# Alloy wheel colour match



## Danno1975 (Mar 30, 2009)

After being had over by a curb side refurbisher who made a pigs ear of my alloys I took them to a body shop who actually did a worse job, see first few pics.


























Its only the two fronts they did after I took it back they did a better job, but after giving the car a good going over today and claying and polishing all 4 too get the same match in gloss I noticed the colour is off.

Rear
















Front


























Can see me having a fight and more time out to get them sorted, should have gone to Lepsons but as they do the entire rim there still would have been matching issues even of the colour was bang on.

Be interested in opinions.

Pics are a bit dark as I only just took them.


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## Danno1975 (Mar 30, 2009)

Excuse the swirly paint its been to the body shop for bumper paint and the wheels and I think they washed it with faracela g3 and a pair of pants 

BMW had a good crack at it too.


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## Danno1975 (Mar 30, 2009)

Hi, Any one got an opinion?. I think I'll mail them to ask for a refund, just noticed some paint runs and a hair in the finish. Its their 2nd try too and the cars also been back again for the other stuff they did to be re done, think its been in 4 times for 2 things so i dont really want it in again, if it was only the colour maybe but its the second time they have done a poor job.


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## Danno1975 (Mar 30, 2009)

Getting my money back shortly . Anyone suggest someone who can do a proper job?.


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## pdv40 (Sep 11, 2008)

Get to Lepson's mate, it's a bit of a trek over to Gillingham but their reputation is second to none :thumb:


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## J1ODY A (Nov 28, 2008)

I had two wheels done with some internet firm who took the wheels away, they were Hyper Silver (BK colour) but came back just silver, after the second time they tried to do it I refused to pay the bill... useless!

Yours look like a non-standard silver too... & best bet is to let them re-spray all 4


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## uruk hai (Apr 5, 2009)

I can see what your saying but any paint mixer worth their salt would be able to match the colour of the wheel and if I wanted one or two wheels done there is no way I would pay them for all four just because they may be incapable of a good clour match.


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## Mondeo220 (Apr 19, 2010)

The wheels you show are a slight shadow chrome effect, which to be done properly needs a black undercoat followed by a thin, chrome paint which creates the effect.

To get it perfect, they need to be powdercoated. Lepsons used to do a good job at the dealership i worked at, on really mashed wheels.

I used to have no problem getting a close match on wheel refurbs at the BMW dealer i worked at, this was a very common finish, used on 5 Series double spokes, and the Z4M.


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## slrestoration (Nov 11, 2009)

Whereabouts are you based? Looks like the 2nd attempt was done with the tyres on!!WTF!! Lepsons have an excellent reputation & their work is always of a high standard, they do all my polished wheels. WheelWorks in Gatwick do all my painted stuff & the are second to not IMO


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## MK1Campaign (Mar 27, 2007)

You can never get wheels to match perfect unless you do all 4 because there are no colour codes to go off.


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## Danno1975 (Mar 30, 2009)

MK1Campaign said:


> You can never get wheels to match perfect unless you do all 4 because there are no colour codes to go off.


I'm pretty sure its called power silver, can understand that a perfect match might not be possible, however they did not even bother, they just sprayed them standard silver.

The power silver is a really bright finish with no flake.


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## Guest (Apr 24, 2010)

did they mix dust in with the lacquer what an absolute shockingly **** finish


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## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

MK1Campaign said:


> You can never get wheels to match perfect unless you do all 4 because there are no colour codes to go off.


Good call there. There are no actual codes for alloys so all 4 need doing in reality. I know a guy who uses a probe paint reader on the wheel and his Laptop tells him the actual colour and he mixes it in his van, so far never had a problem with him. He has done a few GT-R's for me recently and they look spot on. He does not do spot repairs though has to be the whole wheel, but much cheaper than a new alloy.

He just breaks the bead of the tyre so can powdercoat then uses a UV light to dry then clears, but he does get to that bit behind the wheel lip so looks a quality job. He just pumps the tyre up back onto the wheel and hey presto no balancing as he never disturbed the back bead so the tyre never moved.


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## puntomatt (Aug 8, 2008)

Mirror Finish said:


> Good call there. There are no actual codes for alloys so all 4 need doing in reality. I know a guy who uses a probe paint reader on the wheel and his Laptop tells him the actual colour and he mixes it in his van, so far never had a problem with him. He has done a few GT-R's for me recently and they look spot on. He does not do spot repairs though has to be the whole wheel, but much cheaper than a new alloy.
> 
> He just breaks the bead of the tyre so can powdercoat then uses a UV light to dry then clears, but he does get to that bit behind the wheel lip so looks a quality job. He just pumps the tyre up back onto the wheel and hey presto no balancing as he never disturbed the back bead so the tyre never moved.


Or just do 2 as a slight difference in colour wont be noticed on different sides 

Ive had mine refurbed like you say. Done a crap job tbh, 2 months after they were done i got a puncture so got that repaired and half the paint came with it due to the UV paint not baking the paint onto the wheel properly. Had to threaten him with court in the end for him to come and paint it again FOC. Next time i change tyres im expecting the same to happen again so they will be off to get them done properly i think.


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## Mondeo220 (Apr 19, 2010)

slrestoration said:


> Whereabouts are you based? Looks like the 2nd attempt was done with the tyres on!!WTF!! Lepsons have an excellent reputation & their work is always of a high standard, they do all my polished wheels. WheelWorks in Gatwick do all my painted stuff & the are second to not IMO


I'm based in Surrey. Spit and Polish are good too.


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## Mondeo220 (Apr 19, 2010)

MK1Campaign said:


> You can never get wheels to match perfect unless you do all 4 because there are no colour codes to go off.


Incorrect, BMW standard silver is Felgen Silver code 114, very easy to get a match in this finish. Its only the shadow chrome that causes an issue.

I use a variety of different wheel silvers from a supplier that means i can match pretty much all the standard silvers in the past 10 years or so.


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## RedUntilDead (Feb 10, 2009)

Mondeo220 said:


> Incorrect, BMW standard silver is Felgen Silver code 114, very easy to get a match in this finish. Its only the shadow chrome that causes an issue.
> 
> I use a variety of different wheel silvers from a supplier that means i can match pretty much all the standard silvers in the past 10 years or so.


Can you match a powder coat?
I had my golf bbs wheels powder coated, they are okay but this style of wheel has a big plastic centre cap which needs to be sprayed. Because the powder coat looks different from different angles in different light, matching a colour is proving tough. My local paint mixer did a worse match than me!

Sorry for taking the topic slightly off topic for the op.


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## Mondeo220 (Apr 19, 2010)

RedUntilDead said:


> Can you match a powder coat?
> I had my golf bbs wheels powder coated, they are okay but this style of wheel has a big plastic centre cap which needs to be sprayed. Because the powder coat looks different from different angles in different light, matching a colour is proving tough. My local paint mixer did a worse match than me!
> 
> Sorry for taking the topic slightly off topic for the op.


I can only do colours from a paint mixing scheme, in my case Standox, or my wheel silver selection. I can get one off colours though. Could you post a picture?


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## RedUntilDead (Feb 10, 2009)

Mondeo220 said:


> I can only do colours from a paint mixing scheme, in my case Standox, or my wheel silver selection. I can get one off colours though. Could you post a picture?


:thumb: right im off to learn how to post pictures!


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## Danno1975 (Mar 30, 2009)

Hey I already got all my money back so I'm not fussed , off to lepsons when it(inevitably) gets curbed again


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## Mondeo220 (Apr 19, 2010)

This is how my ST220 wheel turned out using a reflective silver, you wont find a paint to get close to the diamond cut of the the original but tbh, the finish is impractical and very prone to corrosion because the spoke edges seem to catch tiny chips and then the water gets under the lacquer.


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## MrJT (Jan 25, 2010)

Mondeo220 said:


> Incorrect, BMW standard silver is Felgen Silver code 114, very easy to get a match in this finish. Its only the shadow chrome that causes an issue.
> 
> I use a variety of different wheel silvers from a supplier that means i can match pretty much all the standard silvers in the past 10 years or so.


BMW standard Silver = Felgen Silver 114, really? where can I buy a small pot for some touching up - I can't find it on paints4u?

Thanks!


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## Mondeo220 (Apr 19, 2010)

Its on my Standox paint scheme. Nexa produce an aerosol in Felgen Silver, i'll try and find the part number.


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