Paint doesn't match
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 5
Likes: 1
From: NJ
Paint doesn't match
Ok, maybe I am crazy. My car is a 2011 Starfire Pearl RX 350. My front and rear bumpers do not match the paint on the rest of the car. I am sure it is because of plastic verses metal surfaces that are being painted. Has anyone else noticed this? It is driving me nuts. Not a drastic difference but noticeable to me.
Driver
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 198
Likes: 4
From: Ontario
I don't know of any auto manufacturer that produces and paints its own bumpers. They are usually purchased from a company that deals with plastics and painting of plastics - which require a different paint application than that of metal - there has to be flex in the paint. When I toured the Cambridge Lexus Plant in November, the bumpers arrived already painted. I know BMW and GM buys bumpers already painted.... so its not surprising that there might be a slight variation in paint colour.
dentate
Oshawa, ON
dentate
Oshawa, ON
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Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,419
Likes: 10
From: ON, Canada
No real issues on Tungsten Pearl. The problem is with the white colour. Bumper has flexing agent for the paint to stick properly with the plastic. Any slight color mismatch is obvious on white if you take a closer look.
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 12
Likes: 1
From: California
2015 Starfire Pearl RX-350 - very noticeable color mismatch
My new (2015) Starfire pearl RX-350 has very noticeable color difference between plastic parts and the rest of the body. The read bumper sticks out the most.
The difference is not obvious under the sunlight, but very apparent in the shade or even in twilights. Dirty car also aggravates the difference.
The dealer tried to dissuade me from fixing it. The only thing they could do would be to re-paint bumper locally which would mean repaired look (since every bumper has the VIN written on it sowewhere) and less durable surface. They do not offer to just install new bumpers of the right color.
The difference is not obvious under the sunlight, but very apparent in the shade or even in twilights. Dirty car also aggravates the difference.
The dealer tried to dissuade me from fixing it. The only thing they could do would be to re-paint bumper locally which would mean repaired look (since every bumper has the VIN written on it sowewhere) and less durable surface. They do not offer to just install new bumpers of the right color.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 897
Likes: 56
From: IL
Ok, maybe I am crazy. My car is a 2011 Starfire Pearl RX 350. My front and rear bumpers do not match the paint on the rest of the car. I am sure it is because of plastic verses metal surfaces that are being painted. Has anyone else noticed this? It is driving me nuts. Not a drastic difference but noticeable to me.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,567
Likes: 87
From: NJ
i think its a common thing . To get an absolute perfect match of shade, even from the same source of paint. All the plastic has to be hanging on the car during the spray which i don't think they do at the factory.
Mismatch can be seen with inexperienced painters as well at body shops. Take 2 doors and one source of paint.., lay one flat and spray it and hang the other one as it would hang on a car and spray it. The results would look like 2 different colors.
Mismatch can be seen with inexperienced painters as well at body shops. Take 2 doors and one source of paint.., lay one flat and spray it and hang the other one as it would hang on a car and spray it. The results would look like 2 different colors.