Need Advice - Car Painted

Hello All- I recently had refinishing completed on my car by a local, nationally known body shop & PCar dealer. They are known for restoration work. The work was not due to an accident, just typical chips etc. My question is about color matching. It could be my mind playing tricks on me, but there are times that I think I can see a color difference between the pannel that was painted and one that may not have been. I do not want to accuse the shop of not doing a good job, but want to make sure that the car was repaired correctly. What should I do? Thanks, -Ryan

I think you should go talk to them and say what is on your mind....

Your car is silver, right? Silver is hard to get just right so talk to them

Yea. GT Silver Metallic. I will give him a call. Most times the color is fine. Just certain angles outside.

I had my black redone and the highly recommended shop did a great job, then let a monkey buff the car and F*CK IT UP !! I was so pissed I went back about a dozen times demanding it be repaired.. I ended up spending an entire weekend with my griot's gear putting it back right... pr!cks !! OH - sorry, this isnt about me, ... still mad at them

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What damage did the "monkey" cause?

The car has alot of bends in the sheet metal, light reflects off those angles differently. Its probably something you would be the only one to notice. But buffing and waxing can make a big change. Paint can be tested to see if the "ingrediants" were properly added. I did a bumper, hood, fender repaint for chips and bumperette removal, my car is Polar Silver. It has a blue hue to it in certain light, I did not want to lose that. It took 4 months and PPG company reps to come out and match it correctly.

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swirled the hood...first go around hood "better" swirled the bumper... second hood worse bumper worse..... I am begining to question the reason I keep coming back and the service manager is now making me feel like "this is normal" and "it's hard" and "it looks ok to me" are good enough next few stops are to show damage... now they get really "excited" and swirl my doors and rear?? WTF!! I go in (after being polite up to this point) SCREAMING MAD they say they ddint do it - well who the F^CK did cuz it wasnt there before and i dont own a buffer... did I get a random buffing at the grocery store?? we will fix it, folowed by OK that's it, you guys are never touching my car again... then I returned after many many many hours of buffing at home to show the jack a$$es that it "can be done" they said, its something only an owner would care about ???? then I notice every car in the lot that is "finished" is swirled and point it out, they deny the problem... on and on.... I will never ever forget that shop, that guy or that monkey - came recommended for several people on 6speed... I dont use 6speed anymore either

It's not easy to perfectly match metallic paint. Especially a light highly reflective color like silver which is very unforgiving of differences in tint, light/dark, sparkle etc.. Metallic paint has those little tiny flakes in it that make it sparkle. Even assuming the paint is 100% identical to factory applied paint, including the size and density and reflectivity of the flakes (which isn't easy to get given differences in paint supplier batches), there are things that can make the paint flow or set up a particular way which can alter the way the flakes reflect light compared to the surrounding paint e.g. temperature, pressure, humidity, equipment etc.. Also are the two panel different materials? Painted plastic can look different than painted metal even straight from the factory. But most people don't notice it because they aren't looking for it. Just to convince yourself that you are not crazy, polish and wax the car, then post some photos of it in the sunlight. But don't tell us which panels were repainted. I had a bumper repaired once and although I could see it from 3 feet away, nobody I ever showed it to could see it, even after I told them the general area to look.

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This makes me feel better. It is only certain times, angles, light, etc. The panels I compare are fender and door, so the material is the same. I just detailed my car a week or so ago with Zaino. Going to wipe it down today with their quick detailer as it rained earlier this week. Will post some pictures once complete. Thanks a ton guys. -Ryan

it depends on who you ask, and how good they are at paint/body work. I am only interested inthe one percenters..... not the 99 percenters That said my car is not a museum piece so i accept some stuff... but if you paid to have it done, it should be done right - and right is right... not "almost right"

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May not have done the job properly. I don't know about GT Silver but with Arctic Silver the color arises from the metal in the paint, the size of the metal particles, their shape and orientation. Using the right brand of paint matches the size and shape. The orientation controlled by the application. Many factors come into play but a good painter with the right paint system can match the factory paint quite well. But my body shop friend tells me that whenever one panel requires painting the best way to ensure matching panels is to prep the adjacent panels and spray them too back a ways from the newly painted panel. If just a solitary panel painted there'll be a likely difference in the paint's shading/color and the panel gap makes it stand out. By shooting the adjacent panels the transistion is made much more gradual to the point the eye can't see it and if the eye can't see it the transistion doesn't exist. After painting all panels of course are smooth sanded and clear coated and after 30 days or so to allow the paint to dry -- and silver paints may shrink a bit and require a bit of sanding with very very fine paper and polishing to remove -- on my arctic silver Turbo had a spot about as big as a coffee cup that needed this -- the new paint is as good as new and can't be distinquished from factory paint (save the new paint is smoother, has less orange peel than the factory paint). Not sure what you can do, though. If I'm right, if there is a definite mis-match the only solution is to re-shoot -- after proper prep -- the painted panel and the adjacent panels as I described above. Not sure if shop didn't do this the 1st time it would do it the second. In some locales if car repaired by body shop the shop must offer a lifetime warranty on the work and if the work not acceptable you have to take it back and have it done right. If this means doing the job over again that's the body shop's fault for not doing it right the 1st time. Sincerely, Macster.

If you are not satisfied take it back and see what they say. I made that mistake and let it go, however when I buffed it out it looked good but quickly faded again and I even paid extra for factory paint but to this day am convinced that they used a cheap paint.

boy, thats a good feeling ehh mother? man, I know how it feels.... seems I am good at "falling for the sales pitch" and then laying down and taking it up the &^*

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If you say so but I am tired of having my wallet tied to my A$$ . I can understand old paint hard to match but when it is well kept paint and just poor workmanship/products noticeable to me then others notice and I am really VANE.

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As suggested...take it back, show them your concerns about matching and see if they will step up to the plate and make you a a satisfied customer. Often a good detailer will be able to 'blend' or eliminate any irregularities.

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yea, i know that feeling... thge older I get the grumpier I am when it come to these things because of past experiences where I "should have" been more asertive and demanded the job be done right (house repairs have been a real sore spot for me too)

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Bozo's like them are real pissers.

its hard to match these metallics. there is no exact formula to the paint that was in the factory that day. Just close proximets. its up to the painter to tint it or blend to the adjecent panels. Even it the paint is the same , out of the same can, it can look different on 2 adjecent panels because of the angle of the view and the angle the 2 panels are sitting.

In my business I work with custom painters fairly often. The good ones have a reputation to protect and will do what is necessary to keep a customer satisfyed, the up and coming will to as they are trying to build a good customer base. If you are not 100% comfortable with what was done, talk to them NOW! It will only get worse as time goes on. It may just be lip service, possibly and explanation or even a bit of hands on. I'm certain you're not the first they have had this discussion with.