Auto painting question

[rogwar]

Howdy folks,

I could use some information advice. I have a 1988 Jeep Commanche 4.0L 6 Cylinder that I bought new in 1988. It's been a very good mid-sized truck and I have generally taken care of it. It's got about 157,000 miles. I just keep it around because it's handy to have a truck and to go turkey hunting or other related activities. It's also something handy in case I have to leave a car at the airport.

It's this Jeep maroon color. The paint is pretty much shot. I have been thinking of getting it re-painted. Any advice? I just want it to look OK. It doesn't have to be restored or anything. It does have this "Pioneer" striping but that can be removed.

What should I expect to pay? What are these places like Maaco like?

Thanks for any advice!

[Martlet]

Expect to pay more than the vehicle is worth.  At least that's been my experience.  I've never tried maaco, though.

[anonymous]

meet me at ye old plank and ill give you some good advice.

[Eagler]

ask hblair - that's his living

[funkedup]

Take it over to Hblair's shop.

[Ozark]

Originally posted by rogwar
it's handy to have a truck and to go turkey hunting

Get a few cans of Krylon primer paint and go camo.

[rogwar]

Thanks for the input so far. I remembered that hblair does that type of work but he's a bit fer away.


Here is a photo of my poor old truck along with 3 turkeys I bagged on the second day of the season. You can shoot 4 Rio Grande birds here in Texas.

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/imagineu812/vwp?.dir=/My+Photo+Album/Turkey&.src=ph&.dnm=Sunday.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/bc/imagineu812/lst%3f%26.dir=/My%2bPhoto%2bAlbum/Turkey%26.src=ph%26.view=t


And Ozark, if I was back in Arkansas, that's what I might do. I already have some camo paint. However, I'd really just like an OK paint job but have no idea about expectations.

"ye old plank"

[Bonden]

Take it to Maico just for the fun of it- they will give ya an estimate, ya don't have to sign up for it.

[boxboy28]

Ya that truck deffinetly needs a CAMO paint job!:D

[anonymous]

Originally posted by rogwar
"ye old plank"

did i call it right?

[Airhead]

Rogwar, what's the story on "Wave Dancer?" Saw the pics, just curious.

[anonymous]

Originally posted by Airhead
Rogwar, what's the story on "Wave Dancer?" Saw the pics, just curious.

i think they forgot to feed rogwar for two meals in a row. (inside joke)

[rogwar]

Originally posted by Airhead
Rogwar, what's the story on "Wave Dancer?" Saw the pics, just curious.

Thanks for asking. Very tragic story actually. Wave Dancer was a very nice 5-star live aboard dive boat run by Peter Hughes out of Belize...now it has been replaced (after that event).

http://www.peterhughes.com/

I have been on the boat twice. It's usually like a 6 day thing. Gourmet food, excellent staff, and world class diving. On live aboards using Nitrox like the Peter Hughes boats I was typically doing 5 dives a day over the 6 day period, albiet I was using the standard air tables in my dive computer. Enough of that...don't want to get started on diving.

Anyway, sometime in like October or November, cannot remember which month, after September the 11th, a hurricane came through the Belize area. They went for shelter in a bay type, river inlet area along with a boat from the Agressor fleet (similar operation) and tied up to weather out the storm. The captians of both boats convinced their passengers to stay on board. Agressor made it through just fine.

Storm surge came through and maybe they didn't have their lines secured properly. The Wave Dancer's hull caught some of the concrete pier and ripped a big hole.  Mooring line snapped on the Wave Dancer and carried her across the bay. About 18 I believe people perished due to drowning. Many were from a dive club on the US east coast. It briefly made the US news. Some of the crew I knew died as well (cooks, hands, and such). I still have video of them.

Personnel and passengers with Rescue Diver or above certification made it off and lived (including the Dive Masters and Captain). I am recalling this from memory so I could be wrong in that all Dive Masters made it off. The line snapped at night so I'm sure panic played a big role as well. 1st rule of water = you panic, you die. Although the number one rule should be don't do anything stupid in the first place.

The thing is the stupidity of staying on a boat during a hurricane. It's the Captain's fault of course, but if I had been on that boat I would have left and looked for shelter as soon as it docked. My mama didn't raise no idiot...as we used to say in Arkansas in discussing the idea driving into high, rushing water.

I forgot there were all those other photos in my album. FYI, the picture of me in front of the big rock is standing on the Tropic of Capricorn in the Atacama desert of northern Chile. It's a bit dry there.

And Anonymous the food was very good and besides I was missing a rebreather.

[rpm]

I have a friend near you that was in auto painting for a long time. Go by Big Daddy's I-30 & Eastchase and ask for Tom. Tell Him Mike sent you ( I was Manager there). He will give you an honest answer on who to see and how much it will cost. Bet it's much less than you think. I repainted my 88 F250 with top of the line paint and spent less than $800.

[hblair]

Rogwar, if you just want it to get by and want to save money, take all the trim off (door handles, mouldings, wipers, emblems, etc.) and take it by an economy place.

If you have it done "right" ("right" is a relative term) you're looking at a good bit of dough. "Right" at our shop is all dings / dents repaired, rusted panels either replaced or new metal patches welded in, and peeling clearcoat panels (hood, roof) stripped down to the factory sealer. In other words all panels looking factory straight. Car gets base/clearcoat paint job. Then we go over whole vehicle and remove nibs and debris from paint, color sand any coarse texture and buff the paint. If we did it you'd be looking at spending at least 2 grand.

If it were my truck I'd prolly just live with it. I drive an old 88 ranger that I painted about 5 years ago. The kids have dinged it all up, but I'll just let it go. Heck it adds character man.