Best brand/type of paint to match and blend metallic (specifically Polaris)?

Stevehose

Stevehose

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I'm going to put my car into the shop to have a recently self-inflicted passenger door scrape n' dent (dumbass move) and the driver side wheel well repaired where the tire caught the lip. Any idea from the experts as to what type has the best properties to match and blend with 35 year old metallic silver? One shop told me they use Envirobase PPG for mixing metallics because it apparently does well in that regard but I don't know.
 
Steve,

As you know, metallics are very difficult to match, and silver might be the toughest. I had PPG silver used on a '73 450SL I restored about 30 years ago, and it looked like the original (but total refinish, so no 'matching').

I guess I'd ask to see cars they had previously matched using the Envirobase PPG. Might be tough to find customers who will share their experience and show their cars, but usually it isn't so much the paint itself as the skill of the shop and the skill of the mixer/painter that determines how well the new paint matches.

Gary
 
first - REALLY sorry to hear about the D-A-M.

Steve, my painter did a search for a #1 match of original colors after we looked at the glasurit current sample that came no where close to matching the original color. in fact Glasurit advised NOT to use it as a touchup or repair - only full repaint. even though i am doing a total repaint, the color just wasn't right. we are using a PPG water based paint with a non-water based clear on top. what happens with the clear coat vs. the rest of your body might be problematic. it might be best to paint the entire side of the car below the belt line.

i could be wrong but aren't there 2 versions of 060 polaris used on the coupe? i'm pretty sure that the 2000 cs used 057 polaris. perhaps that is a myth based on old vs. new formulas.
 
I don't believe that the brand of the paint will make any difference. In any case, let the shop paint with the products they use regularly. A high end body shop will be able to match the paint. They will have a Spectrophotometer that they will use to get a close match, then customize that if necessary to get it perfect. They will know how to paint partially into the surrounding panels so that the touch up becomes invisible. This is done even with newish cars since there are variations in the same color on the same year cars produced at different times or in different plants. Ask your insurance company or other local hobbyists for a shop recommendation. Whatever shop you choose, tell them you are very fussy and expect a perfect match. If they can't guarantee it, try another shop.
 
rsporsche said:
first - REALLY sorry to hear about the D-A-M.

Steve, my painter did a search for a #1 match of original colors after we looked at the glasurit current sample that came no where close to matching the original color. in fact Glasurit advised NOT to use it as a touchup or repair - only full repaint. even though i am doing a total repaint, the color just wasn't right. we are using a PPG water based paint with a non-water based clear on top. what happens with the clear coat vs. the rest of your body might be problematic. it might be best to paint the entire side of the car below the belt line.

i could be wrong but aren't there 2 versions of 060 polaris used on the coupe? i'm pretty sure that the 2000 cs used 057 polaris. perhaps that is a myth based on old vs. new formulas.
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The 057 Polaris was gone before e3 and e9 production started, even our 70 2800 is Polaris Neu.
 
My coupe was painted a metallic blue that was close to Nachblau back in 2006. The restoration shop could not match the paint using all of the tools used to match paint. 12 samples were not an exact match to blend into the 2006 custom color. I decided to change to my all-time favorite period-correct color-065 Turkis. The 065 PPG Turkis was a lot of silver tones and multiple passes to paint out a metal sample. Thanks to a couple of forum members, I received a metal sample of the 065 Turkis Glasurit. The metallic composition of the paint was very superior and different than the PPG 065. Turkis has a metallic "flop" that turns it green in the sunlight and blue in the shade. The metallic composition in the Glasurit paint is closer to the paints that were used at the factory in 1973. I would pay for a Glasurit sample sprayed on a metal piece and then compare it to your 35 year old metallic silver.
Your eyes are going to be the best test to see a match of color and metallic "flop". Best wishes for finding a correct match, Drew
 
I have just gone through such an exercise as I needed to get my alloy boot painted and a spoiler installed. My body shop used Glasurit (BASF) so I would recommend this. I had a lot of hassle with the matching of the metallic paint. My body shop had to call in the senior tech guy from Glasurit Australia to help in the matching. Whilst they start with using a computer in the end the Glasurit guy's human eye was needed for the final adjustment and he was more accurate than the computer. Many attempts at colour cards before they finally got it right. He told me it was a 100% match but in the end I would say about 99.8%. Me and the bodyshop owner know it's not 100% but no one else would notice. It's just the way the silver metallic flakes sit apparently, and no-matter if the colour is 100% the tiny sliver metallic flakes are troublesome little buggers.

I could have got the whole rear blended up to the C pillars and down to the belt trim but that would have been more expensive and I would need to replace my decals too.

Due to the kinks at the sides of the boot this helps avoid any sense of colour matching issues. However if I was doing a door or front fender like you are Steve 100% you should blend into other panels otherwise I think different paint would be noticeable.


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Yes will definitely blend into the panels, I think you are correct that it will take both the computer and human eye to get close, I don’t expect anything from the paint code number.
 
Steve, is this the same door that got backed into? If so, I’m sorry to hear that it ultimately needed paint work. Especially since it’s polaris. I had an early e12 based 635 in Polaris that had a 4 wheeler roll into the passenger door. I was young and didn’t have it blended for many of the same reasons posted in the thread. Unfortunately it was never right. I desperately hope that you have better paint people than I did and that you can get it to look the same in every way. Much luck to you!
 
Unfortunately yes, Kurt's artistry will now need bodywork. It's not bad, but my eye goes directly to it, self inflicted making it worse. I'm concerned that a poor match might be worse than a small scar...

Oldbmwcoupes said:
Steve, is this the same door that got backed into? If so, I’m sorry to hear that it ultimately needed paint work. Especially since it’s polaris. I had an early e12 based 635 in Polaris that had a 4 wheeler roll into the passenger door. I was young and didn’t have it blended for many of the same reasons posted in the thread. Unfortunately it was never right. I desperately hope that you have better paint people than I did and that you can get it to look the same in every way. Much luck to you!
Click to expand...
 
Steve, a good painter can do a great job. my painter showed me a (paint to order / custom color) 911 gt3 that got a rock chip on the roof. after Porsche makes the color, they destroy the formula ,,, he told me that it was on the front right corner of the roof - damn if i could find it. the painter's eye as other people have mentioned is important. if he is good, you are in fine shape. if he misses it, the worst case is - you paint the side of the car.
 
The unseen flaw remains hidden to all. The scar that we know will never go. That’s as poetic as it gets for this sad dilemma that will be hard to “unsee”
 
I've had a couple cars spot blended recently by someone that just did work at exotic car dealers. I had to have a friend with a shop, set it up for me and it had to be done at the shop. I also had to leave the guy alone and go away for a few hours! One was green and one was metallic slate blue, admittedly very hard colors to match. Especially the metallic silver blue. In the end I really couldn't see where it was matched. It was very impressive.

I believe the high end dealers have their "guys" that can eye match and mix up any color. I'd suggest connecting with one of the service managers and seeing if you can get a name or better yet, see if you can slip your car into their work flow. These type of painters don't normally do retail work as they are so busy. My 2 cents
 
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