... with regard to a couple of answers to correspondants in today' Telegraph "Honest John" column.
1/ In my experience a slight difference in colour between the wings and bonnet is far less noticable than a difference between the wings and the doors. In fact most body shops etc would blend the colour in across the width of a door as opposed to paint up to the shut line as advised by HJ.
2/ Re the comment about the new Passat, no reason to think it is going to be problematic however historically the first 6 months to a year's production of a new model has been the period in which minor faults occur which are corrected for later production, I doubt that there is any evidence to prove HJ's assertion that end of line models are less reliable because the manufacturer has "cut ocmponent costs", to the contrary it costs a lot to design, specify and source revised components so any minor unit cost saving would be unlikely to be justified if the model only had a year or so to run.
3/ Not down to HJ this one, the back page feature quotes ...
"admits to using the old French method of bumping cars fore and aft to fit into a slot so needs something quite robust"
... therefore seems to condone this activity that only serves to damage other people's valuable property particularly if performed when driving an ML with rear mounted spare wheel and chrome bull bar as per the lady featured. Shame the article did not take the opportunity to critisise this almost criminal practice.
Regards.
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1/ Then why is it standard practise for a bodyshop to paint the entire front of a car to hide the fact that the bonnet has been painted? (This is a fact, not an opinion.)
2/ Then why was, for example, the old-shape 2000MY Mondeo the most fault-ridden Mondeo of all, suffering all sorts of problems including leaking light fittings, broken springs, etc., etc., as par cbcb?
HJ
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"1/ Then why is it standard practise for a bodyshop to paint the entire front of a car to hide the fact that the bonnet has been painted? (This is a fact, not an opinion.)"
Dunno about that actually HJ. It can depend on the colour/shape of the car. Some bodyshops will spray the bonnet and the very tops of the wings and blend into a swage. The answer probably lies in labour costs/time. It's probably quicker and easier to spray the bonnet/wings than it is to fade paintwork in certain areas. Normally it's the lighter metallics that cause most difficulties, certainly silvers.
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Are they meant to do this? When I had my bonnet sprayed, that really is all they sprayed.
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Adam
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Are they meant to do this? When I had my bonnet sprayed, that really is all they sprayed. --
Me too...twice. They told me it was standard practice to just do the bonnet, until I complained it didn't match and they did the front wings as well on the third attempt.
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I was lucky then. The bloke who did mine was a genius. Believe me, I've looked at it from every angle and you cannot tell at all.
Only cost a ton for the bonnet too. Very impressed.
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Adam
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>>I was lucky then. The bloke who did mine was a genius.
Possibly.Though unlikely.Wings have to be blended in to match the bonnet.In most cases whole wing has to be resprayed.Door shade will be noticeably different/or not depending on how good the sprayer is!.In your case you havent noticed the difference.Wont make him a genius only a sprayer that knows what he is doing
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Steve
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Translation ( I think)
3/ Not down to HJ this one...
"admits to .....bumping cars fore and aft....
.......almost criminal practice."
Why only almost? Isn't it criminal damage? (IANAL)
Goes off to find the unread DT motoring supplement.
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1/ Then why is it standard practise for a bodyshop to paint the entire front of a car to hide the fact that the bonnet has been painted? (This is a fact, not an opinion.)
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Hi HJ, My point is that if they do paint the entire front of the car then they will blend the colour in across the door and not paint up to the shut line. This because the colour difference would show much more at the door shut line than at the line between the bonnet and wing.
2/ Then why was, for example, the old-shape 2000MY Mondeo the most fault-ridden Mondeo of all, suffering all sorts of problems including leaking light fittings, broken springs, etc., etc., as par cbcb?
I have not heard this about the said Mondeos, I take your word for it HJ though reckon it must be the exception not the rule.
What is cbcb?
(Car by Car Breakdown. HJ)
Regards.
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cbcb = Car By Car Breakdown
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I've read the column and I don't understand the point of this thread. Have I passed into a parallel universe?
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I honestly thought it was me Ox
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I thought we were on about bonnet spraying!
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Adam
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I've read the articles now. I don't know about the first two items Cheddar mentioned, but I thought the item about shunting cars fore & aft was worthy of mention; unbelievable ARROGANCE. I think an armoured Hummer would be most suitable, someone is liable take umbrage.
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2/ Then why was, for example, the old-shape 2000MY Mondeo the most fault-ridden Mondeo of all, suffering all sorts of problems including leaking light fittings, broken springs, etc., etc., as par cbcb?
Are you sure it was? The examples you cite - leaking rear light clusters and broken springs are by no means restricted to just 2000MY Mk2 Mondeos at the end of production. Indeed, I've had the light problem on my 1999MY example, as have numerous people on the MEG forums with Mk2's dating back to 1996.
Ditto snapped springs - a far more isolated issue but still one which applies just as often to the older Mk2's...
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Reading of that arrogant airhead's attitude to the peasantry and their property has brought me close to supporting Livingstone over what Sir John Whitmore calls SAVs -- Suburban Assault Vehicles.
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HJ,
Thanks for correcting the typos on my original post, clearly they caused a little confusion.
Regards.
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Body workshops will always nearly spray bonnet and wings because the differnce in shades shows up more there than anywhere else on the car This is because they point upwards where the light and reflections are much more even, therefore shows up imperfections. The sides of cars often face slightly downwards and suffer much more uneven light and reflections and therefore show up paint imperfections less.
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Because of this thread I've looked at my car even closer and asked the bloke who did it (mate of my Dad's) if he sprayed the wings. He insists he never and I swear to God, you really cannot tell.
I don't care how good an eye you have for paint matching, you couldn't tell my bonnet has been resprayed at all.
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Adam
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Adam.Never look at a car close up to see any difference in shade.Around 10-15ft is best in bright but cloudy light conditions..this also shows up any defects in bodywork done before you got the car.ie ripples in door skins not fitted correctly/sprayed..its not possible to respray a panel without blending in elsewhere.Not on metalics anyway
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Steve
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I know the two back doors have been resprayed by Ford before we got it. I never noticed until one day I was walking down the drive and saw it. The bloke who sprayed it asked that straight away. They must have an eye for these things.
As for looking close, you're right. I think I'll take a few photos. The flash might highlight any indiscrepancies. Actually, I'm not going to do that - I don't want to know! It looks fine, I'm happy with that!
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Adam
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Body workshops will always nearly spray bonnet and wings because the
"always nearly" ..... I get the drift.
differnce in shades shows up more there than anywhere else on
the car This is because they point upwards where the light and reflections are much more even, therefore shows up imperfections.
The sides of cars often face slightly downwards and suffer much
more uneven light and reflections and therefore show up paint imperfections less.
RF, I must say, I reckon the facts are the complete opposite, colour diffences show between adjecant panels when the panels are level, i.e. on the same plane, as each other and there for are refelecting the same light, i.e. wing v front door v rear door etc, while this can be the case with wings v bonnet, on most cars the bonnet is pretty flat and the wings taper away at quite an angle so they are not on the same plane.
Should also say that often colour differences will be most apparent under artificial light, some cars can look fine in the day light though horendous on a well lit garage forecourt at night.
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The point is - sides get far much less light and as angled slightly downwards, get the inconsistent reflection of the surface they are standing on.
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