Question about base coat/clear coat curing, etc.

[Allan Songer]

I have a question for those of you who have vast experience with base coat/clear coat finishes. I have done 4 cars over the past 8-9 years and have been really happy with the finishes.

My wife's 1955 pickup was painted about 3 months ago and the finish is superb--well, it WAS until someone (not me or my wife!) dropped the hood without securing the prop-rod which dented the hood from the inside causing the paint to crack. HEARTBREAKING!!

Anyway, the shop that did the paint said they could spot the repair and re-clear the whole hood and buff it out--NO PROBLEM. Aside from deciding WHO should pay the $400 charge, this seemed like an easy fix.

Well, we looked at the pickup today and the hood is now without a doubt a DIFFERENT color--it's close but OBVIOUSLY a shade darker. The painter says not to worry, that as the new clear coat cures over the next "2 to 3 weeks" the color will again match. I have SERIOUS doubts about this and want him to strip the hood and repaint from the bare metal up. He assures me that the base touch up and the clear came from the same exact cans the truck was originally painted with.

What do you guys think? WILL the color change as the clear "cures" over time? Sounds like total BS to me.

Needless to say, I am PISSED OFF.

[Dick Steinkamp]

quote:Originally posted by Allan Songer
Sounds like total BS to me.

Me too.

[fmarshall]

I believe that the new coat will lighten up some as it fully cures. At least that is what I recall my paint guy telling me recently.



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63 Avanti R2, 4-Speed, 3.73 TT
Martinez, CA

[StudeRich]

Allan; I cannot tell you that it will lighten enough to match without seeing it, BUT the clear will "bite" into and blend with the base and lose some of it's glassy look as it cures and will change the way it looks SOME, how much is anybody's guess![:0]

StudeRich
Studebakers Northwest
Ferndale, WA

[Allan Songer]

quote:Originally posted by StudeRich

Allan; I cannot tell you that it will lighten enough to match without seeing it, BUT the clear will "bite" into and blend with the base and lose some of it's glassy look as it cures and will change the way it looks SOME, how much is anybody's guess![:0]

StudeRich
Studebakers Northwest
Ferndale, WA

Well, most of the hood was simply shot with another coat of clear according to the painter and the entire hood is uniformly darker than the rest of the truck, so I guess the clear needs to "bite" in to the existing clear coat as well?

I suppose I am willing to wait the "2 to 3 weeks" in order to see for myself before I totally freak out. This was a $6500 paint job, so you can see why I am so upset . . .

[A1956GoldenHawk]

quote:Originally posted by Allan Songer

<snip> Well, we looked at the pickup today and the hood is now without a doubt a DIFFERENT color--it's close but OBVIOUSLY a shade darker. The painter says not to worry, that as the new clear coat cures over the next "2 to 3 weeks" the color will again match. I have SERIOUS doubts about this and want him to strip the hood and repaint from the bare metal up. He assures me that the base touch up and the clear came from the same exact cans the truck was originally painted with.

What do you guys think? WILL the color change as the clear "cures" over time? Sounds like total BS to me.

Needless to say, I am PISSED OFF.

Allan, because YOU know exactly where to look to see that refinished area, YOU will always see it ...although 97% of us may not unless YOU specifically pointed it out. Bottomline: If YOU cannot live with it, go ahead and get the entire hood refinished!


<h4>Last Man Standing in Studebaker Indiana</h4>

[Allan Songer]

quote:Originally posted by A1956GoldenHawk
[brAllan, because YOU know exactly where to look to see that refinished area, YOU will always see it ...although 97% of us may not unless YOU specifically pointed it out. Bottomline: If YOU cannot live with it, go ahead and get the entire hood refinished!

Actually, the repaired area blends in just about PERFECTLY with the hood--as good as one could hope for. My problem is that the ENTIRE hood is darker than the rest of the truck.

[52 Ragtop]

Allen,
We refinish about 125-140 cars a month. Depending on the BC/CC system that the shop uses, some clears are more "yellow" then others, and that will affect the shade of the color. We use DuPont at our shop, and their clear "seems" to be less "yellow" then PPG or BASF. It IS possible that the color will change after drying for a few weeks, but, not likely. DO NOT put ANY wax on the fresh paint for 30 days, OR you will have problems!
That aside, you are probably the only one to notice the difference, and only because you know where to look.
Was the hood repainted at the same shop that did the original work? and did they have to mix the color? or did you have some left over? Just an extra drop of a toner, and it will change the shade of the color! Matching paint is an art!

Jim

[Swifster]

Allen, I'll agree with Jim. And I'll go the route that the difference is entirely in the clear if the repaired area matches the rest of the hood. If this doesn't 'cure' enough for a match to your satisfaction, I'd bet the clear could be sanded down to the color surface and reclear. Also, as Jim mentioned, color match is an art, but sometimes the color isn't the problem.

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Tom - Valrico, FL

1964 Studebaker Daytona - 289 4V, 4-Speed (Cost To Date: $1755.45)

[Allan Songer]

quote:Originally posted by 52 Ragtop

Allen,
We refinish about 125-140 cars a month. Depending on the BC/CC system that the shop uses, some clears are more "yellow" then others, and that will affect the shade of the color. We use DuPont at our shop, and their clear "seems" to be less "yellow" then PPG or BASF. It IS possible that the color will change after drying for a few weeks, but, not likely. DO NOT put ANY wax on the fresh paint for 30 days, OR you will have problems!
That aside, you are probably the only one to notice the difference, and only because you know where to look.
Was the hood repainted at the same shop that did the original work? and did they have to mix the color? or did you have some left over? Just an extra drop of a toner, and it will change the shade of the color! Matching paint is an art!

Jim

Same shop. Same paint (they say it came from the same MIX--same can!).
It's darker and it's pretty obvious--even though I had to point it out, once you know it's really a pretty bad match.

Should I wait the 3-4 weeks or just tell him to repaint the hood?

[Swifster]

If it's THAT far off, you could wait ten years and see no change.

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Tom - Valrico, FL

1964 Studebaker Daytona - 289 4V, 4-Speed (Cost To Date: $1755.45)

[Allan Songer]

quote:Originally posted by Swifster

If it's THAT far off, you could wait ten years and see no change.

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Tom - Valrico, FL

[

That's what I'm thinking. As a courtesy to the paint shop, I'll wait the four weeks, but I'm pretty sure he'll end up stripping and repainting the entire hood . . .

[DilloCrafter]

I would guess that you're as upset about this as I was when I found out my $4000 rebuilt engine was dropped on its end at the loading dock! ... had to start over again.

[img=left]http://rocketdillo.com/studebaker/misc/images/Avacar-hcsdc.gif[/img=left]DilloCrafter

1955 1/2 Ton Pickup
The Red-Headed Amazon
Deep in the heart of Texas