For those of you who know anything about body shops...

How do body shops match your paint color? For example, I'll be going to a non-Ford affiliated body shop to get my truck fixed. How do they match the paint? Do they order it from Ford? Do they mix it at the shop? Does Ford provide color codes or something to body shops so it can be made?

 

The paint code is on the left door.Most body shops order paint from a central paint supply store.

Mike

 

Thanks. I've had excellent work done before by this shop I'm going to, so I'm feeling more and more comfortable about the result.

 

Sorry to see that damage on your ride!!

I was in the bodyshop biz for many years and got out on the mid 90's. Back then we had no problems matching paint and the little bit I have read on the subject in the past years, the technology has grown tremendously. Rest assured if its a reputable shop with what they have available to them, your truck will come out looking like new again.

 

Most reputable body shops and paint-to-match aftermarket vendors, i.e. tonneau cover manufacturers, order custom mixed paints from suppliers. The most common and generally recognized highest-quality paints matched to factory colors use the DuPont ChromaPremier basecoat/clearcoat process. Mixes of these brand paints from a recipe assures perfect matches in most cases.

 

Did this for 15 years before burning out. They will take your code off the vehicle and mix a formula from the brand paint they use. Then a good shop will custom tint the paint to match. Otherwise they spray it and hope for the best. Very few Body shops if any buy paint from Ford. Some of the common colors come in what they call factory pack and is supposedly poured off a drum of the paint they used when painting them from the factory. The better shops will mix them thereselves and is why they will usually custom tint it before spraying. You should notice if the shop your going to has a mixing system in there shop. They are huge and very noticible.

Suprisingly white is the hardest color to match. Darker colors are generaly easier to match but the pearls can get tough like the true blue, DSG, etc.

We had DuPont ChromaPremier basecoat/clearcoat scanner and it was a joke. Usualy better off just starting from the code on the door and working from there. I might have usued the scanner on 1 of every 100 we painted. Just didn't work very well. We mixed all types of Dupont in house.

 

Well that's uncomforting. Those are my colors. So basically what you're telling me is that they mix paint by using the codes, and then eye it up until it looks about the same? How do they make it sparkly like the paint is now?

 

I have had body work done on my 1987 F150 and my 1998 F150. The 87 I had done at an expensive shop, they took the color match number, compensated for fade and took into account UV tint and stuff like that. Over three years it didn't fade evenly with the rest of the truck and wasn't too close to start with. A very noticeable difference was there. My 98 I took to a body shop down the road. he had a computer analyzer that had a diode, he took readings from five points along the bed (where the damage was) and he was able to match it perfectly. It has faded evenly and noone can tell any difference.

 

They will spray test panels till it's right if done properly. How do you get it sparkly,,, By spraying it on right, that's not the problem it is the tints that make the color off.

SlvrBltOffRoad, just because they used the computer and you liked it better doesn't necesarily meen the computer did all the work. It was the guy in the back spraying 20 test panels cause he saw you coming a mile away. The other guy just told you his rap to get you out the door. When I hear UV tint and stuff that is like the mechanic telling the lady she needs her air changed in the tires. I've never seen a can of UV tint and have mixed litteraly thousdands of gallons of paint from B/C clearcoat, Imron, Centari.

The modern basecoat clearcoat body shops get is identical to what the manufacturers are getting. Which is way different than it was 20 years ago.

IF you go in to pick up your truck and it is even remotley different in color they will redo it 99% of the time with a little bitching. You have to like it for them to get paid.

Generaly speaking taking a 2004 in 2004 and having paint work done is alot different that taking in a 1987 in 1997 and having paint work done. Alot less problems and more respect. Just used the years above as an example, not picking on ya bro!

 

My hood was fixed nad the paint matched perfectly. Aspen Green. My insurance company also guaranteed satisfaction of the job as it was the shop they recommended to the work. That meant to me that the shop was very reputable and did high quality. So I would go with your insurance companies recommended shop. It was a very good experience for me. Perfect paint job. No overspray or imperfections at all.

 

Well, I don't know about that. When I got in an accident with my Explorer XLT, they sent some nut job out there for estimates and he knew nothing. Thought I had an Eddie Bauer Edition and some additional features that my vehicle didn't even have. The shop I took it to had to re-do the whole estimate the guy made up. Then they jacked up my premium a lot. Still paying for it today. One minor fender bender in my 13 years of driving and they stuck it to me. Did your insurance go up even a penny?

 

No change to my insirance at all. I think the difference might be that my truck was parked and it was an "act of God" that damaged my truck and not a moving vehicle accident. I don't know if that played a role or not, but I'm not paying a cent more and the repair on the hood is also covered by my insurance. I'm in the military so I get my insurance through USAA (a great company).