Edgy01

Yesterday I posted a note about Porsche stating that they could not paint my Paint to Sample request, and then spent a lot of time last night trying to figure out WHY Porsche had this problem. I found in an old 1984 911 brochure that they stated that they could not do Paint To Sample on European Deliveries,--no idea why not, but thought maybe that was the issue.

My salesman today got back immediately with PCNA and I want to share with everyone on this group the WHY,--which makes perfect sense and I appreciate PAG for their technical reasons. It's rather interesting, and something they don't talk much about in the open. This is from his contact at PCNA:

"I understand your frustration. I had the same reaction about two years ago when PAG denied a request for Gulf Blue paint. I fought them for a year and have a mile-long email trail on just this one car. I even made a trip to the paint shop in Zuffenhausen to see samples and to get a first hand explanation.

The technical reason that some colors cannot be offered has to do with the different paint processes used by suppliers of plastic parts versus the factory process used for the body. While they both use the same paint formula, the clear coat formulas and processes vary. These variations are enough to slightly change the tonal appearance of the paint color, thereby causing a mismatch effect. Because this mismatch effect would likely be viewed by a customer as a quality problem, PAG reserves the right to reject certain colors. For some reason, non-metallic light colors have the biggest problems.

After receiving my paint-to-sample "education", PCNA added the comment in the MY05 order guide stating that not all requests can be fulfilled and that PAG may need to conduct feasibility testing. They do this testing on a continual basis and have a growing list of paint codes that are not valid for color-to-sample use. The list was about 140 colors long about a year and a half ago and it has surely grown since then. Unfortunately, Gulf Blue is on the list and will not be painted. The only exception was Carrera GT due to the fact that the body and accessory pieces were painted using a consistent process."

So for those of you interested in a paint to sample car, keep in mind that PAG is working this all the time, but the list of excluded colors continue to grow,--but all because they want to deliver to us a quality product that we will be happy with.

Dan

dertub

http://www.autospies.com/article/ind...3&categoryId=1

I ordered this car, but could not take delivery. It was sold recently.

Edgy01

What they're saying now at Porsche is that they are having a very difficult time with all the light non-metallics. (That's why the yellow today is a deeper yellow, and that Mexico Blue is deeper as well).

Once I got their answer I was understanding of their concerns to delivery a quality product.

Perhaps someday they will master these difficulties.

Dan

lawjdc

Mexico Blue is one of the best colors for the 997, if you have the $$$$ to get the yellow ceramic brakes!

Edgy01

Well,--I'm drawn to the OTHER Gulf Blue,--that McLaren is racing under which is a darker blue.

Dan

Cab S
98 Non-Metallic Paint to Sample --WHO KNOWS NOW!
RA Natural Leather Cocoa
CUC Painted Model Desig Rear Lid
CO2 U.S. Standard Emissions
M6C Coco Floor Mats
P01L Adaptive Sports Sts Lthr Int
V5 Brown Top
XJT Rear Ctr. Console Makassar
XLF Sport Exhaust System
XSB Sport Seat Backs in Leather
Z0997 Custom Tailoring
2493 Exterior Color to Sample
342 Heated Front Seats
407 19" Sport Design Wheel
450 Ceramic Composite Brakes-PCCB
451 Makassar Str Whl Multifctn
482 TPMS
498 Delete Model Designation
550 Hard Top
640 Sport Chrono Package Plus
680 Bose High End Sound Package
789 997 Paint to Sample
801 Makassar Package
TD5 Tourist Delivery

Eric - Plug Guy

This story is almost laughable.

The reality is that all paints are this way. You cannot paint plastic/urethane the same way you paint sheet metal/aluminum. Given that they've been doing this for so long, in only the finest facilities and conditions, there is no excuse why they can't get it matched in the factory, other than a time factor.

Given the charge for paint to sample is astronomical as it is, they must have a human factors expert over there who says it's far too many hours to compensate for the price offered.

But once you know how to alter the formulas to get it right, it's not rocket science. With profits there to be had, you'd think Porsche would just charge another 50% over the current option price and get it done.

Yes, it can be done.

Order the damn thing black, and send it to me.

THPorsche

If Porsche offers you a free Paint to sample on your next 911 (yes you have to take this option) what color would you pick?

997

Arena Red, blows away Carmon Red and you will see heads turn like mad. I had an Arena Red 993 for 7 yrs.

NoSubEDU

The color of her bra as long as she comes with it.

hellgelb

I wonder if this means they wouldn't do Fayence (or Ferrari Fly) yellow on a 911 ??

THPorsche

That would be Victoria's Secrets' Fiesta Pink - #b18

Eric - Plug Guy

They do Ferrari Fly Yellow and did quite a few 996 Turbos in it...and we plugged 'em as well.

It's hokey.

Konrad

I admire your passion for non-metallic colours. Two blues that I think are terrific are Adriatic Blue (an old 914 colour that I saw on a 996 GT2 a few months ago) and Maritime Blue.

For Maritime, look at the third car down in the middle column:

http://www.rsamerica.net/gallery/index.htm

Good luck.

Edgy01

Thanks for all the replies. I've been around enough paint shops, myself, being a Porsche owner since 1974. Thus, I appreciate the process the painters go through in getting paint to look consistent no matter what the base material. I, too, am surprised that PAG can't take the time to do what any body shop over here would wind up doing if and when that situation came up.

You can bet I've been running Google searches for color images as well as going through my extensive archives or Porsche colors since '73.

So far I'm looking closely at Ferrari's dark blue (non-metallic), Gulf's newer darker blue on the McLarens (medium dark blue metallic) and several of Porsche's dark blues from the late 80s.

I just wanted something a little different and whoaa,--what a nightmare!

Dan

1whobuys

I just wish my factory paint didn't have pinholes, contamination, sand marks, lifting, cracking, clouding, boiling and orange peel to name a few....

Their paint and PCNA service are garbage!

Nice car, you would think PCNA would care that it's "right"
They say they will re-paint it... How would you guys like a 120K re-painted car?