpers and windows. The masking
off they do is superficial in the lack of time, that you would have. The
worst part of the Maco job is that the preparation is too weak and the paint
will come off. The guarantee is only for you and not to the next owner.
Most cars are sold soon after the paint job. The worst preparation is
around the windows and door handles and key holes and the likes where it is
not really possible to scratch the surface well enough for the paint to
stick. So, it won't and it will peel off soon. The quality of the paint is
so poor that it is only Maco that uses that kind of paint. But they can mix
any color for you. The surface finish is horrible. It is the kind of car
paint that will look "good from far" but will be "far from good" when you
look closer. That kind of paint job is for the trucks that pick up your
trash or for the tanks and trucks in the army and the heavy earth moving
equipment and road building machines.
A car is kind of like a piece of art. The most sophisticated machinery we
have as individuals. The best friend you can have that is not demanding and
in no need of too much of you. The machine is there waiting for you
patiently, endlessly to serve you. It is almost made to perfection. It is
only the lack of time of the manufacturer that prevented it to be more
perfect than it is. And here is where we come in and take over and give it
the final touch where the manufacturers could not spend the time. So we add
things, pretty up things, do preventive work, create a better car that is
still the same only better in quality. Now, if you go to a Maco kind of
guy, he will help you put your car over the top and it would take you ten
times more money to take that paint off that he put on. The damage to your
paint is indescribable when it is done by a Maco shop. The price of the van
is dropped the moment it leaves the Maco place and can not recover. That
paint job gets worse by the years and will look like all those horrible
paint jobs you ever seen.
I would not even let them paint my lawn mower.
But I went out and bought all the painting equipment that one needs. Not a
lot of things. Learned the little things how to prepare the body, how to
fix a dent, etc.
Learned the hard way how to paint the car. Really not hard at all. In fact
it is fun and easy. The painting part I mean. Not the body repair
preparation. That is the only work really. And you have to take the
windows out, the lock and handles off.
Imagine, how bad the Maco is if they don't even take the door handles off
that take a minute! That alone explains it. The window have to come out,
otherwise the paint will end there and it will start peeling from there,
because the close proximity of the window seal rubber is not prepared well
enough to hold the paint.
Maco is the typical place where you really get what you pay for, only they
do more damage than good. A make believe paint job that is good for
Hollywood cars for the movies where you cant see the finish quality from
close. Car thieves take it to Maco for a quick and cheep paint job.
I hope, I did not leave too much out.
Zoltan
----- Original Message -----
From: "developtrust" <developtrust@home.com>
To: "Zoltan Kuthy" <zol@FOXINTERNET.NET>; <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, November 22, 2001 5:39 PM
Subject: Re: Re: A bodywork hammer and a littel patience
> Zoltan,
>
> I think you are more of a perfectionist than I am about the paint job. On
a
> large paint job it is so easy to go to One day paint or Maaco and get a
> great paint job by just striping all the trip off ourselves. They have all
> the right equipment and paint.
>
> But maybe I should just buy my own spray equipment. Has anyone gone that
far
> in home repair? The painting equipment and tools would cost far less than
> any paint place. But you'd need a good clean garage which I do not have.
>
> I can live with my current paint job which is pretty good especially with
my
> fancy trim with subtle patriotic striping in red white and blue. See my
> preliminary web page for my vanagon at:
>
> http://members.home.net/holisticdream/vanagon1989.htm
>
> But one day I will invest in a full paint job.One day paint wants $900,
Earl
> Scheib want $500 and Maaco wants $600 for ultra-urethane with 4 year
> warranty, and $1900 for "signature service." Seems reasonable to me.
> Anything more economical any of you know about?
>
> William
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Zoltan Kuthy" <zol@FOXINTERNET.NET>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Thursday, November 22, 2001 2:09 PM
> Subject: Re: A bodywork hammer and a littel patience
>
>
> > It is not the hammering or the bondo I am avoiding rather. It is the
> > painting and clear coat on top. Matching the color to the next panel or
> > blending in with it makes it a real big job. Only the fender flare is
the
> > one place where I would not bother. The vanagon is a car with big
panels,
> > large flat areas that show unevenness easily. I just finished one side
of
> a
> > car and it was taking a long time to do it as good or better than the
> > factory. I even took the windows out. So a small looking little dent
> here
> > and there could end up a major undertaking if you want it perfectly
> > acceptable. I did not have enough warm days to do it without stoppages.
> > But good luck to you all and be careful of the gas, wear real gas mask,
> when
> > you are applying the paint and clear coat.
> > Zoltan
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "developtrust" <developtrust@HOME.COM>
> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> > Sent: Thursday, November 22, 2001 1:29 PM
> > Subject: A bodywork hammer and a littel patience
> >
> >
> > > Today I tackled a little dent in my rear fender. A body shop wanted
$250
> > to
> > > pound out a little dent. So I bought a bodywork hammer for $5, took
off
> > the
> > > rear tire, got out my lantern to light up the inside of the wheel well
> to
> > > see what I was doing, picked up a short piece of 1 by 4 from the wood
> pile
> > > to hold on the opposite side of the dent, and pounded out this little
> > dent.
> > > Gently with little taps and patience.
> > >
> > > I could not find my bondo and needed only a thimble full so I sprayed
on
> > my
> > > touch up paint to prevent rust and tomorrow off to Pep Boys for some
> > bondo.
> > >
> > > I've done a lot of body work over the years. You would be surprised at
> the
> > > wrecks I have restored with a piece of 2 by 4 and a sledge hammer.
This
> > > little dent was a piece of cake and took me 5 minutes. Taking off the
> > wheel
> > > took longer.
> > >
> > > If anyone is a perfectionist like me I encourage you to dedicate a few
> > hours
> > > to tap out those little dents and learn the art of bondo work. The
trick
> > is
> > > to use as little bondo as possible. My final repair will take less
than
> > 1/2
> > > thimble full of bondo to fill in the little creases I could not tap
out.
> > >
> > > William
>
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