Hello,
I have a 300SDL that mechanically is in good condition. However, the paint on the hood, roof and a small part of the trunk has worn down to the metal. I don't want to spend a lot(who does) on a paint job for the metal as well as the Plastic Trim. Has anyone had any experience with MAACO on their Mercedes, or is this just a bad idea??? I was going to try to spray paint it, but I don't think you can find original factory colors in a spray can.
The body is in good shape, and then trim is covered with a green substance that can barely be removed with Simple green and a 3m pad. So, I thought maybe if I spent 1k I could get a decent paint job. What do you guys think? Thank you in advance. BH

for spot painting, try paintscratch.com. i bought some for trim painting and it matches very well. but not an easy process to get it perfect.

look/search dieselgiant.com's website for his painting writeup . he details the process to prep the car for painting. saved some money i imagine by doing it this way

Can you spray a spot with it, feather it around the edges, and wet sand it enough to blend itall together?

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

I have used Maaco before on a 190E. I removed all the trim I could, and brought it in, and had them respray it for like $800.....





It turned out better than I thought it would.... I was actually impressed by their work.

__________________
-Justin

91 560 SEC AMG - other dogs dd
01 Honda S2000 - dogs dd
07 MB ML320 CDI - dd
16 Lexus IS250 - wifes dd

it's automatic.

How long did you have it, Justin? How well did the paint hold up. $800 is not bad for the whole car.

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

How old is the paint job, or how long have we had the car?



The Maaco paint job is on the 190E. Its about 2 years old, and looks great! There are no runs or imperfections in the paint. I just give it the old wax every six months, and a wash every week, and the paint shines like a brand new Mercedes....



We have had the 190E for like 5 years...

__________________
-Justin

91 560 SEC AMG - other dogs dd
01 Honda S2000 - dogs dd
07 MB ML320 CDI - dd
16 Lexus IS250 - wifes dd

it's automatic.

So, you're using "old wax" on it? How old is the wax? Is old wax better than new wax?

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

lol..... Sorry, means to say the old wax job every six months.....



It still looks great, even after 2 years of abuse. I even have had compliments from other Mercedes owners about the quality of the paint... They all think its original paint, and in great shape....



I have only had one person give me chit for going with a Maaco job.


I just cannot justify spending $5k for a paintjob on a car I bought for $1k...

__________________
-Justin

91 560 SEC AMG - other dogs dd
01 Honda S2000 - dogs dd
07 MB ML320 CDI - dd
16 Lexus IS250 - wifes dd

it's automatic.

I was just pullin' your leg . . .

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

Did you paint it the same color? I plan to use them and would like to go from beige to black.

noooooo! That is a big foul. Every time you open the door, hood and trunk beige will show. Also, any scratches or rock chips that may happen will only show the original color. Beige may be boring, but stick with it.

__________________
1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!

I've thought about that, too. Unless you take the whole car apart, windows out, etc. it would look bad. My SEC is white and I wanted one that was black, but I've decided that selling mine and byiing a black one would be better than trying to paint this one black.

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

I planed on them painting the inside also.Or if the cost to do the inside was too high,i would do it myself.I did not think about the chipping,scratching problem.

If you're going to that much trouble and expense, you probably should be going somewhere besides MAACO to have it done. All the prep work required for changing the color would quickly send this way over budget I think.

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

I went the same color, white to white...


I have seen a job where they went from silver to another black, while the body looked great, there were litle bits that you could notice the old color, and it just didnt look right... You notice things like the door jambs, little bits around the trim, etc. If your gonna use Maaco, and paint one color to another, prep like there is no tomorrow... You gotta strip all the trim off where you want to paint it,and mask off where you dont want paint... Its very time consuming, but if you prep it well enough, you will not be able to tell the color difference.

__________________
-Justin

91 560 SEC AMG - other dogs dd
01 Honda S2000 - dogs dd
07 MB ML320 CDI - dd
16 Lexus IS250 - wifes dd

it's automatic.