Chipsaway on Crystal Topaz

[chicklets]

Ladies and gents,
Just had my local (london) chipsaway guy come and estimate a massive stone chip around the size of a 20p piece.

He has got the paint code from his book but didn't seem totally confident on getting the exact paint match. Being a pearlescent, it apparently had a blue coat then a silver then a protective coat...

He did say that if he couldn't get the result which I was happy with, then he had a chemical which would take the paint off and all I would pay for is the cost of the paint (around £25). I thought that sounded fair, instead of taking it to a GRP specialist at £400 a pop?

I'll keep you all updated as the guy is coming over on Sat to do it...

[brentstevens]

Having the same colour Tuscan, would be interested to see how you get on.

[TUS 373]

Me too. There is more than one 'shade' of Crystal Topaz out there. Mine was parked next to Chim Girl's once and they were not exactly the same, though both clearly CT. Good luck with it and hope you get a satisfactory result.

[Chim450]

My Crystal Topaz Tuscan was keyed all down the drivers side right down to the GRP in some places. Chipsaway managed to sort it out. You honestly cannot see where the scratch was. It took all day and put me back £200, but a damn site cheaper than a respray.

[beano500]

TUS 373 said:

Me too. There is more than one 'shade' of Crystal Topaz out there. Mine was parked next to Chim Girl's once and they were not exactly the same, though both clearly CT. Good luck with it and hope you get a satisfactory result.

Really?

Interesting!

Anyway (the other) CT owner here! Would also be interested in progress!

[TUS 373]

Yep, twas true. IIRC Chim Girl got some touch up paint but it was not an exact match - she then got some more that was. I don't know anything about painting cars and this business of different lacquers, layers and spraying one colour on top of the other - but there must be some scope for variation in the paint mix, and probably how it is painted on too. The difference I noted between my car and Jo's was the amount of 'gold' in the paint. I think mine looked a little golder, hers perhaps more silvery/paler. Then again, I am sure I have seen some other CT cars that looked quite a bit golder than mine! Its all very subjective, but I can only tell you that Jo's car and mine were not identical.

I think Chim 450's experience is very positive though - if you can get a match and cannot tell, that must be great. What I do believe is that in theory it should be a good colour to blend from one area to another as it hides variation well. (so I have heard).

[chicklets]

the reason why I am giving them a try is because I have seen another Tuscan which had the chipsaway treatment and I could not see the scrath too. but that was a dark red and apparently much easier to get the blend right. CT colour is apparently a right bu@@er!

Another complicating factors is that I have armourfend ! so a bit of the film gets lost...

Chim 450, which chipsaway guy did you use? It might be worth my guy giving your guy a call, please PM me if you prefer. Thanks!

[TUS 373]

If you go ahead and get it done, please take some before and after pictures and post them up here. Its stuff like this that makes PHs what it is!

[beano500]

TUS 373 said:

Stuff

Well, my illusion is shattered - having fallen in love with the colour when your car won class at Back Home (on that wet and windy car park, it still looked superb), I find I've not bought that colour after all.......

[TUS 373]

Would it be of any comfort if I told you that Ferrari's come in around 30 different shades of red?

I'm sure you car will be the same as mine Beano - just depends whether you see it under sunlight, rainlight (Blackpool 2003!), street light or flourescent.

Apparently the guy who does the painting at Blackpool (or maybe mixes the paint) is known as "Gerbil". Only he has the answer

[beano500]

TUS 373 said:

I'm sure you car will be the same as mine

I think my reference was too oblique, Brian - it IS Chim Girl's former car!

[TUS 373]

Doh!

OK, your car is NOT exactly the same colour as mine then!! I did have mine for sale shortly after Jo's, you could have bought mine!! (Then it would have been exactly the SAME colour!!). Yours is the RR version though with an expensive stereo upgrade IIRC?

[beano500]