westopill

So I'm thinking about getting a new paint job on my 14 year old ES300. It has some minor dents and needs a little body work. Obviously, I'm not going to spend more than the car is worth just for a paint job. There are a lot of chips in the paint (too many for me to repair unfortunately). I have been looking at Maaco's paint job prices, and I've seen plenty of "rustoleum paint jobs" for around $50 on YouTube (probably not the greatest choice). What do you guys suggest if i want to get a paint job that looks as good as a car that comes out of the dealership brand new? I don't need a "showcar" finish necessarily. I just want a paint job that will look nice.

LeX2K

Paint job that looks nice and is inexpensive don't go together. You will have to spend a good amount of money to come close or match the original factory paint.

UDel

On a 14 year old ES, I would not spend thousands on a new paint job and going cheap like from Maaco will likely mean you need a new paintjob a few years down the road unless things have changed. There is no sense getting the car painted if it still has a bunch of dents, those dents need to be taken care of first. I think your best bet is to see if there is a independent painter who does good work that can do it for a reasonable price or buy your own spray gun and supplies and doing it yourself after researching and practicing.

Where are all or most of the stone chips? Most stone chips are likely only on the hood and front bumper, why not just get the hood and front bumper painted by a pro which should still be well under a $1000 and then give the rest of the car a could polish or do some wetsanding and spot repair for any other spots?

westopill

I had considered just getting the hood repainted, but the top, and trunk of the car have very little paint left on them (no clear coat left). Would it be possible to get just the top, hood, and trunk of the car repaint and have the paint match the rest of the car?

UDel

Probably, a good paint shop will be able to match/blend the paint to match your finish, you should save a considerable amount of money just doing the hood, roof, and trunk over re painting the entire car but I would still avoid putting too much money into a 14 year old ES.

greg3852

I had a $400 Maaco job done years ago on a mini van, and it really wasn't bad at all. It was the same color so I didn;t have to worry about door jambs. It was well worth the money. With a 14 year old ES, I wouldn't even hesitate.

westopill

Was the paint job you got at Maaco clear coated or not clear coated? And did it last?