Spray Job gone bad

[Clean 2.0 nova]

My vehicle is currently at body shop after all new wings and sills fitted at huge expense. I asked for Arden blue (New Astra VXR etc colour) with a light coating of silver metal flakes.

I today visited the body shop as the vehicle has been sprayed and the metal flakes look terrible. The vehicle has been lacqured as well now (accessory items + bumpers not yet done). As it looks so bad I asked what could be done and was quoted another ?500 for a rub down and re-lacquer to get rid of flakes. This may damage the base coat that may need re-applying (body shop not very happy about re-doing job and snapped when I suggested I may get another quote).

This is all my mistake by choosing flakes but ?500 seems steep, What work is involved in getting the bare shell back and rubbing / re-lacquering + is it easy to do?

[peester]

usual story then.. i think everyones heard more bodyshop horrer stories then had hot dinners.
To me at least, that just seems to 'read' as bodyshop took on a job (so that means they think theyre capable etc etc) did it poorly, (cocked up) and want more money to fix cock up..?
You go back and tell them its theyre fault for assuming youde be happy with a "terrible" finish.. they sort it for feck all. Good luck.

[ade]

nasty - if its a reputable company I'd say its their fault and they should have stopped mid job if the flakes werent applying correctly.

You could take them to small claims or trading standards however in the body shop world you get what you pay for and with special paints it can be a bit risky.

What exactly has happened? Any pics?

TBH ?500 to flat back and respray isnt that bad - if theyve sprayed the whole shell then thats a pretty big job - expecislly if its been lacquered - unless theyre intending on just spraying the basecoat right over the top again and then reapplying the flakes and lacquer (cheats way of doing it).

howver if its their fault I;d dig my heels in and speak to your solicitor - unless it was "mates rates" - I'd also worry about throwing good money after bad. What was the reason for the job not coming out right?

Doubt they'll be able to flat it back without damaging the base coat tbh - the solvent in the flakes coat will have eaten into the base coat - however it all depends on how many layers they applied etc...

[Saloony]

Lesson to be learned here, never try and better an already sexual colour. Im mean come on what were you thinking?

[Adam]

Do you mean they look terrible tho as in your dont like them? (not the bodyshops fault)

[Clean 2.0 nova]

Yes it was a 'Mates Rate' but the choice of finish was mine. I would of thought (or expected) them to have stopped after 1 panel when it looked poor and asked me. The flakes are applied thinly and makes it look like stone chips all over car.

[mikey14sr]

Sounds like they don't have much experience with flakes to me. A mate of mine put some blue flake over the top of the rizla spray job he was doing on his bike, he used just 1 gram of flake and it was way too much, ended up rubbing it all down and doing it again with just 0.5 gram of flake, even then it took 5 coats of clear to get a smooth finish.

[simonr1]

hiya mate, has the body shop ever used flakes before? i have painted 5 or 6 cars with it now and its a pig to do! the way i was taught to do it was base the whole car, then the flake goes in the clear coat which should be thinned down a bit more than normal, put 3 or 4 even dust coats on the car the leave it to tack off then apply 2 good coats of hs clear coat, always had to flat and polish the whole car after, i would say even though its mates rates its still down to then to put it right if it looks crap, has it been polished?:thumb:

[simonr1]

it always look crap unless its out in the sun anyway, my opinion though lol

[craig green]

Tbh the fact it looks pap is your opinion & I'm sure they have upheld their end of the deal (by the sounds of things). Consider yourself had & I bet you wont ask for that again.

Sadly I dont think you will come out of this happy unless maybe you & the bodyshop can meet somewhere in the middle like ?400.

Remedying the work wont be easy & if the wrong attitude is applied they may well go about proceedings with less than a passion for the work involved. Best to try & stay on the right side of them tbh.

[dannyb]

Lesson to be learned here, never try and better an already sexual colour.

If only I had a sig...lol

Back to the topic, have you seen much work by them with flake in the past hence why you went to them in the first place?

[jamesc]

sorry 2hear that m8 not good

[Clean 2.0 nova]

yes the bodyshop has used these flakes before, they didn't even need to order them. The problem is i asked for a light coating of silver speckles and that is what I got - A very light coating of the stuff which makes it look crap. What I meant was the light end of what looks good. The owner did say they wouldn't look very good before they started. There is no point in arguing with the owner because he will stand his ground.

I have booked a day off work to spend a day rubbing the car down to hopefully save on labour costs, that way I can better gauge what work he is qouting for when re-applying. This is just a bare shell at the moment therefore it shouldn't be too much work. I will probably leave the engine bay as it is. BTW the arden blue underneath does look good.

[philly]

in all honestly if they take on a job they should do a decent one. no matter what you pay.

as someone said on the previous page you have to apply them lightly, but from my experience in these flakes through a friend even when it is finished they have to be rubbed down again anyway to smooth them out, its like you putting stones on your car and spraying them, you have to flat them to your paint work

it is a tough job, but any decent human wouldnt want a ****e job on their heads if they owned a bodyshop, tell them to sort there heads out.

[Clean 2.0 nova]

After a spurt on for 2 days the car is now re-sprayed. Still not won over on colour but I suppose it needs to be built up first pics now added - what do you all think?
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x198/iaingra/IM001829.jpg
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x198/iaingra/IM001825.jpg
sorry (http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x198/iaingra/IM001825.jpg) if pics are not right size - its my first time uploading them.

[NovaLad]

Nice colour.

[mikey14sr]

Doesn't look bad that, engine bay still got flake?

[Clean 2.0 nova]

flakes now only in engine bay but you can't tell from pics. There is approx 16 flakes per 10x10cm area which in my opinion does not constitute even a light covering. I don't suppose there is a definition of 'light covering' unless I ask paint manufacturers I suppose.

[Mike]

flakes now only in engine bay but you can't tell from pics. There is approx 16 flakes per 10x10cm area which in my opinion does not constitute even a light covering. I don't suppose there is a definition of 'light covering' unless I ask paint manufacturers I suppose.

it all boils down to communication, define a light covering :thumb:

your meaning could be completly different to everyone else's. Theyve not done a pap job, its either yourself or the sprayer has mis-enterupted a "light covering"

[rednova]

The problem is i asked for a light coating of silver speckles and that is what I got - A very light coating of the stuff which makes it look crap. What I meant was the light end of what looks good. The owner did say they wouldn't look very good before they started.

sounds like they did as they were instructed tbh mate - he even told you it wouldnt look good

glad its sorted though:thumb:

[James P]

just wait until you put all your bumpers back on.

you can make any colour on a nova look good just as long as you put the right wheels bumpers sus ect on it.

[DirtyDave]

the blue looks good on the car to be honest your dispute however is a different story,
my opinion is that u got what u asked for, did u not show them pics of other cars that u defined as light dusting of flake because u must have seen it on something else to know what u wanted, its jst poor communication between yourself and the bodyshop, and you've said it was at mates rates so it must have been a fair bit cheaper than it should have been anyway?

Dave

a lesson for everyone: don't mess about with fancy paint jobs unlss u know exactly what ure doing!