Experience with Metallic Colors
04-22-2015, 03:12 AM
#1
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Experience with Metallic Colors
I currently have a white C2S that was repaired very nicely after an accident and you would be hard pressed to see which panels were painted. I have a GTS on order and changed it to Carrara White. It's such a sweet color in person and I like the pic of some recent members who've gotten it.
That being said, how tough is it to match a paint like CWM and GT Silver vs plain white? I know you shouldn't choose a color based on the possibility of an accident, but it's a reality for those who may be long term keepers of the car or who may respray a bumper down the line. What colors are the easiest to match and which are the hardest? Right now in order of preference for me is CWM>White>GT Silver. Love Carmine btw, but not usually a red kind of guy.
That being said, how tough is it to match a paint like CWM and GT Silver vs plain white? I know you shouldn't choose a color based on the possibility of an accident, but it's a reality for those who may be long term keepers of the car or who may respray a bumper down the line. What colors are the easiest to match and which are the hardest? Right now in order of preference for me is CWM>White>GT Silver. Love Carmine btw, but not usually a red kind of guy.
04-22-2015, 03:37 AM
#2
The truth is if you have a good eye and are looking then they are all hard to match. As you just said, "you would be hard pressed" which means its there if you look for it. And yours being new should be easiest to do- a perfect match only gets harder with age. If it was me, I wouldn't give it a second thought.
What I would do however, if it ever was needed, is insist on using only genuine Porsche paint. Most shops mix paint by codes using standard pigments and carriers which they swear are the same. They are not. If they are really good they can get it to match under some lighting conditions, like in the shop. But I can just about guarantee you will eventually notice under different lighting it does not look right- metallic, or no metallic.
What I would do however, if it ever was needed, is insist on using only genuine Porsche paint. Most shops mix paint by codes using standard pigments and carriers which they swear are the same. They are not. If they are really good they can get it to match under some lighting conditions, like in the shop. But I can just about guarantee you will eventually notice under different lighting it does not look right- metallic, or no metallic.
04-22-2015, 12:25 PM
#3
I think its best to avoid metalics.
They never have a good shine and seem to look uneven in color depth.
They are harder to match, because the metalic reflection has to be accounted for in addition to color.
They never have a good shine and seem to look uneven in color depth.
They are harder to match, because the metalic reflection has to be accounted for in addition to color.
04-22-2015, 07:18 PM
#4
Yeah, I have a friend who told me on one of his factory visits they talked about paint, and one of the things he learned was that metallics take on an orientation on the car depending on the angle and rate of delivery. In other words the paint has to be applied at the same rate and angle in order to look uniform in all lighting conditions. Its doubtful anyone would ever be able to completely replicate that original factory look.
04-22-2015, 09:23 PM
#5
Race Director
Yeah, I have a friend who told me on one of his factory visits they talked about paint, and one of the things he learned was that metallics take on an orientation on the car depending on the angle and rate of delivery. In other words the paint has to be applied at the same rate and angle in order to look uniform in all lighting conditions. Its doubtful anyone would ever be able to completely replicate that original factory look.
Look at all the bumpers and pieces that are painted by Porsche's third party suppliers. Many times, not a perfect match more often than not! My antenna bump on the rear? Terrible match. Not even close. Had it repainted to match better.
Metallics are easier to match for a body shop. The solid non metallic colors are much much harder to blend in and match. I could write a lot more, but a lot a variables and not enough time!
All comes down to the skill and expertise of the painter! All paint colors have formulas. They cannot be premixed from the factory. The painter usually has to tweak the formula to the specific car.
04-23-2015, 01:40 AM
#6
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
The factory can't even replicate that look from car to car. The key is that the car is painted from the same batch all at the same time. A GT Silver car painted today won't be a 100% match as one painted 6 months from now. Close? Yes. Can the average eye see the difference? Prob not. 100% match? No.
Look at all the bumpers and pieces that are painted by Porsche's third party suppliers. Many times, not a perfect match more often than not! My antenna bump on the rear? Terrible match. Not even close. Had it repainted to match better.
Metallics are easier to match for a body shop. The solid non metallic colors are much much harder to blend in and match. I could write a lot more, but a lot a variables and not enough time!
All comes down to the skill and expertise of the painter! All paint colors have formulas. They cannot be premixed from the factory. The painter usually has to tweak the formula to the specific car.
Look at all the bumpers and pieces that are painted by Porsche's third party suppliers. Many times, not a perfect match more often than not! My antenna bump on the rear? Terrible match. Not even close. Had it repainted to match better.
Metallics are easier to match for a body shop. The solid non metallic colors are much much harder to blend in and match. I could write a lot more, but a lot a variables and not enough time!
All comes down to the skill and expertise of the painter! All paint colors have formulas. They cannot be premixed from the factory. The painter usually has to tweak the formula to the specific car.
04-23-2015, 08:20 AM
#7
I think it is the other way around. Solid color is easier to match than a metallic one. This is coming from all body shop that I encountered.
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04-23-2015, 08:28 AM
#8
That is why good body shop over spray to make the transition subtle. They over spray any adjacent panels if they repair a bumper for a smooth transition, but still not 100%. It cannot be 100% identical not even Porsche factory.
04-23-2015, 08:43 AM
#9
Race Director
Yes, good body shops blend into adjoining panels to make the transition seamless where you can't tell.
Solid non metallic colors have no depth. Same reason you see more scratches on them. The metallics reflect more and hide the swirl marks that you get from washes, etc. From my experience, the metallic is also good at hiding the blending in of a paint job.
Last edited by STG; 04-23-2015 at 10:06 AM.
04-23-2015, 09:49 AM
#10
Drifting
What I would do however, if it ever was needed, is insist on using only genuine Porsche paint. Most shops mix paint by codes using standard pigments and carriers which they swear are the same. They are not. If they are really good they can get it to match under some lighting conditions, like in the shop. But I can just about guarantee you will eventually notice under different lighting it does not look right- metallic, or no metallic.
04-23-2015, 09:53 AM
#11
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What you guys are calling 'over-spray' we used to call 'blending' when I was in the autobody business. The downside is that you are effectively ruining two adjacent panels to make the one you're repairing look better. Aesthetically you might like what you've done, but you have compromised the factory paint, which is an entirely different formulation than what a domestic body shop can use.
Solid colors are without a doubt your best chance to minimize the problems with repainting. That doesn't mean you should live your life worrying about the worst case scenario. There has been talk about formulations of metallic that are entirely different from what has been available in the past. These metallics are pyramid shaped bits instead of flakes. The thought is that with a pyramid you can lay the base coat on wet and the pyramid will 'sit' on the panel thereby presenting the same shape uniformly throughout the paint job.
Current technology uses metallic 'flakes' which are two dimensional. Some will sink down and lay flat, others will suspend on their edges when the paint dries, creating variety depending on how wet or dry the paint is applied. THAT is the tricky bit about applying metallics and/or matching previously painted panels.
Hope this helped.
Solid colors are without a doubt your best chance to minimize the problems with repainting. That doesn't mean you should live your life worrying about the worst case scenario. There has been talk about formulations of metallic that are entirely different from what has been available in the past. These metallics are pyramid shaped bits instead of flakes. The thought is that with a pyramid you can lay the base coat on wet and the pyramid will 'sit' on the panel thereby presenting the same shape uniformly throughout the paint job.
Current technology uses metallic 'flakes' which are two dimensional. Some will sink down and lay flat, others will suspend on their edges when the paint dries, creating variety depending on how wet or dry the paint is applied. THAT is the tricky bit about applying metallics and/or matching previously painted panels.
Hope this helped.
04-23-2015, 11:07 AM
#12
Three Wheelin'
What you guys are calling 'over-spray' we used to call 'blending' when I was in the autobody business. The downside is that you are effectively ruining two adjacent panels to make the one you're repairing look better. Aesthetically you might like what you've done, but you have compromised the factory paint, which is an entirely different formulation than what a domestic body shop can use.
Solid colors are without a doubt your best chance to minimize the problems with repainting. That doesn't mean you should live your life worrying about the worst case scenario. There has been talk about formulations of metallic that are entirely different from what has been available in the past. These metallics are pyramid shaped bits instead of flakes. The thought is that with a pyramid you can lay the base coat on wet and the pyramid will 'sit' on the panel thereby presenting the same shape uniformly throughout the paint job.
Current technology uses metallic 'flakes' which are two dimensional. Some will sink down and lay flat, others will suspend on their edges when the paint dries, creating variety depending on how wet or dry the paint is applied. THAT is the tricky bit about applying metallics and/or matching previously painted panels.
Hope this helped.
Solid colors are without a doubt your best chance to minimize the problems with repainting. That doesn't mean you should live your life worrying about the worst case scenario. There has been talk about formulations of metallic that are entirely different from what has been available in the past. These metallics are pyramid shaped bits instead of flakes. The thought is that with a pyramid you can lay the base coat on wet and the pyramid will 'sit' on the panel thereby presenting the same shape uniformly throughout the paint job.
Current technology uses metallic 'flakes' which are two dimensional. Some will sink down and lay flat, others will suspend on their edges when the paint dries, creating variety depending on how wet or dry the paint is applied. THAT is the tricky bit about applying metallics and/or matching previously painted panels.
Hope this helped.
You can also vary the color by the amount of air pressure used during spraying. Low pressure will cause the flakes to lie flat, while higher pressure will make them stand on edge.
White is one of the hardest colors to match, as there are so many shades, while black is black!
04-23-2015, 01:52 PM
#13
I've had several metallic cars in the past,....but for the last few cars I have stuck with non-metallics.
Solids are much easier to touch up,....little nicks here and there can be touched up to the point where you cannot see them at all,.....not so with metallics.
Metallics are always harder to repair, you have to use someone who really cares about their work to get it right,......correct metallic flakes, right amount of them, careful spraying, on and on.
I can pretty much always tell a metallic car that has been repaired, solids not so much.
Solids are much easier to touch up,....little nicks here and there can be touched up to the point where you cannot see them at all,.....not so with metallics.
Metallics are always harder to repair, you have to use someone who really cares about their work to get it right,......correct metallic flakes, right amount of them, careful spraying, on and on.
I can pretty much always tell a metallic car that has been repaired, solids not so much.
04-24-2015, 12:32 AM
#15
Rennlist Member
We had chips on the front bumper of our Platinum Silver metallic 2012.5 991 C2s CPO that we purchased in Dec 2014. The local Porsche-certified body shop did a bumper off repainted and it is impossible to see the difference between the front bumper, hood, and front fenders. I had two small chips that I repaired following a process demonstrated on You Tube videos. One is impossible for anyone to find, the other is very very hard to spot. I have a third deeper chip on the rear that is driving me crazy but I will get it right - it just takes time.
My point - stick to Porsche certified body shops for the big stuff and/or learn chip repair and have lots of patience for the little nicks. Heaven forbid you should need to fix anything of course. If you love Carerra White Metallic (I do) then by all means go for it.
My point - stick to Porsche certified body shops for the big stuff and/or learn chip repair and have lots of patience for the little nicks. Heaven forbid you should need to fix anything of course. If you love Carerra White Metallic (I do) then by all means go for it.