Hey, just curious...

I have a sorta 'off-white' Z28 which has a few small body flaws, mostly hidden. These are however, a little too big to look decent being done with a touch up bottle and a brush. Is there anywere i can go to basically get car paint the same color as my body, but in a spray can? Would a dealer be able to do this? Body shop maybe?

 

I've found that DupliColor matches pretty well to factory colors. You can get it in most auto parts stores.

 

There are alot of places that can put the actual paint in a spray bomb... We have a place here that sells it..you just bring them your paint code, and $45 later you have your proper paint.

 

Try your local auto parts chain stores for the correct color. That's a lot cheaper than a $45 can at a body supply store. I did some bodywork on one of my previous cars and matched the paint from the cans at Pep Boys. It matched, but not perfectly because the rest of the car had faded. I buffed the whole car out and then you couldn't tell.

 

Cool... does anyone know what my paint code would be? This is the car:

 

BTW, thats an '83 Z28.

 

I just fixed a fender on my Nissan 240SX(everyday driver). A local auto store that mixes paint had a some sort of scanner that they scanned my car with to pick up the color. Then they mixed the paint to match and put it in a spray can. Cost $20 for the first can and $10 for each additional can.

It doesn't match very well though except at certain angles in bright sunlight. I think it was b/c I sprayed it again after the first coat dried which caused the second coat to look darker. I went to thin the first time. Still wouldn't have matched the first time but would have been better.

Don't bother with the paint code b/c it will never match. Due to years of fading and different paint product lots you're better off trying the scanned paint matching method. I'd test it on some other metal to see how close the color really is. Make sure if you spray it that light coats are good but too light gives a very grainy look. Slightly heavy without going crazy gives a nice smoother shiny appearance.

 

Ok, thanks Ryn... do you know that name of that scanning thing?

 

I believe the scanning thing is part of the whole system. From what I can get off the label on the can it looks like it's called, "Chromavision Color Matching System" It's also what's used at many major autobody repair shops to help them mix color. You can go this site and on the homepage you can see a guy using one of the scan things(small pic):

http://www.johnsonautopaint.com/cmchromavision.htm

Of course they blend their painted panel to the adjacent panels for a perfect look. Make sure you sand and primer first though for good adhesion and finish.

 

I don't like to use the cans of touch-up paint (Duplicolor, PlastiKote) for a few reasons.
First off, I have seen cans that say "Matches OEM colors" not match brand new vehicles. No amount of blending in the world could make it work.
Second, those cans use paint that dissolves in itself. If you spray a second coat of Duplicolor, the first layer will soften up and even may even blister or peel (it even says so in the fine print on the can).