Durocdog

MBullock, I read your a paint/body guy. I have a question specific to the 2016 Platinum White. I know this is an extremely difficult color to match for scratch and dent guys, but am I wrong in seeing the color is tremendously different on the headlight surrounds and bumpers? Has Ford addressed this issue? Is it simply because I'm an old fat white man?

21RRF150

iTrader: (1)

Common among all plastic pieces on vehicles. Tri coat white can have plastics with a yellower look.

Napalm

I would also add with the flake in it since it's tint coat - curves that change direction can cause the color to look odd.

21RRF150

iTrader: (1)

That would occur more on a metallic like silver, or gold, less on a 3 stage pearl. Though it can happen. What you are speaking of would give a light or dark side tone, or flop as we call it. Metallics are flat and opaque, and cast dark or light over curves or angles.

Pearls are shaped like a rock or a 20 sided die, and are transparent. While the color of the pearl can throw off the side tone a little, its more likely the ground coat/basecoat white is off. Fist step when i paint a 3 stage white is to make sure the ground coat matches without any pearl over the top yet. If you have that working for you, you've won 90% of the battle in matching the color.

Factory plastics aren't usually painted in the same factory as the rest of the vehicle. And can be subject to a completely different paint line. Like the body can be painted with axalta products, while the bumpers painted with sikkens/ppg etc. Also companies like Toyota, will put color right over the black primer on plastics, giving them a darker appearance than the body. Which they put color over a medium grey.

Napalm

I'd buy that for a dollar and huge plus one to the different paint locations = potentially different products and mixes.

I forgot about that but yes very common for the bumper covers to have been painted months before the rest of the body was painted and potentially with 2 different vendor products. very good point.

For a period of time I worked on aircraft paint - seeing with PPG, Akzo, and Sherwin williams do for color and process was interesting. I get funny looks when I test colors and require it to be on metal with primer - vs their cardboard stock cards.

21RRF150

iTrader: (1)

I hear you. I do a card for every car i paint. If the color is that bad i grab some scrap metal and use that. Cards have come a long way. 3m has nice static cling ones that conform to every curve

iplayloudly

Being in the wood-finishing business, I can tell you waterbased urethanes have improved TREMENDOUSLY over the past decade. I can only assume the same would be true for paint. I can't imagine the technology going backwards.

Lionel Fraser

Yes me and my friend are having the same problem, one trip down the logging road and my truck is pock marked the paint just flakes right off, ****ing aluminum, better off to polish it bare, cause it’s gonna happen anyways