Flame Works

**ChevyGirl2002** · 06-01-2010, 07:15 PM

I have an issue that I would like advise on since we are all protective as all hell when it comes to paint work on our cars.

I had a friends ex-bf do the paint and flame work to the SS hood that is now on my car. From a distance and even close up it looks amazing, but then if you get closer you start to notice little boogers in the paint work.

There are two rock chips(not his fault), but the paint is cracking in two tiny spots on the hood. In some areas on the hood it looks like the silver wasn't laid down properly and there are blue speckles in the paint.

I paid him $700 to do the hood, fenders, front fascia and the blue pearle flames. The bumper didn't even get touched!

My boyfriend said to take the car to the paint shop and demand to have the bumper painted and the hood addressed, but I don't know. I can live with small defects in the paint cause I know it is not a factory job, but then I am frusterated that all the work that I paid for was not done.

What should I do? Call the guy that did the work and ask for some of the money back to get it done somewhere else? Take the car to the shop and demand that it be done correctly?

Advise would be appreciated greatly. I don't want to come off as being to big of a bitch, but this is my pride and joy.

-Amanda-

**cammed goat** · 06-01-2010, 07:18 PM

Ask the painter if he would be willing to correct any problems with the job he did. If he refuses, take the car to another shop. If the original painter stands by his work, he WILL correct the problem.

**ChevyGirl2002** · 06-01-2010, 07:30 PM

The only issue that is present is that he got fired.....

**cammed goat** · 06-01-2010, 07:37 PM

Welp, I still say take it back to that shop and if things are no-go, then shop around.

**Mr. Luos** · 06-01-2010, 07:44 PM

@ boogers

**Schmalgar** · 06-01-2010, 08:22 PM

If he did the work as an employee of a shop, and you have a written estimate of the work that was priced to be done, then they damn well better finish the job.

If he did the work on his own, just using the shop facilities, then you might not have much ground to stand on...

Either way, I like what I saw in the picture on your profile. I agree, it does look amazing. I love that it's subtle...

**ChevyGirl2002** · 06-02-2010, 07:22 AM

Thanks. He did do a good job....it just seems like he hurried to get it done.

I know another paint and body guy that I will go see today. Gonna see what he will charge to fix the front clip mainly the hood and bumper.

**0verkill** · 06-05-2010, 06:43 AM

some shops like the one i like to go to will guarantee the work for life from some thing they did.

**Frozen WS6** · 06-14-2010, 08:41 PM

maybe he was thinking along these lines. This is how I did mine. Not a true ghost flame but pretty subtle. I pretty much just painted the outlines but cleared the whole front of the car and doors.

**ChevyGirl2002** · 06-15-2010, 05:26 PM

I really like the way that your flames came out. That is kinda how I wanted mine done...just the outline in the blue pearle, but they came out great anyway. I just wish that he had painted the bumper to match. That is the part that makes me really mad.

**Frozen WS6** · 06-16-2010, 05:20 AM

Originally Posted by ChevyGirl2002

I really like the way that your flames came out. That is kinda how I wanted mine done...just the outline in the blue pearle, but they came out great anyway. I just wish that he had painted the bumper to match. That is the part that makes me really mad.

The only red (stock color) I did was to fix the rock chips on the bumper cover. On the flames I just did the outlines. Sounds like your painter dusted the pearl over the entire area as in a true ghost flame, except the bumper cover? That would make sense as to why it doesn't match. Many body shops may want to redo the entire job saying that it can't be matched. A good painter will have no problems painting just the bumper cover since everything is still fresh. I have a friend that can do spot repairs on candy colors and most shops say that's impossible to do.

More then likely the spots your seeing are dirt specs. Did he cut and buff the clear coat?
The blue speckles are from not cleaning the paint gun very well and left overs from the last job.

**ChevyGirl2002** · 06-16-2010, 10:10 AM

He told me that he wet sanded the hood after he was done. It kinda looks like he sanded the first layer of silver, but didn't spray a second layer.

The other paint and body guy that I know is very very good. He could match it. The only thing that he would need is the code for the pearle and the pressure it was sprayed at and the mixture amount. Since I already paid to have it done I figure that the guy that started the work should finish it. Right?

I know where he works now and am thinking of making a surprise visit to his new shop. Maybe he will spray the front bumper if I confront him about it??

**Frozen WS6** · 06-17-2010, 05:46 AM

Originally Posted by ChevyGirl2002

He told me that he wet sanded the hood after he was done. It kinda looks like he sanded the first layer of silver, but didn't spray a second layer.

The other paint and body guy that I know is very very good. He could match it. The only thing that he would need is the code for the pearle and the pressure it was sprayed at and the mixture amount. Since I already paid to have it done I figure that the guy that started the work should finish it. Right?

I know where he works now and am thinking of making a surprise visit to his new shop. Maybe he will spray the front bumper if I confront him about it??

Code for the pearl. All my ppg pearls are just in there own bottles. There are no codes. I've just never heard of that. Interesting.
I do agree. A good person would make it right. I know I would because that's my name on that car. Up here everyone knows almost everyone with cars and word travels fast in the car world. If you did crap work, you'd be done in my town.
I'm curious as to what his excuse would be if you paid his a visit.

**ChevyGirl2002** · 06-17-2010, 01:41 PM

I will let you know as I am going to pay him a surprise visit at his new job next week.

Aren't there different shades of the blue pearl though? It looks like there is possibly a base pearl of a different color, but I can't tell what it is. Along the edges of the flames it is blue, but this other paint guy that I know thinks that he used a light red as the base pearl.

**Frozen WS6** · 06-18-2010, 06:03 AM

Originally Posted by ChevyGirl2002

I will let you know as I am going to pay him a surprise visit at his new job next week.

Aren't there different shades of the blue pearl though? It looks like there is possibly a base pearl of a different color, but I can't tell what it is. Along the edges of the flames it is blue, but this other paint guy that I know thinks that he used a light red as the base pearl.

A company like dupont or r/m may do there's differently, or something new came out. There should only be one shade of blue. He may have added the red in addition to the blue so there are two pearls used in the mix. Which is possible. You'd either need to look really close on a sunny day or hopefully he will atleast beable to tell you what he used. Mixing the blue and red should give it almost a purple hue in some lighting.

**ChevyGirl2002** · 06-18-2010, 06:13 AM

In the right light you can see the blue. It is about 2'' from the edges of the flames and then fades into that other color.

Next week I am gonna go see him about the front fascia. I am gonna try to push for him to paint it to match since I already paid him to do that and he didn't.

**RyanJM** · 06-20-2010, 08:53 PM

I have just a small 2 bay shop no real paint booths and do complete resprays and stand behind eveything I do whether I give them a recept of the forget to ask as long as I did the work and they didn't do something stupid like pressure wash it right after painting it I will fix any issues that are my fault. As far as the pearl gost flames it's no so much a paint code as it is the amount of pearl flake mixed in with the binder/balancer mix. I have sprayed a few pearl cars not my favorite but if they pay for it I do it. I plan on using a crimson red pearl to do ghost striped on the WS6 hood on my car. If it was black I would have done flames but in white I rather do stripes.
Any good painter/shop should always stand behind his or their work.