Bumper resprayed but colour match isn't perfect

M

Mangozac

Senior member
 QLD, Australia
Hi guys,

In my year of ownership the Zed had picked up some really nasty road rash on the front bar (and a few driveway scrapes on the bottom edge). It was primarily chips (in the clear, and right through to the black plastic in some spots) but it was really irritating me so I decided to get it repainted. Had a good bodyshop recommended via a neighbour (who was put onto them by the local dealer) and they quoted a good price so I took the plunge. The price was certainly improved due to my removal and reinstallation of the bumper. Oh the colour is Maldives Blue:

(Pre- repaint pic)
Z4_1.jpg


Anyway I picked it up last night and fitted it back on the Zed. They have done a very good job (not cutting corners or anything like I've had on other bumper resprays on previous cars) and I'm very happy with the quality of the work.

The problem is that looking at it today in the sunlight I can notice the colour difference. The difference is minuscule - most people wouldn't pick up on it. It They apparently matched the paint to the bumper before prepping it for the new paint but it looks to me like the original paint on the rest of the car has faded with a yellow tinge to it. Also the fact that the new clear coat has a nice warm glow to it doesn't help!

So here's my questions for today:

1. Is the yellowing more likely the clear coat or the blue paint?
2. If it's the clear coat, would having a professional polish done be likely to remove some of the yellowness or will it be the yellowed right through the depth of the clear? I would do the polish myself, but I don't have a DA and don't really want to learn now.
3. How do you refrain from having every other panel repainted? :roll: I kid on this one, but it is tempting! The rear bumper has a few marks I'd love to get rid of...

So while the bumper respray was supposed to be a joyous occasion, I'm now feeling pretty mixed reactions which is a shame. Hopefully something can be done! Any advice is much appreciated!
 
Plastic colours are always slightly off from the metal colours, so you are 100% sure that the bumper was a perfect match? Just when I look at my bumper (not sprayed) in different angles, it always looks like a slightly different shade.
 
As pvr says plastics never fully match metals in the same colour and of course older paint and lacquer changes slightly.

The general recommendation is to spray into the existing panels and thus blend.
I've just had that done on my Jag with a new diffuser and the garage sprayed it separate first. When refitted the match was not perfect, so free of charge they resprayed it and into the rest of the bumper so it blended.

Personally I'd go back for the paint shop and ask for advice.
 
Maybe try clay, a paint cleanser and see what the colour looks like after. Chances are the climate in Queensland etc will of dried the finish somewhat. Cleansing teh paintwork thoroughly will reveal its true colour ( At least as good as can be bar full on paint correction by rotary polisher ) If happy, get a layer of protection on it but as the chaps have mentioned. It may need fading into the wings.
 
Thanks for the replies guys!

If the bumper wasn't previously a perfect match it must have been close to, since I would otherwise have noticed during cleaning. Since the bumper plastic is black I could expect a very slightly darker shade of the bumper compared to the metal panels, but it's more a difference in colour than a brightness thing.

Yeah I might call back the body shop. So for blending they just spray new paint over the top of the old on the adjacent panels?

Scott, I do clay the car periodically (did it about 5 weeks ago actually) but have never tried a paint cleanser. Is the cleanser really likely to make a difference? Do you have a recommended middle-of-the-range product?

Will report back after I speak to the bodyshop :thumbsup:
 
Not sure what products you can get your side of the pond tbh Mangozac but I would look at either Serious Performance, Dodo Juice lime prime lite or Auto Finesse rejuvenate paint cleansers. They can really give the paint an amazing twist releasing the true colour.
 
OK so I dropped by the bodyshop on the way home and queried them about the colour difference. I had tried in vain to photograph it but the photo didn't show the variation so I figured it best to show them in person. The weather has been pretty overcast and the colour difference doesn't show up as much then as it does in full sun.

After having a look around the car the guy had 4 comments:
1. As you guys mentioned because of the different amount of static charge on plastics vs metals, metallic paint applied to a bumper will generally look different - even from the factory (the difference there is much more subtle though).
2. They use both the BMW paint code and a photographic matching system to match the paint. So the new paint is supposed to be a perfect match to the old.
3. My Zed has almost certainly had the bonnet and front left wing resprayed. The new bumper actually matches the front right wing quite well: it's the bonnet and front left wing that show the biggest colour difference. He showed me the evidence why he concluded that and I have no reason to disagree. So it's quite possible that the clear used on the bonnet/wing respray has yellowed at a faster rate than the clear on the rest of the car. I asked if a polish or cleanse would bring out the yellowing and he couldn't say for certain. Possibly not, since it may have yellowed the depth of the clear coat, not just the top.
4. They do sometimes blend panels when necessary but since I supplied them the bumper off the car it obviously wasn't. He did mention some downside to blending but I can;t remember what it was.

So the question still stands: is it worth trying out the paint cleanser? I can get the Dodo Juice Lime Prime for AU$38 + postage which isn't cheap so I'd prefer something off the shelf like Meguiars Crystal Paint Cleaner (<$20) (for the record I wash with Meg's NXT wash and use NXT Tech Wax 2.0 paste).
 
http://www.chemguys.com.au/DA_ULTIMATE_DETAILING_MACHINE_p/gap_107_16.htm

http://www.waxit.com.au/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=271&category_id=14&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

Though Meguiars do do some great products. The crystal paint cleanser isnt one of them. The consumer line of products by many arent the best to do the job. Dont get me wrong. They do a good job but you can do better.
 
Mangozac - the answer to if polishing the other panels will reduce the differnce is the same answer as the bodyshop in that it's not certain. It depends if it's minor surface colour deterioration, deep though it or underlying paint differences.

Given you appear to have different spraying on the bumper, right wing, left wing and bonnet, then frankly you're never going to get a match to the level you seem to be seeking and may even be now seeing a difference that has existed before.

I would in order:
1) try polishing and let the likes of scott advise on products and technique
2) live with the difference
3) get the whole front end resprayed and blended in to the doors.
 
I'm still agonising over this and I just don't think I can live with it. I mentioned it to my half blind grandmother and she could see the colour difference so it will just drive me crazy otherwise.

Perhaps it's worth biting the bullet and picking up a RO polisher? Like I said before it's something I'd rather not do but if I'm honest the whole car could do with a proper polish to get rid of light swirls. I can pick up a Concours 900 with set of Menzerna polishes/sealants for $230 which would be cheaper than getting it done by a professional detailer, and then I have the gear ready for next time...

I'm still trying to get a good photo of the colour difference but to no avail, which just makes me feel like I'm going mad! :headbang:

andysat said:
Or go for a wrap! :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
But then I would have to relinquish my membership to Club Maldives :o
 
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