I'm ordering JCW aero kit and wondering if I can get them painted outside rather than the dealer itself which can cost an arm and a leg. Any suggestions? My primary concern is the paint quality. I'm thinking off Maaco... they actually quoted me way less than the dealer price! Any info on Maaco on their work? Any suggestion is greatly appreciated.

 

Do NOT go to Maaco, you seriously get what you pay for! We take our service vans there for repairs because it's cheap, it's not very high quality work, a lot come back with runs or things like that, not that it matters for the old service vans that the techs driving them could give a cr*p less about, but if my car came back like that.. i'd be upset.

 

How much did Macco quote you? The dealer install is very expensive.

 

No problem with Maaco in my opinion... The issue with Maaco is that they don't do a good job prepping... Buy the kit, prep it yourself, and drop it off to be painted...

 

MAACO will jst throw on the paint and it will chip off in about 3 drives down the road. Go to an OEM repair shop or reputible shop and ask them. I thought the JCW kit was installed from MINI, guess I was wrong.

 

I believe you might lose any kind of warranty with the JCW Kit if you have anybody other than the dealer do the install.

 

Don't go to Maaco! A lot of cheap painters will add more hardner to the paint so it will dry fast, and they can get on to the next car. But it chips very easy.

 

Finding a good painter is literally like finding a good artist; they're tough to come by, usually flakey to deal with, expensive, and take forever. You usually get what you pay for. Talk to lots of hot rodders in the area and you'll eventually find a quality painter. Some collision shops and cheapie drive-by painters [like Maaco] by chance have good painters, but usually not. When it's all said and done, the source the dealership uses is probably quite good, as the dealership doesn't want to deal with the hassle of a peeved customer with a junk paint job. The important part with bumpers is the paint have plasticizers [sic] so the paint can flex with the bumper during light taps, bumps, and some road debris.

 

What kind of warranty issue could you have if someone else changes body parts?

 

I ordered my Mini w/ the JCW aero kit installed (by the dealer). They did a GREAT job and it's under warranty. The entire package w/ installation cost me $2600. I know that isn't cheap, but there is quite a bit for them to install and paint so I understand the cost. (They give you JCW door sills, all black grill, JCW grill inserts, and of course painted and installed aero -front, back and side).

What will you save going to Maaco? -is the hassle and headache worth it? I mean, you'll have to drop off the parts at Maaco, then pick them up. Seems like a lot of work to save $300-500, plus I wouldn't be convinced that Maaco could match the paint correctly.

I'd just do it right and have the factory do it.