I have a 2001 metallic red Corvette Convertible. Unfortunately it was involved in an accident this afternoon, damaging the left rear quarter panel and ripping the rear bumper off. It also tore the side light out which damage the internal area of the trunk. This car is in pristene condition with only 60000 miles and has been garaged kept its entire life. My question is so I can be ready for the other guys insurance adjuster is what is the probability of a perfect paint match? I absolutely do not want a car with 2 different colors and I know metallic reds are almost impossible to match especially considering the cars age. The cars paint is (was) flawless, no scratches or fading. I was also told by the police officer to ask for diminished damages by the insurance company since this car has now been involved in an accident and will lose value if I trade it because it will no longer have a clean CARFAX. I am guesstimating $8000-$10000 damage without a complete paint job, significantly more if a total repaint is required, and when factoring in the diminished value, rental car expense I am afraid they may total the car. Any ideas, comments and suggestions on what or how should I treat this problem if anybody else has had a similar incident?

 

I would think that a really good body shop should be able to match the paint if it is in as good a condition as you say. Some blending may be required on adjoining panels though. Good luck with this - hope it all works out.

 

I am a body tech by trade so maybe I can help you out a bit.

First off it sounds like nobody was hurt and the only damage was done to car(s), that is always good to hear. Cars can be fixed or replaced... people not so much.

Your guestimate sounds a bit on the high side but I know nothing about the car other than your basic description. All panels are bolt on parts so they are easily replaced. As far as damage to inner structures/trunk tub area/frame related items/ etc it is hard to know without looking. Personally I don't think it will be that expensive.

diminished value is a possibility depending on what state you are in. I live in MN and they don't pay anything for it. It could be different where you are SO make sure to ask about it and bring it up.

As far as paint match goes you will be fine. Blending into adjacent panels will take care of any slight difference in color that would be picked up by looking at it. If you don't know, blending is the process of refinishing a panel where color is only applied to a certain area of the panel and it is feathered into the existing color for a seamless match. In your case it sounds like the quarter panel is being replaced which would call for a blend into the door. The new paint color would be sprayed at the back edge of the door by the handle and gradually get less and less as you move to the front of the door. There is no new paint color applied to the front of the door so that it maintains the original color and looks good against the fender.
I own a Magnetic Red vert and repainted the hood and blended the fenders with no issues. Color match should be the least of your concerns. Most body shops back up their work so make it a priority that you are concerned about it and they will go the extra mile to make it right for you. And if you don't like it when they are done, they do it again for free. Remember, they work for you now.

Accidents happen so don't stress too much about it. A good body shop will have you fixed up in no time. I am by no means an expert on every facet of the repair/insurance industry but I am around it quite a bit so if you have other questions or comments and you need unbiased responses, post em up here or PM me and i'd be glad to help you out.

 

well written

 

This is correct.

I do paint and body a little as a hobby and some custom work. A good painter can easily hide a slight color difference and the untrained (sometimes even the trained) eye will never see it. I think the poster above explained it pretty well, so I'll spare you that. Here is an illustration I drew a long time ago to explain it to somebody else.

If the paint was only applied to the damaged (but repaired) or new replacement panel, you would get what you are thinking as seen here:



But if done correctly, the color will be blended into adjacent panels, and then those entire panels recleared. It hides the paint mismatch a whole lot better:



The illustrations above are only meant as a reference. Your car will not look like that.. I just drew that up to explain the blending process.

The problem with matching a color is only further complicated with the addition of metallic. If more of the paint is applied than needed, the metallic will be more prevalent in the over-applied area, and this can cause you to think there is a color difference. metalics are not only silver in color; some are bronze, copper, etc. If too much of a copper shaded metallic paint is added it will appear orange..Understand?

solid colors are pretty easy to match..although white is difficult. black is one of the easiest..The harder ones are the tri stage colors like Millenium yellow. That has a base, a tinted clear second coat, and a clear on top - if I remember correctly. Harrddddd to match

Maybe this will help.

Any competent shop should be able to help you out. Most shops know that when somebody comes in the door with a Vette, they aren't just the average car owner. Look them in the eye and tell them you want it right, and if it isn't, they can keep it until it is. Be clear with them about that up front and they'll know this isn't just another car.

 

From the damage you say, I see a $2-4K repair cost if that. If there is damage to the suspension and wheels it will be a little more. Most likely not totalled as your car is probably worth $15-17k max.

The only time the repair costs get steep is when the front is involved and the air bags deploy; those are expensive to replace. You also have all those moving parts like the headlight doors and such.