I take it in for a stone chip and the OPC destroys it

[Trotmant]

So as the title says,

Out on the weekend in the sunny weather in my new CGTS and a stone chip threw up from the other side of road, it flew up at pace and damaged the top of the bonnet quiet badly imo. (Down to the white).

So to prevent any further corrosion I take it down to my local OPC for a quick view on what I should do. Told a light bit of 'detailing' (i.e. machine polish) and a few dabs of paint should cover the mark (size of a ball point pens tip). Let me know won't be perfect, but to the untrained eye will look good as new and protect the paint long term. Great get the car back at close of play today and given its so small I would only know where it was I think happy days.

2 hours ago, I get called back in. The chap doing the work, has slipped with his tool and 'fked' (or in the OPC's words made a mistake) the bonnet. There is now a patch the size of a disc on the paint work down to the lacker. I'm not sure why they even thought it needed a Machine polish tbh.

Told the OPC will repair free of charge etc... have to wait 5days.

Thoughts, advice? The OPC principle is calling me later, as I said I wasn't happy.

Worried the paint won't match up perfectly (I'm on sapphire blue)? will it impact the car long term in any way etc...

For now I'm also in a basic ford fiesta they gave me for the day, I've already made the point about a loan Porsche ahead of the call back.

[IMIA]

You should be find just make sure they blend with the wings. May be get it covered with that plastic stuff afterwards.

[Trotmant]

IMIA said:

You should be find just make sure they blend with the wings. May be get it covered with that plastic stuff afterwards.

I've been told the mistake is so bad, the whole bonnet needs a respray. I went and saw it with my own eyes and it is. I guess what is the probability of the newly sprayed bonnet matching the wings and bumper .....

[SHutchinson]

Really, you seem set to actually benefit from this. Providing it's done correctly, and there's no reason why it shouldn't be as it's only painting/laquering, then you are going to get a permanent repair to the stone chip rather than a temporary spot repair.

It's still disappointing that it happened in the first place though.

[PorscheGT4]

metallic never matches due to the way the flake lies

[Trotmant]

PorscheGT4 said:

metallic never matches due to the way the flake lies

This was my fear. Could cry. I have a very anal eye for detail. Any suggestions on what I do if not happy with the finish when they try and give it back to me?

[PorscheGT4]

will the bonnet polish out ?

I would go that route and repaint just with clear coat as I guess they might have to polish that all away.

My TTRS was scratched very bad they wanted to repaint 50% of the car, I polished it out and just added the clearcoat , looked like new.

I would try any thing to avoid having to add colour paint.

[Trotmant]

PorscheGT4 said:

will the bonnet polish out ?

I would go that route and repaint just with clear coat as I guess they might have to polish that all away.

My TTRS was scratched very bad they wanted to repaint 50% of the car, I polished it out and just added the clearcoat , looked like new.

I would try any thing to avoid having to add colour paint.

I did ask this at the time, as I know from what experience I have always avoid a spray at all costs. But they said no it was too bad. Hence my post, to be fair seeing it with my own eyes I would say it needs one and taking a spray feels like it will impact the car long term.

Not really been in this position before. Sure I've had paint work done on models gone by, but mostly touch up, never needed a spray.

[snowley]

I completely understand your disappointment! Its hard at present to think of a good result for you, except that they blend the touching panels to get a better match.

I can't understand how they made such a mistake in the first place, what were they doing? Machine polishing with a sanding belt!

[avaF1]

PorscheGT4 said:

metallic never matches due to the way the flake lies

There has to be a way to get it to match at least to the naked eye which surely is good enough. Otherwise how does anyone manage to paint a metallic car or car panel? whether its down to accident damage, aged vehicle, front end refresh, etc. before selling. Dealers are known to have the front end refreshed before selling too.

[996GT2]

avaF1 said:

PorscheGT4 said:

metallic never matches due to the way the flake lies

There has to be a way to get it to match at least to the naked eye which surely is good enough. Otherwise how does anyone manage to paint a metallic car or car panel? whether its down to accident damage, aged vehicle, front end refresh, etc. before selling. Dealers are known to have the front end refreshed before selling too.

Agreed. I've had panels painted on cars and I'd rather live with a slightly different fleck in the metallic paint than seeing 100 stone chips painted in, or a smart repair.


I thought they'd crashed the car from the title of the thread, not smudged the paint.

[jayxx83]

Good excuse for a carbon bonnett

[J12KJR]

PorscheGT4 said:

will the bonnet polish out ?

I would go that route and repaint just with clear coat as I guess they might have to polish that all away.

My TTRS was scratched very bad they wanted to repaint 50% of the car, I polished it out and just added the clearcoat , looked like new.

I would try any thing to avoid having to add colour paint.

If as Trotmant says the original chip is through the lacquer and the colour down to the white base then no way to polish out without adding colour. What was their operative trying to use a 100 grit sanding disc.
Having had the bonnet done on a Laser Blue Sagaris to get rid of stone chips ( not a dissimilar blue to Sapphire although actually a Lotus colour) then if done well and properly blended then without using a paint depth guage you shouldn't be able to tell the difference between original and new paint.
If you can then as it is their fault insist on either a full respray or a new car.
Hope they sort it out well though.

[Trotmant]

J12KJR said:

PorscheGT4 said:

will the bonnet polish out ?

I would go that route and repaint just with clear coat as I guess they might have to polish that all away.

My TTRS was scratched very bad they wanted to repaint 50% of the car, I polished it out and just added the clearcoat , looked like new.

I would try any thing to avoid having to add colour paint.

If as Trotmant says the original chip is through the lacquer and the colour down to the white base then no way to polish out without adding colour. What was their operative trying to use a 100 grit sanding disc.
Having had the bonnet done on a Laser Blue Sagaris to get rid of stone chips ( not a dissimilar blue to Sapphire although actually a Lotus colour) then if done well and properly blended then without using a paint depth guage you shouldn't be able to tell the difference between original and new paint.
If you can then as it is their fault insist on either a full respray or a new car.
Hope they sort it out well though.

Heres hoping to that outcome. Just got off the phone with them, due an updated from the paint shop in 48hours, just went over 1hour ago ready for tomorrow. The OPC eluded to the bodyshop looking at alternatives tomorrow to a full bonnet respray, seems as if the OPC themselves realise the matching issue maybe greater than first thought. Lucky the damage they caused is to the top side of the bonnet, vs. planted straight in the middle. Either way my orgninal work is now been fixed and the bill wavered. Porsche loan available from Friday if the work not completed / not happy with their first effort. So the sleepless nights begin as I wait to see the output.

Apparently the reason it went wrong was the paint on 981 GTS models is thinner than a standard 981, and the machine had not been correctly calibrated to do the GTS and so went deeper than the OPC had anticipated. Don't know if this is fob off.....but interesting none the less.

[J12KJR]

So an OPC lets someone loose on a car, any car, without checking with a gauge what depth of top coat they have available to play around with. Sounds more like someone without the knowledge, experience and expertise having a go at wet sanding.
Do hope they sort it properly for you. If you know anyone who is involved in the spraying world get them to have a look at the finished job as they often pick up on the faults that us mere mortals can miss.
Would also suggest giving it a few washes in quick succession once you get it back as there are polishes out there that can hide a lot of marks until the fillers in them wash/wear away. Not that an OPC would use such tactics obviously.

[whoami]

Trotmant said:

the paint on 981 GTS models is thinner than a standard 981, and the machine had not been correctly calibrated to do the GTS

[nsm3]

whoami said:

Trotmant said:

the paint on 981 GTS models is thinner than a standard 981, and the machine had not been correctly calibrated to do the GTS

Utter BS.

[Trotmant]

J12KJR said:

So an OPC lets someone loose on a car, any car, without checking with a gauge what depth of top coat they have available to play around with. Sounds more like someone without the knowledge, experience and expertise having a go at wet sanding.
Do hope they sort it properly for you. If you know anyone who is involved in the spraying world get them to have a look at the finished job as they often pick up on the faults that us mere mortals can miss.
Would also suggest giving it a few washes in quick succession once you get it back as there are polishes out there that can hide a lot of marks until the fillers in them wash/wear away. Not that an OPC would use such tactics obviously.

When they called me down they took me outback to the workshop and the guy working on my car apologised, said he had been doing this 10years for Porsche. When the OPC wandered off he was the one that told me about the paint thickness re the 981. To be fair I have used my local OPC before and recognise him although never spoke to him previously. So I can say he was been there at least 3years I know of and being working on 981's etc...

Either he had a bad day or was correct. TBH don't care, still gutted you take the car in for what an innocuous abc job and they fk it up.

[J12KJR]

Trotmant said:

J12KJR said:

So an OPC lets someone loose on a car, any car, without checking with a gauge what depth of top coat they have available to play around with. Sounds more like someone without the knowledge, experience and expertise having a go at wet sanding.
Do hope they sort it properly for you. If you know anyone who is involved in the spraying world get them to have a look at the finished job as they often pick up on the faults that us mere mortals can miss.
Would also suggest giving it a few washes in quick succession once you get it back as there are polishes out there that can hide a lot of marks until the fillers in them wash/wear away. Not that an OPC would use such tactics obviously.

When they called me down they took me outback to the workshop and the guy working on my car apologised, said he had been doing this 10years for Porsche. When the OPC wandered off he was the one that told me about the paint thickness re the 981. To be fair I have used my local OPC before and recognise him although never spoke to him previously. So I can say he was been there at least 3years I know of and being working on 981's etc...

Either he had a bad day or was correct. TBH don't care, still gutted you take the car in for what an innocuous abc job and they fk it up.

Fair comment we all make mistakes however the bits about checking it carefully and washing it to make sure the likes of AutoBalm haven't been used to mask any imperfections still apply.

[RBT0]

nsm3 said:

whoami said:

Trotmant said:

the paint on 981 GTS models is thinner than a standard 981, and the machine had not been correctly calibrated to do the GTS

Utter BS.

Whaaaaat? Are they kidding?