Knoxville, Tennessee (WATE) —Nationally, classic cars in good to good condition are considered an investment, and the paint condition of these cars adds value.
Sevier County car collectors are disappointed with the quality of the paint recently applied to the 62-year-old Cadillac. At that time, the well-equipped 1960 Cadillac Fleetwood by Chuck Finasso was the pinnacle. It is still attracting attention today. But he is disappointed with the new paint condition of his classic car. It was reapplied twice every two years, but blisters and bubbles continue to appear on the finish.
Repairing the paint can bring the car back to its original glory. A functional old car can be transformed with a coat of fresh paint, but Finasso does not see his classic caddy new paint as a valuable investment.
In March 2020, Finasso took the caddy to MAACO on Western Avenue in Knoxville, where it was subsequently placed under separate control and ownership. Inside the store, I peeled off the old paint and primed it. In the process, the old car body was repaired and dents and dents were removed. I was charged $ 3,500 and had a five-year warranty on my work. In May 2020 he regained his car.
“That’s when I paid them their best paint job, $ 3,500 to do bodywork and paint. They did it, but it started bubbling. So I got it back. And they did it again, “Finazzo said.
Details of the contract status are “The paint and base coat come with a 5-year prorated warranty.” However, within a few weeks after the second painting, some areas of the car’s body were blisters or foamed with paint. It reappeared.
“This is a large bubble of paint with air in it, and the paint went there and left the air,” Finasso said. He explained that it would eventually come off.
He pointed out some small bubbles on the car.
“As soon as it cracks, it all comes off. The whole area begins to come off everywhere,” Finasso said.
Dissatisfied, Finasso returned to the paint shop. However, in March 2021, the owner of the MAACO garage went out of business. Finasso said he was told by headquarters that the Knoxville store would reopen under new management.
Therefore, in July 2021, the second painting work was considered. Great attention was paid to air bubbles and other imperfections. He was informed that it would not be repainted three times.
“When I called the company, they said they weren’t going to fix it. They said it was cracked or peeled off. I still said, it’s bubbling. But when those bubbles break and open, they come off. They said they weren’t going to guarantee it, “Finatso said.
Finazzo was told that the warranty only covers cracks and peeling, not bubbles or blisters. 6 On Your Side asked MAACO’s headquarters twice why the warranty wasn’t kept as it was for the first time. They didn’t contact me, but Finnazo did.
About 10 days ago, an additional photo of the defect was taken, but the answer remained the same.
“They fixed it a second time, but now they never fix it, and it’s doing the same thing in the same place again,” Finasso said.
He still doesn’t understand what he’s trying to do next about paint.
The current local MAACO franchise operator and owner did not initially paint or repaint the car as done by the previous operator.
So what does it mean when the paint starts to foam? Experts explained that when the paint film lifts off the metal surface, it creates blisters and bubbles in the paint. The loss of adhesion is usually caused by heat, moisture, or a combination of both. This condition can eventually lead to peeling.
Finasso says he has a nice looking car, but paint blisters don’t add to its value.