Paint Problem on S2k

Shift518 Automotive
1

Hey guys, I just traded in my FA5 to pick up a 08 S2K- I know there’s a few amazing S2ks on this board, so I figured I’d come here with my first problem…

When I first got it, it had license plates holes drilled in and some decent sized dings and scrapes on the front bumper. I figured I would go to Neals on Central to get it smoothed/debadged/resprayed. I chose Neals because they had done flawless work for me in the past with my SI’s hood/bumper. I’ve got a Chicane silver paint job, with (what I consider) mint paint on the rest of the car. Anyway, I got the car back and while the body work was awesome, the paint match was really bad, imo. Check out the pics I attached (not sure how to post them in the message itself).

In fact, at first I was convinced they used the “Moonrock” color that also came on S2ks; it’s that much darker than the rest of my car in daylight. In my garage it somehow looks way lighter than the car, and in other lights, it just looks like a totally different shade of silver.

Either way, it looks fucked with the rest of the car. When I emailed in Neal responded that he used the right paint, and that there is “only one formula for that color.” He says he thinks the hood is faded/weathered and suggested trying to paint the hood and blend the fenders. I’m kinda stuck, not sure to do. Part of me just questions how that can even be the right paint, I mean, how can the hood be THAT faded from five years of garaged ownership (has 20K miles). The rest of the paint is in nice condition imo, and idk if I trust them to blend it into the fenders and paint the hood and have it look perfect, or “right.” Will this really hide the issue? Plus, it’s all added expense that, honestly, I feel like it kinda sucks seeing how the paint match isn’t even close to my eyes. I realize that paint adheres differently to plastic, metal, etc. and that it’s entirely possible the paint has faded a bit, but I can’t live with it like this.

Suggestions guys?

2

Paint is very hard to match and blend without the car being there you have to take in like he said fading and what not paint def fades idk how much in 5 years but you can never paint a plastic part off the car and expect it to match to metal plastic absorbes paint differently too, and blending is a must when reprinting mike from Crc should chime in on this

3

That looks like a fucking joke, will not even be close if you blend it.

4

If there is metal flake in the paint it will look off to if its not sprayed in the same direction as the factory paint

There’s a lot of factors when painting and without the car being there and blending the paint its very hard to match especially a silver

5

Give him the chance to make it right WITHOUT blending everything first, he’s been in business long enough and has the know how to tint his colors and make it close. That is so far off the blend would have to be stretched like crazy.

6

Kinda what my thoughts were about a blend…

7

lol wut.

8

There’s definitely a metal flake in it’

9

i feel like he DEF got the paint code wrong or his paint company got a bad batch… buddy of mine sprayed my bumper and it came out like shit twice, turns out dupont made bad batches.

If he doesnt make that shit right you take him to small claims court and one pic of the cars dif paint and youll be gettin your money back lol…

let mike wood fix that if he doesnt

10

Well, his quote was, “the only thing we could do is blend the color into the hood and fenders.”

I would think there has to be a way to better match it with a respray, right?

11

Yes, and the first problem is they actually bolted that shit up to the car. whoever was assembling the car should have been like wtf and fixed the problem before you were called and told it was ready. And if there really is only 1 variance to the color, that is enough to have the paint rep come out and give a hand as well.

12

I 100% agree, I didn’t pick the car up from the shop (my father did, he works in Albany), but I cannot believe they let it go like that- with that vast a difference.

13

I’d also skip e-mails and go there. most likely the color will be off like someone else said from the plastic/metal alone so you have to have your mind made up with your expectations. Honda colors suck…in PPG that is

14

S2000s have a 3 stage paint job. They are very hard to match even with the correct “formula”. In short, they fucked you, it’s not a faded hood its a bad match.

Take it over to harts collision in east greenbush and get it done right

15

And if you ever need a hand with your s2k hit me up

16

For some reason silver is a bit hard to match. My brother’s truck has been smacked up a few times and the paint doesnt match all that well on different panels.

Ive also seen the paint stores screw up a can of paint like the one time I was working on a forest green Grand Am and the paint came out a much lighter brighter green and looked awful.

17

JSE, have you had paint work done with Harts? What was your experience like?

18

Will do- already have some things in mind’ REALLY fun car

19

I had them paint my s2k 2 years ago and just had them do a bumper a month or so ago for the ap2 conversion. They do awesome work and at a fair price, Alex is the owner, he’s a great guy

20

Very fun car and a down right race car with very little work. I have 3 right now.