Out of Pocket Repair: What's acceptable?
 

So I have had both bumpers resprayed in the past via ICBC claims
went back to the same shop this time to sort out rock chips and parking lot woes but I paid out of pocket for a cheap price for the amount of work done (front & back bumpers resurfaced/resprayed, front left fender fixed). I'm not gonna expect perfect paint match or for them to undergo paint correction...the front seemed okay but the rear is quite noticable. When I got my car back, they said the difference is simply old paint vs new paint. I don't recall a stark difference then but it could be just the original paint was only a few years old at that time. It's Vivid Blue Pearl.

I haven't washed my car in a long time but shouldn't make a big difference. ignore the white/grey residue


So is this is acceptable for an out-of-pocket repair? If so, is this something that will become more uniform within a year and will basic polishing/waxing help?

Also, the front fitment also seems a little off, I'm planning to replace the headlights soon for retrofits so I shouldn't worry about it? The shop kinda brushed it off saying it's like that/not a big deal :suspicious:



I have no knowledge on body work, so go easy on a noob. :whistle:

That's a significant difference with the color match. Even I wouldn't let my customers let go like that, which is the reason why I don't take in cheap work. It takes time to color match with the right formula and the cheaper job is not going to motivate them enough to take their time matching it perfectly.

Each color code has more than one shade. Especially when it comes to Tricoats/pearls/metallics etc.. Once the color code is pulled up, I use a special camera that helps match the shade to the car. But all this takes a few hours sometimes and I know for specific shades of blue, white, and especially red, need time to make it match perfectly.

The color will not change it's shade over time, especially one that's quite a few shades brighter. The bumper alignment is also something that they aren't going to play around with much is they are getting short changed.

For the headlights tho, I would be concerned about them tempering with the wiring and electrical. They might've changed something out.

IMO I would say that it's a pretty bad job with the match but at the end of the day, u get what u pay for.

How much did u pay, if u don't mind me asking.

Is it acceptable no, did you get what you paid for im guessing you did.

$1000 for everything
i thought a good deal was offered because my family has been taking icbc claims there on multiple occasions and the paint usually comes back just fine. This was my first time OoP and if I had known the job wouldn't be decent I'd just pay the icbc deductible.

Lol well 1000 for 2 bumpers isint really much of a discount.... That's like market price for two bumper repaint

left front fender had a dent recontoured (sorry dont know the proper term) then repainted

You were happy with the color the first time. There's no excuse why it cant be an acceptable color match on the second repaint.

You're front bumper gap and headlights is probably an aftermarket junk parts from china issue.

2 bumpers and pulling/repainting a fender for a 1000 is cheap. I can see them not bothering to take time matching paint for that price. If they have other jobs to do, their will fish through this one

Bluntly? It looks like shit. Both the colour match and fitment

dont know if I'm reading this wrong or you misread my first post.

first respray was years back via ICBC claim. It came back colour matched. This time I paid the repair in full (albeit discounted) and the colours are off.

I was in the shop half way through the process this time and saw the bumpers primed ready for paint. The headlights are Honda OEMs...and they have the same scratch before I sent it in.

$1000 is cheap for 2 covers and a fender. Because you are a returning customer i would ask there opinion on the color match and maybe they will fix it? Maybe they will tell you to pound sand but maybe not?

Doesnt matter if the first paint job was icbc or private. They got the color right the first time so they should get it right the second time.

Just because you got a deal. Doesn't make it acceptable that the color is off and fitment is off.

An honest shop will correct and please their customer.

update: I talked to the shop, they fed me some excuses but is willing to rectify it.

He said plastic bumper makes it difficult to match...and that it was great match in previous claims because back then they used a different kind of paint but now the government mandates them to use water-based paint?? Smells like BS to do a poor job.

Right now if I look at it straight on from the rear it's fine and matches the trunk. He said he could try blending the bumper to fender area and where the new paints ends won't be noticeable but it may involve blending paint to the rear fenders (original factory paint). He claims a full bumper repaint will cause mismatch in the trunk to bumper area. Do I go with this or will it make things worse?

the sidemarker light went out and was replaced. Not an issue of wire tampering.

Tell him to do whatever the eff he wants and save his breath with excuses.
JUST MATCH IT CLOSER.
From straight on it's good. But the color at the angle is waayyy too light blue.
His painter needs to tint the blue darker and check his color before putting the bumper back on the car.

Time to raise your tone. You're not happy.

Anybody else tired of hearing this from shops?

I would only allow them to blend, if they can gaurantee the work. Otherwise they are painting over perfectly good panels with the mismatched paint.

Color has nothing to do with switching from solvent paint to water base.
If thats what they said it is BS

Not really anytime you have a plastic piece and butting it up against a metal piece you are going to have a difference in color because of the way it drys to the material. Even from the factory no bumpers match, some worse than others.

Actually i was just going to say they usually are spot on from the factory. Or not bad enough for me to notice. So my question was how do the manufacturers able to do it so well?

They don't do it so well, people don't notice the difference because they are not looking for a difference in color because they are buying a bran new car. Some cars are really bad from the factory some are just a shade light or dark. This is something people do not pick up on.

Here are a few examples of bran new cars
this ford being completely obvious
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ps71dc8377.jpg

This lexus being off but just a shade where 99% of people cant see the difference unless being pointed out to them

http://globalautoleasing.net/wp-cont...50-Release.jpg

agreed

now that I think about it the trunk is original paint too, I guess it's just faded compared to the fender after 9 years.

update
my rear after a respray is now better matched

for the price i'm satisfied...next time I would rather just pay non-discounted price and get it right the first time.

looks much better now!

all cars bumpers are slightly off color due to plastic bumpers vs metal or aluminum quarter panels and fender which react differently to paint.