Kutten Posted March 28, 2007 Posted March 28, 2007 Yesterday, I got my RX from the body shop. I was very satisfied with dent repair part. But I was not quite happy with the painting. The paint didn't match exactly as my original OEM Bamboo Pearl. So I told them that the paint was off, so he verified by calling their main paint tech and also confirmed the paint was little off. So they were happy to take it back to their body shop to repaint. He said it's just take an extra day to repaint. I told him the original OEM paint color code # (6T1). Any suggestion or advice for me to tell the paint shop to get this done correctly. Thanks in advance.
LexKid630 Posted March 30, 2007 Posted March 30, 2007 They just need to keep lightening & darkening it until it matches. They look up your paint code, plug it in their paint computer which gives them a few readings. It tells them what amount and which "standard" colors to mix together (usually 3 or 4 colors). This is what my body shop's computer gives them for 8P4 (indigo ink pearl). Tinting Guide MB563 HI-LITE BLUE PEARL MB554 TRANS. DEEP BLUE MB574 DEEP BLACK If you walk into their "paint room" you'll find a whole WALL of different paints (gallons). They press a button and they all start spinning (mixing). They take a few of them down (which ever ones the computer tells them to mix) and start pouring some into the airbrush can that they put on a scale, until it reaches the amt. the computer reads. I had the bumper on my rx300 done a while ago. The paint mix the computer gave didn't match exactly; it came out too dark. The painter told me he tried it numerous times, but that it wasn't right. He just added a little more of the "lighter" color and kept changing the ratios, painting a coat on and clearing it, until it matched. It's PERFECT!!! They "can" get it almost perfect (my body shop did) it will just take time. Stay on them and make them do it over and over again until it's to your liking. Make sure you're satisfied with the clearcoat's depth and "smooth-ness". Also make sure they take out the taillight and trim around the glass before they paint; you don't want them just masking it off (the quickest way) because it will just peel along the edges. I also hope they paint with the passenger doors and tailgate open, so you don't get that "sand" effect on the inner rim. It's a BIG job to paint a car correctly. They have to wet-sand, blow off the dust, bag the whole car, mask off and bake the paint on with a lot of heat... Just remember, now that they've got your money, they just want to hurry up and get you away from them. Keep on them! :(
SW03ES Posted March 30, 2007 Posted March 30, 2007 I know you were bargain hunting this repair, I don't know which shop you wound up going with but this is because the shop either does not have the most modern paint matching systems, and/or they did not paint the entire panel as I said. Unfortunately, if either of these are true they may never get the paint to look right. Any shop that would trim out a car and release it to the customer with an obvious paint shade difference is not a quality shop. OEM paint, even when brand new is never quite the same between batches. So, two bamboo pearl RX's may very well be a slight shade different. Modern shops use computers and some even use light sensors to measure how the paint reflects in different lighting to tint the paint so that it matches the paint currently on the car for batch hue, and for the effects of UV exposure after time. Shops that DON'T have this equipment simply color coat the effected area and then blend it into the remaining paint on the panel, or a portion of the adjacent panel relying on a trick of the human eye to fool you into thinking it matches. This approach will never look factory. Remember you get what you pay for, and shops that have this skill and this equipment simply must charge more to defray the cost of purchasing that equipment (the paint matching system my shop owns cost $120,000, gotta paint a lot of cars to recoup that). You get what you pay for, while a cheap repair may help you in the short run, leaving your RX with mismatched paint not only lowers your enjoyment of it, it probably lowers its value by 10-15% DO NOT PAY OR ACCEPT DELIVERY OF THE CAR UNTIL YOU ARE SATISFIED!
denslexusgx470 Posted March 30, 2007 Posted March 30, 2007 Very true, the shop really matters a lot. Cheapest isn't always the best way to go, especially for a job that's kinda tedious and big like your RX. Fortunately my bumper replacement turned out great and the white paint matched perfectly.
Kutten Posted March 30, 2007 Author Posted March 30, 2007 I picked my RX from the Body shop after making them re-paint. Now after re-painting, it looks much better, even though I can tell the difference a little bit if I stare very closely. He said if I am not fully satisfied, then he’ll paint it again. Do you think I should have them re-paint once again? Thanks a lot.
djspawn00 Posted March 30, 2007 Posted March 30, 2007 If you're unhappy with it yes, if its not a problem for you.. then why bother. The autobody people might just end up repainting your whole car out of frustration.
denslexusgx470 Posted March 30, 2007 Posted March 30, 2007 I'm not implying anything against you, but sometimes it's just all in the mind. You know that that area was damaged and repaired so your brain tells you that it looks "slightly" different. You should have a friend or someone you know, that didn't know you had the damage, take a look and ask them if they notice anything different. THAT is the best way to know if it's good or not. ;)
LexKid630 Posted March 30, 2007 Posted March 30, 2007 Yes, have them do it again :) It's not coming out of your pocket. Plus, they'll know you're going to continue to be a pain in their @ss, so they'll try their hardest to get it perfect this time.
SW03ES Posted March 31, 2007 Posted March 31, 2007 If it bothers you, have them do it again. Thats a really hard color to match.
Kutten Posted March 31, 2007 Author Posted March 31, 2007 Photo Attached.. Please let me if you can see any difference.. Thanks!!
Rx330driver Posted March 31, 2007 Posted March 31, 2007 not sure if its the sun thats making it, but i CAN tell a difference. its more pinkish and lighter than the real car color...its not as "bamboo"
LexKid630 Posted March 31, 2007 Posted March 31, 2007 Show us a picture that includes the rear passenger door. That's where you'll be able to see the largest difference; unless they went into the door. I can't tell a difference b/t that and the bumper. Even on a new one, you can tell a difference there.
SW03ES Posted March 31, 2007 Posted March 31, 2007 I'd expect the biggest difference to be between the rear hatch and the quarter panel based on where the damage was.
LexKid630 Posted April 8, 2007 Posted April 8, 2007 Did you have them re-paint it again? How does it look now?
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now