Color matching advice?

[DropTopDon]

Planning on color matching some green half doors to my silver TJ. I've read a few of the threads on here about color matching them but I wanted to get better information since I am a complete novice at painting and don't want to ruin them. I'm purchasing the paint from automotivetouchup and am aware that it won't be an exact match. My doors are strictly gonna be summer/trail doors since I already have hard doors as well. That being said, I read that it is all about the prep on how good it'll turn out. What should I do for prep before paint? Do I sand to bare metal or just scuff it with a pad? Also can I use any primer and clear coat? Do I need to wet sand after I paint? Just trying to figure out the entire process the best way before I tackle the job

 

[Vtx531]

Just wondering if you would consider a flat black instead? Silver metallic is not easy to match. I did some half doors in flat black many years ago and a lot of people seemed to like how it looked.

You would just scuff it with with a pad. Use a degreaser before and after scuffing.

 

[AndyG]

Above post is good- get any wax, silicone or contaminants off first or you will work it into the paint and get bad results-

Hot water and degreaser multiple times, we sand with the grit the paint mfr recommends, get em dry, tack rack them and go for it. Be sure the paint is compatible to shoot over basecoat/clear.

Wet sanding after is to remove flaws- and pretty specialized work- avoid them if you can.

 

[someguysjeep]

i have metallic khaki and the automotivetouchup paint matches well as long as you ordered the right paint code.

and i read that metallics should be sprayed 1 direction, not back n forth. you can get away with several coats of the color to get coverage, the clear is what you have to get right to match the rest..

 

[JMT]

It’s not going to look like the rest of your rig. Have a pro paint them.

 

[OldBuzzard]

If yours is "Silver, Bright Metallic", be aware that there are at least two of those for the TJ. My 2005 is paint code PSB, but early ones are PS2, and I don't know when they switched. I've read that the PSB is a little brighter. I've found that some of the paint matching companies carry PS2 but not PSB.

 

[someguysjeep]

If yours is "Silver, Bright Metallic", be aware that there are at least two of those for the TJ. My 2005 is paint code PSB, but early ones are PS2, and I don't know when they switched. I've read that the PSB is a little brighter. I've found that some of the paint matching companies carry PS2 but not PSB.

paint code is on your door jam sticker.

 

[flyinfish]

I'd get an estimate on getting them painted.
If you paint them yourself, by the time you factor in your costs for materials and quality of paint job, you might find it's better to let a body shop/painter prep and paint them. They have the proper painting equipment and also an environment to keep dust and debris out of the finished product. They should be able to match your rig extremely close.
It's worth getting a price from a couple reputable shops.

 

[BlueC]

Your Jeep is silver. You (or a professional) will never be able to paint just the doors and have it match. Paints with metallics and pearls lay in a direction that will be very obvious if done wrong, and can even produce "tiger striping". If you want it to match, it will have to be blended in all directions by 1/2 a panel or so. Two sides on a Jeep, that's pretty much an entire paint job.

I suggest either painting them black to match the trim, or talk to a professional body shop if they have to match. Maaco doesn't count.

 

[Vtx531]

Your Jeep is silver. You (or a professional) will never be able to paint just the doors and have it match. Paints with metallics and pearls lay in a direction that will be very obvious if done wrong, and can even produce "tiger striping". If you want it to match, it will have to be blended in all directions by 1/2 a panel or so. Two sides on a Jeep, that's pretty much an entire paint job.

I suggest either painting them black to match the trim, or talk to a professional body shop if they have to match. Maaco doesn't count.

This... and even if you did pay big money to have them blended into the rest of the Jeep, your original full doors will no longer match if you wanted to keep them for winter or whatever.

 

[DropTopDon]

I have PSB, and verified that the paint I am purchasing is PSB as well. The paint costs $80 and I already have primer. Have a store credit card to home depot where I'll get some clear coat. I'm not expecting a perfect match I just don't want the doors to be green anymore. These doors are only going on in the summer and on the trails so I don't expect much from them, just want it to look like they somewhat match the rest of the jeep. I'll call some local paint shops to see what they quote anyways with my fingers crossed.

 

[TRE3TOP]

I have PSB, and verified that the paint I am purchasing is PSB as well. The paint costs $80 and I already have primer. Have a store credit card to home depot where I'll get some clear coat. I'm not expecting a perfect match I just don't want the doors to be green anymore. These doors are only going on in the summer and on the trails so I don't expect much from them, just want it to look like they somewhat match the rest of the jeep. I'll call some local paint shops to see what they quote anyways with my fingers crossed.

Don’t get your clear from Home Depot. It will look like shit. Get an automotive grade one. I’d bet where you are ordering your color from you can get a quality clear coat.

 

[DropTopDon]

Don’t get your clear from Home Depot. It will look like shit. Get an automotive grade one. I’d bet where you are ordering your color from you can get a quality clear coat.

That was the plan but they’re out of stock. Do you have any recommendations

 

[pagrey]

If you are going to spray it yourself I'd use Spray Max 2K clear. It's expensive but it's supposed to be really great stuff. I've done some research about painting my hood, that's what I'd probably use if I was going to do it myself. It's worth a look at least.

 

[TRE3TOP]

That was the plan but they’re out of stock. Do you have any recommendations

Something more like this:

USC SprayMax 2K Glamour High Gloss Aerosol Clear https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0082LJMC6/?tag=wranglerorg-20

 

[TRE3TOP]

I used “Kustom Cans” when I was looking for auto body paint for a project and it came with a 1k clear coat that made it pop pretty good. You could check if they have your color as well.

 

[Mike Z]

Agree with the above posts. I painted more than a few cars back in the day and got pretty good at it. So good, in fact a buddy of mine asked me to paint his 1979 silver Trans Am. He loved that car. Like a dumbass, I painted it and the silver looked awful. That is one of the most difficult colors to paint. You have to be extremely good at paintwork to pull it off and even then it can look splotchy very easily. So, just know going in that not only is silver difficult to match, it is equally difficult to paint without getting striping. Good luck.

 

[OldBuzzard]

Or... you could just get some cheap silver rattle cans, spray the doors horizontally, let a little green show through here and there. Pre-pinstriped for summer trails.

 

[BlueC]

I have PSB, and verified that the paint I am purchasing is PSB as well. The paint costs $80 and I already have primer. Have a store credit card to home depot where I'll get some clear coat. I'm not expecting a perfect match I just don't want the doors to be green anymore. These doors are only going on in the summer and on the trails so I don't expect much from them, just want it to look like they somewhat match the rest of the jeep. I'll call some local paint shops to see what they quote anyways with my fingers crossed.

How were you originally planning to paint it? What was your original plan, and how did you go about getting the "matching" paint? (did you simply go by code or have someone "gun" it to account for blend differences and sun fading)

As previously stated, silvers are probably the hardest color to match. But if these are to be trail doors and similar color is good enough, then have you considered painting with a "matching" color and clearing with a flat?

 

[Akitadog]

Silver can be pain to match. Paint dries slow and the metallic goes flat, Fast and the metallic sets for more deeper metallic look. This where a professional has the advantage. they can look at your paint and know where they need to be with the paint.
I would paint them myself and try and get a close match. Sand the factory paint and put down a quality primer. Some 400 wet on the primer. 3coats of the silver sprayed in one direction. Finish off with 3 coats of a quality clear. After setting for 24 hours I would hit it with a block and 400 wet before polish.
When I paint in my garage I block off half of it with plastic floor to ceiling.
***Warning! if you have a water heater in garage turn it off.***