Disappointing spray job

[TOPTON]

I took the rear wing (seac type) into a body shop to get colour matched and sprayed 2 weeks ago. £150 was the price so I said go ahead. Didn't seem a bad price for something this size, 5'x 2' and only sprayed one side.
The colour is quite a good match, no name for it though just a number on the swatch cards. I picked it up just as they were closing on Friday and agreed to go back in today to pay. I noticed when putting it in the boot of the car that it looked a bit orange peely, but thought maybe it was just the way the light caught it.

Fitted it on the car when I got home and I am so disappointed with it. Not only is it orange peel affect but it has quite a few dust flecks in the paint. You can also still see some marks that were on it before I took it in to them.
Also, when I went out for a drive in the sunshine yesterday to show my dad it, I noticed a small blister had raised up, about the size of a match head, that has now disappeared again.

This is not a 'back street shop' but a very reputable spray shop and I have seen some cracking jobs come out of there.

So going back this aft to ask the boss to have a look to see if he thinks it is a good job. Am I being too picky?? or is this to be expected nowadays

ETA posted this in the bodywork and detailing section for a different view perhaps

Edited by TOPTON on Monday 18th April 09:18

[900T-R]

TOPTON said:

Am I being too picky??

No.

[TOPTON]

Wow, quick reply, cheers

Why I say picky, mrs tt says it looks good, mate (who lives in the it'll do box) says it looks spot on and that I am looking too hard, but I think it sticks out like a sore thumb

[Number 7]

I think that's how it is these days. Very very few workmen take pride in what they do, either because they can't be bothered, don't have the skill, or are just after a quick buck. I had a very poor paint job done by a well known and respected TVR specialist in the SE, and mistakenly did not go back. I have probably been responsible for some loss of business to them though, by passing on my experience to others.

Take it back, and ask if they think that it's representative of the standard of their work. If it is, take it somewhere else with several good recommendations. If not, they should do it again. Is the company familiar with painting GRP?

[cuneus]

No you are not being picky, complain

[hallsie]

Take it back and tell them you arent happy and let them know they will not be getting paid untill it is painted satisfactorily, (SP
If they arent familiar with painting GRP as mentioned before then they shouldnt have taken on the job in the first place!

The usual typical English attide, total apathy, cant apply here mate, its your car and you should be totaly happy with it.

I recently returned my Jag 4 times due to overspray small specks of dust and paint runs, they eventually got it right!

Stu

[TOPTON]

Number 7 said:

. Is the company familiar with painting GRP?

I have seen 2 dax cobras come out of their shop with a stunning finish. So yes they are familiar with GRP. This was a few years ago so maybe the good guys have moved on. But I have also heard good reports of bike being sprayed there recently.

Thanks for the replies, made me feel better (i knew you would on here) about going back in later. Will update this aft about what is going to be done.

If they were to just say ok no problem we'll fix it, then that will leave a bitter taste in my mouth. Because that would mean they were happy sending out a sub standard job as long as the owner doesn't notice

[Jonny weggie]

Well TT if your not happy then take it back and see what they say,because it's going to bug you every time you look at it.

jonny.

[rev-erend]

Ask whether its water based paint.

They seem to have more orange peel issues.

[900T-R]

rev-erend said:

Ask whether its water based paint.

They seem to have more orange peel issues.

if it's from a professional paint shop, it is always going to be water-based paint as I understand it has become mandatory in the UK a couple of years ago, too (over here the bodyshops made the switch in the late 1990s/early 2000s)...

[Milky400]

i knew a extremely good sprayer in cambridge who took a huge amount of pride in his work and was spot on,he worked for a very large cambridge employer, but left and took a plumbing course as he just wasnt earning the money managing the spray shop.

Once had a car go to a f*rd dealer for spray work, they had it for 6 weeks just to spray a rear wing, and wing mirror, firstly it came back totally the wrong colour, and then two weeks later(still the wrong colout)went to pick it up and the mirror and rear wing had been touched up with a pen and was still wet.

i was very young and nieve at the time, and didnt persue it, wish i had as this was totally unexceptable.

[quattrophenia]

Slight differences in colour, especially when painting panels separately are inevitable. What you are seeing is either poor preparation, poor quality paint or a botched spray job. If you’re not happy with it I'd maybe get an independent professional opinion and then ask the original sprayer to either rub it down and do it again or refund some/all the cost.
At the end of the day you have to look at the car everyday and it will drive you mad knowing it is not as good as it could be.

[mgmrw2003]

Jonny weggie said:

Well TT if your not happy then take it back and see what they say,because it's going to bug you every time you look at it.

jonny.

Agree entirely. Worst they can do is say "are you being a bit picky?"

[cuneus]

quattrophenia said:

Slight differences in colour, especially when painting panels separately are inevitable.

No they are not - there is no excuse unless the pigmentation is metameric

[mgmrw2003]

cuneus said:

No they are not - there is no excuse unless the pigmentation is metameric

What about if car was painted few years previous, and new panel was done with water based paint, no celly?

[rev-erend]

From what I have heard about water based paints - is that they are good but
the lacquer coat can get an orange peel type effect if the paint below was not fully dry. First thing to do is to talk to the people who did it and be reasonable.

I guess for £150 - it's a fairly small job but a pro would do a good job no matter what.

Wanna see orange peel - just go check out and new Audi or BMW .. they cost £50,000 or more and have the worst paint jobs I have seem.

[cuneus]

mgmrw2003 said:

What about if car was painted few years previous, and new panel was done with water based paint, no celly?

I fail to see the relevance - colour matching is not difficult - just requires some skill and application

I guess I should declare an interest - my first job was colour matching in a lab and I then went on to develop software for a colour spectrophotometer

[mgmrw2003]

cuneus said:

I fail to see the relevance - colour matching is not difficult - just requires some skill and application

I guess I should declare an interest - my first job was colour matching in a lab and I then went on to develop software for a colour spectrophotometer

I'm merely going as a "informed punter" who's had several spray shops comment to me that matching the colour of my 90s cars would be hard work to get "perfect" because of water based paint.

also have 1x best mate who's at an accident repair centre, frequently mumbling about the issues with getting a "perfect" finish with it

[Milky400]

if the spray shop say that, and you agree the work there would be no come back, just covering the arse.

the car i had issues with was red, but the colour they painted it was a sunset orange, knowhere near. As said colours can be matched, just seems no body can be arsed and we as the public except it as the norm

[mrzigazaga]

cuneus said:

a colour spectrophotometer

Try saying that after a few "Hic"

Well if you are not happy with the paint go back and tell them to sort it..(Dont ask..Tell them)..£150 isnt a showroom finish price but its still £150 and you cant let people be too lazy to do a job properly..Sounds like they just blew it over with no prep..Also cant have any dodgey paint jobs in next years wedge calendar mate...(only messing)..But seriously if you are not happy dont settle for second best..Good luck..Ziga