Reflex silver - advice on paintwork repair

[ST08]

Hi all,

I am new to the forum so I apologise if this has been covered in the past.

I have only had my T6 since November and unfortunately it got damaged between the purchase and collection on the passenger door by the wheel arch.

The garage agreed to repair the damage but unfortunately although a good repair it wasn’t the correct colour reflex silver. They have now had a chance to put it right and unfortunately it is a disaster as far as I am concerned.

Where the first repair was well restrained and kept to a minimum a few inches from the arch it now goes to about 2/3rds of the door and has left a raised paint line just above the crease line where they have over painted, there’s a scotching line here also, dirt in the paint and despite me being very strong on the fact it was the wrong colour the first time they have used the same paint colour again.

I guess what I’m trying to ask for advice on is can reflex silver be matched without it being noticeable (I appreciate it’s silver and may be at certain angles) or will I always have what is a very noticeable repair? On what was a perfect van when I agreed to buy and paid for it.

After the original repair

“Correction” of the original repair

Dirt in paint - multiple points hard to get a photo.

 

[Dellmassive]

This I believe is why body shops have to paint the whole panel, plus the panel either side.

Trying to blend in the paint will ways stand out.

The other problem is the paint on the van starts to fade and change colour from day one, from UV sunlight or what ever.... So fresh paint always looks wrong against existing paint.

The body shops will buy the correct paint, as there is only one reflex silver, but it will always look different.

The other issue is that it's a metallic paint, apparently one of the hardest painted to match due to the way the paint flecks lay.

So going by the book, you may need to have the wing, door and bonnet painted so that it blends in.?



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As an example when my van got smashed into I needed a new side slider, they painted the slider plus the panel either side, that was the the passenger door and the whole rear quarter, from the roof down to the floor. So basically the whole side of the van bar the wing!

When I asked why, they said that had to be done so then new painted slider wouldn't stand out..... It was an insurance job so all done by the book.


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[WillWillWill]

I agree with @Dellmassive that reflex silver is a pain to match, but it can be done a lot lot better than what you are looking at.

The colour is one thing (reflex silver should be the starting point for a good sprayer, who then adjusts it to match and blend) but dirt in the paint, scotch lines, different heights….. that’s just poor work.

When I got my van it had bad repairs done by a previous owner, this has all been sorted and it is perfect now. I am pretty picky over these things and I cannot find a blemish. It is reflex silver.

We also have a moondust silver metallic car which had a side scratch repaired by the same place. Again, you could never find the repair and I know they didn’t paint half a car to do that.

I think maybe you need to look for a better body shop. It is as much an art as it is a science, but plenty can do it and do it well.

Good luck.

 

[ST08]

Thanks for the reply @Dellmassive,

I did look at the work you had to have done last night, massive repair and really well done by the looks of it especially for an insurance job.

I guess this is what I was fearing really, if almost feels like I should have left it at the original repair and just ignored it but I’m a perfectionist so it’s hard to except when the van was mint before bar a few not obvious stone chips.

Will the paint continue to darken every time they correct what the have done do you know?

 

[ST08]

Thank you @WillWillWill,

I agree and I am aware of the pitfalls of silver and the average body shop if you like.

The body shop used by the garage does seem to do some amazing stuff (repairs and re sprays) so I was quite surprised the colour was out to start with, the chap was very good and said he would sort it so when I collected and found this on Friday I was very shocked as the first repair although the colour was wrong was well done.

I guess my only option is to talk it through with him and the garage as it’s not me paying but really don’t want it getting worse and worse