[Chevyman95]

So I know this isn't an old hotrod (or even a really cool one for that matter) but I'm getting ready to repaint the bumpers on my 2004 GTO. The color is Quicksilver Metallic. The paint shop recommended Chromabase but I have never done anything other than a full spray. I know silver is incredibly hard to match. Any tips on how to get a close to exact match? Mismatching bumpers will definitely do me no good. Thanks

 

[DanielC]

Trial and error, and take careful notes of what you did. If you do not like the match, change one thing, and redo it. Make note of what you changed, and the results. Redo again, if necessary.

 

[oldBodyman]

"The paint shop recommended Chromabase ..... Any tips on how to get a close to exact match?"

It may just be a spot-on match out of the can.

Spray-out cards are fun BUT they do not dry at the same speed as the real parts and will give a different metallic pattern than your bumpers. Ask around for an old bumper to test spray on.

 

[F1 Owner]

Matching Chromabase silver

I confess that I personally haven't done pro body repair for a few years now, but at the last shop I worked at (Chev/ Toyota/ Chrysler dealer) we had our own DuPont color mixing system. Back then we used what DuPont called The VINdicator. What that was, was a way of mixing/matching paint that WE mixed by using the V.I.N. of the car. We would get into the paint computer, type in the DuPont color number, and then enter the V.I.N.. DuPont had supposedly had field reps at the manufacturing plants that had matched the actual car colors coming off the assembly line. While I don't know if that is 100% true, we did have extraordinary luck matching colors, even on high metallic Chrysler colors. I know for sure that 2 years ago that they still used this system, as I had my local paint supplier mix some deep blue metallic for my wife's Saturn, and the match was close enough that I did NOT blend the color. While this may not help you 100% ('04 GTO's I believe were Australian built) I would definitely ask your jobber if they can use the "VINdicator" to mix your paint. After all, ANY help matching paint is a plus. Sorry to be so long winded, but thought that it might help to mention this. Hope you have good luck !! Rick

 

[delawarebill]

paint match

try to locate a shop that uses unkie dupie paint and has a scanner... when i worked in philly for dupont R&D paint i did cal's on those scanners... now for the life of me i can't think of the name.. find a paint supplier for the scanner.

 

[DanielC]

Even if you are able to get the "perfect" color matching paint in the can, if it is a metallic paint, the spraying technique can radically affect the actual color on the car.

On the other hand, if you learn how to change the color with spraying technique, you can adjust the color to match.

I believe spraying a metallic paint wet tends to make the color lighter, because the metal flakes settle, and lay flat, reflecting more light.. Spraying dry tends to make the color darker, because the metal flakes stay on edge, and reflect less light.

Get a second bumper if you can. First, for practice, and second, your car will have a bumper while you are working on your car.

 

[jcclark]

higher pressure = lighter
lower pressure = darker.

I never had much luck with the scanners.
I get better matches since I switched to a brand that has
color chips for the alternates within a paint code.
That's the main reason I don't use DuPont Chromabase anymore,
I love Chromabase, most user friendly base out there, but my
supplier uses the VIN no of the car to pick the alternate to
mix the paint by, and that doesn't always work.
Especially if the paint has faded.
With my present brand, matching the color chips to the actual car
gives me a choice, sometimes of several variants.
I usually get really close, after that, for a perfect match you have to
blend into the adjacent panel. Even the clear affects it.