My car color code is QNO (Artic White pearl -base). My question is what else is involved in repainting my car the same color as if it just left the factory. I'm assuming since QNO is just the base color, that there is also a metallic layer and a clear coat layer. Is this what is involved in the 3-stage pearl white paint? The reason im asking is because im getting my car repainted and wanted to make sure the body shop doesnt just look at the color code under my hood and paint my car the base color and then call it a night w/o adding the "pearl" to it.

 

When they see the paint code, they will know what to do.

Sometimes the pearl is a seperate coat from the base color, sometimes it is part of the base coat. Just depends. As for our cars, I dont know.

My car is Granite Pearl and I'm getting it repainted soon. My paint guy didnt seem to have any problem figuring out what he'll need to use.

 

This is a half-truth...

Only because our pearl paint is really tough to match, so,
pick a GOOD paint shop with experience! I had part of my car
repainted and I thought they did a helluva job...but, as soon
as I showed my one car-nut friend, he spotted it...

mind you, for most ppl they wouldn't notice unless they really really
looked for it...

so, just a word of caution -- pick a good shop!

FLO_BOY

 

I belive that the pearl is a 3 stage paint. there are two undcoats and then a special clear tinting sorta coat, my neighbor who owns and auto body shop tried explaning to me once, but i got lost in the technical Mumbo jumbo. But like they said, find a GOOD paint place to do it, ive seen some really really crapy Pearl paint jobs that come into his shop, asking to get fixed.

 

The Nissan pearl is 3 stage

A) Base Coat

B) Pearl Coat - This is where you match the color with pearls. It could be 1,2,3 or even 4 coats of pearl until your colors match.

C) Clear Coat


Proline Body and Chassis
Elmwood Park, NJ
201-398-1512

Pearl is very tough to match. It's almost match as you go until it comes out perfect. The swatch method gives you the base line, the rest is on the fly.

 

I dont know what the swatch method is, but my buddy that painted my 99 front end and body kit did it PERFECT. You have to fade it into the rest of the car to make it look right. QNO here too.

 

It looks like my front bumber was either replaced or re-painted (before it came to me) and from the drivers side it looks okay, but from the passenger side you can definitely see where the rest of the car is Pearl White and the bumper is very bright white. Gonna get a re-paint once I get my body kit and mad $$$!

 

Yeah, I know pearl is hard to match. I don't really have a choice on the shop. Basically the shop is repainting my entire vehicle because they did a really bad job the first time around. I just hope they don't paint it some wack "white" color with very little pearl. My enitre car should match paint wise now b/c they're redoing the entire car at once. Lets hope it goes well.

 

Like others have said, this is a 3 coat process. Good luck getting the whole car painted like the factory. Your best bet would be t have Nissan paint it, if you are rich, or insurance is paying.

For those that just want to touch up the chips, you have to buy 2 cans of touch of paint: A base coat ( White QN0)and a top coat (the pearl tinted clear coat). I have the number for the top coat somewhere. I had to order it special from the dealer. It is not available in stores. My dealer had to really dig for the right paint code for top coat. When I find the part number, I'll post it.

 

Nice, cause I got a lot of touch up to do too. I'll prob have to double that quanitity. Lots of chips along the front and front fenders.

 

I notcied that too on the front of what was mine (now my brother's again) max, he had 2 accidents, one involved the driver door (T-bone accident), the other was the whole front end (I had the same thing w/ my '98 Altima GLE a while back, but my altima at the time was Super Black so they pulled it off quite well), but w/ the max I could tell the front bumper was a different shade of white compared to the rest of the pearl white on the car, + I could tell the hood was out of alignment, meaning that it sat a bit lower than what it would look like normally

 

You always have a choice.

So, they did a crappy job the first time and you're giving them an opportunity to screw it up again?

My advice would be to start looking for a more qualified shop to do the work and negotiate a cash settlement with the lousy shop, on the basis that you do not have confidence that they'll get it right the second time and you've decided to look elsewhere.

Explain that you believe it would be in everyone's best interests if they $ettle with you, since their reputation is at stake and you'd rather avoid telling everyone you know about the poor quality of work you received from [insert shop's name here.]

Quality paintwork is high-art at it's finest. Resolving this isn't like making good on a sub-standard product/item by replacing it, unfortunately - if the workers don't have the talent to do a good job the 1st time, what gives you hope (at this point) they'll suddenly acquire it for the 2nd attempt?

Unless the quality issues were minor, I'd find another shop - you and your car deserve better.