Are factory colors extra vibrant?

Arrowhead

Oldtimer
Although I have limited experience painting, it seems that when I spray factory colors they turn out more vibrant than the original oem production paint job. For instance, I've painted a few cars and done more paint spray out samples of different oem colors and it always seems like the the final product is more vibrant and the metallics more "sparkly" than the factory paint jobs of the same paint color code. I'm wondering if the factory formulas are made this way on purpose because the process the factory uses actually dulls them down some in actual production. Does that make any sense?
 
It can go both ways. I've seen factory colors with more vibrant flops in particular. It's a rare day when a mixed (metallic in particular) color matches well enough for a "butt match." The only real takeaway is that you can count on needing to tint or adjust a color mixed for refinish work, and that you will also likely need to blend color onto adjacent panels if the repair work comes to within a foot of that next panel.
 
Two things to consider, first the mil thickness from factory Counting e-coat, base and clear.
F250 Black--4.6 mils average
Z71 black 4.2 mils
Infinity silver 4.4 mils
Keep in mind two wet coats of Universal will beat this by a mile.

Second thing to consider, almost no flash times, so paint is cloudy to a point and you can polish it out to a better gloss, at the risk of killing the clear
mils and now shortening the paint job life.
 
with the flux compasitor hooked to them the flake will stand on end . cant do that with a paint gun.
 
All the mottled paint I see on the factory stuff sure proves robotics aren't perfect.
 
I think what it shows is that a really good factory paint job isn't the goal, or it isn't important to the manufacturer. Based on what I see, pretty much ANY manufacturer.
 
supply and demand. people will drop 50k on a new car that looks like crap, but if they spend 5k on it they want it show quality. i stopped playing that game . if they balk at the price i add to it so they will go away .
 
Much disappointment in the paint finish on the new corvettes. The 2014 Stngray I saw up close and personal had more craters than a bad case of high school acne.
 
Arrowhead;36536 said:
Much disappointment in the paint finish on the new corvettes. The 2014 Stngray I saw up close and personal had more craters than a bad case of high school acne.

I bought a 2011 Jet stream blue, the paint option for that color was like $1000-1500 extra and I wanted to pull in in the garage the day I got it home and repaint but wife did not like that idea.
John who works for me, took the car home and clay bared the car, improved it 200% but not what you would expect for a car that cost so much.
 
We had a few engineers come through a GM dealership I worked at when they were still testing up here and I cornered them and pointed out all the orange peel on the new vettes and there reason for the texture then was for durability-less prone to rock chips compared to a perfectly smooth surface. I've been scratching my head over that one for years...
 
Barry;36447 said:
Two things to consider, first the mil thickness from factory Counting e-coat, base and clear.
F250 Black--4.6 mils average
Z71 black 4.2 mils
Infinity silver 4.4 mils
Keep in mind two wet coats of Universal will beat this by a mile.

Second thing to consider, almost no flash times, so paint is cloudy to a point and you can polish it out to a better gloss, at the risk of killing the clear
mils and now shortening the paint job life.


Good explanation.. I struggle explaining this to people.
 
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