I keep hearing how crappy the scion paint jobs are and all the used ones I see reflect that it seems very easy to chip and ding tc paint.

So I am wondering, what colors tend to hold up or hide damage best? I am right now thinking I will go blue, black, blue, flint or grey mica or white (08 colors) but my local scion dealer doesn't have any samples of the blue (probably my first choice if I could see it in person).

Any input on this? Thanks!

 

Stay away from blue..personal experience. So many rock chips its not even funny.

 

my FM has so many rock chips on the hood... grr.

 

black shows every little scratch and ding! so i'd say go with white or silver.

 

whites not that bad

 

white and silver, my bcp shows every single swirl that my car has ever encountered.

 

Truth be told I really don't want silver and white was my last "acceptable" color choice...

Is the flint mica bad? It would seem the natural busyness of it would make it hide flaws better.

Blue ribbon is really bad eh? Shame... it was my first color choice

 

Swirls and scratches tend to show more on darker cars.
Staining (from bird poop) kill white cars.

Silver seems to be a nice middle ground, but its also one of the most hardest colors to color match / blend if you ever end up needing repairs.

For holding up damage...I would think thin paint is thin paint no matter the color?
Body parts are metal so maybe the silver would best hide damage?

How about installing a clear bra?

 

Well then it seems I am screweed both ways... I live in a city with lots of rural areas that lead to bird poop and falling berries (or fruit or what have you from trees) and in bad cases, brds pooping berries onto your car reulgarly every fall...

I personally don't like the way a bra looks on a car and it seems to me that if you go that route, eventually you end up with a car that has unfaded paint on the front portion... seems just as bad in a differnt way

I appreciate all the input but it does sound like the paint is just screwed either way...

Wonder what it costs to have a car like this repainted?

 

Silver and white are about it for hiding chips easily..........most of the cars today are like this.........the clear bra does work well and can be changed out yearly.

 

Sorry, just realized you said clear bra, was thinking old vinyl style.

The clear certainly seems more acceptable than vinyl but there seems to be significant cost (couple of hundred plus install?) and that puts it up near the just paying the deductable to have insurance repaint your car... which I would hope leaves you with a decent paint job...

 

Going through insurance would probably result in higher rates the next time around.

A clear bra would be the best investment and would cost you less money and less time wasted in the long run.

If you do want to get a car repainted, Nissan has a Scratch Coat Guard clear coat that maybe you can get your hands on.
It's supposed to be able to heal itself from minor scratches.
http://www.hiptechblog.com/2005/12/0...rd-coat-paint/

Not sure if its even available stateside but it's worth a look.

 

Silver the hardest to match/blend???What paint system do you use???I paint professionally most silvers I have encountered are almost panel paintable(with exception of a slight side tone could be off a little because of how the flake lays)I use the Sikkens system very nice system,durable and good color match,and also a little pricey but get what you pay for.Silvers aren't to bad the dark grey metallics and some beiges can be a _____ sometimes. Your best bet for color is white or silver to hide flaws,all cars get them,cant really stop it ,only can fix them as you get them.I bought my Scion tc used and already repaired and painted the bumper.Next I'll repaint the hood and drivers side(few door dings and lots of chips to fix).I'm doing it in stages since this is my daily driver and cant do it all at once because of down time of the car.By the end of summer my car should be completely repainted only cost me about $300 to do it.My boss only charges me a little for the materials I use hes pretty good about it,and I have a key to the shop can come and go as much as I want.

 

white is always good...silver also

 

Insurance will not pay to repaint your car unless you get into an accident, somebody vandalizes it, or something falls on it. And even then, they will only paint the damaged panel and an adjacent one if it is on the same sight-line.
Insurance will not pay for "wear and tear."

 

I have heard of people getting repaints due to road dings from insurance. You need comprehensive coverage of course and it does make sense it will somehow raise your rates. It may be that you have to be creative in how you explain your situation to insurance though (I know the owner of a body shop and when I mentioned I wanted a new paint job he said "do you have dings and chips from rocks on the road? Insurance will pay for that!" - then I explained I carried only state minimum and he looked sad).

I will be stopping in at a local 3m place to try and see how these clear bras look in real life. I was surprised to see the hood one only covers about the front 5th... I would think that will be easily spotable.

 

If you are talking about 1 ding, maybe.
But, as an insurance claims adjuster myself, if I saw my front bumper - flint mica - come in for an inspection, I wouldn't pay a dime.
You'd have to claim one ding/chip at a time.

Get the clear bra. I am planning on having my bumper repainted and will definitely put on a clear bra.

 

Yes you are right; you get what you pay for.
Most silver cars that I've seen partially repainted end up being a little off when it's in the sun and I've been told by people who paint that it's not an easy color to work with.
Maybe its time for me to look for a new paint shop

 

opps double post

 

my CSM hids minor scratches and chips pretty well. But any bigger scratches is near impossible to fix. Can't get the touch up to match for poop.