i'm thinkin of doing there best package just because they have a 6 yr warranty...and it's only like 800 bucks. i also don't understand why everybody disses maaco....your better off goin there than a mom and pop cuz if you go there and they rip you off you actually have corporate or the BBB to contact that can help you out....so anyways....i would like to know anybody's PERSONAL experience with Earl Scheib....thanks

Earl Scheib is a cut rate Maaco. If you're looking for a budget paint job, Maaco is probably a better choice.

I had my '69 Firebird painted at Earl Scheib when I was in High School (1983). It cost me about $115. It was worth every penny, and by that I mean it was great for the money, but how good do you expect a $115 paint job to look?

Don't do it. I suggest checking with your insurance carrier to see what shops are in your area on their approved list. Most major carries stand behind the work of these shops, so it's a safe bet.

If you don't mind overspray go to Earl Scheib. When they say they will paint the whole car that is what they do, wheels tires, glass, it all gets painted.
You need to prep the car for paint yourself, that includes sanding and masking it properly. I guess this applies to their cheap paint jobs. Check the BBB before you go anywhere and see if they have any recent complains against them. See if you can see other cars that were painted there before you make your mind up.

Been there, and I will nor send any one else there. I had a bad time with one of their Dallas outfits. It was a waste of money.

i called today, and the package i was looking at they sand with a machine and then by hand....who told you they make you prep it yourself??

If they sand the way they paint, plan on getting your windows and trim sanded, too.

You've been warned. Proceed at your own risk.

I know a few who have had a Scheib paint job on cars other than a Fiero. It is a 20 foot paint job. Meaning standing 20 feet away from the car it looks good. Once you get closer the over-spray and the flaws in the paint become very visible. That usually lasts thru the first winter then when the paint starts to crack and flake off it looks like a 100 foot paint job.
Maaco would be a step up in quality.
In all honesty if you plan on keeping the car, Get a quality paint job from a reputable shop. I would only get a "cheap" paint job if I was going to get rid of a car.

call around to some local shops... or stop in and ask for an estimate. You never know... Also ask if you remove all the trim, would that change the price.... mirrors, moulding, wheel wells (yeah I would remove them). Ask what you can do to help cut the cost.

J.

see, i just don't see the difference in going to maaco and going to "some" shop in chicago...are there any other large paint brands out there?

I've had 2 cars painted by Earl Sheib,at a cost of $360 each (on sale).As "avengador1" says,yes,I agree they do get over spray on the rims and on the turn signals,so you'll probubly want to coat the rims with wax.I preped the car my self,but they will do the prepwork for you.Formula88 is allso correct,Earl Scheib is a cut rate Maaco.If your a perfectionist and demand the best,then your going to have to pay top dollar.I would visit your local paint shop Earl Sheib and Maco and look at the cars that have just been painted in the morning,it will give you an idea on the painters work and quality of the shop.Remember that any body work will cost extra,includeing any hair line cracks in the front and rear bumpers,these hair line cracks will show up later if not repaired.
Here is a pic of my 1986 Pontiac Fiero Testarassa,with an Earl Sheib paint job,Viper Red.

man...i'm not looking to spend 200-300 bucks....how good of a paint job can i get for a grand...i really don't wanna go over a grand..cuz i only want to keep it for like a year or two (til i'm out of college) then get it done "right"....unless i can get it done right for a g right now

The quality lies in the prep work and the painter,regardless how much money you spend.I highly recomed visiting your local paint shop and viewing some of the cars.

man thats gonna be a pain....between aurora and schaumburg there has got to be at least 500 paint shops...not joking

quote Originally posted by shermdizzle: man...i'm not looking to spend 200-300 bucks....how good of a paint job can i get for a grand...i really don't wanna go over a grand..cuz i only want to keep it for like a year or two (til i'm out of college) then get it done "right"....unless i can get it done right for a g right now

You may be better off waiting, or going with a Maaco job that you might not feel the need to redo quite a soon. Going with Scheib can cause problems when you go to repaint later because cheap paint jobs can cause problems with later paint jobs unless you sand it ALL off and start from scratch. That could jump your re-do costs up quite a bit.

Remember, if you put a $5000 paint job on top of a $500 paint job, and the $500 paint starts to chip or peel - it's taking the good stuff with it.

When I had my Firebird painted, I had it painted red. A few years later, the paint looked like a soft powdery pink - it would rub off on your hands if you touched it. At the time, and for the money, I got good value. It was all I could afford and lasted until I sold the car. Just don't go in expecting much if you go with them.

Scheib is pretty much the bottom of the barrel for paint jobs. Go to various shops and look at cars they've painted. You'll see the difference.

and i only mention aurora and schaumburg...who knows how many are in chicago

Archie could probably give you a recommendation or 2.

What I meant by doing your own prep on the car is that you will be better off doing it yourself. If you leave it to them you will get overspray, sanding marks and maybe even drips. The reason their paint jobs are so cheap is because of the cheap labor they use and their inexperience. My car has a $3800 paint job and it was worth every penny, just ask anyone who has seen it. Here is a picture from the Kick Hill swap meet and I haven't even cleaned the car since the Carlisle show in May.

Maaco and Earl pay their workers by the job. They do like 8 or 10 cars a day generally. Figure how much time their spending sanding and masking one (yours) and you see why they suck. Painting that many cars a day, DOES generally make a pretty decent painter....lots of practice. I prefer Maaco over Earl any day though. If your planning on getting a good paintjob in a year, dont do either. Low quality paint that both use will 'burn' or crack when new paint is applied over it. I wont paint any car thats been done at either unless they pay me to sand ALL the paint off ($$$$$$$$$$) back to the oem paint. Either spring for the good job now, or leave it alone until you can get the good job. If you do get it done, you will have to be happy with it for at least a few years as is.

Just an idea, but check with the collage you are going to and see if they have any auto tech. classes and if any of them do are for auto paint. Back a few years ago (20), a friend of mine had a 71’ Challenger that he was restoring when he was going to one of the community collages here and he go his car painted for the cost of the paint. He had it in the class for a few weeks, they put 8 coats of plum crazy paint, hand wet sanded between each. Then 3 coats of clear coat and pearl white R/T strips on it. He said it was the best $80 he every spent on a car. You may not get that lucky, but my son’s 86’ SE is in need and I am starting to look in to collages around here.

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A good auto paint job is >90% prep work and <10% painting. The high end Scheib/Maaco jobs use better paint, but they don't do better prep work. A $5000 paint job is $4500 worth of prep work. "Machine and hand sanding" at these places is only to remove the wax and gloss and other "stuff" from the existing paint surface to make the new paint stick (at least as long as the warranty period) not to make the surface better. Your getting $200 worth of prep under that $500 paint job.

[This message has been edited by Fierari (edited 08-17-2007).]

Why don't you do some research about how to do the surface prep work yourself, do the sanding and cleaning (you need to aggressively wash the car a couple of times with hot water and detergent and then wipe it down twice with a surface prep solvent.) Then take it into Earl Scheib if you must or Maaco (they have a decent $800 paint job.) Maaco is more likely to do an acceptable job of masking and won't put overspray on your tires and wheels, btw.

Earl Scheib uses pretty cheap paint and acetone as a reducer--harder to control the flash rate of the reduced paint--but they seem to get away with it okay.

Don't just drop your car off for a paint job. Go in and look at finished product--it will give you an idea of what you'll end up with.

I know, money is a concern. But you can put a lot of sweat equity into the surface prep work of your paint job and get an acceptable result from 'scuff & shine' paint shops.

Earl painted a 67 mustang for me several years back. it was the light yellow common on that year mustang. I did all the prep work, sanding etc. The paint looked awesome and cost about $500, this was awhile ago. Anyway, looked super until we had a huge rain storm. I came out the next morning and the pavement all around the car was light yellow, kinda powdery looking. the car was noticably lighter in color and had a clightly chalky feel to it. I initially thought it had been mixed wrong or something drove it to earl for there warranty service. Paint was on car for about two weeks before it rained. they grudgingly painted agian and same thing happened. Paint lasted two years in a crappy condition that deteriorated every day. Earl must use magic marker ink or something, although that would have lasted longer. I dont recommend it unless you are tryiing to sell the car and are moving away after the sale..

I cant say about now, but Earl used to buy up surplus paint to use. Everything from street sign paint, to Catapillar tractor paint.

quote Originally posted by avengador1: If you don't mind overspray go to Earl Scheib. When they say they will paint the whole car that is what they do, wheels tires, glass, it all gets painted. You need to prep the car for paint yourself, that includes sanding and masking it properly. I guess this applies to their cheap paint jobs. Check the BBB before you go anywhere and see if they have any recent complains against them. See if you can see other cars that were painted there before you make your mind up.

Back in Highschool my dad had a paint/body shop and we would get scheib jobs in all the time to clean up. Pretty nasty stuff.

I still remember the van where they painted the entire dash somehow.

I've gone to Earl Scheib twice. The first time was their budget job, and I didn't do much prep work. I got my moneys worth, but there was plenty of overspray, as everyone has said. The paint lasted over 5 years without chalking. The second time I did a lot of prep work, sanded and filled it, removed all lights, moldings, bumpers, etc. It was ready to paint when I brought it in (I actually finished it in their parking lot). I was very happy with the result, because they do a decent job of laying paint down without drips. So if you do all the prep work yourself, it's a great deal. You could probably do the same thing with a local guy who is willing to work with you. After that, I bought a spray gun and now I just do it myself.

Memories... Not to date myself but I remember a Earl Scheib at 5 points in Oxnard Ca. and he would paint any car for $19.95, how times have changed, but I guess the overspray hasn't...

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quote Originally posted by CJguy: Memories... Not to date myself but I remember a Earl Scheib at 5 points in Oxnard Ca. and he would paint any car for $19.95, how times have changed, but I guess the overspray hasn't...

You will get a certain amount of overspray with either maaco or ES. Maaco is better...and will be an acceptable paint job if you do the prep work. I have had several cars done there that I had pre-prepped, and they all looked like 3k+ paint jobs...

A quality paint job is only as good as the quality of the paint prep. Any monkey can run the spray gun...

Shermdizzle,

I was looking at paying someone to paint my '75 GMC PU a few years ago. A couple of people told me to just go ahead and do it myself. What could be the worst to happen. We did a disassembled full-size in a two car garage in January. I'd never painted a car before and it turned out great. None of the problems that often need to be corrected.

I say this not to boast but to say that you can do it. If I can Lord knows anybody could *S*.

I'm not far from you. PM me if you'd like to see the truck to get a feel for what I'm talking about.

I can't wait to do a small little Fiero after doing that monster.

quote Originally posted by Copper85GT: Shermdizzle, I was looking at paying someone to paint my '75 GMC PU a few years ago. A couple of people told me to just go ahead and do it myself. What could be the worst to happen. We did a disassembled full-size in a two car garage in January. I'd never painted a car before and it turned out great. None of the problems that often need to be corrected. I say this not to boast but to say that you can do it. If I can Lord knows anybody could *S*. I'm not far from you. PM me if you'd like to see the truck to get a feel for what I'm talking about. I can't wait to do a small little Fiero after doing that monster.

If you are going to be at Fierorama next month, find me and I'll offer a few suggestions to help you out and walk you through the painting process. If you car is there we can walk around it and I'll point out a few things for you, too.

Mark the paint guy

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copper, i will def be gettin in touch with you, once i get my license back on the 3rd (too many speeding tickets) lol

When I was a school kid I saw a 57 Ford Fairlane that was painted by probably Earl Shieb himself. All the chrome was painted over and this was before it was popular to do so. "Bumpers and bottle-cap hubcaps excluded" That would take extra paint.

It was a shade of green that I'd never seen before or since and we're talking over 40 years ago.

Sherm, check out this link. I didn't read all of it but you may get something out of it.

https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/083269.html

Maaco has good reputation accross the country,each shop is different depends on who is working there when you have your car painted if you still have factory paint rub it out and detail ,buy smallest amount of matching paint that match your car from auto paint suppier many stores can match your paint ,,take headlite cover in for them to match .. I just try to buy rattle can that matches close and touch up untill you can have paint job you want,, earl has the worst rep of any of the painters.. A great restore of paint normally does wonders for the car ,, the rubbing out is critical ,waxing easy it is the prep before wax that makes the finish,, I did not know earls shops were still in business!!,, Iam 65 years old and have allways heard good reports on maaco,, a good company for what they do .. every franchise will have horror stories,, a cheap paint job is like the girl friend i had that was a master of make up,hid a lot of inner problems we got together because i saw her bob for apples and then rapidly polish some candlesticks !!

hey copper, are you going to be at fierorama-i'm gonna meet up with firefox there, but i'd also like to talk to someone who did a paintjob for there first time so you can tell me what to look for as a first timer

I won't be at Fierorama, maybe next year, but I do hope to get to Archies for a short time.

damn, that sucks

Archies is the same weekend, why not give a holler and stop by on your way home ? I didn't realize Fierorama was in St Charles. I may end up stopping there as well or instead. Either way your welcome to come by. I'll let you know if I go to St Charles.