# SMART repairers how they match colour



## pdrpaul (Aug 6, 2013)

Hey guys as title says really? I am going to be paying to get on the smart repairer forum end of week as I am planning on training with smart express next may to get working for myself as a valeter / scuff and dent guy. been looking for how these guys match paint to the exact colour of car and cant find a answer... I have heard of those spectrophotometer type things and just seen the price of one its fair to say I wont be buying one of them at 6500 quid lol what else do they do to get correct colour match I know you can get the colour code from most cars under bonnet etc.. but if the car is older and you spray it by the manufacturers code is there not a good chance the new fresh paint will be slightly different to the old??? or is that where proper fading out the repair comes into play to trick the eye. I have done level 6 in vehicle body repair and understand dents welding etc. but the monkeys in colleges do not teach a single aspect of spray painting anymore for that you have to do a paint course:wall: I really don't get how they train people to half fix a repair nowadays what bright spark thought of that :lol: any way if any you dudes do SMART repair id love to know how you mix those many bottles of magic in the back of your van lol:wave: thanks in advance
paul


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## Sicskate (Oct 3, 2012)

I only work on fords, so I can tell what colour I need. 

But to be honest with you, as long as you have the correct paint code and have a good enough eye, you should be fine. 

Keeping in mind that smart repairs will be blended within the panel. 

I joint the SR forum, everyone had their heads up their arses and mocked me when I mentioned I was a member on DW, so I just never went back on there. 

Plus, £30 for membership... Bit much for such a quiet forum.


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## toddy23 (Jun 16, 2012)

Yes the same you get to know good colours and bad colours but basically I get the code,get the colour chips for the colour of car and pick one,but if your going edge to edge on a bumper corner just to a test card as you go.a test card is card that you spray along with the car and you clearcoat the test card check the card against the car and if it's ok you then clearcoat the car.....if it's miles out you try a different variant but like said it's all down to the eyes and check at 45 angle


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## squiggs (Oct 19, 2009)

Sicskate said:


> I joint the SR forum, everyone had their heads up their arses and mocked me when I mentioned I was a member on DW, so I just never went back on there.
> 
> Plus, £30 for membership... Bit much for such a quiet forum.


This SRF member never mocked - and a good number of other members didn't (But I guess if you didn't like the banter ....)

Yes it is one of the quieter forums because it's mainly frequented by serious and (mostly) seasoned techs who really care about their profession - and there really isn't tens of thousands in the profession that do !

Newbie questions are always welcome and maybe one or two full, precise and concise replies from seasoned techs will give a full answer. (Another reason why it isn't the busiest forum in the world)

Questions such as the OP's would always be answered quickly and efficiently.


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## squiggs (Oct 19, 2009)

pdrpaul said:


> Hey guys as title says really? I am going to be paying to get on the smart repairer forum end of week as I am planning on training with smart express next may to get working for myself as a valeter / scuff and dent guy. been looking for how these guys match paint to the exact colour of car and cant find a answer... I have heard of those spectrophotometer type things and just seen the price of one its fair to say I wont be buying one of them at 6500 quid lol what else do they do to get correct colour match I know you can get the colour code from most cars under bonnet etc.. but if the car is older and you spray it by the manufacturers code is there not a good chance the new fresh paint will be slightly different to the old??? or is that where proper fading out the repair comes into play to trick the eye. I have done level 6 in vehicle body repair and understand dents welding etc. but the monkeys in colleges do not teach a single aspect of spray painting anymore for that you have to do a paint course:wall: I really don't get how they train people to half fix a repair nowadays what bright spark thought of that :lol: any way if any you dudes do SMART repair id love to know how you mix those many bottles of magic in the back of your van lol:wave: thanks in advance
> paul


It's exactly the same as any bodyshop would do.
You buy into a paint system (there are a good few out there and each seems to have it's particular drawbacks). 
With the system you get a computer programme.

But then you buy a set of scales that drug dealers would be proud of and sit in the back of the van measuring out drips of paint.


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## pdrpaul (Aug 6, 2013)

*hi*

thanks for all the replies guys. well to be perfectly honest from what I have and can read on srf without paying im finding some usefull info eg training being main one I noticed there is a dude from deal in Kent I think that does 1 to 1 training advertised on ebay sounds good and that but cant find any of his past students that have went on to do SMART repairs for a living.. where as smart express is IMI and there seems to be a few folk making a living doing SMART afte
r training with them on srf forum, any you guys able to vouch for smart express??? also makes sense o geuss by buying into paint manufacturer and having software etc. iv heard dupont is good as well as lechlar you know of any others? when I was at college I overheard a paint lecturer talking bout sherwin Williams seemed to be pretty sold on it due to fast curing time etc,


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## pdrpaul (Aug 6, 2013)

also im assuming that one of those crazy expensive spectrophotometres aint used by the majority of SMART repair guys and it is as you say software and a set of scales?


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## Sicskate (Oct 3, 2012)

I know a few mobile smart repairers, none of them mix their own base coats up. 

They usually take a petrol cap/ bumper trim or mirror cap to glasurit (which is very local) and they will mix it up for them, I think they charge about £16/ ltr. This is all from memory though.


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## toddy23 (Jun 16, 2012)

Times change and colour chips cost a fortune to make and update so I think they will stop them and go with the camera in the near future, I still prefer the old fashioned way of checking colours and even tho I had a camera at my last place I only used it on mazdas etc where I couldn't find the colour code but it was also decent on solid colours like reds,whites


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## Scoobycarl (Aug 13, 2011)

Another thing that comes with experience is locating paint codes ! Most are easy to find but some are a pain in the ass and have moved from where they once were on older models.some are also not converted on some systems so the code is no good unless you know the colour name ! We frequently have to call dealer for codes like mazda even ford are sometimes weird ! 
I would make a notebook of all colours you do until you have enough experience to know the most common ones hth mate


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## Andyb0127 (Jan 16, 2011)

I'm a smart repairer but not mobile, we have a unit that's fitted with a smart cabin. Alot of our work is from Audi, colour matching wise its the old fashioned way match it by eye. We used to be on max Meyer, but have recently had a full spies hecker mixing scheme installed complete with spectrometer, lacquer wise we are using smart express clear with spies hecker speed blender fade out. Alot of the cars we do are not older but we make the customer fully aware that the new paint will look brighter.


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## craigeh123 (Dec 26, 2011)

andy what do you make of those spectrometers they look like voodoo !


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## Graeme1 (Dec 9, 2006)

I have a spectro. 

Great bit of kit but it is only a guide. Still need to do a spray out to double check against the adjacent panels. 

Some manufacturers "spray outs" are ok. But some are ****. The problem is some are printed and some are sprayed. 

Don't want to put a downer but I See so many people going on a weeks course then go out there all guns blazing. Yes you may go ok for a while but when something goes wrong you need the experience to know what to do to solve it. And is that something you want to do on somebody's driveway?

Been doing it in the trade for about 10 years now and still learn a lot of new things.


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## Andyb0127 (Jan 16, 2011)

craigeh123 said:


> andy what do you make of those spectrometers they look like voodoo !


They are good in there own way, if you have a real problem colour. But with the new spectro we have it shows you the colour on the computer screen against the one the you have just spectrode, so you can see the colour comparison against any other variants it may have, will also shade it for you. Basically does everything for you, colour has a score out if ten so the closer it is to ten the better it matches.


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## Andyb0127 (Jan 16, 2011)

Graeme1 said:


> I have a spectro.
> 
> Great bit of kit but it is only a guide. Still need to do a spray out to double check against the adjacent panels.
> 
> ...


Your not wrong there mate. You need experience specially with smart repairs as its paint on a smaller scale not whole panels. After these courses they do it would be better if they went out with someone who has experience to gain more knowledge. Same here I've been in the trade thirty years and still learn new things.


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## pdrpaul (Aug 6, 2013)

completely agree a week will never be enough to hit ground as a fully fledged smart repairer but should give you the basics to get going I imagine. soo you guys are for the spectrometers with all the new wacky new paint I imagine they will be brilliant.. are they all crazy expensive one I saw was 6 grand!!


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## squiggs (Oct 19, 2009)

Graeme1 said:


> Don't want to put a downer but I See so many people going on a weeks course then go out there all guns blazing. Yes you may go ok for a while but when something goes wrong you need the experience to know what to do to solve it. And is that something you want to do on somebody's driveway?
> 
> Been doing it in the trade for about 10 years now and still learn a lot of new things.


Nail on the head the hit! :thumb:

Find the cheapest, nearest trainer, do it quickly ....... and then prepare to fail!

And it's not a get rich quick scheme! 
It takes years to build a (good) reputation and pull the jobs in.

In all honesty if you can't afford/be bothered to join the only forum dedicated to professionals in the industry - then .....?


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## pdrpaul (Aug 6, 2013)

planning on joining it sat


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## Figolovechild (Sep 1, 2014)

Interesting you do a lot of work for Audi Andy. I Just bought a 2013 Red Audi A3 and it wasn't until I had it home I noticed it had been resprayed on the wheel arch. I asked the salesman and he told me it had a smart repair. I wasn't sure what that was but I guess it just means a small paint job? The paint job is actually doing my head in. One minute I think it looks orange compared to the rest of the car, the next minute I think it looks fine! I am actually tempted to get them to try and fix it. Why wouldn't body shops use actual Audi paint?


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## CD Cornwall (Aug 12, 2010)

Sicskate said:


> I know a few mobile smart repairers, none of them mix their own base coats up.
> 
> They usually take a petrol cap/ bumper trim or mirror cap to glasurit (which is very local) and they will mix it up for them, I think they charge about £16/ ltr. This is all from memory though.


I think you'll find most mix up their own paint. The quantites used are so small - usually 30ml - it's not exconomical to get 250ml mixed up for one job. Also, if there's an issue with the shade, you can mix an alternative.

Cheers
David


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## Sicskate (Oct 3, 2012)

I was referring to the guys I know that do SR.


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## CD Cornwall (Aug 12, 2010)

pdrpaul said:


> completely agree a week will never be enough to hit ground as a fully fledged smart repairer but should give you the basics to get going I imagine. soo you guys are for the spectrometers with all the new wacky new paint I imagine they will be brilliant.. are they all crazy expensive one I saw was 6 grand!!


There's one on ebay for £699 complete - item 321510447179

Cheers
David


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## robdcfc (Sep 17, 2012)

Figolovechild said:


> Interesting you do a lot of work for Audi Andy. I Just bought a 2013 Red Audi A3 and it wasn't until I had it home I noticed it had been resprayed on the wheel arch. I asked the salesman and he told me it had a smart repair. I wasn't sure what that was but I guess it just means a small paint job? The paint job is actually doing my head in. One minute I think it looks orange compared to the rest of the car, the next minute I think it looks fine! I am actually tempted to get them to try and fix it. Why wouldn't body shops use actual Audi paint?


No such thing as AUDI paint.


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## Figolovechild (Sep 1, 2014)

robdcfc said:


> No such thing as AUDI paint.


Yeah somebody else pointed that out to me earlier. I never gave it a thought before and thought that their paint was specific to them. I'm glad it's not though because I always worried body shops would be spraying the wrong type of paint on. Thanks for elaborating on that one though


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## Sicskate (Oct 3, 2012)

I'd recommend just saving your cash, buy a decent compressor, guns and materials. 

Then go to your local bodyshop and ask if they have any scrap bumpers you could have. 

Then just spend awhile teaching yourself. 

There's plenty of information out there to help you out.


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## CD Cornwall (Aug 12, 2010)

Sicskate said:


> snip....
> 
> I joint the SR forum, everyone had their heads up their arses and mocked me when I mentioned I was a member on DW, so I just never went back on there.
> 
> Plus, £30 for membership... Bit much for such a quiet forum.


I'm sorry you didn't feel welcome on the forum. I looked back at the posts you made and it was clear you have very useful skills that could have been shared with other members and equally, they could have shown you a thing or two.

We charge a fee to discourage opportunists and dabblers because we all make a living in SMART and want to develop our skills and raise the public awareness of our abilities and leave behind the negative press. We are all committed professionals and give anyone who joins our forum our time and expertise to help them succeed. We have many testaments from members who have been shown the way to develop not just technical skills, but business management too. Most agree that £30 is a very small price to pay.

Cheers
David

ps. My head is not up my ****.


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## Andyb0127 (Jan 16, 2011)

Think the problem isn't with the op, its the fact that there's so many people now doing these week courses in smart repairs. Then going straight into a franchise and starting up as a smart repairer. The thing is smart repairs receive such alot of bad reports with the usual there's no such thing as a good smart repair, because they've only ever seen bad ones, reason being the good ones cant be seen so you dont know they are there. Yes I am a smart repairer and also on the smart repair forum, which I've always found to be very useful and all of guys on there certainly have alot of experience and knowledge and is a friendly site.


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## mr paint (Jul 11, 2009)

What do you use for fade out areas andy ? thinners wise?


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## Andyb0127 (Jan 16, 2011)

mr paint said:


> What do you use for fade out areas andy ? thinners wise?


We use smart express hs clear. Then fade out is done with spies hecker aerosol speed blender. One light coat dry it with air from gun then apply one more light coat job done.


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