Help!! Car painted wrong color!!

[jason2guy]

guys i need your advice. long story short. my car is in the paint shop getting a full respray (glasurit). i told the guy to paint it the original color (474 palisander metallic) kind of a dark brown metallic. so when the guy finishes spraying the car he calls me and tells me to come down and check it out. i knew right away it wasnt right. i told him i thought it would be different, he says that is the original color. i told him it was too reddish and not metallic enough, he didnt listen. so i finally i got up the nerve to tell him it wasnt right. he said it was done and thats it. i asked him for a discount because it isnt the right color ($3250 orig price) he said no. im gonna pick the car up today. is this something for small claims court. and if so what do you think my chances are?

[boyo]

Did you look at samples ahead of time? Paint shops will mix up and paint on a piece of scrap so you know what you're getting. If it didn't match the sample, I'd imagine you have a case.

-Boyo

[OVRSTR]

Jason, are you sure you were taking into account the effects age and fading might have had on the paint? I'm certainly not saying you're wrong, I'm just throwing another variable out there. Maybe the color is right minus 22 years of aging.

[targa80]

Is there some where on the car that shows the original color. In the interior under the carpeting. Engine compartment near the shock mounts. Some where on the car you should be able to find some remnant of the original color unless the first respray was a total chassis strip down.

[patalive]

Two things - - presumably your contract/receipt specifies the color (474) - - - if this gets nasty, go to several other paint shops and see if they can/will provide you a sample of 474. Even if you have to pay for the samples, it would be worth it. If the samples provided by the other shops are the same as what is on the car, then he wins. On the other hand if the samples are, among themselves similar, but signifcantly different from your car's new color, then you have a case, or so it would seem to me.

Chuck
93 C2

[jason2guy]

good idea. i actually called a place yesterday and ordered a 1/2 pint of the color. the door jams and everywhere besides the exterior are the orig paint, and you can plainly see that its different. if the sample is different im goona go to court. its a shame because the shop did and excellent job on the car and reaaly fast too (3 weeks)

[bob tilton]

just to add to chuck's advice - be careful that you do not mention the shop's name or reasons for a sample. these guys all talk to one another and the info might help give your shop some ammo.

[Kurt B]

Please post pics. This is a thread that is pointless without pics!

[jason2guy]

after i pick it up ill post before and afters

[cegerer]

Man, that really sucks. I guess another lesson learned for those considering paint - get a sample first! -- Curt

[Jbabic]

BBB ...log a complaint. They should be able to tell you want you can do...Better Business Bureau

[jason2guy]

im going to go the court route. i dont want to file a complaint w/bbb because the shop was really cool about everything, well except this issue of course. ill start w/a few samples and seeif im crazy or they just mixed it wrong. the guy is telling me they put the code in the computer and it gives them the formula. i said yeah thats just it, the computer doesnt mix the paint a person mixes the paint and that leaves room for error

[jason2guy]

there is actually 2 problems w/the paint. the tone is off, the orig color is a dark brown, the new color is a reddish brown and not dark enough. second, there is not enough metallic in the paint, the new paint almost looks opaque instead of metallic

[Randy Webb]

I would contact the state AG's office and consumer affairs dept. That puts the guy into their database and will be cheaper than ct. and gives you 2 shots at him. be sure you have written docs to prove your case. Why didn't he do a sample spray for you first? Ask him that. Also ask him to show you the paint cans. Maybe he used the wrong brand or something like that. Also are you talking to the owner or just a flunkie? Tell the owner you want to avoid filing a ct. case.... And maybe pay an atty $50 to send a letter. Might scare him into doing the right thing.

[don911]

I just looked on paintscratch.com,
According to PS, L474 is Rosewood metallic....assuming the year is 1981. From your description, this sounds like the color your got on your car.
I didn't see palisander metallic listed for a 81SC.
Are you sure of your paint code?

[David Bahr]

As a data point, I had a paint shop custom mix some signal orange for my 914. VERY common color (Porsche and VW). Wasn't even close; too yellow. There was another difference in texture (hard to define) probably due to different paint technology today versus 1972; would the same color code look different in different kinds of paint? But definitely mistakes are possible.

Get competing samples and make your case. Good luck!

[nick-moss]

Peter Morgan's book shows the '81 colour 474 as Rosewood Metallic. Where did your paint code come from?

[jason2guy]

its kinda weird as far as the code goes. 474 is listed as both rosewood metallic and palisander metallic in years 81 and 82.
under my deck lid it says, 474 palisander metallic. i just got back from the shop. it really sucks because the paint job is great, no orange peel, great shine, they even put the car back together well. its just not the color i ordered. this actually happened to me last time i had a car painted, a 914. i served the shop with the papers and they called right away and ended up repainting the car and fixing some shoddy bodyworl, but that was only 700 bucks not 3250!!!! point being i think the threat of small claims court will be enough for these guys to settle out of court. the question is how much?

[jason2guy]

its looks like tomorrow to get the car back. but for now here are some before and durings

[jason2guy]

this is the color i had in my head