paint matching dilemma

[Mal CSL 3.0]

Hi,
I am planning to get a panel repainted (Taiga). My body shop told me metallic paints are impossible to 100% perfectly match so they need to paint a bigger surrounding area as well, so they can 'blend' the paint, so any difference is not noticeable.

I know 20-30 years ago paint matching was always troublesome... But haven't things moved on and a body shop can perfecectly match a metallic paint 100% on a single panel (eg door, boot, hood in isolation)?

Is it true what they are saying?

 

[milwaukeesk]

my 2 cents - Unfortunately i'd have to agree with your body shop. Even blending isn't easy or a guarantee, but to expect a single panel to perfectly match is a major ask. Metallics only make that more difficult. Adding to the difficulty is how long ago the past metallic was painted. The further back you go, the more difficult the newer metallics can be to match.

The only time you may be able to get away with painting a panel or section of a panel is when it's separated with trim which allows you to optically not pick up on the differences as easily.

Nothing worse than a panel that doesn't match and most people that know what to look for can see them from a mile away.

 

[Markos]

I definitely think it is a true statement. He

Nothing worse than a panel that doesn't match and most people that know what to look for can see them from a mile away.

I remember @MyFemurHurts talking about this on another forum. Since he was in car sales for so long, he would see trade ins all the time, often with repairs. Once you do that for a living, you can’t “not see” the discrepancies.

I’ll be honest it is quite apparent when a polaris car has a single door or fender resprayed. You see it all the time with the $20-$40K cars that I find on CL.

 

[Dan Mooney]

Hi,
I am planning to get a panel repainted (Taiga). My body shop told me metallic paints are impossible to 100% perfectly match so they need to paint a bigger surrounding area as well, so they can 'blend' the paint, so any difference is not noticeable.

I know 20-30 years ago paint matching was always troublesome... But haven't things moved on and a body shop can perfecectly match a metallic paint 100% on a single panel (eg door, boot, hood in isolation)?

Is it true what they are saying?

Unfortunately, it is true what he is saying. I am in the restoration business and have my own body and paint shops. If you don't blend the base (color) into the neighboring panels, it is extremely unlikely that your newly painted panel will be a perfect match for the existing paint. Not impossible, but extremely unlikely.

 

[Mal CSL 3.0]

Thanks guys for the input.

I always imagined that they would photograph existing surrounding paint using a very colour sensitive recording device (which would take into account fading, aging etc) Then input the photos/data, and using computer technology the colour would be mixed by a machine in the exact specifications needed for a perfect match. I thought a 'computer's eye' would be 100% accurate.

Wishful thinking, but I guess technology will get there before too long

 

[Dan Mooney]

Thanks guys for the input.

I always imagined that they would photograph existing surrounding paint using a very colour sensitive recording device (which would take into account fading, aging etc) Then input the photos/data, and using computer technology the colour would be mixed by a machine in the exact specifications needed for a perfect match. I thought a 'computer's eye' would be 100% accurate.

Wishful thinking, but I guess technology will get there before too long

We do indeed have special and expensive cameras supplied by the paint manufacturers, but the reality is that you almost always still have to blend. I can see a mismatched panel from 100 paces. I see it all the time in the world of E Type restoration where shops paint the bonnet on a different day to the body. Even using the same tin of paint, they can be different colors. Different temperatures, different humidity levels, slightly different air pressure or gun adjustment. They all play a role in the appearance of the finished color.

 

[bluecoupe30!]

This is exactly what I experienced couple of years ago. Driver door opened way to much and dented below fender grille. Paint shop expressed same doubts about being to match my Baikal exactly even with their high tech camera/colour analyzer. Painter suggested paint below belt line the entire left side. Great job by the way, but if I look for it, I can tell where the blend terminates. Perhaps some more buffing, but I really just wanted my Coupe home . Very cool info here from actual, genuine experts, helps understand the look on the face of shop owners when they think you expect perfection, and perfect match just because the damage is small.

 

[autowerks]

After 30 plus years of owning a body shop, There is nothing worse than a redo for a painter, blending the whole side of a car is the easy way to guarantee a match without spraying a lot of material on a Classic car.
Spraying a lot of material on a car within a short period of time can cause huge Shrink back which takes away from the shine!

 

[mulberryworks]

Part of the issue with metallics is the metallic bits. The size and shape would remain the same if it's a repaint, but maybe not if it's a different paint formula or brand. Even with the same can of paint, the orientation and depth of the bits can change depending on temperature, humidity, the thickness of the coat, etc. If the bits aren't scattered in the same way the light will reflect differently from the other parts of the panel, thus the preference for repainting an entire side, or up to a crease where the orientation of the panel changes, hiding the difference.

Another issue with matching is that paint formulas have changed over the years and getting the exact same color is very difficult. In addition, even with expensive sensors, cameras still don't see colors exactly the same way the human eyes do. There is a museum camera that scans in 14 different wavelengths to attempt to get a true representation of the pigments used by artists.
Again, if the paint formula that was used is no longer available, it must be approximated with currently available formulas. Fading complicates things, of course.

For these reasons and more, I will never paint a car with metallic paint. Just like marrying a supermodel, there is too much maintenance and heartbreak down the road. Pretty to look at, but...

 

[MyFemurHurts]

I definitely think it is a true statement. He


I remember @MyFemurHurts talking about this on another forum. Since he was in car sales for so long, he would see trade ins all the time, often with repairs. Once you do that for a living, you can’t “not see” the discrepancies.

I’ll be honest it is quite apparent when a polaris car has a single door or fender resprayed. You see it all the time with the $20-$40K cars that I find on CL.

Yup. I can’t drive home without seeing “bad blend line, resprayed bumper, who shoots a single panel seriously?!”

My SS got backed into, and thankfully I was able to PDR the door. If not I was going to sell it. Why? Even with a good blend metallic red will never look good to me.

 

[JFENG]

matching to a color isn’t the problem.
The problem stems from the same color looking different depending on spraying conditions. Temp, humidity, gun type/adjustment, booth air flow, painter’s movements,drying conditions, etc all affect the final visual outcome.

Metallic flake adds to this problem because the flake “lays down” differently depending on spraying conditions.

That said, a good shop can make a match that is beyond my personal ability to detect when they blend adjacent panels. VSR1, for example, did visually perfect matches on a Polaris and a Arkrisblau E9 for me. Best paint match I’ve ever seen.

 

[dang]

Yup. I can’t drive home without seeing “bad blend line, resprayed bumper, who shoots a single panel seriously?!”

Since I buy cars all day long online and in person my eyes automatically go to any imperfection on a car. I hate it. I think that's why I prefer all my cars to be "drivers" that have dings and scratches.

To add to all this paint matching talk, you can have a perfect match in the base color and have a clear make the tint look off. Matching paint is definitely the hardest part of a good paint job.

 

[pat cooks]

I love it when a customer looks at a car you have just repaired and says wow you matched the door to the wing really well! when in fact they are looking 3 feet away from the paint edge, you have to blend a paint repair unless it is on a major change of contour...........

 

[Arde]

Approach life with gratitude. Be grateful you do not sell bikinis for a living...

Since I buy cars all day long online and in person my eyes automatically go to any imperfection on a car. I hate it.