paint color

[blade]

my tercel was in a hit and run duing the week and i was wondering if anyone knows where i could get my paint mached so i can repaint it.any hepl would be nice i will have some pics soon but after the hit the ladey that did it told me and said that she would pay to get it fixed but now she is gone (dead) so i have to get it done my self so im going to paint it my self. any tips on painting, finding the color and where to get the tools to do it would be nice thanks.
Calvin

[ARCHINSTL]

She passed away during the week after she hit the Tercel?
Tom M.

[blade]

yes she did, bummer

[sdoan]

Calvin,

You can get paint mixed to the correct original color by autobody supply shops. The one we have in my region is Westco Autobody. The stuff is outrageously expensive - list is something like $100/quart (or is it pint?). You can save some money if you know someone that works in autobody and have them purchase it for you with their discount. If you are painting only part of the car and it is sun faded they can usually color match to the faded paint. Don't use lacquer paint - it chips easy and it is not moisture proof so rust can form under it if it is not waxed. Use 2-part (epoxy-like) paint that needs a hardener - the stuff is tough.

The time consuming and expensive part is the body work and paint prep. You can probably find instructions for doing paint prep on line. If you do the bodywork and paint prep yourself you will save a lot of money. But I would have a trained body man check that the work is good enough to paint (smooth, not wavy or scratchy) and then let them spray the paint. You can paint outside if it is calm and not dusty.

Hope this helps

[Petros]

I just went to an Auto Zone and compared all the touch-up pant can lids with my car and found an exact match for about $7. Sometimes you are not that lucky.

List member Ron B. posted this info about where to get matching paint, you can get a 16 oz spray can of a matching color about about $28 or so.

Try this website: http://www.paintscratch.com/ They have code numbers and names and they sell sticks, spray cans and larger sizes.

Another source is: http://stores.sanleandrocolor.com/StoreFront.bok Phone: 1-877-521-8818. They have interior and exterior formulas going back many years.

[Neu]

Calvin,

You can get paint mixed to the correct original color by autobody supply shops.

I'd stay away from custom mixed paint, it'll hardly ever match spot on. And it's more expensive.

Most of our toyotas you can order the paint for, since toyota loves to reuse colors and just about everything else.

[Ron B.]

I'd stay away from custom mixed paint, it'll hardly ever match spot on. And it's more expensive.

Where did you hear that? Are you speaking from experience, opinion or hearsay?

Auto body supply houses mix paints from formulas and that is the reason that they require the paint code from the tag on the car. They couldn't possibly carry various size containers of every color from every year for every car or truck. They mix paint on the spot using automated tint, metallic and additive dispensers much the same way the local Home Depot, Lowes or True Value hardware store mixes paints for homeowners.

Most, if not all auto body supply houses have cameras to match paint samples and they do a damn good job. I recently took the gas filler door from my Tercel to one of the local suppliers to match paint that was used in 1993 to repaint the car. The invoice, dated from 1993 reads, "paint as close as possible to the original paint." In other words it was a cheap basecoat/clearcoat repaint using their standard off-white color and there was no color code. The color match is perfect and there was no charge for the service.

Are you aware that auto body shops have paint chips from auto makers with various shades of the same color to help match cars that were painted at different factories or using paints from different suppliers or batches? There are some metallic colors that have many variations. How can you expect any paint supply store to carry every variation? The short answer....they can't and don't. That is why they mix paints on the spot.

Did you know that different people can paint using the same gun and paint and end up with different results? There are variables that effect the look. For instance, holding the gun at different angles will change the pattern of the metallic flakes. That is one of the reasons that metallic paint is hard to blend.

Did you know that Maaco franchises mix their own paints according to formulas using Sherwin Williams bases and tints? Maaco is not just about inexpensive paint jobs. In fact their rates are only about 15% lower than the independent shops. They also use the aforementioned chips to match various shades of troublesome colors. They have a large collection of tints that are constantly stirred to keep solids in suspension so they are ready to mix at all times.

I am in the midst of a total restoration of an old Ford pickup. http://tinyurl.com/E100Paint The color that I chose, 2006 Corvette Monterey Red is a three stage paint with plenty of room for possible errors. There is first a basecoat of red with metallic particles followed by a tinted clearcoat using red colorant. It is after that tintcoat that the final clearcoat is applied. That paint job, done by Maaco in Albany, New York cost in the thousands of dollars and I defy you to to tell me the color is not identical to a Monterey Red 'Vette parked next to it.

[ARCHINSTL]

Where is terceldude when we need him?
Tom M.

[takza]

Hey...I can go to a home supply store and they will match any color in house paint. In fact...I just put a brand spanking new coat of latex satin on my Terc...using less than a pint of paint and a foam roller. Beat that...Ron B.! She's real purty....

In fact...I just saw an ad where they will mix up test paint samples...I think in 8 oz size for a nominal fee...get around 3 of these in varying satin camoflage shades for a REAL paint job? Good for a beater.

[hberdan]

[quote="Ron B"
http://tinyurl.com/E100Paint [/quote]

WOW! That color really looks GREAT! If I ever can afford to restore the body on my Tercel, that's where I am going with it. It would be, however, almost too nice looking to drive!
Thanks!

[Ron B.]

WOW! That color really looks GREAT!

Thanks for the compliment.

[Neu]

Custom mixing paints is really up for argument. I have a friend who works in auto body paint for a dealership, and even they can't mix factory colors correctly all the time.

I know for a fact, silvers are very hard to match, along with a lot of reds.

Yeh, they have formulas they use, but some colors are so strong that 5 or 6 ml off will change the dried color.

Real life experience? My mom had to goto a dealership 6 times for them to match the color correctly, and this was AFTER going to an independent shop. The color? Metallic silver on her toyota camry.