looking for paint shop reviews

[goodyFAB]

Good Morning everyone, I am looking for help to start the process of finding a paint shop, preferably on the east side of the country. 

I do know that most good painters have a long wait list and for that reason I want to start planning some paint work I would like to do to my plane. I am not looking for the most expensive shop in the country, I'm looking for a good shop that does what they say and does good clean work for a fair price. 

 

looking for solid reviews from happy customers. I appreciate your input. 

 

[Marauder]

Good Morning everyone, I am looking for help to start the process of finding a paint shop, preferably on the east side of the country. 
I do know that most good painters have a long wait list and for that reason I want to start planning some paint work I would like to do to my plane. I am not looking for the most expensive shop in the country, I'm looking for a good shop that does what they say and does good clean work for a fair price. 
 
looking for solid reviews from happy customers. I appreciate your input. 
 

Can’t wait to see the replies. I was really surprised over the summer at a fly in to see a Mooney that was painted by a well known shop in Florida. The paint job was a mess. Had runs, missed areas and a lot of overspray. When I spoke to the Mooney owner, he said the shop had grown because of his reputation and he is no longer doing the majority of the painting.

I would like to see opinions on people with really recent experience.


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[ilovecornfields]

37 minutes ago, Marauder said:

Can’t wait to see the replies. I was really surprised over the summer at a fly in to see a Mooney that was painted by a well known shop in Florida. The paint job was a mess. Had runs, missed areas and a lot of overspray. When I spoke to the Mooney owner, he said the shop had grown because of his reputation and he is no longer doing the majority of the painting.

I would see our opinions on people with really recent experience.


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Same thing came up recently with respect to MSCs and the quality of the work being highly dependent on the person doing it and the amount of oversight. I’ve had issues at all of the MSCs I’ve been to - two of them took responsibility for it and fixed it right away and another told me it was my fault and hung up on me after spending over $10k there. You can guess which one I don’t use anymore.

Sounds very wise to look for recent experiences and maybe insight into how they handle problems. Seems like some places are fine when things go well but not so good when there are issues and other places go out of their way to “make things right.” Definitely red to find the latter. I don’t care how charismatic and well respected the owner is if he can’t take responsibility for his screw ups.

[goodyFAB]

3 minutes ago, ilovecornfields said:

Same thing came up recently with respect to MSCs and the quality of the work being highly dependent on the person doing it and the amount of oversight. I’ve had issues at all of the MSCs I’ve been to - two of them took responsibility for it and fixed it right away and another told me it was my fault and hung up on me after spending over $10k there. You can guess which one I don’t use anymore.

Sounds very wise to look for recent experiences and maybe insight into how they handle problems. Seems like some places are fine when things go well but not so good when there are issues and other places go out of their way to “make things right.” Definitely red to find the latter. I don’t care how charismatic and well respected the owner is if he can’t take responsibility for his screw ups.

this is exactly why I do most of the work myself, I am lucky to have an AP that I work well with. I am looking to avoid being disappointed in the future. what I learn from other owners / customers will determine whether or not I invest into painting the whole plane or if I do some blending and touch up. aviation paint jobs seem to be so "hit or miss"...

 

[Marc_B]

Anyone out there with recent Hawk experience in the past 12-18 months can you PM me about your experience?

Thanks!

Marc.

[Red Leader]

My Mooney was painted 2 years ago by Executive HeliJet for $18k. They did a fantastic job with high-quality paints but the log books reflect a significant down-time. They are located in Myrtle Beach (KMYR, I believe) and, if you are serious about having a really good paint job, you should give them a call. 

[carusoam]

One of my favorite topics…

Starting with the design layout…

Color selection…

Then the rest of the details…

My plane got painted in NJ… 

Best regards,

-a-

[ArtVandelay]

Mine had it’s share of minor problems, which I couldn’t see the day I picked it up. You need to go over the plane like you’re waxing it and in the good light.
I kept a talley of the issues and brought the plane back to have it fixed which they were happy to do. The problem these days is getting scheduled. I’ve heard of shops holding planes for months because they over schedule, be sure to check if there’s planes parked on their ramp.

[NotarPilot]

I ain’t saying nuthin! 

[carusoam]

4 hours ago, NotarPilot said:

I ain’t saying nuthin! 

Best control under tough conditions award goes to…. Notar!  

 

Serves as a reminder of how tough getting a plane painted can be…

It is a huge project…

It is an expensive project…

It is a highly detailed project….
 

Even when everything is lined up perfectly….  The laws of physics are constantly fighting the perfect outcome…

 

ArtV has summed it perfectly… expect some imperfections, with a plan to go back for corrections…. Really tough to execute if the shop is far away.
 

If anyone hasn’t seen the number of corrections that may be desired… Watch a video about ceramic coating your Mooney… where they detail a bunch of spots and how they fixed them… for a recent(?) original factory paint job…

 

There is plenty of room to end up with a ‘better than new’ paint job…

Selecting the right shop is an important first step. 
 

Keep in mind… having a perfect paint job can be wearing on the soul… as we fly through things that sometimes have sand-blaster effects… or park in places that are similar to the Sahara desert at lunch time….

Go MS!

Best regards,

-a-

[tony]

https://hawkaircraft.com/

Joey worked magic on mine.  It took longer then we both wanted but the quality was outstanding.  

[Marc_B]

There has been a list on aviation consumer and scheme designers of top rated shops. Not sure if this needs an update or re-validation? But for someone who is planning repaint in the next year…what tips do you have to insure a great result? It seems like even some of the shops on the top list have an occasional questionable experience. Is that something the owner could have curtailed or any recent bad experience should mean pick a new place?  Is that something the owner should be explicit and communicate more clearly?

what’s the best way to stack the deck in favor of a good experience for both you and the shop?

what shops of the “top list” have people had excellent experience with and which have had substandard experience with?

[MooneyMitch]

On 11/2/2022 at 2:23 AM, NotarPilot said:

I ain’t saying nuthin! 

Wisdom born of pain…..

[goodyFAB]

On 11/1/2022 at 11:01 PM, Red Leader said:

My Mooney was painted 2 years ago by Executive HeliJet for $18k. They did a fantastic job with high-quality paints but the log books reflect a significant down-time. They are located in Myrtle Beach (KMYR, I believe) and, if you are serious about having a really good paint job, you should give them a call. 

what kind of down time ?

 

[goodyFAB]

On 11/2/2022 at 5:14 AM, ArtVandelay said:

Mine had it’s share of minor problems, which I couldn’t see the day I picked it up. You need to go over the plane like you’re waxing it and in the good light.
I kept a talley of the issues and brought the plane back to have it fixed which they were happy to do. The problem these days is getting scheduled. I’ve heard of shops holding planes for months because they over schedule, be sure to check if there’s planes parked on their ramp.

what's a realistic expectation for down time ?  

 

 

[PT20J]

I haven't had my plane painted, but I've heard good things about SunQuest at KPAE and I have seen some airplanes they have painted that were very well done. http://www.sunquestair.com/

[Ragsf15e]

14 minutes ago, PT20J said:

I haven't had my plane painted, but I've heard good things about SunQuest at KPAE and I have seen some airplanes they have painted that were very well done. http://www.sunquestair.com/

They were the list of Artcraft preferred shops as well.

[ArtVandelay]

3 hours ago, goodyFAB said:

what's a realistic expectation for down time ?  

 

 

2 weeks assuming no problems, mine took 3 weeks because the fuel tanks leaked after stripping process, so needed to fix this.

 

Also if planning to do this, do not do corrosion preventative maintenance (corrosion X), you should wait 2 years least otherwise it mess up the paint job.

 

 

[carusoam]

When it comes to painting your plane…

It really helps if you are familiar with…

1) Project management

2) Wrangling cats

3) Familiar with chemistry

4) Familiar with solvents

5) Familiar with surface prep

6) Familiar with air qualities…

7) Familiar with paint application…

8) Familiar with Plan B:   There is always a need for Plan B…

9) Know how to inspect the work…

10) Be prepared to discuss inevitable paint issues…

11) Know what the typical paint issues are…

12) Know how to discuss all of this up front, so there is no surprise at the end…

13) Know what you are asking for…

14) Make sure your painter knows what you are expecting…

15) Perfection is suitable for forever-planes…

16) Perfection can be expensive… in time, money, and/or effort… your’s, paint shop’s, and others…

17) set your expectations… appropriately…

 

Painting is a complex project, where small details can be extra important…

The best paint shops, as well as the best mechanics, have had bad days…… at least once around here…

Forward looking PP thoughts only, not a painter… nor discussing specific paint experiences of the past…

Best regards,

-a-

 

[Marauder]

Was this Hawk? 

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