How to get rattle can matched to look like factory

D

Dub-Dub

New member
Joined
Aug 15, 2008
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
I know this isn't really "detailing" but knowledgeable people on here seem to know a lot about car finishes.

I've got a 23 year old BMW DD. I didn't take care of the paint the first 10 years I owned the car, and as a result, some of the paint is in really poor condition... specifically the horizontal panels that get all that direct sunlight. I was able to replace my hood and trunk with parts from a similar car with better paint, so those look good now... my problem lies on the roof, which has two hand sized sections faded down through the paint.

I have some "color matched" base color and clear coat, which on small sections looks pretty damn good (it's a $1000 daily driver, with 175k "good" is relative). On the area that I used the spray paint, the color looks good, it is the feel that isn't right... it isn't smooth enough.

Does anyone on here have a guess/recommendation as to how I could get the best finish possible with spray color? Should I be wet sanding between color coats? Between clear? If so, what grit? Any advice is appreciated... paying someone to do anything to this car isn't worth it... so as best I can do is as best it will be.

Thanks in advance.
 
Get the roof professionally repainted! Rattle can won't come close!
 
turbos is right - Find one of those minor collision in and out in one day centers. Dupont has them and they are called CARSMETICS - I have had some mirrors and fenders done and the process was inexpensive and flawless. I have had numerous jobs done from $75 to $275 and all have been fairly priced and the work was excellent with lifetime guarantee against defects! Perfect color match even on Metallics !
 
Rattle can paint can look good if it's done properly...but would best be done with a real paint gun.

Be sure when using a can not to run it all the way down. I think you want to use about 70% of it and then get a new can. As you use up the can the amount of pressure becomes to low at around the 70% point and the quality of the spray goes down. You may get some larger droplets coming out that will ruin the paint job.


Now assuming you can lay the paint down well and have adequate material to wet sand. I'd start with 1500 grit and then follow that up with 3000. In order to remove the orange peel, wet sanding is required. typically it's only done after the clear, but some paint systems do require you to sand between coats...not likely in rattle can though.
 
Everyone is right. I have some friends that do pro. paint jobs and even tried there hardest to match up a rattle car job to a factory job. Its incredabily hard, you can get close so that at night or in heavy shade its not noticeable from a few feet back.

What most dont understand that at shops they have to color blend. Meaning they change up the color as it moves down into other panels. They first have to lazer code the best spot on the car and remake the paint to that old color. IE add in extra colors to lighten, darken, or change the paint from time. Then cover the new panel being painted, then blend them into adjacent panels. That way it looks uniform. But the color would still be just ever so slightly off.

Even if you go to those in and out places it will look better but it wont look right. To get a almost perfect blend job is not cheap. So your best bet is to either not care about blending them, then just get a decent paint job on the roof, or save up, get the whole car repainted and maybe increase its value.
 
My issue isn't the blend, it is the finish of the roof.

Thank you for the advice... after clear, 1500 then 3000, I'll try it.

The car just isn't worth paying anyone to do anything. I've been driving around with faded out spots, there is no way I make it look worse!

After I used some Menzerna IP, KlasseAIO, and sealant, the part I painted looked pretty good... if it was just smoother. Sanding should help the roof.
 
RaskyR1 is exactly right. What you feel is the difference in the consistency between the rattle can applied areas (probably orange peel) and the factory coat. Wet sand the areas, polish afterwards and protect. Since you have already sprayed the section, wetsand that coat & polish that area and the surrounding paint.
 
Thanks. I haven't done it yet, I was referencing a smaller section that I had done previously.

This could lead to the car looking presentable! Thanks.
 
FWIW...the company I used to work at held a pinewood derbie car race every year for united way. Every year I always got the award for best paint! All my cars were done with rattle can and wet sanded and buffed smooth by hand. I think I may even still have one laying around painted in candy apple red! I see if I can find it and post a pic :props:
 
Even professional paint shops can't always get it to match correctly. Get it in the right light and you can totally tell when paint doesn't match.

65-10-20075-38-11PM.jpg


65-10-20075-37-50PM.jpg
 
OCDetails said:
Even professional paint shops can't always get it to match correctly. Get it in the right light and you can totally tell when paint doesn't match.

65-10-20075-38-11PM.jpg


65-10-20075-37-50PM.jpg
Click to expand...


LOL! So true!


Some places will also mix the paint for you and put it in a rattle can.

Some colors have more variances than others. LOL, I had my bumper painted on my TSX "Milano Red" and even though I was there when they chose the variance chip, matched perfect when held next to the car, it still came out wrong.
 
Last edited:
Here is the same vehicle from a distance without the lighting.

DSC01130.jpg


They tried to tell me it didn't have any bodywork done on it. lol As far as I could tell, that door is the only part of the car that hadn't been repainted at some point. It was just so covered in swirls that you couldn't tell. lol
 
@Dub-Dub:

Best of luck, I had a similar case with my old 1995 Accord (light metallic blue). The Accord, while as reliable as a car can be, had the typical CC failure on the roof/hood. I went to a auto-parts store, bought rattle can paint that closely matched, sprayed it(after using pre-paint cleaner/scuffing the surface/using a tack cloth), waited a week, and wetsanded. It did a commendable job.
 
Last edited:
Nice... you guys are picking me right up today!

The roof never bothered me until I replaced the hood and trunk, and suddenly the roof was the lone eyesore.

Thanks again.
 
i have done my car 3 times in the past with duplicolor paint for cars, it comes in a can. and though it is really good stuff, and if you apply enough coats you can color sand and buff, their clear coat sucks. do not use their clear coat it absorbs water and becomes cloudy and spotted with water (but is ok after it dries)

the colors are good, dont fade and withstand buffing and polishing and normal wear and tear like an enamel paint.

it will never look close to your stock paint and its a far cry from it. if you must then i can help you paint with it. but i highly dont recommend it because its just as much work if not more time consuming then a real paint job....
 
OCDetails said:
Even professional paint shops can't always get it to match correctly. Get it in the right light and you can totally tell when paint doesn't match.
Click to expand...

paint shops, if they are doing it the right way, should feather in any new color so the transition is minimal if noticable at all. the fact that they only painted the rear quarter panel and did not feather into the door is atrocious, down right sad! no offense but while working at a shop i know, its not hard to feather in some color. but it takes extra time and material to do so.

colors always come in different variants/alternatives, your paint code may be 3R3 and you pull the card for 3r3 and there are about 6 different alternatives to the paint color. on an impala there were 6 different whites to choose from and you have to pick the one that most looks like it. no joke. the computer isnt always right aswell.

my rx7 and my scion are saposto be the same exact color. but my rx7 is lacking the amount of blue pearl that my scion has. same paint code same paint mix but just different. you can notice this in my signature picture. see how the scion has a blue reflection on the front bumper and hood. more so then the rx7, of course the rx7 is darker because of a gray base coat too.

:( sux but thats how it is. feathering is the best option.
 
What you are trying to accomplish is more than possible. Take Raskys advice and wet sand the area, blending the tape lines to be unnoticeable will be the hardest part. I shot a few coats of clear over some touch-up with great results, my last post (#22) in my http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/20048-deep-scratch-repair.html thread shows my process. The advice from Rsurfer throughout the thread will likely be helpful to you. In the end I got an orange peel free surface, which from what I understand is what you are asking for help achieving.

Good luck! :cheers:
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top