Paint Project - M20J - Questions

[aviatoreb]

The other place, Cri**r was worse, but in different categories. The paint, for one thing, looked horrible. Touvh ups all over and fuzzy stripes, overspray around rivets. Controls not taken off.   They dont have a paint booth, they hang plastic and paint in thr corner. Overspray. Dry spray, runs, solvent pop, buffed wings with little white specs of  touch up paint that dont match where the rivets were buffed to metal. paint on everything, hinges, rod ends, tires, door jambs, props, baffles, alternator belts.

 

If it were free I would be pissed.

 

Then there are the 17K paint shops.  They look good. Then there are the 17K paint shops that rent as good. Then theres the 9K paint shops that look like crap.   Then theres Hawk, which is  ~9k priced and looks really good, perhaps 90% as good as the Tejas or Murmer which are the highest priced out there.

Hi Byron

I am shopping paint shops.

I was just now trying to pm you to ask you about your experience with Hawk - you did paint with them recently?  But for some reason I cannot pm you - the monospace interface won't allow me.  Can you pm me please?

Thanks!

(Anyone else who used Hawk recently - I would love to hear).

Erik

[Parker_Woodruff]

Hi Byron

I am shopping paint shops.

I was just now trying to pm you to ask you about your experience with Hawk - you did paint with them recently?  But for some reason I cannot pm you - the monospace interface won't allow me.  Can you pm me please?

Thanks!

(Anyone else who used Hawk recently - I would love to hear).

Erik

I used them in the summer/fall of 2012.  They did great work.  see my gallery.

[kris_adams]

Hawk is who I am leaning towards as well.  I'm going to head down and check them out in a few months.  Good luck with your choice.

[jetdriven]

PM inbox is full.  I am taking mine there November 25th. I met Joe Dinolfo there and checked out a Mooney they were doing.

 

send me an email at bdr737 at gmail.com

 

 

Edited November 1, 2015 by jetdriven

[aviatoreb]

PM inbox is full.  I am taking mine there November 25th. I met Joe Dinolfo there and checked out a Mooney they were doing.

 

send me an email at bdr737 at gmail.com

 

 

Hi Byron, thanks for email - I am sending one right now.

Erik

[fantom]

Save yourself a lot of time and aggravation. Joe at Hawk is a stand up guy, a first class painter, has been at it for 30 years, and knows Mooney.

Had my plane painted there in 2011, after visiting a lot of shops.

 

[Parker_Woodruff]

It was a cloudy day, so the beautiful metallic black doesn't shine quite as well, but here's some great pictures of Hawk's work.

Should have never sold this plane...

[aviatoreb]

Wow - that looks fantastic!

I know there is a new forum owner here that is owning that beautiful plane.  How is the paint holding up now a few years on?

Also, fantom, how is your 2011 paint holding up?  Got any pictures to share? Wait - I found your pictures fantom.

Edited November 1, 2015 by aviatoreb

[fantom]

Also, fantom, how is your 2011 paint holding up? 

Much better than most I've seen, including any from Mena (sorry).

[DonMuncy]

Fantom,

Not to argue that my paint job is nicer than yours. I had mine done at Mena Aircraft Painting in early 2004. It still looks pretty good. 

[Parker_Woodruff]

Fantom,

Not to argue that my paint job is nicer than yours. I had mine done at Mena Aircraft Painting in early 2004. It still looks pretty good. 

It's a nice one for sure.

[jetdriven]

Having seen both Mena Aircraft painting (Doug Blair) and hawk (Joe Dinolfo) I'd say they look to be comparable quality. Just a hair below the top rated and much more expensive shops, such as Tejas and Murmer, but in the same category.    Where I balked was the sanding of the planes in Mena.  That's a deal breaker for me.  When I told him no abrasives on the plane except Scotch Brite, he added two grand. 

[fantom]

Fantom,

Not to argue that my paint job is nicer than yours. I had mine done at Mena Aircraft Painting in early 2004. It still looks pretty good. 

I know your paint job is of high quality, Don. I've seen it. 

However I've seen far too many from the shops in Mena that are terrible, and have heard even more horror stories. It got so I could pick them out in Maxwell's shop while I was waiting for my annuals to be done.

I've never seen a bad job from Hawk, and Joe paints a lot of Florida Mooneys.

[ArtVandelay]

I know your paint job is of high quality, Don. I've seen it. 

However I've seen far too many from the shops in Mena that are terrible, and have heard even more horror stories. It got so I could pick them out in Maxwell's shop while I was waiting for my annuals to be done.

I've never seen a bad job from Hawk, and Joe paints a lot of Florida Mooneys.

I wish my PO took my plane there, he took it to another Florida based outfit: overspray, missed spots, runs...it's now under new management.

[kris_adams]

you guys are killing me with all this talk about paint. Next summer can't get here soon enough.

[Wakeup]

Whats the average price for Hawk for a short body?  Just curious ?  Thanks 

[Steve65E-NC]

My aircraft was painted in 65 with Imron (I am pretty sure).  In 1992 it was looking pretty dated and a little ratty but still with good adhesion.  I had it stripped and repainted with Jet Glo.  Within 10 years I was having alligatoring, spalling and other signs of  poor adhesion.  If I were doing it again, the 92 paint job would have been overspray with Imron.  No more Jet Glo for me.  By the way, wiped out performance of one vertical blade VOR antenna by painting it with white Jet Glo.  One paint shop told me that poor adhesion could be expected with two coats of Jet Glo and that it took at least  three coats for a lasting job.  I sort of believe this since the color bands are holding up pretty well.    

Edited November 3, 2015 by Steve65E-NC
clarification

[aviatoreb]

My aircraft was painted in 65 with Imron (I am pretty sure).  In 1992 it was looking pretty dated and a little ratty but still with good adhesion.  I had it stripped and repainted with Jet Glo.  Within 10 years I was having alligatoring, spalling and other signs of  poor adhesion.  If I were doing it again, the 92 paint job would have been overspray with Imron.  No more Jet Glo for me.  By the way, wiped out performance of one vertical blade VOR antenna by painting it with white Jet Glo.  One paint shop told me that poor adhesion could be expected with two coats of Jet Glo and that it took at least  three coats for a lasting job.  I sort of believe this since the color bands are holding up pretty well.    

Come get some paint man - be cool - everyone's doing' it.

[Seth]

Airmods in NJ N87 has a good paint shop from what I've heard (not experienced) and is an MSC.  They paint a lot of Mooney's.  Also there is a lone shop at Corman Field D74 in Delaware that does good work and touch up work.

 

-Seth

[Shadrach]

My aircraft was painted in 65 with Imron (I am pretty sure).  In 1992 it was looking pretty dated and a little ratty but still with good adhesion.  I had it stripped and repainted with Jet Glo.  Within 10 years I was having alligatoring, spalling and other signs of  poor adhesion.  If I were doing it again, the 92 paint job would have been overspray with Imron.  No more Jet Glo for me.  By the way, wiped out performance of one vertical blade VOR antenna by painting it with white Jet Glo.  One paint shop told me that poor adhesion could be expected with two coats of Jet Glo and that it took at least  three coats for a lasting job.  I sort of believe this since the color bands are holding up pretty well.    

I don't think they had Imron in 65.

[kris_adams]

Whats the average price for Hawk for a short body?  Just curious ?  Thanks 

I'd love to hear the answer as well.  I know there are a lot of variables but is it something like $12k plus any metal repairs (hail, cowling chafe, etc)?  I was quoted $16k by a shop and they told me to plan on low 20's to get out the door.  I'm hoping this shop is atypical.  I don't need concours quality but I'd be frustrated with some of the pictures Jetdriven posted.

Anyone willing to throw out some numbers?

Edited November 6, 2015 by Kris_Adams

[fantom]

Call Joe Dinolfo at Hawk and find out for yourself. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the quote, and even more impressed with his work. Good luck. 

[fantom]

His number is 813-623-5819

[ALP]

The paint shop at Robbinsville NJ (N87) is KD Aviation run by Ken Reese. They have another shop at KSWF. Four metallic colors with new SS fastners is a little more than 20K.

[PTK]

I had my plane at Airmods at N87 for something a few years ago. This was before I had my airplane painted. While waiting I walked over and paid a surprise visit to KD Aviation. They happened to have a long body in there. I remember it was blue. Someone with a power sander was going at it with gusto! I remember looking at some nice and shiny aluminum where he was sanding!  And the rivet heads were gone! I mean gone! 

He looked at me and I looked at him. He knew I saw it. I didn't say anything and walked away.

Be careful and be sure nobody ruins your plane by sanding it!