Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ radiator

Color Correction

DakotaTJ

TJ Enthusiast
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The front end of this bad boy was repainted at some point. I think 20ish years ago. Didn't notice when I bought it. Was a cloudy day. But the difference in color is driving me insane. The light in this picture really highlights the contract.

I've talked to a color correction guy and he said it would just make it more noticeable. Talked to a body shop about repainting the hood (was thinking black tube fenders at the time). Was quoted about $3k for the hood. So I'd assume another $2k for the fenders. I don't think it bothers me enough to spend that.

Any pointers? short of parking the front end to the south and letting the sun do its job, which should only take another 20 years.

IMG_1506.jpeg
 
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The front end of this bad boy was repainted at some point. I think 20ish years ago. Didn't notice when I bought it. Was a cloudy day. But the difference in color is driving me insane. The light in this picture really highlights the contract.

I've talked to a color correction guy and he said it would just make it more noticeable. Talked to a body shop about repainting the hood (was thinking black tube fenders at the time). Was quoted about $3k for the hood. So I'd assume another $2k for the fenders. I don't honk it bothers me enough to spend that.

Any pointers? short of parking the front end to the south and letting the sun do its job, which should only take another 20 years.

View attachment 618707

I'm afraid they will never match, no matter how long any part of it sits in the sun. No one who does paint finishing ("color correction") will be able to make it look better, either. This is not due to a breakdown of the surface material so can't be corrected in that manner, this is a mix/spray issue. Not sure if they used the wrong variant or flat out wrong color, but the difference in hue is quite remarkable, that's not a fade to match thing. Assuming this repair was done by a body shop, I'm kind of surprised they released it that way and/or that the customer accepted it.

In my opinion, the only way to fix this is to either respray the front half, rear half or whole vehicle. I suspect that's not what you wanted to hear. Unfortunately, paint work isn't particularly cheap.
 
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I had a shop called Paint Perfections paint one of my fender flares that the PO spilled something on it and ruined the paint. They color matched the rest of the Jeep perfectly. They charged $100. I wanted my current Jeep's hood, windshield frame and fenders repainted. I just couldn't spend the money and take a chance that the color wouldn't come out the same.
sahara2 (2017_11_20 00_38_12 UTC).jpg
 
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I wanted to repaint my hood, windshield frame, and fencers. I was quoted $1,250 and was going to do it.................until I saw a silver TJ that did the same thing, and the paint was 5 shades brighter than the rest of the faded Jeep.

Exact matches are very difficult, there are so many variables. Typically, only the replaced or repaired panels would be fully base/color coated, with a color blend being done on adjacent panels, everything being cleared coated after. Usually hard to tell if done properly, but spraying out test panels for the color is really important for getting things close.
 
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Obviously, the PO didn't take care of the original paint. You can see by level of oxidation and dullness on the original paint. I paid like $700 dollars to have my hood and door repainted due to bad body shop painting when I replaced them years prior. Luckily my original color was white and I fairly often waxed and coated my original paint. The rest of you Jeep looks like it was waxed in like never. The hood on your vehicle looks like the original color. The best way to fix it is to paint the entire vehicle, which shouldn't be too difficult, since it is basically not a color change. A reputable body shop should be able to do it for $2-3k. Some people just see dollar signs when customers come through the door. I had one shop quote me $3k for my seats. I found one guy, highly rated on Google who said that he could do it for $1.1k. I went with him and the job came out great. So, don't get too discouraged by scalpers. Good luck.
 
Obviously, the PO didn't take care of the original paint. You can see by level of oxidation and dullness on the original paint. I paid like $700 dollars to have my hood and door repainted due to bad body shop painting when I replaced them years prior. Luckily my original color was white and I fairly often waxed and coated my original paint. The rest of you Jeep looks like it was waxed in like never. The hood on your vehicle looks like the original color. The best way to fix it is to paint the entire vehicle, which shouldn't be too difficult, since it is basically not a color change. A reputable body shop should be able to do it for $2-3k. Some people just see dollar signs when customers come through the door. I had one shop quote me $3k for my seats. I found one guy, highly rated on Google who said that he could do it for $1.1k. I went with him and the job came out great. So, don't get too discouraged by scalpers. Good luck.

Thanks. The $15k was during a somewhat casual conversation, and I believe I was asking about a color change. Either way, I’ll probably call around to some of our surrounding cities to see if i could get a respray, same color, for a reasonable price. Next year though 😎. I’ve been plowing money into this thing since purchase.
 
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I'm afraid they will never match, no matter how long any part of it sits in the sun. No one who does paint finishing ("color correction") will be able to make it look better, either. This is not due to a breakdown of the surface material so can't be corrected in that manner, this is a mix/spray issue. Not sure if they used the wrong variant or flat out wrong color, but the difference in hue is quite remarkable, that's not a fade to match thing. Assuming this repair was done by a body shop, I'm kind of surprised they released it that way and/or that the customer accepted it.

In my opinion, the only way to fix this is to either respray the front half, rear half or whole vehicle. I suspect that's not what you wanted to hear. Unfortunately, paint work isn't particularly cheap.

Ideally. I’d get the front half resprayed. In my opinion it is too bright/teal. I think the rest is truly what gunmetal pearl (laughable name for this color) is supposed to look like. I’ve never actually seen another one in my area though.
 
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Shop around. Neighbor had a 4Runner painted for $3000. Told a co-worker and he got his BMW 540 painted for the same price. Both look exceptionally nice.
 
I had a shop called Paint Perfections paint one of my fender flares that the PO spilled something on it and ruined the paint. They color matched the rest of the Jeep perfectly. They charged $100. I wanted my current Jeep's hood, windshield frame and fenders repainted. I just couldn't spend the money and take a chance that the color wouldn't come out the same.
View attachment 618764

Nice looking Jeep! Colored parts all blending well with each other, awesome really. As an amateur designer wanna-be, have you ever thought about getting those beatiful rims painted to match?
 
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Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ radiator