OK, stupid question time, but only because I've searched stuff out, made calls, and I'm still in the same place.

It's no secret I destroyed my SE front lip (boohoo for me), but have since ordered a brand new one. I've got it here and obviously it's not painted...and rather than having a white lip on a silver car I'd like to get it to match.

The first body shop I called estimated about two hundred for the paint, but the next said he would do it for a "buck fifty" (damn I should hold him to that literally lol) but that there would be no way to perfectly match the paint. He promised it would either be darker or lighter.

So here's my question...how in the name of hell do you get a painted lip to match if no one has the OEM paint (and it's the worst color of all...the dreaded silver!)? Can you take it to Mitsu? Raid a factory in Japan? Give a two year old some fingerpaints?

I'm kidding but also very serious...I want this to match as best as possible, and for the record I'm in Stratford, CT as my profile says.

 

Call around and find a body shop that has this paint color code:

Apex Silver A31 A0003PTS11

 

Any decent shop should be able to do an acceptable job for $150 or less. The part is off the car with nothing to mask... right?

Silver can be difficult to match on some cars, but because this goes near the ground you should have little to worry about if it's not a perfect match.

 

Yes it's off the car, and I'll glady leave the car for matching purposes. I guess I'm wondering if the paint code will be enough for them to match it up.

I'm not reeeeally worried about it being flawless, but painfully obvious is no good either.

Thanks for the advice.

 

The paint on an abs plastic part typically won't match 100% to paint on metal...Even our cars stock out of factory appear this way...At least on a good sunny day I can see that with mine...i.e. the fender/trunk/rear bumper don't match 100% if you look real good.

 

The Apex Silver is a metallic paint and this quality makes in very difficult to get an exact (or very close) match.

 

I am having the same problem, some ****er scratched my bumper while I was parked in a parking lot (maybe the 3rd time I ever left it in a lot ) and I talked to my friend who runs a shop and he said that they only use water-based paint (stupid California tree humpers ) so they can not get it to match right. Anyone know where I can order real WW paint through the mail?

 

Wicked White W37 MZ313359 (same as Igloo White)

 

some body shops overspray the lip and bumper to blend the color.

 

The guy that has done my body work for years, painted my front bumper and vortex generator. they both match factory paint perfect, and actually the front bumper matches the car better then the rear ( which has never been painted)

It is hard to match but i really think it depends on whos mixing the paint and has the better eye.

PS. my car is apex silver

 

i painted my carbon fiber silver and it matches decent enough. Im just worried about the yellow effect carbon fiber seems to have affecting my paint after a while

 

Most body shops will take the color code color and spray a test piece. Then adjust the color after that if it doesn't match the rest of the car. Depending on the shop they can get it to match pretty well.

The shop i worked at painted a lot of silver cars and the customers were always satisfied and couldn't notice it had been repainted.

 

yea I wonder if Electric Blue is hard to match?