Detailing ... Blending old & new paint ?

[ShineMyCar]

I visited a body shop about my clear coat failure on roof. Might get it sprayed before the winter. The painter I spoke to said that the color will match but the top will look deeper because he uses more " clear coat " top than the OEM from factory. But won't have to worry about clear coat on the roof returning once it's sprayed.

* Is this good or bad ?
* Is this a common issue with painting a panel or two on an older car ( 12 yrs old ) or likely unique to this painter? FYI - Paint looks good on rest of car.
* Is it something that will stand out like a sore thumb that I should look elsewhere for a painter?
* OR is it common and not worth concerning myself with because with a coat of paint sealer / wax will make the entire car shine regardless of differing amounts of clear coat on 2 panels.
* Is this easily correctable with Detail?

Car is not painted just yet. I'm doing my presearch to choose a painter.

Thanks

 

[Y2KSVT]

I'd say you found a painter that knows what he's doing/talking about if he says he sprays extra clear coat. The factory clear coat on cars is so thin, it'll be nice to have an extra couple layers. because it's a horizontal panel, and it doesn't sit right next to an older panel, you'll probably never notice, especially once the rest of the car is polished and waxed. Maybe check to see if he has pictures of his work and decide from there.

 

[Rival]

its the roof right.... so you wont see it as you look from one panel to the next. So it will still "flow" right. if it was a door or fender it would be much different.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

The painter I spoke to said that the color will match but the top will look deeper because he uses more " clear coat " top than the OEM from factory.

Clear paint is clear.

Words mean things and by this I wonder how he defines the word "deeper"?


What you want when you get a panel painted and blended to original paint is for the basecoat color to match.

If the finish is a metallic finish then you want the color and the metallic finish or flake pattern and hue to match. The most common mismatch colors I see are silver metallic.

You usually don't see the mismatched paint up close but from about 20 feet away.

I took the photos in this article using a early iPhone but you can still see the mismatched paint.


Mismatched paint




If you live in an area of lots of sun it's very possible the factory paint has faded under the clear but still, a good shop blends the color to match the color on the car because they know over time the paint can suffer from fading.

Get a couple more estimates, print this out and take it with you. Be polite and explain you're just trying to get the best work for you hard earned dollars.

 

[swanicyouth]

I see these mis matched panels all the time. It really stands out on silver. It certainly looks better than clear coat failure though.