Matching factory paint
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Evolving Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 159
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From: Colorado
Matching factory paint
I got hit at some point in the last few months. I noticed when my trunk wasn’t closing so easily and noticed a shuttle impact point and a gouge. I washed my Evo last night and now it gets moisture in the tail light! 
i took it to the body shop and they said they match the paint by hand. I can’t imagine they get the metal flake in it. How do you repaint a bumper without butchering the factory job? Can you buy paint from Mitsubishi?
2015 Final Edition with clear bra everywhere from day 1 except the rear bumper.
i took it to the body shop and they said they match the paint by hand. I can’t imagine they get the metal flake in it. How do you repaint a bumper without butchering the factory job? Can you buy paint from Mitsubishi?
2015 Final Edition with clear bra everywhere from day 1 except the rear bumper.
EvoM Community Team Leader
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 5,690
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From: West Coast
Generally you don't blend panels when doing bumpers, so no "butchering". The body shop will use a color matching system to determine your color variant and then the system will tell them how to mix the paint to be as close as possible.
I have a paint booth at my house- and I paint cars all the time.
Your paint code is on the door. The paint code and VIN will tell the bodyshop the appropriate "chemistry" to mix the paint. This is done by weight. If they measure careful, and use an accurate formula- it should match. The problem comes from when your car is UV tarnished, and the sun has degraded the color. There are ways of tinting the paint to make it match this degraded color, and I hate doing this.
I suggest using a professional bodyshop that uses AXALTA paints. AXALTA is the old DUPONT (same company, new name).
To make things worse- they need to spray with the correct PRESSURE to get the metal flakes to "lay down" just like the factory ones.
When i paint a bumper or do a repair, I get a little bit of paint and mix it up and spray it at different pressures on some cardboard or plastic. I then take these outside and check how it looks against the rest of the car in the sun. You can have the bodyshop to this, and you can get a preview of your result.
Your paint code is on the door. The paint code and VIN will tell the bodyshop the appropriate "chemistry" to mix the paint. This is done by weight. If they measure careful, and use an accurate formula- it should match. The problem comes from when your car is UV tarnished, and the sun has degraded the color. There are ways of tinting the paint to make it match this degraded color, and I hate doing this.
I suggest using a professional bodyshop that uses AXALTA paints. AXALTA is the old DUPONT (same company, new name).
To make things worse- they need to spray with the correct PRESSURE to get the metal flakes to "lay down" just like the factory ones.
When i paint a bumper or do a repair, I get a little bit of paint and mix it up and spray it at different pressures on some cardboard or plastic. I then take these outside and check how it looks against the rest of the car in the sun. You can have the bodyshop to this, and you can get a preview of your result.
Thread Starter
Evolving Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 159
Likes: 14
From: Colorado
I have a paint booth at my house- and I paint cars all the time.
Your paint code is on the door. The paint code and VIN will tell the bodyshop the appropriate "chemistry" to mix the paint. This is done by weight. If they measure careful, and use an accurate formula- it should match. The problem comes from when your car is UV tarnished, and the sun has degraded the color. There are ways of tinting the paint to make it match this degraded color, and I hate doing this.
I suggest using a professional bodyshop that uses AXALTA paints. AXALTA is the old DUPONT (same company, new name).
To make things worse- they need to spray with the correct PRESSURE to get the metal flakes to "lay down" just like the factory ones.
When i paint a bumper or do a repair, I get a little bit of paint and mix it up and spray it at different pressures on some cardboard or plastic. I then take these outside and check how it looks against the rest of the car in the sun. You can have the bodyshop to this, and you can get a preview of your result.
Your paint code is on the door. The paint code and VIN will tell the bodyshop the appropriate "chemistry" to mix the paint. This is done by weight. If they measure careful, and use an accurate formula- it should match. The problem comes from when your car is UV tarnished, and the sun has degraded the color. There are ways of tinting the paint to make it match this degraded color, and I hate doing this.
I suggest using a professional bodyshop that uses AXALTA paints. AXALTA is the old DUPONT (same company, new name).
To make things worse- they need to spray with the correct PRESSURE to get the metal flakes to "lay down" just like the factory ones.
When i paint a bumper or do a repair, I get a little bit of paint and mix it up and spray it at different pressures on some cardboard or plastic. I then take these outside and check how it looks against the rest of the car in the sun. You can have the bodyshop to this, and you can get a preview of your result.
Also, I don’t think my paint has faded since I’ve had PPF since day one but I’m really not sure.
Thanks for the help! I’ll expand my search and ask better questions of the shops.
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