Rattle can paint suppliers, Know any good ones? Options

[dgbldr]

I need to use rattlecan paint once in a while for small things. The one I've used, http://www.automotivetouchup.com/, doesn't match well (3L2 red). I've also looked at the thread where purplegt4 painted his skirts and that paint (from paintscratch.com) didn't seem a perfect match either, but I don't know if that car was faded.

Does anyone have a source of paint that matches well?

[presure2]

I need to use rattlecan paint once in a while for small things. The one I've used, http://www.automotivetouchup.com/, doesn't match well (3L2 red). I've also looked at the thread where purplegt4 painted his skirts and that paint (from paintscratch.com) didn't seem a perfect match either, but I don't know if that car was faded.

Does anyone have a source of paint that matches well?

its nearly impossible to get a perfect match every time.

there are "alternates" designated by the OEM's for color variences, for instance even toyota 202 "black"
has 4 basecoat alternates.

the only way to really match paint like that is to have your local paint supplier "chip" your car, with the paint system that is going to be used color chips.

3l2 (or any red for that matter) is one of those that has a bunch of alternates which makes it hard to get a good match with out of a spraycan.

[dgbldr]

Well, I haven't heard of these "alternates" before, but I can tell you that paint I bought in quarts at the local paint store (for spray gun use) DID match perfectly without any tinkering. Nor did they ask for anything more than the code.

They DID ask me for the year and model (and the on-line suppliers did also), so I assume that all 96 Celicas were painted the same color red. Are you saying this is not true?

[96bluevert]

Sorry to sort of thread jack, but on a similar note. Would the rattlecans from websites like posted above be at least a pretty good match to the OEM paint? ( I know they wouldn't be great, but just wondering how noticable the diffeence would be).

[presure2]

Well, I haven't heard of these "alternates" before, but I can tell you that paint I bought in quarts at the local paint store (for spray gun use) DID match perfectly without any tinkering. Nor did they ask for anything more than the code.

They DID ask me for the year and model (and the on-line suppliers did also), so I assume that all 96 Celicas were painted the same color red. Are you saying this is not true?

yes, its all the same paint code, but there are "variences" of each.

::edit:: after a quick look, that code only has 1 alternate, so matching "should" be easy. in that case, its probaby a case of a bad mix.
here is a screenshot of 2 diffrent toyota codes, first yours, than one with more alternates.

[attachment=1099:8l2_alte..._Medium_.JPG]

this is toyota 1c8, lunar mist metallic
[attachment=1100:1c8_alte..._Medium_.JPG]

[dgbldr]

96bluevert: the red I got from Automotivetouchup.com was too dark. If you're painting a mirror for example, or something unconnected, you might get away with it, although I can personally spot it from quite a distance. If you do a spot repair or paint something that's right against the old paint, like a door handle, no way. The difference just jumps at you. It's a small difference, but very noticeable.

Edit: I DID try different color primers as an experiment (light/dark). When properly applied, the color coat was saturated enough to where there was no visible difference due to primer color.

Presure2, thanks for the interesting info. The other interesting point I came across is the type of paint used for the rattlecans. One site makes a point of saying laquers and enamels are outdated and undesirable, but none of them say what they actually supply. I did find a local outfit that will fill aerosol cans with proper urethane basecoat, at about the same price as the online suppliers, but they require a minimum order of 6 cans. That gets a little expensive, especially if it doesn't match. I'll have to talk to them some more about chipping it.

This post has been edited by dgbldr: Nov 22, 2008 - 1:21 PM

[njccmd2002]

www.paintscratch.com

[dgbldr]

www.paintscratch.com

Did you buy from them? What color? How well did it match?

This post has been edited by dgbldr: Nov 23, 2008 - 11:27 AM

[njccmd2002]

not yet, somebody here did.

[richee3]

The little spot right on my front bumper under the grille needed some touching up a few months ago since it has 11 years worth of rock chips and other damage to it. I need the whole front bumper repainted, but I don't have the money for that (paying for college sucks.) So what I did is I went to AutoZone and bought a can of Duplicolor Toyota black paint. It was spray paint on a black car, so I thought it'd stick out like a sore thumb, but surprisingly enough, it matched perfectly and you can't even feel it when you run your hand over it.

Then again, I only used it once and used it very lightly, just enough to hide a few blemishes. I wouldn't risk that again.