Paint Matching Costs and a few other ?s
 

Hello all,
I just bought a 98 Eclipse and it is in need of a front bumper. The old one is custom, but has a crack in the middle, and needs to be replaced. I was wondering how much it would cost to get a body kit paint matched to the same color as the car, obviously. If I bought a body kit, I would be buying one around $400 and if I just get the front bumper, around $180. I was wondering both the price for the entire kit, and for just the front bumper.

Also, the car needs a new head gasket. It is not blown, just cracked and leaking oil into the coolant, so I am guessing the heads have not been warped or anything(crossing my fingers.) How much would it cost for a new head gasket including labor? I was told about $500, but then I've talked to a few eclipse owners that say that the price is way higher than it should be. I was also told that the crack and leaking into the coolant is a common problem with this type of car.

If some people could get back to me on my questions that would be great!

Depending on if the paint was stock maaco can do it for around 150 installed too.Head gaskets are a pain to do but depending on the car the part you should get new and is around a two-three hour job and the going rates for labor is 75-100 an hour or find someone willing to do it for you that does things on the side.

Does Maaco do a good job though for paint matching? And yes, it is the stock color. I was planning on getting a paint job, then getting a detailing job from Oakes Detailing including paint correction.

i'd take your car to a shop that specializes in DSMs for the head gasket work... there are a few of them who are vendors right here on TST so check out the vendor section to get in touch with them there. they'll be able to dig into your car and see whats up with it, and fix it properly.

as far as paint... quality paint work is not cheap. it depends what your expectations are of the outcome, and how much you are willing to spend. if you are particular and have high standards than i would recommend going to a high quality shop and understanding that you'll get what you pay for. [edit: I can no longer recommend LIP Collision after recently having a very disappointing experience with them.] if you're looking for something less expensive then there are options out there as well, but i'd definitely look elsewhere aside from maaco though... especially if you're looking to have the paint match.

If I was going to go with a more expensive job, it would be if I just got the front bumper. I dont want to spend over 1 thousand for the paint job.

What did you get done on your cars and how much did it cost?

$1000 will get you Maaco quality work. I had my Z repainted the factory color and it ended up costing me $3000 .. and that's without door jambs/trunk jambs/engine bay.

$400 for a full 'body kit' is going to be a cheap replica one that most likely fits terribly. You'll spend more money having the shop fit it than you would have if you just bought a quality kit in the first place, and it will probably never fit well or look decent.
I'm afraid what you're looking to do really isn't my style so I might not be able to advise. However, I would recommend keeping the stock body and getting decent quality paint, and not risk ending up with something that looks cheap and low quality.
I paid a lot for my paint, but it wont relate to you. You'll have to have a shop check it out to get an idea of how it will turn out and how much it will cost.

I should have never even said macco.Not sure if it is everywhere but maccos in jersey are owned separately and each one doesn't have the same standards.The one i would go to is ran by a guy with 20 years of experience and had a shop in philly for that time before going the corporate route.I just seen a paint job they did to match a bumper from a neon to match stock and it came out perfect and looks great.But it's hit or miss with macco unless you do all the prep work.

All Maacos are independently owned. But regardless, you get what you pay for.

Just ask yourself this question, how many Ferrari's do you see going to Maaco

I got sideskirts painted a Mazda factory color for $150... paint and labor. I dunno what they would charge to install your kit, but I would recommend them.

if the car has a custom color most body shops or the body shop material suppliers have a camera that take a picture of the paint and it creates its own formula to match the color... i work for a body shop, i always do that when it doesnt have a paint code. and about maaco there not bad places to go its just some have there reputations... i dont work for one but i know from experience that if you prep your own car or parts then the paint job comes out pretty decent its all prep work where they slack