CERBERA PAINT

[marcus1970]

Is it me or is the paint work on a CERBERA paper thin? Any minor scrape or brush with a twig seems to result in a scratch that needs expert attention.

I've had BMW's and Rovers and even Fords with better quality covering. The paintwork on these cars seemed near bullet proof!!! Has any one else noticed this or is it just 1998's that suffer??? How many coats does TVR apply to their beloved sports cars???

Just out of interest how much does a total respray cost with the type of paintwork that a CERBERA could be proud off - I like the Gold/Plum/Crimson reflex paint!!!

Regards to all

[spartacus]

I get the feeling they don't finish the paint job with that many layers of lacquer, if any I wonder?

[Eddie 4.2]

As a painter i would go for 3-4 coats,Some new car are painted in waterbased paint.
Not to sure if TVR used that on a 1998 car.

reflex paint£1500.00 on paint £3500.00 labour


Ed


>> Edited by Eddie 4.2 on Tuesday 23 August 22:14

[simonkd]

While we are talking about paint, does anyone know if there are touchup paints available from TVR or elsewhere. I've picked up a couple of stone chips and the light primer really stands out behind Moonraker Black it's so annoying.
Cheers
Simon.

[RUSSELLM]

I've had a respray & mine still suffers from light scratches & stone chips.

Does anyone know how Lotus & other GRP cars fair ?

[oli_quick]

TVR use standard ICI colour codes (I believe), the colour will be in your manual...I also remember someone mentioning it is registered somewhere in your VIN number..or some other chassis number. So your best bet is to take it to a shop and see if they stock ICI colour schemes - or some 3rd party equivalent based on them.

[morebeanz]

simonkd

My car's the same colour as yours and I've been looking for a touching in paint too. When I asked Fernhurst they said they would have to order it (but they don't seem to have done that yet! ).

Mind you, I have so many stone chips now, I think a respray is the only way out.

[apguy]

TVR were on a PPG paintscheme (ICI no longer exists, its either PPG or Nexa Autocolour)
Hence the Bodycode on the VIN plate is actually a PPG paintcode (on pre 1998 cars at least).

Paint technology has changed over the last 10 years and previous TVR's were painted in solvent base.
Current TVR's are on a waterbased scheme (I seem to remember that its Glasurit)

However, there is a big rider attached....

For certain colours (particulary reflex and cascade) TVR actually order the pigment in dry and manually mix the base. This can result in variations of shade between batches and make colour-matching, err, interesting.
Add to this, TVR when manually creating the base use a solid content of 5% (normal is 2% for a company like Cambridge Chemicals, who make Rage). This allows greater coverage, but again makes the job of reworking a panel outside of the factory a task-and-a-half.

Some colours are also not actually available in certain paint schemes due to pigment content. For example we have just done a complete respray on a 1992 V8S. Colour is Monza Red, this is not available as a water-based product on our normal scheme. So we used the solvent equivalent. This is fine and dandy, but in 2007, solvent based paint will be illegal. 2005 is the last year of production for solvent paint European-wide. So what happens if this car needs a front-end respray in 2007? At the moment we don't know.

As an aside I would also agree with Eddie's finger-in-the-air costs.

As a second aside. Even though I own a bodyshop and we have painted many TVRs. My own Cerbera is faced with a complete colour change as TVR randomly generated the original colour so I can't just do the front-end respray that it so desperately requires...

[mike_e]

simonkd said:

While we are talking about paint, does anyone know if there are touchup paints available from TVR or elsewhere. I've picked up a couple of stone chips and the light primer really stands out behind Moonraker Black it's so annoying. Cheers Simon.

Talk to Jason Webb at the TVR Bodyshop. Small pot of paint with brush about £20. More than enough for all your stone chips.

More here: www.tvrbodyshop.co.uk

[luckyone]

marcus1970 said:

Is it me or is the paint work on a CERBERA paper thin? Any minor scrape or brush with a twig seems to result in a scratch that needs expert attention. I've had BMW's and Rovers and even Fords with better quality covering. The paintwork on these cars seemed near bullet proof!!! Has any one else noticed this or is it just 1998's that suffer??? How many coats does TVR apply to their beloved sports cars??? Just out of interest how much does a total respray cost with the type of paintwork that a CERBERA could be proud off - I like the Gold/Plum/Crimson reflex paint!!! Regards to all

I put it down to the Fiberglass being very thick & having no give or spring to it. If you apply a very gentle pressure to any modern car metal panel it gives very easily, so moves out of the way, so to speak. Try making any panel on a Cerb bend - they don't so the paint has to give.

That my theory anyway could be wrong though...


>> Edited by luckyone on Wednesday 24th August 19:49

[plug]

mike_e said:

simonkd said: While we are talking about paint, does anyone know if there are touchup paints available from TVR or elsewhere. I've picked up a couple of stone chips and the light primer really stands out behind Moonraker Black it's so annoying. Cheers Simon. Talk to Jason Webb at the TVR Bodyshop. Small pot of paint with brush about £20. More than enough for all your stone chips. More here: www.tvrbodyshop.co.uk

I got my touch up paint from here, took a couple of days to deliver, cost £12.95 for pearlesent paint.

[nsparey]

I think it depends on the colour too, my last car was Reflex Charcoal, beautiful colour but as soft as cream cheese! just had to look at it and it marked. My Cerb is Titanium and that seems hard as nails in comparison.

[SXS]

Shock absorption is great with GRP, but the paint gets a beating....

God knows what TVR do at their joint, some cars have brittle paint, and some seem to be more resilient...

Its all down to the spray booth, quality control wasnt exactly at the top of their list, but saving a few pennies was definitely up there with the most important factors... so takes your pick....

I've been speaking to many car paint specialists over the last few weeks, and you'd be amazed at the shortcuts people out there take... I'm inclined to believe TVR must have at some point done the dirty and gone cheap on layers...

[teen_cerbera]

This is actually a sore subject for me. I live in South Wales and due to my age & my present and past cars people get jealous of me. This has resulted in my pride & Joy Cerby (2000 4.5 Lightweight) being scratched the hell out of. The bonnet has about 6 scratches in a sort of figure 8 which seems to have been done with a hard brush of some kind and they have also scratched the boot and various other places. I was really angry and upset when i woke up and realised what had happened. The marks on the bonnet will not polish out and do not seem that deep as they r not visible when the car is even slightly wet, therefore i would say the paint was not that strong in the first place.....Im thinking about respraying and adding a coloured laquor to the paint, maybe Dark green or purple flakes?? The car is Navy blue - not sure the exact colour and to lazy to check at the minute. I know the paint job isnt going to be cheap but id rather pay extra and have a nice job which is extra tough as im a bit of a perfectionist. Any thoughts or opineons on resprays?

[SXS]

First of all, how old are ya?

Secondly, if its been done once, it'll happen again...

My suggestion is to go for a VERY bright colour respray, get it done by a pro, and ask for a tough clearcoat, might not be as reflective as the serious gloss quality stuff, but it'll be strong.

I'd say, go for a bright yellow or a stardust silver.


I feckin hate those envious bastards, and I WILL rip into any tosser who I see doing ANY damage to someone elses car... been there before and dealt with a few cases....

Problem is, if you aint got a garage the car will fit in, overnight is when some of these envious prats will bother to scratch your P&J....

I've got a fix for this, if you put a full on car cover, the strong stuff (around £300), wrap it around and paddle lock it, it'll at least keep the prats away... the glassfibre is strong and take a beating... and your paintwork should stay ok....

The other thing is a little more extreme, but you can get a proximity sensor attached to the MT alarm system, so that your keyring beeps and/or the car beeps when some tosser gets near it, and hope that someone nearby has my attitude and bricks them down and drops their carcasses off at the local pet cemetary incinirator...

[simonkd]

What sort of cost are these proximity sensors for the Meta alarm system and what about fitting costs? I know they're good as I had a Tamora alarm go off on me at TMS and all I did was look through the side window shielding my eyes from the sun with my hand.
Seems like a V Good investment for the Cerb if not too extortionate.
Regards
Simon....