Painting a vehicle?

[DR1]

I recently posted about Maaco paint jobs. I now have another question I hope all of you can help me with. On my 2008 Nissan Titan there are 2 areas on my truck that need repainted the most. The entire hood and the entire top portion of my truck. The sides and the tailgate are just fine in my opinion. They of course could use a clay bar application and a great wax job to bring out even more luster and shine. The color of my truck is "silver". Paint code is K12 - Radiant Silver Metallic.

Do you think if I got just the hood and the top painted only would that be something that would not look as good compared to just getting the entire truck repainted? As you know by getting the whole truck paint it will cost a whole lot more. My thoughts were if I did some major detailing to the sides and the tailgate (Clay Bar, Polish, Ceramic wax) that would bring out the color closer to the look of the new painted areas. The hood is an area that is seen very easily where as the top is not really that easy to see except mainly the top that is right above the very top of the windshield. To see the condition of the whole top would have to be climbing up in the bed of the truck to see it. I am sure that makes sense to you all?

I would love to hear as much feedback as possible, Thanks all!

 

[skyactiv]

Hard to tell not seeing pics of it and pics are not a replacement for seeing it in person.

 

[PontiacHO]

I recently posted about Maaco paint jobs. I now have another question I hope all of you can help me with. On my 2008 Nissan Titan there are 2 areas on my truck that need repainted the most. The entire hood and the entire top portion of my truck. The sides and the tailgate are just fine in my opinion. They of course could use a clay bar application and a great wax job to bring out even more luster and shine. The color of my truck is "silver". Paint code is K12 - Radiant Silver Metallic.

Do you think if I got just the hood and the top painted only would that be something that would not look as good compared to just getting the entire truck repainted? As you know by getting the whole truck paint it will cost a whole lot more. My thoughts were if I did some major detailing to the sides and the tailgate (Clay Bar, Polish, Ceramic wax) that would bring out the color closer to the look of the new painted areas. The hood is an area that is seen very easily where as the top is not really that easy to see except mainly the top that is right above the very top of the windshield. To see the condition of the whole top would have to be climbing up in the bed of the truck to see it. I am sure that makes sense to you all?

I would love to hear as much feedback as possible, Thanks all!

There are decent paint jobs from some Maaco franchises. Pre-paint prep, knowing where to feather/blend, and a knowledgeable paint match blend will work out. Silver is like white in my opinion. Many different shades.

 

[DR1]

There are decent paint jobs from some Maaco franchises. Pre-paint prep, knowing where to feather/blend, and a knowledgeable paint match blend will work out. Silver is like white in my opinion. Many different shades.

I wouldn't disagree but by concern is how long would it last if I took care of the paint by washing and waxing?

 

[PontiacHO]

No one knows for sure. Just a gamble you take with any discount paint job.

 

[Boomer]

Question: are you repainting to prevent rust and make the truck last longer or are you trying to get the whole truck looking like new? The truck is 14 years old and only you can answer that. If you are trying to prevent rust and extend the life of the truck body, then perhaps you can tolerate some slight shade mismatches and revel in the fact that you will now be "rust free" for many more years. If you are trying to make it look like brand new, then maybe you will want to spring for repainting the whole truck. It all depends on your end goal.

 

[Rmay635703]

No one knows for sure. Just a gamble you take with any paint job.

Corrected it for you, you can spend more money than a car typically costs and still have a failing paint job 5 years later, luck

 

[Kira]

Owned the truck since new? Any ceramic coat jobs since '08? ..just askin'.

"You get what you pay for", sure, but how much should you pay?

Just because the truck sounds like an aspiring work-horse to me and you don't sound like a 'show car builder', I'd say look into (price) the local repaint job. Think of it as a repair, albeit cosmetic, And take the process from there.

If you're thinking of restoring showroom beauty, I'd bet you'll find the estimate breathtaking.

 

[PF52]

Keep in mind that on a metallic silver vehicle, any partial paint job is likely to be noticeable. The metallic "grain" is tough to match.

 

[DAlan320]

This is just my opinion FWIW but I would never, ever take a skateboard to Maaco. Back in the day Maaco used to be a decent place to go for an OK paint job especially if you were selling a car and wanted to make it look a little better so you could ask more money for it but those days are gone, gone, GONE! Now Maaco is nothing more than a 3rd rate high pressure, overpriced ripoff joint. They still use the same garbage paint that they always have and if it last 6 months it is a miracle but now they want everyone to think that they are high end "custom" painters and nothing could be further from the truth. You are better off rattle canning your vehicle using the house brand paint from Wally World than you are ever going to Maaco.

In all honesty this base coat/clear coat is the biggest fraud since the Edsel and it flat out doesn't work. I bought my car with some clear coat failings and figures I'd have a body shop do some panel jobs and it was ok for maybe 2 months but then the clear failed again and it looked worse than if I had done nothing plus I was now out the money that I spent on a crap paint job.

For my time and my money Acrylic Enamel is the only thing that will ever get within 1,000 miles of any car that I ever own. After the body shop cheated me on their base coat/clear coat scam I took the paint code to a local jobber and had them blend some Acrylic Enamel and put it into spray cans for me. I prepped and sanded the surface then I laid down a good coat of Primer/Sealer. After letting the Primer/Sealer flash I then shot the color coat. Two and a half years later it is still going strong and I still get the occasional compliment on my rattle can job. Yet another example of if you want something done right you have to go old school. Nuff Said!

 

[ecotourist]

1) A really good shop can come close to matching paint, both for colour and for grain. Check out their blending on another silver vehicle. Some shops are better than others.

2) Original paint is better than a repaint.

Taking both of those points together, how about getting only the top and hood repainted by a really good shop?

 

[Fitter30]

Could get it wrapped. Probably last longer than a cheap paint job.

 

[GMBoy]

This is just my opinion FWIW but I would never, ever take a skateboard to Maaco. Back in the day Maaco used to be a decent place to go for an OK paint job especially if you were selling a car and wanted to make it look a little better so you could ask more money for it but those days are gone, gone, GONE! Now Maaco is nothing more than a 3rd rate high pressure, overpriced ripoff joint. They still use the same garbage paint that they always have and if it last 6 months it is a miracle but now they want everyone to think that they are high end "custom" painters and nothing could be further from the truth. You are better off rattle canning your vehicle using the house brand paint from Wally World than you are ever going to Maaco.

In all honesty this base coat/clear coat is the biggest fraud since the Edsel and it flat out doesn't work. I bought my car with some clear coat failings and figures I'd have a body shop do some panel jobs and it was ok for maybe 2 months but then the clear failed again and it looked worse than if I had done nothing plus I was now out the money that I spent on a crap paint job.

For my time and my money Acrylic Enamel is the only thing that will ever get within 1,000 miles of any car that I ever own. After the body shop cheated me on their base coat/clear coat scam I took the paint code to a local jobber and had them blend some Acrylic Enamel and put it into spray cans for me. I prepped and sanded the surface then I laid down a good coat of Primer/Sealer. After letting the Primer/Sealer flash I then shot the color coat. Two and a half years later it is still going strong and I still get the occasional compliment on my rattle can job. Yet another example of if you want something done right you have to go old school. Nuff Said!

Maaco shops are independently owned so quality is all over the place. I happen to know 2 Maacos that do actual good work - but that's because they sell the Maaco deals and they also do their own deals. The basic 399 paint job will be just average unless you pay for some additional prep options etc then the paint job looks decent.

 

[Imadentguy]

NISSAN K12 will make any painter shiver in his suit. Flat panels you may be able to get away with it if you are not picky, but side panels…. forget about it. Most non blendable crap color to try and replicate i have ever sprayed. Working in bodyshops, I have shot it over the years with all of the big name solvent bases, and none of them can get it right. The flop is always reversed, and 99.9% of the time it will always appear darker than oem even when using lightest variant. Blend lines are the norm with that color. Just have a shop “dead panel” the hood and roof, and live with the results. You are guaranteed to see the difference in the hood, especially with the age of the oem finish, but the roof being off wont matter. Do not let them talk you into blending fenders, rails, etc for color match. That color no blendy too good….

 

[Nick1994]

The horizontal surfaces always burn in the sun, and the vertical are usually fine.

But, the tops of the fenders, doors, and bedside will start to burn too after a year or two. Had it with my '96 Chevy pickup and my current Camry. I have a coworker with a red Titan that he considered painting just the top of the hood and roof but never did. Good thing he didn't, the burn is fading down the sides a bit and it would look silly.

My dad worked at a body shop and had the roof and of his wife's 2010 G6 painted in 2015, here's what it looked like when I last saw it last August: (those are clouds reflecting on top).

 

[DuckRyder]

I'd have it panel painted by a reputable shop and hope for the best.

 

[PF52]

NISSAN K12 will make any painter shiver in his suit. Flat panels you may be able to get away with it if you are not picky....

Honda has a silver that apparently the factory can't even get right; every silver Civic I see has sheetmetal bodies and plastic bumpers that look like they may as well be from totally different manufacturers. The color matches but the metallic grain is way off.

 

[joekingcorvette]

I would buy some spray bombs from your local auto parts store and follow up with clear. Make sure they mix the exact paint code or have them color match your paint. Buy the best clear they sell. I did something like you are talking about on a Honda Civic I used to own. The results were amazing for such a low cost paint restoration. You must do some wet sanding and buffing too. I also painted the back rear bumper of my current 2012 Honda Civic and it looks very presentable and matched the original color. I can't see spending tons of money on anything that is not in perfect shape to begin with. Your vehicle is about 14 years old and it is up to you how much money you want to spend on the paint.

 

[Fordiesel69]

You guys have no idea how lucky you are that where you live, the cars can actually live on long enough to have paint failure. In our neck of the woods the under chassis will rot and fall apart year before the fade starts.

 

[walterjay]

It depends on how picky you are. 15 year old paint in Florida takes a beating. If you are just wanting it to look better just do the top and hood. If you want it to look great do the prep work yourself and search for a Maaco with a good reputation and take it there. Tell the shop owner you want a good job.