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The $320 car paint that changes color with the weather

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Old 10-11-13, 05:53 AM
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bagwell
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Default The $320 car paint that changes color with the weather

http://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoram...202243894.html

Remember as a kid when you yearned for those crazy Hot Wheels cars that changed color when you dunked them in hot and cold water? It was about as much fun as you could have, short of striking first in a game of roshambo.

It's the kind of fun you just can't have as an adult. Fortunately, a small UK body shop called Auto Kandy claims to have created a solution for those still dreaming of multi-colored Mustangs: Paint your car in thermochromic paint, and have yourself a full-size Hot Wheels color shifter.

As the video below documents, the car used to showcase the wacky paintwork is an orange Nissan Skyline R33. By pouring cold water on the car, the paint transforms from orange to deep purple. While lacking smoke, the heat-sensitive paint adjusts its coloring via pigments, changing color as the temperature swings. The whole process costs just $320, but it will only last four to six months, due to excessive damage from UV light exposure.

It begs the question: What's the point? After all, it looks as if the car's been vandalized by a giant flock of pigeons that feed only on purple Skittles. And how bored must you be to pour cold water on your car, only for it to change back minutes later as the temperature normalizes? Personally, I'd rather the ChromaFlair colorings used on cars like the TVR Tuscan. That way, I wouldn't look as if I'd bumped into Barney after an all-night bender.
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Old 10-11-13, 09:02 AM
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mmarshall
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That probably wouldn't work in some circumstances. DMV registration forms and Federal military/security passes for private cars often require the car's paint-color to be recorded on them. I don't think that putting down "Varies" for the color is a legal option on those forms.
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Old 10-11-13, 10:38 AM
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gengar
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When I was a kid I had a couple matchbox-sized toy cars that did this. Not sure it really works on the real life thing.
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Old 10-11-13, 11:02 AM
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I8ABMR
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Saw this video a while back and seems cool but not if its going to get pink when its hot , plus how do you register a vehicle that changes color.
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Old 10-11-13, 11:56 AM
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Harbinger
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Interesting. Fairly inexpensive and temporary - along the lines of plastidipping a car to change things up regularly.
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Old 10-11-13, 01:52 PM
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ColtM4A3
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I remember talking to a paint rep back in the 90's about this. He said the FBI asked them not to pursue making it because of ID'ing cars at crime scenes.
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Old 10-11-13, 03:46 PM
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MoparMan
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Ive seen on youtube law enforcement might use that to make a stealth cop car. but In real life, that paint is hard as **** to paint. Everything has to be perfect, and I bet the paint wont work like that after a couple years, due to the UV damage it will get. Id rather have the glow in the dark stuff, then again if I had to make the choice.
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Old 10-11-13, 04:07 PM
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Did anyone else have Hypercolor Shirts growing up?

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