Correct colour for BMW 19" E60 alloy wheels
Discussion
Having owned various BMW over the years,i've just purchased(March 2010)an individual spec 535d,and i'm very dissapointed with the exterior paint and alloy wheels.The paint chips easily(i've been told that the paint is water based,so chips easily,as previously the paint was lead based,can anyone shed any light on that matter).After 2 months of ownership my front alloy wheels started to lose the laquer,so took it to BMW and said they would put it right.When they returned the car after the refurb,they looked duller,it seemed they had a matt finish rather than the shiny finish.I obviusly pointed this out to them,and the Used car sales manager phoned BMW and asked for what colour and paint should be used.I was told Titanium silver,and that was the correct colour.I'm obviously not a happy chappie,and if anybody out there can shed some light on this matter i would be grateful
All automotive paint used by manufacturers is water based and has been for a number of years now, BMW's seem to have a particularly poor standard of finish with lots of 'orange peel'.
Here is a E92 M3 with stanard paint finish.
The wheels have had a poor quality refurb done which is why they look dull, post a picture of the wheels up.
Here is a E92 M3 with stanard paint finish.
The wheels have had a poor quality refurb done which is why they look dull, post a picture of the wheels up.
The laquer 'peeling' suggests the wheels have previously been refurbished to a poor standard.
I'd suggest having them properly refurbished which may mean leaving them/the car overnight with someone. Budget around £300 and you should have a choice of colour and they will be done properly.
THe Wheel Specialist in Manchester did a great job of mine recently ( I changed to a very light grey for a change). Lepsons have a great reputation too.
As far as the paint is concerned they all seem to chip nowadays. My E60 bonnet is peppered with small stone chips (plenty of motorway use though) and it's pretty much a given for 997s.
I'd suggest having them properly refurbished which may mean leaving them/the car overnight with someone. Budget around £300 and you should have a choice of colour and they will be done properly.
THe Wheel Specialist in Manchester did a great job of mine recently ( I changed to a very light grey for a change). Lepsons have a great reputation too.
As far as the paint is concerned they all seem to chip nowadays. My E60 bonnet is peppered with small stone chips (plenty of motorway use though) and it's pretty much a given for 997s.
BMW wheels aren't painted the same colour as their bodywork, are they? I don't know specifically about Style 172s, but they use a sparkly paint called Brightline, I think.
As for the water-based paint on the car being prone to chips, my 54-plate E61 has just under 80k miles on it and some very obvious chips. My friend's 138k mile 54 plate Mondeo has virtually no chips. It's definitely BMW who don't paint their cars properly; his car has no orange peel either. Shame the rest of it will fall apart so quickly in comparison
- and yes, this is based on experience; it's disposable to him now.
Actually, on the subject of paintwork, are BMW Individual finishes painted better than the standard range of colours?
As for the water-based paint on the car being prone to chips, my 54-plate E61 has just under 80k miles on it and some very obvious chips. My friend's 138k mile 54 plate Mondeo has virtually no chips. It's definitely BMW who don't paint their cars properly; his car has no orange peel either. Shame the rest of it will fall apart so quickly in comparison
- and yes, this is based on experience; it's disposable to him now.Actually, on the subject of paintwork, are BMW Individual finishes painted better than the standard range of colours?
Hello Chaps,
Thanks for all your responses.I phoned BMW UK today and asked the question "What is the correct colour for E60 19" alloy wheel" and was told Reflex Silver,colour code 844,so hopefully my friendly BMW dealer can sort it out and refurb my alloys corresctly.
On the previos question if individual spec paintwork is different to normal paintwork,i don't think so.This is my 2nd individual 5 series(other was a 535i e39),and like all older BMw's no problemm with the lead based paintwork.
The problem i have apart from the stone chipping,is that my front bumper has "flaking" issues,where the laquer of the paint flakes away,i had it on my o/s door mirror,my number plate surround,and my tow bar plate on the front bumper(those bits have been sorted),but most timed the car is jet washed,the flaking occurs in a different place again.Has any one had similar experiences,or have i got a Friday afternoon/Monday morning car!!! http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/imgs/8.gif
Thanks for all your responses.I phoned BMW UK today and asked the question "What is the correct colour for E60 19" alloy wheel" and was told Reflex Silver,colour code 844,so hopefully my friendly BMW dealer can sort it out and refurb my alloys corresctly.
On the previos question if individual spec paintwork is different to normal paintwork,i don't think so.This is my 2nd individual 5 series(other was a 535i e39),and like all older BMw's no problemm with the lead based paintwork.
The problem i have apart from the stone chipping,is that my front bumper has "flaking" issues,where the laquer of the paint flakes away,i had it on my o/s door mirror,my number plate surround,and my tow bar plate on the front bumper(those bits have been sorted),but most timed the car is jet washed,the flaking occurs in a different place again.Has any one had similar experiences,or have i got a Friday afternoon/Monday morning car!!! http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/imgs/8.gif
Hello Chaps,
Just had my 535d back from mu local BM dealership.My alloys are now looking brilliant now with the correct paintwork(reflex silver).I asked the sales manager why they did not use the correct colour in the 1st place,and was told that BMW(as several garages do,or so i was told) use the Platinum silver colour because it's cheaper!!The reflex silver is a more expensive paint,because it is more mettallic.
They also sorted my front bumper issues(flaking paint),let's see how long that last's for.
So at the moment i'm a happy chappie
Just had my 535d back from mu local BM dealership.My alloys are now looking brilliant now with the correct paintwork(reflex silver).I asked the sales manager why they did not use the correct colour in the 1st place,and was told that BMW(as several garages do,or so i was told) use the Platinum silver colour because it's cheaper!!The reflex silver is a more expensive paint,because it is more mettallic.
They also sorted my front bumper issues(flaking paint),let's see how long that last's for.
So at the moment i'm a happy chappie
Michael C 64 said:
Hello Chaps,
Just had my 535d back from mu local BM dealership.My alloys are now looking brilliant now with the correct paintwork(reflex silver).I asked the sales manager why they did not use the correct colour in the 1st place,and was told that BMW(as several garages do,or so i was told) use the Platinum silver colour because it's cheaper!!The reflex silver is a more expensive paint,because it is more mettallic.
They also sorted my front bumper issues(flaking paint),let's see how long that last's for.
So at the moment i'm a happy chappie
i call bullsJust had my 535d back from mu local BM dealership.My alloys are now looking brilliant now with the correct paintwork(reflex silver).I asked the sales manager why they did not use the correct colour in the 1st place,and was told that BMW(as several garages do,or so i was told) use the Platinum silver colour because it's cheaper!!The reflex silver is a more expensive paint,because it is more mettallic.
They also sorted my front bumper issues(flaking paint),let's see how long that last's for.
So at the moment i'm a happy chappie
t!!i suspect your dealer sent it to some lackey who had no idea how to refurb the wheel in a bid to save money, which if you hadn't noticed would have worked. Only when you complained did they actually take it to a BMW approved body shop to do the job right.
I may be wrong but in my experience flaking paint indicates a poor quality respray. I would have the car examined by a pro detailer and have depth measurements taken to establish what has been done or if the paint is just poor from the factory. I have an 08 535d it picks up stone chips really easily compared to every other car I've ever owned!
I work for an approved BMW body shop/smart repair centre. The standard colour for those wheels is reflex silver. Ifthe paint looks dull on them it suggests a poor lacquer finish. The lacquer only peels if it's been prepped badly. A lot of BMW smart centres do very poor jobs and we spend a lot of time rectifying the mistakes they make. I you want a darker finish on the alloys try space grey, looks darker on wheels than bodywork. Either that or ferric grey. Paint only peels from poor prep work. Not everyone's a cowboy when it comes to painting cars
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