Spray job gone wrong

[ian8777]

Hi there...

Just wondering if anyone can help. I recently put my T25 into a garage to have all the rust dealt with and a respray. I just wanted the same colour paint on the bodywork and the guy was going to polish my hard top up. He sent me a photo of it yesterday after the spray and the colour of the body is different to the original...Instead of the original off-white he has sprayed it a brilliant white which means that my body does not match the hardtop anymore!

He has offered to spray the hardtop to match the new paint. If I agree to this will he have to use a specialist paint as its a fibre/glass or plastic hardtop, not sure which. What I don't want him to do is just spray the top with bodywork paint and have it all flake off in the near future....

Not sure what I am going to do...I feel I am within my rights to tell him that I want my van returned to its original colour as requested in the first place.....

However, if I can be assured that the paint job on the roof will be a proper one I may think about having it done....

If anyone can tell me how to upload pics I will post some piccies.....

many thanks

[Jim San]

Was it based on a paint code? White is a pig to match.

[ian8777]

Paint code....he told me they had sent him the wrong paint as if that was adequate excuse....

[Jim San]

Why did he use it if the code was wrong??
Your call I'd say.

I'd be expecting the roof to be foc, could be an opportunity to have it in a contrasting colour if that is what you like.

[New Kentish Campers]

When you say its been painted brilliant white, does it look like that because the high top has simply faded?

What do the door shuts look like, against the new paint? I'm assuming these were not done of course. If there is a glaring difference then its not L90 white on the van. I don't think there were any shade variants to L90 either, but could be wrong on that. And its no excuse that 'they sent the wrong paint' they should, as any painter would do, check the colour befoe they start work, thats plain daft. Ask to see the paint can, to see what the colour code is, that should tell you. If they dont own their own mixing scheme, i.e use an outside supplier, then that supplier could have made a bad mix, but that doesn't alter the fact that it should have been checked before use!

As for painting the hi top, it's the primer that needs to be different, not the colour. Fibreglass and plastics need different primers for the colour coats to adhere. I've painted (sprayed ) plenty of various plastic and fibreglass panels and cars and providing the correct primer was used, never had one come back for flaking etc.
Had a few come back for runs,mind you, but that's another story

End of the day, you want your van done correctly. If you had a written estimate, and the firm is a member of a trade body, like the Rmi or vbra, then you can complain to them if the firm wont play ball. You are within your rights to have the van done, as per estimate. That means its resprayed in the correct colour, unless they told you beforehand and you agreed to it. I get the feeling though if they can't even check a colour and try to blame their supplier, they won't be in a trade association

I hope that helps

[ian8777]

Excuse my naivety but am I right in thinking that the paint code is on the van somewhere?

[ELVIS]

When you say its been painted brilliant white, does it look like that because the high top has simply faded?

What do the door shuts look like, against the new paint? I'm assuming these were not done of course. If there is a glaring difference then its not L90 white on the van. I don't think there were any shade variants to L90 either, but could be wrong on that. coats to adhere.

There are three L90s I know of. Alpine/Pastel/Polar. A B & D suffix?

Know it's come up before with wrong suffix ordered.

[a1winchester]

I had a similar problem when I got my van sprayed. They ordered the paint to the spec, but when it arrived it was creamier than the original.
The bodyshop called me and asked me to go and have a look.
He offered to senf it back and get a better match. I think that's wehat YOUR bodyshop should have done.
As it happened, I preferred the creamier colour and instructed them to carry on.

As to painting the fibreglass high top, my guy used the same paint as the metalwork on mine. I queried this at the time, as I had expected it needing something different, but he reckoned it was ok, and after 14 months I can say it looks ok so far.

[jimrat]

Hi

On my van, the paint code is on a sticker in the drivers side foot-well, on the bulkhead directly above the accelerator pedal

Cheers
Jim

[Ant-t]

On my van the paint code is in the leisure battery box behind the passenger seat

[New Kentish Campers]

When i spoke of variants, I meant the shades of the actual colour, i.e the parent shade, and any child shade varients. Some vms like say, F-ord used around 5 shades of their Diamond white. You had no.1, but yellow, grey, etc variants so the paint would be mixed to the variant, simple as that really.

So, L90 is Pastel white, but as for varients of that colour, you'd need to check the brand of paint to be used,, i.e I.C.I, Sikkens, Glasurit, etc for THEIR variants of that colour. Why? Because its all about their pigments used, and where they are mined from which can affect their colour variants. Bodyshops and factors will have reference books and microfiches to identify a colour and give the respective mixing formulas for the parent and variant shades.

To help a bit more, here's a good guide on VW colours:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=527875" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[New Kentish Campers]

As to painting the fibreglass high top, my guy used the same paint as the metalwork on mine. I queried this at the time, as I had expected it needing something different, but he reckoned it was ok, and after 14 months I can say it looks ok so far.

And there you have it. If you are going on top of a sound base, it's the same paint throughout. But if going on new , unpainted fibreglass or plastic, it must be primed with correct primer, then, the same topcoat paint.

[ian8777]

Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to reply. I spoke with the guy last night and an amicable arrangement has been made.

Many thanks

[tforturton]

Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to reply. I spoke with the guy last night and an amicable arrangement has been made.

That's good to hear.

[New Kentish Campers]

Good news