Does quality paint used in spot/blending a repair last as long as the factory paint? For example, if a repair was blended and the paint was maintained over time, will the blended area become noticeable because it aged differently than the factory paint?

Tom

 

I do not think so if it is done correctly paint will mature with age.

 

Will the color fade different? Not really. But was it 'right' in the first place? Was the original color (even if OEM) 'right' back when painted? There were variations on factory colors. Is the new match right too? The trick is to get them to match. Bear in mind mixing small quantities of paint...on many colors one drop more or less of like Black ....can affect the shade. Darker colors are easier to match. But if a color is tested and adjusted nicely before hand to achieve a good match (which most shops don't necessarily spend much time on) and 'blended' well enough the blend shouldn't be noticeable. And over time you hope doesn't become more noticeable. Shouldn't be. Mixing paint...it's easier than ya think to be off a little. Definitely want to do a spray-out test. As for fading, most C3's are in the garage mostly anyway, not out in the sun all day.

C3's are like the worst car in the world to make a 'blend' due to lack of discrete body lines (e.g. separate fenders). If it's a nose/tail/hood/doors then those can be cleared enough to do a decent blend depending on where the actual blend occurs. But that's the challenge on C3's. I see a lot of cars out there in general with ****-poor blend jobs. Shops don't take enough time to get it right. And most owners don't even see it. Silver/Gold/and Pearls are like the HARDEST colors to match and blend with a good invisible blend. My advice to people is don't wreck your car! LOL. When I paint a car I like to have somewhere between a pint and a quart of color left over ..for repairs.

If you're taking it to a shop, I would stress you really want them to take their time to get the match right. Even if they use their miracle paint-matching scanner, still ...Spray-out a test, and clear the test piece. Not a 2" or 3" strip of plastic, but a 10" square piece of primed metal. Compare the color to the car out in the sun at different angles. The shop is going to roll their eyes and tell you they know what they're doing "trust us" (and not do what I suggested). But a good finicky painter will go to extra lengths to get a good match. Production shops want to get a job done quick and easy. That's how they make money. But stress ...if a shop needs to build in an extra hour or so in their estimate, to do a real good match, it would be worth it ..IMO.

And you don't want any 'quickie' blend or ****-poor prep jobs where the clear is going to peel in 2 yrs. Doing a job right takes time. Doing it quick and cheap generally doesn't last, unfortunately.

 

Thanks Mark.

Tom

 

Yeah thanks .. no problem!

Whatever work you have done (or do)...please let us know how it turns out. If you take your car to a shop with a good painter who has an eye for color, he should be able to do a good job matching it. But at the same time Silvers/Golds & Pearls...are Super-difficult to match by even a really good painter. You can't always expect miracles. With those colors you get into gun-angle, different spray pressures and variables which can affect metallic layout (reflections) in different ways ...throw things off subtly. Not impossible, just adds an extra "challenge".

 

I was told by an "expert" in paint correction that he could take out the stain without painting. He did and the spot looked perfect.

Unfortunately the spot is slowly bleeding back after a few days. At certain angles I can see the ghost of it coming back. I can live with the ghost but am pretty sure it will get worse over time.

Tom

 

What color is the car?

Glad your initial try worked. What did he do? I'm curious.

Did your guy give some ideal what might be causing the stain? Over-hardening filler is one thing which can cause staining. But there could be other things.

 

No filler. This is on a brand new black 2025 Blazer. It must be something in the metal. You can't feel the stain so it has to be coming from under neath the paint.

Tom

 

Hmmm...interesting, not what I envisioned. Esp with black. Is it a 'cloudiness' spot?

I'd like to know what your guy did to remediate it.

Hopefully you can get it under control. Paint issues generally tend to get worse, not go away (usually ...you case seems different). Maybe in your case whatever is causing the issue will run it's course. Maybe the issue is topical??

.

 

Yes the spot is cloudy and is about 1/8 inch wide and about 5 inches long. The defect is vertical. Like a drip. I think the guy just buffed it because it only took him about 30 mins to fix it.

Today I applied Zanio AIO over the ghosted area and it totally disappeared! I'm thinking now that it IS in the clear coat and not something in the bare metal. I'm considering a cut and buff at this point if the ghosting comes back. What do you think?

Why this spot keeps coming back is a mystery to me in all my years detailing cars.

WOW, this thread has totally shifted from the original question! Sorry Mr/Ms Moderater.

Tom