OEM vs. Duplicolor vs. Other Paints for Color Match

9nick0

Member
Joined
May 13, 2021
Messages
84
Location
Virginia Beach
I have a 1997 Flame Red TJ 4cylinder automatic and I have some paint spots I would like to try and touch up myself before I go for a full respray. Specifically the spray paint cans, not just the pens. Anybody with any experience with the different types of paint matches that they have personally used? I have heard good things about the duplicolor in that it might actually be a better quality than the OEM you can buy. Looking for opinions and any personal experiences. Also, what's a definitive way to confirm your color code? Why is this site offering 3 different codes for 1997 wrangler flame red and how do I tell which one to order?

Screenshot (63).png
 
I had perfect results each time I used duplicolor flame red on my Jeep, I paired it with spraymax 2k clear.


Definitely use a 2k clear.

If you have to order the duplicolor order extra it goes on super thin and takes a few coats.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 9nick0
I have my eye on them as well. What about the 3 different color codes listed above for flame red? How do I know which one to select? See my screenshot above.
Somebody else will have to weigh in on the red. I don't know that answer. Could always call the vendor and see if they know.
 
I work for a PPG supplier and I can tell you the paint code is PR4 is the red but it does have a variant that shows a more yellow
 
your paint code is on the door jamb plaque.

i've had good results from their (web site show above) spray cans matching my khaki metallic.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 9nick0
I had perfect results each time I used duplicolor flame red on my Jeep, I paired it with spraymax 2k clear.


Definitely use a 2k clear.

If you have to order the duplicolor order extra it goes on super thin and takes a few
Any recommendations on prep and primer? Technique? I've watched some videos. My hood is so messed up I can't do any damage trying.
 
Any recommendations on prep and primer? Technique? I've watched some videos. My hood is so messed up I can't do any damage trying.
I just used rust oleum auto primer not a 2k and it worked fine. I followed the steps in this video for the most part. It’s the easiest one I found to follow, lays out all the tools you’ll need I had excellent results each time.

 
If you go through my photos in my profile I painted my pass side door/rockers, pass side tail light area and driver front fender, you couldn’t tell I painted except for spots I left the tape too close to the blend zone.
 
I've got a pair of half doors to paint. Did you use the aerosol spray cans or use a spray gun? How many/much paint did you need?
I used the cans with the spray handle attachment. I got 4 cans as I didn’t want to get too far down to the bottom and have the paint start going crazy. It took about just close to three cans total if I measured what I have left. I did the door jams and inside as well.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SoCalGlide
I used the cans with the spray handle attachment. I got 4 cans as I didn’t want to get too far down to the bottom and have the paint start going crazy. It took about just close to three cans total if I measured what I have left. I did the door jams and inside as well.
Cool, thanks. I'll need to do the inside as well, as it's a color change, not just a repaint.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dunkut88TJ
Like @someguysjeep mentioned, the paint code is listed on the tag in your door jamb. But I too have a 97 Flame Red SE, and I can tell you that the code is PR4. For the little bit of touch-up work I've done, I used Duplicolor's match for PR4.

A few things to keep in mind: if your paint has sun-fading, then the color-match paint might not look like a perfect match. It's going to match what the paint looked like way back in the day. Also, for what it's worth, don't forget that doing some good paint correction can go a long way. If you really strip that paint of all the years of dirt and wax, etc., and then use a polish to get rid of any oxidation, followed by a high-quality wax, you might find that some of the spots you planned on re-painting look fine again. At least, that's what I found with mine. And besides, you'd probably end up doing most of that work anyway as prep for the paint job.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 9nick0