I bought a certified used 06 TCm xB with only 4,000 miles on it. After I bought it i noticed that the paint on the back bumper was a little off. I went to the dealership and set up an appointment to meet with the scion paint rep that only comes once a month. I talked to him, and he said i was right, the paint was completely off. So he had them pull up the invoice on the car. And apparently it had like 40 something hours of body work done to it. OUCH! but the good thing was all the body work was done by the toyota dealerhsip I got the car from. So they gave me a rental and a week later I got my car back. And I was still way ____ed about the paint. They said they had to paint it a couple times to get the right colored paint, and even had to send a scion paint guy there to help. But to me, the back bumper still doesnt match the front. he says that in the factory the bumpers are painted seperate and they dont even really match when you buy the car new. So, if anyone out there has a TCM can you look at your bumpers and tell me if you think or dont think they match the paint on the rest of your car? And also look at the ground effects on the back bumper (the two pieces of lower trim that go across the back bottom like by your exhaust) Do those two look to be different shades of silver? I have seen this on some other xbs, so if you guys can, look closely and reply back. my car goes back in next week, cuz i am under the impression that scion has a paint code for the TCM paint that the dealer should be using. They should not be trying to "match" the paint.

 

orcas1013,

factory-painted TCMs should have ALL panels' painted identical--these ARE Toyota factories, after all. all panels should have exactly same look to the silver metallic: good underlay/base coats, matching appearance for metallic coats, and deep gloss from clear/topcoats.

for some background FYI soecific to your TCM, try a local NAPA store. the paint dept. at a NAPA near me uses a pretty sophisticated mixing system to match factory paint. it actually measures out how many DROPS or dropLETS are needed of each paint component I know my TCM paint has over 10 different colors in it (black, blue/green, oxide red, copper pearl, bright med. metallic, large metal flakes, plus polycure) 'cause i asked the guy at their paint counter. you might want to check them out . . .

sounds like your "previously owned" box may have had some repair work and MAYBE didn't have the benefit of the most correct re-paint. anyway, get as much information from the NAPA paint counter as you can--that way maybe you can convince the dealer/body shop that a "virtually perfect" TCM match should be possible. GOOD LUCK!

 

If u look at most TCMs the bumpers dont match mine doesnt its like a shade off as well /Another toyota car u can really notice this on is like the 98 and up Camrys theres dont match at all . TCM has to be mixed and shakin right before bein sprayed cause of all the metalic flake in it .

 

thing is that the polyurethane bumpers and skirts are going to look a *little* different than the metal parts because the paint is thin and the substrates are different.

now, if one poly part doesn't match another poly part, that's a different story. may even be the thickness of the finish...

ask terribleted...

 

mine has always looked a bit off too...even from the day I got it...must be the nature of the color...

 

yeah i am starting to hear this alot that other TCM xB owners noticed that their paint was off. so... What about the front bumper? Is this the same for all of you guys? My front bumper is perfect! if the paint is just off and thats the way it is then both the front and rear bumper should both be off....

 

mine has always been "off" as well, its not just the TCM, some of the other colors are a little off as well, here is a pic of mine back when it was TCM, I noticed that my front was more off then the back on mine.


I don't know if you can see it in this pic or not.