General fiat 500 Red

[sparks150150]

Hello,

I recently brought a red pasodoble spray can (code 111a) to touch up the red bumper. I appears to fit in well with the back side panel where i have sprayed but not the bumper itself. The bumper seems to be darker than the spray. Does anyone have any ideas of which red i might need or was the bumper sprayed with darker red? Its a 500c 2010 model.

Many thanks

 

[jrkitching]

The bumper seems to be darker than the spray.

This is common. Plastic parts are painted in the factory with a different formulation of paint, and they often change shade with age, at different rates. Although they usually lighten in the sun, they can also darken due to atmospheric pollution and chemical changes in the paint. Red is probably the worst possible colour for this.

The difference in shade between the plastic bumper and metal bodyshell is sometimes quite noticeable even on brand new cars in showrooms. A good professional bodyshop will make up the paint to match the specific panel and blend it in. However, no one can guarantee the refinished area will weather in the same way as the rest of the car; repairs which look perfect on collection can sometimes stand out a mile after a few years. Modern UV resistant clearcoats help significantly.

If it really bothers you, and you don't want to pay bodyshop rates, I have a solution. Find a good wholesale automotive paint supplier, take your freshly cleaned car there on a sunny day, and ask them to make you up some paint to the colour of the particular panel you're trying to match. They can put it into spray cans if you want.

It probably won't be particularly cheap, but if you choose your supplier well, you should get a very good match indeed. If you're in the Southampton area, I can give you a personal recommendation.

 

[sparks150150]

Thank you so much for that information. Really useful and didnt know. Yes I think i will try to get a match for the future and if you dont mind giving me that southampton contact that would be great as im only 45 min away.

Brilliant

Many thanks

 

[jrkitching]

if you dont mind giving me that southampton contact

Call them on 02380 630022

https://www.automotivepaintsupplies.co.uk/

They also have branches in Aldershot & Newbury.

 

[Troubles with 500c]

Someone scrapped the rear bumper on my wife’s Red 500C a few years back and we had it resprayed, but it didn’t match too well. So the Bodyshop mopped the rest of the car to match.

This was okay and the back bumper is still a fairly reasonable match, but the front bumper went really dark.

So this time I hunted down a secondhand front bumper of a similar age and the match is pretty good. Advantage here is that the secondhand bumper cost a third of the price of a respray on the original one.

Will probably get the whole car mopped again in the spring with the money saved.

 

[Troubles with 500c]

I meant to include a picture

 

[typecastboy]

Fiat red is a nightmare. Whereas red paint usually fades, Fiat red changes colour and actually gets darker. You’ll never match it unless you blend in the rear of the car which I would leave to an expert. The paint on plastic bumpers will change colour differently to that in metal for some reason.

 

[sparks150150]

Thank you very much for your help. much appreciated.

 

[sparks150150]

Thank you very much

 

[sparks150150]

Yes i see. thanks for pic

 

[sparks150150]

thank you