To Paint or Not To Paint...

D

dug-mac

New member
I'm hoping you guys can help me with this...



I have an 07 Cadillac XLR in a dark metallic blue color. The previous owner had the driver's side door painted because it had a chip in it. Unfortunately he only had the door painted with no blending with adjacent panels. It looked okay but not great (as you can imagine). So, last year I had it done properly by a local shop. They did a really good job of blending and clearing and now that side of the car looks uniform, as it should. Despite this very good job if I compare the left side of the vehicle with the right side which still has the original paint, there is some subtle color difference. Obviously the paint is new on one side and 6 years old on the other. My sense is that nobody but me would possibly notice this slight color difference as you can't view both sides of the car at the same time. The thing is that I know there is a slight difference and it bothers me a bit.



I'm debating having the right side of the car painted so that this slight color difference is remedied. But this would come at considerable expense ($1200-1500), and it would involve painting over original factory paint on the right side and there is nothing wrong with that paint.



So, the question is am I being too picky and should be happy that the left side of the car is now proper and console myself with the notion that nobody but me will notice the slight color difference of left and right sides, or go to the trouble and expense of doing the right side to 'match' the left?



Hope you can follow along with this and I would really like some opinions.



Thanks,



Doug
 
dug-mac- Welcome to Autopia!



I would absolutely *NOT* have the other side painted in an attempt to match the repainted areas.



I have that *exact* same situation on my beloved S8 (18K miles, nicer than showroom other than that one incident, etc. etc.) and I decided to live with the difference and I'm very glad I did. After [however many] years it doesn't bother me the way it once did, and I have more confidence in the unmolested OE paint than I'd have in any repaint, no matter how good.



If somebody ever walks around my car and takes issue with the diff, eh....[screw] 'em, it's not their car and I'm confident I did the right thing. And whenever I've pointed out the "problem" to somebody, they always look at me like I'm nuts anyhow...they don't see it even though I think it's obvious.



Note that to do it right involves quite a bit of work...many people settle for "lots of masking tape"-prep but right and proper work involves a lot of disassembly and things don't always go back together the way they were from the factory. It can be a big can-o'-worms that I'd rather just not open.



And consider this..what if you went through all that and it didn't match anyhow!



I know how you feel, but I really think it's one of those things you oughta just live with.
 
Thanks for the clear reply. I wasn't sure anyone would understand my dilemma but you obviously do. I'm still torn as to what to do. The rational side of me says to live with it, the emotional side thinks my shop could make the car match itself better. But I agree with your concerns that doing it properly involves some risks, the most obvious of which that it might not match any better (and possibly worse).



I guess that is one of my questions - am I right to think the shop should have better success matching their own paint and process than the OE paint? The next question that puzzles me is if I have the other side painted would I then focus my concern on the hood, roof, and trunk that would be the remaining OE paint? The rational side of me keeps saying that this started with a paint chip on a door and could snowball into having the whole car, or most of the car painted. At which point I think I'm getting carried away...



Any other thoughts on this matter?
 
It is a tough color to get a panel match on.

Leave it alone or pony up and have the entire car refinished.

Accumulator is on the money.
 
As mentioned it may be best to live with it. My painter is also a PPG certified jobber. To get the match perfect takes time and money. Anyone who will do it "reasonable" may be guessing. It's 2k to start for a perfect match on a spot job here.
 
CONCOURS.JOHN said:
As mentioned it may be best to live with it. My painter is also a PPG certified jobber. To get the match perfect takes time and money. Anyone who will do it "reasonable" may be guessing. It's 2k to start for a perfect match on a spot job here.
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Thanks for all the good responses, they really do help. It sounds like the consensus is to live with it. Incidentally i didn't know it is possible to get a perfect match without blending...



My painter uses Sherwin Williams paint, not PPG. He has a good reputation and more familiar with SW. Did I make a mistake here? My thinking was he would need to try to match any paint he used.
 
dug-mac- While theoretically possible, and occasionally (maybe even frequently with some painters) realizable, a perfect match with a metallic paint is never a sure bet. When it comes to "pick the flaw you're most willing to live with", I'm generally inclined to have the least paintwork done and just accept the stuff that happens as the cost for driving a car in the real world..."the patina of honest use" as it were. Does still bug me though ;)



In a long-ago magazine article, the curator of the Alfa factory museum, when queried about why their cars weren't perfect, said "real cars have stone chips. These are real cars." And he was talking about their best vehicles, which most of us would consider priceless showpieces.
 
Thanks for your help, Accumulator, and also for welcoming me to this site.



I tend to agree with your statement of taking a minimalist approach when it comes to paint. Still there is a part of me that is seeking greater symmetry for my car, and that part of me thinks that if I had the other side done the car would look more uniform left to right (although I agree that doing this involves a certain amount of risk).



I suppose there is another element here that I should mention. GM is not known for their paint jobs. On the XLR, particularly the Xenon Blue color, the rear quarter panels and the rear bumper do not match. In certain lighting it isn't even very close. The same holds true for the side view mirrors and the door - the mirrors are noticeably darker. My painter was able to 'correct' this on the side he painted and so I suspect he could do the same on the other side as well.



This additional factor is fueling my enthusiasm to have the 'good' OE paint redone.



Doug
 
Of course the rear fascia cover (bumper cover) and the mirrors didn't match perfectly.

They were painted miles away at the vendors plant, shipped to the assembly plant and installed after the main body was painted.

Same for 99% of vehicles produced by all the manufacturers.
 
I guess it's not surprising but on some colors the difference is more noticeable than others. As you mentioned above dark metallic blue is a hard color to match. My paint guy was able to bring these panels into closer alignment color-wise and to my eye it is more aesthetically appealing; that is, it now conforms more closely to what I generally see on other cars - perhaps a slight difference in color but nothing that shouts out at the viewer.



Doug
 
I'm going to go against the consensus here and recommend painting the "OEM" side. At least, this is something I would consider:



I recently acquired a pre-owned 2010 Toyota Highlander that had been driven regularly, four seasons and all in our harsh Canadian climate. After 60,000KM (40k miles) of use by the previous owner, the front end was showing the true "patina" (read sandblasted) effects of travel on Canadian roads littered with slush, gravel, ice and other debris for months on end. To compound matters, the OEM front bumper (metallic grey) did not match the rest of the (OEM painted) body panels.



Since I'm far too OCD to turn a blind eye to the road-rash covered front end, I elicited the help of a very high end body shop, that despite the pricely sum, have refinished the front end to a high quality finish whereupon the bumper matches the hood/fenders, and the road rash is gone. I finished off the job by having the shop add some protective film on the front end, and once cured, I will power polish the entire vehicle to restore a like-new appearance.



Again, this is just my OCD showing through so I can sleep better at night; clearly everyone will have their own take on what you should do, however, with the right bodyshop and technique, I would argue that by refinishing the other side, you'll have a "like new" vehicle.



Best of luck,

Asif
 
That was a great post, Asif. As compelling as Accumulator's great post earlier back. But together they leave me in an all too familiar place - torn as to what to do, if anything. I met with my paint guy this morning and he is going to get back with me about what approach he thinks would make sense and cost. When I have cost info I will post it for further opinions.



Doug
 
Doug,



It may come down to cost which will influence your decision. I daren't even post here how much our body shop charged me here for the aforementioned job (for fear of my wife finding out :) ) , however, as I say, the cost was far out weighed by my satisfaction with their work and the end result.



Good luck in your decision either way!

Asif
 
vtextc said:
Since I'm far too OCD to turn a blind eye to the road-rash covered front end, I elicited the help of a very high end body shop, that despite the pricely sum, have refinished the front end to a high quality finish whereupon the bumper matches the hood/fenders, and the road rash is gone. I finished off the job by having the shop add some protective film on the front end, and once cured, I will power polish the entire vehicle to restore a like-new appearance.



Again, this is just my OCD showing through so I can sleep better at night; clearly everyone will have their own take on what you should do, however, with the right bodyshop and technique, I would argue that by refinishing the other side, you'll have a "like new" vehicle.



Best of luck,

Asif
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Congradulations on the new ride! While I trust it all works out just the way you have it planned; I wouldn't be too surprised if once you correct the rest of the vehicle it doesn't completely match the newly sprayed front end. It happens!
 
Kevinch said:
Congradulations on the new ride! While I trust it all works out just the way you have it planned; I wouldn't be too surprised if once you correct the rest of the vehicle it doesn't completely match the newly sprayed front end. It happens!
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This is my primary concern, of course; that the attempt to match the right side with the left will be in vain and I will have a lot less money and a lot more frustration. I know nothing about painting cars. Am I in effect just 'kicking the can down the road' and potentially uncovering new problems for myself by mucking with the 'good' OE paint? Some have suggested that already, I think. Is there some standard painter's protocol here that I am ignorant of, something along the lines of less is more? Ron said earlier to leave it alone or do the whole car...
 
Kevinch said:
Congradulations on the new ride! While I trust it all works out just the way you have it planned; I wouldn't be too surprised if once you correct the rest of the vehicle it doesn't completely match the newly sprayed front end. It happens!
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Hoping for the best Kevin!



A
 
Just wanted to provide an update on my continuing dilemma. The quote today is for between $1000-$1200 to do the right side of the car in hopes of matching the left side. As mentioned above I'm probably the only one who would notice that the left and right don't presently match as you can't see both sides at once; still, this has bedeviled me for some time. I'm aware of the risk; namely, that after this added expense it might not match any better than it does today... Does this quote change anyone's opinion on what I should do?
 
vtextc said:
..[considering that quote]... My opinion remains the same :)
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Heh heh, same here...noting that vtextc and I are on opposite sides of this fence ;)



They planning to remove the door handles and any side trim? What about the trim around the sideglass? The bumper covers are coming off, right?



I sincerely wish you the best, whichever way you go.
 
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