hey guys i got quote $600 to fix the dent on my passenger fender, realign the rear bumper, fix and color match paint as well as fix the crack in the rear bumper. do you think this is a fair price? what would be a fair estimate? my friend tells me the maaco around here does a good job but ive always been kinda iffy taking it there. any experiences? here are some pics so you guys can assess the damage. any help is appreciated thanks!
maaco isnt doing the work for 600, it's a person i found on craigslist who has "experience." there is a maaco around my way that does good work according to one of my friends who got his car painted there but like you guys said, you get what you pay for. i know taking it to honda the quote will run me like 800-1000. if it helps i am located in MD/DMV area and if anybody knows some shops that do good honest work, i have no problem forking up a little more cash to get it done right but i still like to keep the tab below 700.
my suggestion is see if you can buy a used fender that is still in good shape instead of "fixing" yours. Aligning the rear bumper can be done by yourself. From the picture it looks like you have better weather than we do right now. Get a friend to help you but you shouldn't need to pay $600 for the job even if it includes the paint job. Then again I'm asian and cheap as f**k.
used fender = $50-$80
Self realignment of rearbumper = doing it yourself = free
pay $200-$300 to color match the new fender (if it isn't already your color).
but honestly, for $600 that is pretty decent... I can't justify paying that much but compared to other quotes you normally would get, I'd say that's a good deal
If it sounds to good to be true...it's probably going to be a sh!t quality job.
There's no way I could find a reputable shop around here to fix that damage and paint it for close to that price. Maaco would probably do it for that, but you can't expect quality work from them. They usually do zero prep work before painting.
If it sounds to good to be true...it's probably going to be a sh!t quality job.
There's no way I could find a reputable shop around here to fix that damage and paint it for close to that price. Maaco would probably do it for that, but you can't expect quality work from them. They usually do zero prep work before painting.
+1
where I live this whole job is at least 1k. at least!
The way that fender is dented near the light, that is not an easy fix. You need to shape the fender to properly contour the light. Just that alone is usually a 350-400 dollar fix and paint.
Then to fix the crack in the rear bumper and paint is not gonna be cheap either. Depending on the crack of course. Then to realign the bumper can be expensive too if the support is shot. Then they would have to align the actual support which is a PITA. OP, 600 is ridiculously cheap for this.
The thing about maaco is they use a single stage paint, unless you pay a lot for a true base coat clear coat. The difference is the color will not have any depth to it. Personally I would find a used oem fender and re align the rear bumper cover. Most of your small local body shops can paint the parts for you fairly cheap using the proper paint. Just my .02.
i have been looking for used fenders and a new bumper. i found a fender for like 50 and a bumper for 100 but they arent the same color. CBM is a really hard color to match and painting a bumper and a fender is going to cost so much money. these are my options:
1. buy used bumper and fender not in my color, take it to a shop to color match and put it on myself-->bumper+fender=150, repainting fender and bumper 400-500? so total is ~550?
2. take the whole thing to a shop to fix (most expensive route)
3. take it to Mr. craigslist who claims 12 years experience in autobody work etc.--->600
1. buy used bumper and fender not in my color, take it to a shop to color match and put it on myself-->bumper+fender=150, repainting fender and bumper 400-500? so total is ~550?
2. take the whole thing to a shop to fix (most expensive route)
3. take it to Mr. craigslist who claims 12 years experience in autobody work etc.--->600
If you choose option 3, after "Mr. Craigslist" is done with it, it may or may not still look like sh!t. If it does look sh!tty, you'll have to pay the expense of "Mr. Craigslist" AND the expense of options 1 or 2 to get it to look right. Sometimes, it costs more to be cheap.
I've already learned that if you want quality, expect to pay for it. If "Mr. Craigslist" is a good auto body guy, why does he have to work so cheap? Car paint is expensive, he wouldn't be making much money off you. He probably has to work so cheap because his work is sub-par quality and nobody would pay him better for it....
When it come to bodyshop's you have to really search if you don't know anybody in the business. The best way to find somebody good is by word of mouth in your area. If you know of anybody who has had good work done somewhere then go there. Macco always gets a bad rep but most people get the cheapest package deal they offer there and that's why it looks like crap or the paint doesn't last. Regardless I'd consider holding off until you find a place you feel comfortable with and more importantly, a place(technician) you feel confident with.
thanks guys i have an accord coupe as my daily right now and this h22 is my project car. i dont need to do this right away so ill search around for quotes. if im going to spend 600, id rather put in the extra money and do it with a new paint job.
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