Any autobody paint experts out there? I think I opened up a can of worms!!!

[CUSO]

Here's the story:

I picked up a 2nd hand F-150 supercrew that was in immaculate condition. While wiping it dry this past summer, I noticed a blemish in the passenger front door panel.

The truck is a tri-coat metallic red, the spot I noticed was a rust coloured spot, and upon looking at it closer I noticed that it was a fish eye. (painted over foreign matter impurity)

I was sure it was a fish eye, since the clear coat wicked away upon looking at it in a well lit low profile. My hypothesis is that there was a foreign matter at the white primer stage and the paint and clearcoat wicked away, leaving a rust (light red) colour.

I addressed this with the dealer that I usually go to and they sent in photos to Ford and they approved to have the blemish fixed.



Here comes the can of worms.....


I booked the appointment with the dealer's bodyshop. Upon talking to the manager, he figured it would be 2 days max. On the minimum, it would be a light regional sand, and recoat, and in the maximum it would be a removal right down to the impurity or primer, repaint the whole door and clear coat.

I got a call from the manager. He said that they encountered some problems. They tried to do the paint over, and noticed that the colour wasn't a perfect match. I am not sure if it was just the door, or just a spot, but they said they would have to do the adjacent door and front fender to blend in the colour.

He was saying the colour was tough to match, one of those that might change from one paint run to the next... He said it had an orangy tinge to it and it was tough...

Now here's my question.

I know they usually have to spray the whole panel to hide the discrepancy, but 1/4 of the truck? Where would it end? Would they feather in the paint where the front fender matches the hood, and in the back where it butts up to the rear cab corner?

Can they do this and not make it noticeable?

Here is a pic of the truck colour .

How far should I go with this, Think I will notice?

I am sure the bodyshop can perform magic, bit I am pretty fussy.

Suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

Mark

 

[gotboost]

medler is the pro

 

[Trashy]

medler is the pro

I have to agree

 

[CUSO]

Thanks, I'll look him up.

 

[mxzretta]

To me that looks like a tri coat. With a tri coat you need more room to blend out the color if the blemish was in the middle of the panel they would be close to the edge with color. Also with some colors the clear coat will make the panel look darker. it is standard most of the time to blend into the next panel.

 

[CUSO]

He did mentioned that there was a couple of nearby paint chips that had to be addressed, or else it would be noticable. I was unaware they blend like that..kinda makes sense... I am guessing the tri-coat is a more involved process.

What is this process exactly?

To me that looks like a tri coat. With a tri coat you need more room to blend out the color if the blemish was in the middle of the panel they would be close to the edge with color. Also with some colors the clear coat will make the panel look darker. it is standard most of the time to blend into the next panel.

 

[beaker]

most vehicles are two stage paint which is base coat and then clear coat.Your ford is tri coat which is three stage paint.it has a red metallic base for the first coat second coat will be a transparent pearl coat and third is the clear coat.It is common practice to blend two stage paint.You have to be a good painter to blend tri coat.The more pearl coat you put on will make the colour change.

He did mentioned that there was a couple of nearby paint chips that had to be addressed, or else it would be noticable. I was unaware they blend like that..kinda makes sense... I am guessing the tri-coat is a more involved process.

What is this process exactly?

 

[medler]

Like the others said mark. The panels these days have to be blended, which is like stepping the base coats out as the painter sprays.
Can't but match anything but solid black anymore there are to many alters to colors
If the spot was in the middle of the door the 2 adjacent panels will need paint . They aren't pulling your chain, don't worry and a tri stage is even that much more tricky but a good painter will make it look like it never was there

 

[gotboost]

yeah what medler said

 

[medler]

Hey Boost!!

 

[storm1972]

I concur, a "good "sprayer that knows how to accurately mix colors can do the job, blending into adjacent panels isnt all that hard, did it for years way back in the day, tricolor stages have been in use since i last did autobody and that was 20 years ago, surely technology for mixing has come along way since then but dont quote me on it, i can remember spraying some vehicles and using upwards of 10 spray cards in the booth just trying to get it right, but it is all in the sprayers eyes... and how he views colors,and having to blend into the adjacent panels is the norm, and requires clearing the entire panel after its hazed with 600 or finer grit paper. just my 2 cents, things probally have changed alot since the last car i sprayed though

 

[Cyle]

Be pretty lucky if it matches 100%. Seem it plenty of times, replace one door, have to paint other and fender. Looks really close but never perfect. Roof seems like it's the worst for trying to match up every time i've seen it the roof is the dead giveaway. I mean if it's like 5-6 years old that paint has faded and red is not a easy color to begin with.

Crappy part of autobody, very very very rarely will a vehicle ever be the same after. I've yet to ever see one.

 

[mxzretta]

He did mentioned that there was a couple of nearby paint chips that had to be addressed, or else it would be noticable. I was unaware they blend like that..kinda makes sense... I am guessing the tri-coat is a more involved process.

What is this process exactly?

Sounds like you got a good shop. There are a lot of places that would have painted over the chips. And once you do that the clear coat magnifies that chip a 100 times.

 

[imdoo'n]

should buff out i'm thinkin.

 

[ferniesnow]

medler is the man.......

 

[DaveB]

I'll bet yer wishing you left the fish-eye....

I'm a fussy bugger too...anything of mine that goes to a bodyshop gets sold shortly thereafter. I've never found any "piece-work" to be up to my standards.

 

[teeroy]

you will have a lot of questions to answer when you sell it to the next guy and have to explain why it's been repainted. would be a lot easier to explain the factory "fish eye", if it would even be noticed. take a payout or credit from Ford if they would do something like that, and live with the imperfection.

 

[JoHNI_T]

I'll bet yer wishing you left the fish-eye....

I'm a fussy bugger too...anything of mine that goes to a bodyshop gets sold shortly thereafter. I've never found any "piece-work" to be up to my standards.

ya I agree being in the industry,,, almost worth living with a small lil imperfection then having half the truck getting sprayed...

but the shop sounds like they want it right so I think you will be all good,, if a good prep guy and a good painter are on the job I have seen some flawless paint work but 80% will have some flaws regardless,, either another fish eye or 3, or a different orange peel, or a spray line on the inside edge of the doors and or panels or a skiff of over spray on another part of the truck lol,,,

but I am sure you are fine hahaha

p.s. did they try and wet sand the fish eye out first? most times this can be done again to like 90% perfection

I would say 8 out 10 new vehicles we deliver have 1 or 2 minor paint flaws,, from factory,transportation and then detailing,, somone or something will scratch or mark that paint lol

 

[Cyle]

you will have a lot of questions to answer when you sell it to the next guy and have to explain why it's been repainted. would be a lot easier to explain the factory "fish eye", if it would even be noticed. take a payout or credit from Ford if they would do something like that, and live with the imperfection.

Exactly because it's unheard off to have body work good enough you can never tell. But if they do a good enough job, no one would ever be able to tell it was repainted.

 

[medler]

you guys that are so fussy should go to a dealer lot and look at some of the new vehicles,,pick them apart,and then come tell me what you think...they are not even close to perfect,,door gaps are off, hoods and lights dont line up properly,,doors not "shingled" properly....go ahead look ..i see it everyday,,,you think its brand new and perfect..pfft it aint!!!