rangelr1

My 08 black corvette Z06 needs a spot repair. I'm looking to take the somewhat ambitious task to repair a panel that has a deep scratch...the fiberglass is still intact however I'll have to use body filler.

Please assume that the scratch has been prepped, i.e. body fillerd, sanded and primered and is ready for paint.

I'll need the black paint, clear coat to finish the job. Can someone provide the exact paint specs including manufacture for both the paint and the clear. Which spray gun should I use? I'm not to go the cheap route, I want the best quality paint job I can get.

Thanks

eroc022

a LOT of possibilities here....

you need your paint to match, that being said there were a few different black variations, so take your vin to the paint shop and they will get you the correct one...

next what paint are you getting? top brands like PPG, DuPont, Glasurit... then you have other lines like shopline and nason.... I prefer PPG, and the shopline is what I painted my splitters in and it was a good match...

Guns will all come down to preference and skill, and technique..

I can make my 30 dollar gun look just as good as my 400 dollar gun.... also a large part on prep and finishing technique...

best bang for the buck is going to be take it to a small shop that does work on the side, and will do it right... otherwise your 800$ bill in parts will easily look dumb compared to a 200$ bill from the shop....

Frankie2blue

By time you buy the primer, paint and clear, gun and air supply and buffer along with polish compounds etc. you will be far better off taking it to a shop for a small repair. It will also be a better job unless you plan on taking this up for a hobby. This work takes experience to really get it right.

Mixxedupmedia

What Frankie said.

Mark2009

The RPO paint code for black for your year is 41U. Your paint store should be able to use that to ID the particular shade of black. Might want to give them the year too. As to the clear, I don't know if there is a code for that so just give them the make, model, and year. From many years past I would assume you would be buying paint from someone like PPG, Ditzler, or Dupont. Commercial automotive supplier (AutoZone ain't gonna cut it).

I'm unclear if you are trying to spot in the repair or paint the whole panel. The latter would be best, depending on the panel. If you're going to try to blend in a spot on a panel, that is going to be very rough for a beginner. So, advise on that.

Siphon gun will work (what the basic body shops use, or used to use), but I'm thinking you should remove the panel if you can and take it to a pro. You've got temperature and humidity to deal with, crap getting on the paint before it dries if you don't have a filtered booth, viscosity adjustments (do you know what a centistoke is?), retarder, reducer, fisheye eliminator, literally all kinds of crap to know before the first squeeze of the spray gun. A first time effort from a newbie will probably take several efforts (days, even) to get right. Painting is as much art as skill. Been there done that

eroc022

not trying to say you are wrong, but there are some conflicting things on what you have stated, the factory code might be 41U, but there are different variations of that color.... I have an 07 and there is at least 7 different variations of black,

also I was going to touch on some other things you stated, but in concept it is correct.....

again I am not trying to start a fight or argue, I just dont want somebody showing up thinking the code will automatically give them the right variation of the color... then be unhappy and go back and start a fight with a paint shop....

Mark2009

7 different variations of the 2007 Corvette exterior color known as black/41U?

While I suppose other brands of vehicle may use the same code for a different color, I'm thinking that if the whole enchilada -- in the OP's case, 2008 Corvette black 41U -- is provided to the paint store they can mix up the correct color. In fact, I doubt they'd even need the RPO code, but I can't see how it would hurt (such as in certain years there may be two shades of red, for example -- knowing the exact code would prevent any mix up. See http://paintref.com/cgi-bin/colorcod...r=2007&rows=50 for two examples of red -- Victory [74] and Monterey [80]).

Edit: 2008 GM 41U crosses to GM paint code WA8555... a.k.a. black, raven black, sable black, and starlight black. All the same color. http://paintref.com/cgi-bin/colorcod...et&sname=Black.

And http://paintref.com/cgi-bin/colorcod...r=2008&rows=50.
.

eroc022

Most car manufacturers have three major paint suppliers. The manufacturer decides on a standard color for production and submits a painted sample to their suppliers. The paint manufacturer then produces a formula for the “standard sample” and is allowed a tolerance of plus or minus 5% when they deliver the paint.

This is the first problem because the plant in the east coast may be getting a 5% shade greener on a blue metallic standard and the plant in the west coast may be getting a 5% shade violet on the same blue metallic standard. When compared side by side, they look like a completely different color. This is the reason the paint manufacturers usually have the standard formula followed by two alternates. If the alternates are not available, the painter in the body shop usually mixes the standard formula and tints it accordingly.

The second reason for variances in paint colors is the metallic color applications. The metallic colors are now classified in 7 categories. Extra fine, fine, medium, medium coarse, coarse, and extra coarse. The metallic colors control the value (lightness and darkness) of the color similar to what white does in a pastel color.

Metallic colors will cause variances in color when applied. Temperature, paint film thickness, flash off time between coats, fluid tip sizes, speed of the spray gun, surface type (Plastic or Metal) and humidity will all cause the color to shift lighter or darker.

The rule of thumb: the longer it takes to dry, the darker the color will change as it dries. This is caused by pigment floatation. The metallic flakes will settle down to the bottom of the paint film and push the pigment up causing the color to shift darker.

The reasons above only mention the variables at the car manufacturers level. So what happens to a color after three years of sunshine? Many people think that colors do not change, but they do, and I will prove it. If you own a car that is at least three years old and has been out in the sun most of the time, remove a pinstripe and you will see the original color when you bought the car.

The sunlight has ultra-violet, and has absorbed some of the pigments. Blue metallic colors sometimes shift to a greener shade, and reds will turn pinkish or more orange. The auto body shop has to deal with matching an oxidized color in addition to new OEM colors. The new paint to be applied will look brighter and cleaner but the rest of the car looks dead even if you polish it.

Auto Body Shops today have a greater challenge than just color match. The texture or (Orange Peel) also has to match the original finish in order for it to look pre-accident condition. This can be accomplished by using the proper spray gun, polishing equipment and experience.

Mark2009

Clearly this an amateur DIY project. While all the certainly valid concerns you stated are even more evidence that if his repair is sizable or prominent he should seek the services of a pro, the OP's initial concern was simply how to get the right color. Faded or not.

eroc022

Very true, which is why I initially replied with:

acrace

You can remove your gas filler, place it next to/on top of the panel that you want to refinish, see if you like that color match, and then take the gas filler to the paint supply shop. Make sure that your paint source is a top notch source.

SIC_C6

u need to let a professional do it. ur first time shouldnt be on ur vette.

GMuffley

Yeah, I wouldn't even try.