Author Topic: Earl Scheib Estometer  (Read 10500 times)

Offline J.A.F.E.

  • Resident Alien
  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2611
Re: Earl Scheib Estometer
« Reply #15 on: January 14, 2019, 10:32:23 PM »
That was a common trick in some circles. Done right it can work well. Done to ES standards, well maybe not so much. But at least they masked it - some ES shops would paint pretty much anything and attempt masking only big things like windows and bumpers. Operative word is attempt.

Mercedes used to paint the wheel covers body color and when repainting them the grease trick was often used. They were tricky to mask with tape. No doubt Mercedes had a mask or template but the bodyshops often used grease.

When I was in HS I worked for a woman who sold wicker furniture and I painted a lot of it. The trunks came with metal comers and I used Vaseline to mask them and the latch.

People who confuse etymology and entomology bug me in ways I can’t put into words.

Offline muddy

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3467
Re: Earl Scheib Estometer
« Reply #16 on: January 15, 2019, 07:54:51 AM »
Cool piece of history. I don't personally remember seeing Earl shops but I do now about them. We tease about doing Earl scheib work at work lol

Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk


Offline goodfellow

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4321
Re: Earl Scheib Estometer
« Reply #17 on: January 15, 2019, 08:04:06 AM »
Cool piece of history. I don't personally remember seeing Earl shops but I do now about them. We tease about doing Earl scheib work at work lol

Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk



Paint technology was so bad back then, that most car finishes showed their age after only five years. Discount places like Earl Scheib and many others were a viable solution for rejuvenating an otherwise sound vehicle.

Scheib also offered premium services and they could make your car look pretty good, but they dominated the low end market. They did a lot of business with low end used car dealers in my area. What really killed them was MAACO -- which was named after the founder's initials. Anthony A. Martino founded AAMCO and MAACO to get into the discount auto repair business. His MAACO division catered to the higher end consumer and it took a lot of market share from Scheib.

BTW -- Martino also founded the Sparks Tune-Up chain back in the early 80's. This guy had a great understanding of the secondary US automobile market.

« Last Edit: January 15, 2019, 08:08:16 AM by goodfellow »