# Advice Please - A Mis-matched Spray...



## sproggit (Jun 9, 2015)

Sorry if this is a lengthy explanation... I guess details count... I'd be very grateful for suggestions and advice on how to handle an imperfect colour match... The following relates to a mint condition, 2011 MX-5 Roadster Coupe finished in Stormy Blue Pearlescent paint...

I've just had a (supermarket car park) scratch repair done by a local bodywork shop, involving repairs to the boot lid and both rear wings of the car. Although the wings were flawless, I was advised this would be necessary to "blend in" the fresh paint with existing pigment, which of course has had 4 years to fade in...

The finish returned is excellent [better than the factory to be honest] but the shade of paint used is noticeably lighter than that of the rest of the car, most especially the rear "deck" - the section between the hinged edge of the boot lid and the lower edge of the rear window, (that is motorised and moves out the way to let the roof fold in or out of storage). Disappointed, I took the car back for them to review. On Monday the branch manager reviewed the work and made a number of comments:-

1. He believes that the pigment used would have been original, but the "lightening" may have come from applied lacquer. This might alter remediation costs..?
2. He concedes that the 3 treated panels are indeed a different colour to the rest of the car
3. He stated that Mazda's colour quality control is so poor that he's seen 2 identical, brand new Xedos 6's parked together that are entirely different shades but of supposedly the same colour, on which basis he believes nobody will notice the discrepancy...
4. He has asked me to check "other" Stormy Blue MX-5s to see what I think of their paint colour control [a bit tricky as they don't tend to congregate that I've noticed]
5. Ultimately he has said that he might be able to "do something" to address my concern, but that will likely be to spray the "rear deck" so that it's the same [mis-matched] colour as the rest of the car...

I should also mention that I have taken my car to his company perhaps 7 or 8 times in the last 4 years to have car park damage remedied, all at personal cost. He knows I'm a good customer... and this repair cost me £700, not including private car hire. It's also worth mentioning that whilst I've previously refused to accept the car for i.e. a blemish in a sprayed panel, I've never seen them miss on a colour match before...

For me, this is a little more complex than a conventional consumer-dissatisfaction concern because I don't really know what is reasonable for me to expect from this company. I work hard to keep this vehicle in mint condition so it's important to get a good finish, but is it unreasonable to expect an "invisible" job?

Clarification: the defect is most visible in bright but not glaring light; quite clear to my un-trained eye and not being challenged by "the boss". I suspect the reason for his proposal to adjust the "deck" panel is because it will be much cheaper to do that than re-do the entire job from scratch, but :-

1. Is it worth getting a second opinion?
2. If so, how would I find the right people to ask?
3. If you care about your car and have been willing to spend significantly to keep it mint, what is a reasonable expectation for a repair like this? 
4. In terms of remedy, is it appropriate to address my concern by spraying a 4th panel a new and different colour to the rest of the car? Should I stand my ground and ask for the incorrectly treated panels to be re-done?

I am not sure if it will be possible to catch the discrepancy with a photo, but I can try if it's useful or relevant.

Thanks so much for reading all the way to here, and for any guidance you may care to offer...


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## Sutty 90 (Aug 24, 2014)

You paid him to repair the car to a factory standard, the car is the wrong shade. I'd personally ask for him to redo it completely on the 3 panels. Ask to see his spray out cards as usually you will make quite a few doing a 3 stage pearl. Stick to your guns and get it repaired to a level your satisfied with.

Sutty


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## PaulaJayne (Feb 17, 2012)

sutty 90 said:


> you paid him to repair the car to a factory standard, the car is the wrong shade. I'd personally ask for him to redo it completely on the 3 panels. Ask to see his spray out cards as usually you will make quite a few doing a 3 stage pearl. Stick to your guns and get it repaired to a level your satisfied with.
> 
> Sutty


^^^^^^^^^^

this


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## Tintin (Sep 3, 2006)

Surely it doesn't matter what colour the car is, or whether Mazda send out cars in different shades. They should have matched the repair panel to the rest of the car, regardless of colour. Not unreasonable to ask that they re-do it.


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## squiggs (Oct 19, 2009)

I'm not sure stormy blue is a 3 stage (it's not in my paint system) but that doesn't distract from the fact that they still shouldn't do some spray out cards and then re-do all the work using the correct (darker) alternative


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## sproggit (Jun 9, 2015)

*One More Comment*

Thanks - everyone - this is good feedback and helpful.

I doubt this is relevant, but one other thing the guy said when inspecting my car was that the finish was impacted by a difference in materials. His argument was that the boot lid and wing panels were of metal construction, but the rear deck and 2 roof sections were actually GRP [which they are].

He actually said that the non-metallic panels handle static electricity differently and that as a result the flakes in the paint would pick up a magnetic charge and "stand vertically" in the paint, so that metallic and non-metallic panels would look different with pearlescent paint. I'm afraid I'd become more than a bit suspicious by that point.

I will see what I get to a "complete re-do" request and report back.

Thanks again for your kind advice.


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## rich9 (Jan 28, 2014)

I have heard of claims by painters that plastics and metal can look different. The explanation given does seem to have an element of truth to it, but I would be surprised if the residual static level in a plastic panel that is attached to a car is enough to cause this effect. And if it is a known problem, grounding the panel in question prior to painting would seem to be an easy solution which you have to ask why it wasn't done.


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## Scoobycarl (Aug 13, 2011)

It does happen ! Paint will/can sit different on a plastic part than it would on metal ? Im not sure of the full science behind it but it happens mate.we painted a silver car few weeks back focus i think,we did bumper and blend wings put plenty of paint on both and we could still see a slight difference ! Its wierd but **** happens ! I think its due to how plastic reflects the colour different to metal as well as it will sit different on it too sometimes ? Not sure why it happens on one car and not another ?


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## robdcfc (Sep 17, 2012)

explained.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metamerism_(color)


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## 3gdean (Jun 18, 2011)

didn't look at the wiki but yeh that is correct about the static and how aluminium flake lies.

Mazda and Lexus are the most difficult manufacturers, very difficult to blend.
Most of the best results are panel to panel picking the right shade and manufacture of paint (spies used to be spot on)from experience

You could repray the car and it will still look off on different substrates.

If they are to do the three panels again plus the rear scuttle, the doors will look off to the quarter panels, even though there is no colour there, lacquer will change the appearance.

There is just too much info to type, all i can say is he did his best and he is no BS like alot of bodyshops.

Unless it is ridiculously off that is, you need a painter to pass judgment so a second opinion is worth while.


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## Scoobycarl (Aug 13, 2011)

As painters and body tech people who deal with crash repairs on a daily bassis there isnt one out there that has thought that colour is slightly off there but the general public mostly cant see it ? Accasionly the customer will spot it and in most times its rectified and if anyone says that has never happened to them then they are full of sh1te ! Imo


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## Sportsvan jay (Mar 14, 2015)

The paint finish on mazdas that come thru our pdi centre that I get to paint are absolutely shocking I thought silvers were bad on fords almost all Mazda mx 5 hard top roofs and bumpers are off colour unless you get one in brilliant black these seem to be the exception being as it's a dark colour 
if the bodyshop painted all of the boot lid and flicked some colour on to the tops of the 1/4 s then they should be able to flick the same shade around the roof scuttle get some pics up if you can


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## Sutty 90 (Aug 24, 2014)

Brand new cars usually have slight differences in colour/shade due to the simple fact that all the metal panels are done in one go on the assembled vehicle and any plastic etc parts are painted on there own separately. This is because the metal panels are high baked and due to the nature of the plastic etc panels they are low baked. Metallic and pearl colours will never look exactly the same if they are sprayed by separate robots in the same way two people won't spray exactly the same.

Sutty


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## Scoobycarl (Aug 13, 2011)

Some bumpers are even painted in a different site to the car too but its accepted from factory but not bodyshops !


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## 3gdean (Jun 18, 2011)

Sportsvan jay said:


> The paint finish on mazdas that come thru our pdi centre that I get to paint are absolutely shocking I thought silvers were bad on fords almost all Mazda mx 5 hard top roofs and bumpers are off colour unless you get one in brilliant black these seem to be the exception being as it's a dark colour
> if the bodyshop painted all of the boot lid and flicked some colour on to the tops of the 1/4 s then they should be able to flick the same shade around the roof scuttle get some pics up if you can


It would have been right, had they have done it at the same time.
however if they paint just the scuttle now, it may look off. 1 psi difference, different painter, different gun, slight different technique and it will look off again even though they are using the already mixed colour.


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## enc (Jan 25, 2006)

sproggit said:


> I should also mention that I have taken my car to his company perhaps 7 or 8 times in the last 4 years to have car park damage remedied, all at personal cost. He kr...


Sounds like you need to find a safer car park there !!

Sounds like there are many careless drivers on your manor !


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## Sutty 90 (Aug 24, 2014)

Scoobycarl said:


> Some bumpers are even painted in a different site to the car too but its accepted from factory but not bodyshops !


Plus different sites using different batches of paint from their respective schemes. No wonder cars are so missed matched lol

Sutty


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## Paul T (Mar 11, 2009)

It might be worth finding out which paint system they're using to investigate further.
If its one of the higher end systems, the paint manufacturer could send out a rep to assess the difference in colour and recommend a solution. If you said paint only the damaged panel you could expect a colour difference, as you've paid extra for it to be blended it shouldn't be noticeable. 

cheers

Paul


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