too right! it sucks to wait a little longer - but never settle for 2nd best. You've done good. Hang in there BGGirl
More than likely they used the factory paint, correct code, etc. The problems arise with the manual mixing, air pressures, gun setting, speed of application, distance from surface during application, angle of spray at application, orifice size, booth lighting, etc. Matching complicated paint mixes and metalflakes is a difficult task. Not every paint guy is up to it. Some paints are harder than others. Best o' luck to you.
I would be careful and make sure the body shop does not just try and blend the bumber into the repair they already did.
I'm curious what the other side of car looks like i've looked at other summer rain c's on this site and every bumper is off color a bit. just saying
Showed the pictures to my husband, without the story, just the paint job... he took one look and said "Oh, hell no!"
You all are not going to believe this ( or maybe you will after seeing the paint job lol) but my parents were in town yesterday and since their insurance is paying for the repair, they wanted to go over to the body shop and check out the progress on the car. I was still at work so I didn't get to go. They told me that the new paint job looks much better but while they were there, the body shop guy said that they used the paint codes this time! Uh, I guess that means they just made it up on their own last time??? I am extremely disappointed that a Toyota body shop wouldn't use the codes available to them the FIRST time!! *sigh* anyways, they still had to buff on it but it should be ready on Monday. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it is okay...
2 things would upset me about these events. First, I don't like the idea that the body shop initially tried to pass off a paint match job that poor as being simply a trick of the light or shade. I can believe even a good body shop can make a mistake, but what I can't believe is that a good body shop wouldn't immediately notice it. Telling you your car was ready, and even trying to get you to take it in that shape, was the lower end of professionalism. Secondly? Unless the "Body Shop Guy" was just kidding or being sarcastic, the admission that they "used the paint codes this time" , would also make me upset. As a consumer having your vehicle fixed, if it was a joke, it wasn't funny. If they were being serious, it's further evidence of nonprofessional behavior. I had a similar experience with my Honda Fit which suffered a slightly damaged bumper that needed to be repaired. Similar in that when I went to pick it up and was assured as I was walked out to my vehicle that it looked great, I immediately noticed the bumper guard was replaced in the wrong area, and crooked. In my case they tried the same thing, trying to convince me that I was wrong about the placement of the bumper guard. About 5 seconds of research on the internet brought up undeniable proof that they had placed the guard in the wrong area...separate from also being crooked. Honestly, I can accept mistakes....they happen. I don't like it when body shops try to shuffle off a mistake by hoping the customer doesn't notice or doesn't care.
Electric- I totally agree with you on everything you said!! I was very disappointed with them because they had worked on my other car before and done what I thought was a pretty good job. The fact that he tried to talk me into it just being the light and also that they were going to allow subpar work off the lot is just unprofessional. I had always recommended them before but will never do that again! They are also pretty condescending to me when I come in there. Maybe that is why they thought they could talk me into taking the car and that I was just seeing things when I said that the paint was wrong.
Good morning BGGirl, was it yesterday you were going to pick up your car ? How does it look this time? I would be furious if any shop treated my my wife like they are treating you. As long as you won't be using them again, maybe you could drop their E-Mail address here and we can drop them a note also.
Thanks MNBud- I aprreciate the thought of sending emails but I'd better not. The good news is that I was able to pick up my C today!! YAY! I could have picked it up this morning but it was cloudy and misty so I thought it would be better to wait until the sun was out at least a little so that I could make a better judgment on how they did it a second time. I was pleased to see that it was much better and I asked them what the difference was this time.. he said that the machine gave them the mixture to use but when they had to repaint it they got the formula. They said that there were two formulas for Summer Rain Metallic, an American formula and a Japanese formula. The first color they put on was the American formula but mine was the Japanese formula. I am not sure how much of that is true but apparently it helps when you get the codes because this time it is a pretty good match. I do realize that the bumper and the quarterpanel are different materials so they will never be perfect shades but the first try was completely off. Let me know what you think! I think the metallic is much better on this one (hard to see in the pic) and when I compare the drivers side with the passenger side-they look the same as far as the tiny difference between the bumper and the metal.
Looks great! Glad to know they can do it if they actually try. Good for you for putting your foot down, and not accepting it before.
Looks SO much better! Would be interesting if someone can validate if there are multiple codes based on distribution. Given the differences in trim level and naming conventions already in existence, I guess I wouldn't be surprised by color code/formula differences as well.
I'll bet the American/Japanese formula story is false. Sounds like a crude attempt at a copout to me.
Much, much better... though to my eye the bumper still appears a wee tad lighter. I still think you should have demanded they repaint the whole car in one color, but that's just me feeling put out on your behalf. Congratulations, and tell your dad not to do that again! ;-)
Navy- I thought it seemed a little strange too.. especially since they had already said that they hadn't used the codes the first time... and also since all of our C's come from Japan.
Roc- I wondered about the bumper looking different too but wanted to take into consideration that they are different materials. So for comparison I went and looked at the only other C I have ever seen in town which also happens to be a SRM (they happen to park it near where I work)- there was a smidge shade difference between the bumper and the metal too so I felt better.
That must be an artifact of SRM itself... Just took a good, long look at my blue streak out in the bright sunlight and I do not see a discernible difference between body and bumper colors. Anyway, as long as YOU are happy (or at least content), that's all that really matters.