Picked between a cheap paint job and a quality one on a customer's 2005 Civic. I went with the cheap route and I'm still kicking myself.

The customer wanted to spend $400 total, but I knew the paint would peel in a year. Has anyone else caved to a tight budget and regretted it down the line?

3 comments

3 Comments

vera_murphy2mo ago

Is @jennifer965 calling themself out for being the one who drove that thing away and watched the paint fly off? I feel like $400 for a full paint job on any car these days is basically asking for trouble unless you're doing it yourself with rattle cans and a dream. The cheap stuff is just gonna flake off in chunks, especially on a Honda where the clear coat was already fighting for its life from the factory. I've seen guys try to cut corners with single stage paint and it turns yellow and peels in less than six months. You pretty much have to charge at least $1500 to get something that'll hold up for a few years, and even that's on the low end if you want it to look decent. The customer thinks they're saving money now but they'll be back crying when their car looks like a zebra from all the peeling.

the_riley25d ago

Right? I had a buddy who paid $350 for a Maaco special on his old Accord and it literally started bubbling in the parking lot of the shop before he even made it home. The paint was legit still tacky when he picked it up and they just handed him the keys like "good luck.

jennifer9652mo ago

400 bucks for a whole paint job on a 2005 Civic? That's insane, I'm surprised it didn't peel on the way out of the shop.