Whether you are repairing a vehicle or restoring a classic car, you’re going to need to know how to find the right automotive paint for your project. Walking into your local automotive paint supply store and asking for “blue paint” isn’t sufficient. There are so many options to choose from. Most colors have shade variations, so you’ll need to choose from color chips, or have a specific color code.
Decide On Color
The first thing people notice about your car is the color. If you’re repairing a vehicle, finding the correct match for blending is very important. Auto paint codes are found by looking at the vehicle’s ID tag. This information can be found by asking your local automotive paint supply store staff, who will examine the paint code. You need to be cautious when dealing with paint codes, as sometimes the paint code on the vehicle does not match the color that was sprayed on the vehicle.
Certain paint codes have many variants. In this situation, the person mixing the paint will have to take the color chip variants and compare them to the vehicle for the best color match.
Choosing the right color for your project can be confusing due to the countless choices of automotive paint colors. Look at various auto magazines for ideas and inspiration from other car enthusiasts. Visit car shows and ask car club members for their advice — car club members are true auto enthusiasts. Visiting your local car dealerships to get ideas on color options is a good way of getting a true visual of colors.
Consult with your automotive paint supply store staff, as experienced store staff have a knack for envisioning the outcome of particular color schemes and know which colors are in style for most types of vehicles.
Find The Right Source
Not only do you have the choice of which color to paint your vehicle, you also get to choose which kind of paint to use. Automotive paints range from Single Stage (acrylic enamels to urethanes), which might be a good fit for solid colors to Two Stage (Basecoat-Clearcoat), meaning the color is applied first then followed by a glossy transparent clearcoat. This provides a great look and improved durability. Basecoat-Clearcoat is always the best choice for metallic or pearl colors.
Take advantage of the knowledgeable staff at your nearest automotive supply store to help you understand the pros and cons of different paint options and the best solution to complete your project.
