New Bumper color doesn't quite match
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
c350
New Bumper color doesn't quite match
Hi everyone,
So I got a new bumper after a freak accident... I've been looking at it for two days and it doesn't seem to quite match imo... Knowing that I might be a bit bias since I study it from every angle I though I'd post some photos for others to judge whether or not I should try to ask for a repaint or not. My car is a metallic steel gray ( hard color to match
..)
I took these like 30 minutes before it got dark so the lighting might not be the best...
So I got a new bumper after a freak accident... I've been looking at it for two days and it doesn't seem to quite match imo... Knowing that I might be a bit bias since I study it from every angle I though I'd post some photos for others to judge whether or not I should try to ask for a repaint or not. My car is a metallic steel gray ( hard color to match
..)I took these like 30 minutes before it got dark so the lighting might not be the best...
Last edited by boo123; Feb 4, 2011 at 07:11 PM.
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
c350
I'm going to try posting some photos tomorrow or the day after when I can get more sunlight.
Super Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 780
Likes: 3
From: br00klynnn.
C204
Two things to take into consideration:
a. If the bumper has been repainted, then the paint is fresher than that on your fender - which results in a noticeable color difference.
b. IIRC, the bumper and the fender are two different materials and so the color is off to a certain extent. I am pretty sure a search within the forum will bring you more answers on the topic.
a. If the bumper has been repainted, then the paint is fresher than that on your fender - which results in a noticeable color difference.
b. IIRC, the bumper and the fender are two different materials and so the color is off to a certain extent. I am pretty sure a search within the forum will bring you more answers on the topic.
Trending Topics
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 3,056
Likes: 47
From: Orlando, Florida
E350 Sport/ML350RWD
A good body shop can compensate for wear and fading. Hhughes C63 just received a new CF hood and bumper that was custom painted to flow with the Mars Red original color. Red is one of the worst colors for fading and his car is almost 3 years old. It is PERFECT. It can be done.
MB World Stories
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Verdad Gallardo
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction
Verdad Gallardo
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping
Verdad Gallardo
10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used
Verdad Gallardo
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,464
Likes: 73
From: Midwest, US
'17 GTR, '17 GLC43, '14 Panigale 899, '20 V4
Ditto bumpers are a different material and metallic colors are often different colors (go look at brand new cars on the lot) White pearls are the WORST!
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,424
Likes: 3
From: Ohio
X3 and 2012 C coming soon
Like inkredibul said, most bumpers don't match from the factory either. Many are usually not painted at the same time or location as the cars. Also, the metal flake may have laid down differently on the repaint. That's the reason I did not get metallic paint this time.
It looks fine. I'd be willing to bet that nobody notices it but you. If it bothers you that much, put the shop on notice and have them paint it again later.
It looks fine. I'd be willing to bet that nobody notices it but you. If it bothers you that much, put the shop on notice and have them paint it again later.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,321
Likes: 0
C300 Sport/Palladium Silver on Black/P2
It's hard to tell in pictures. It does look perhaps a bit off. THe bumpers are plastic, whereas the hood and fender next to it are metal. However, some of the pictures make it look like a bigger difference than that.
I suppose you should have it done again just to help put your mind at ease.
I suppose you should have it done again just to help put your mind at ease.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,113
Likes: 57
From: Southwest USA
Another round of ICE
Many good comments in this thread. But, keep in mind, even though fascias are originally painted by the supplier and shipped to the assembly plant, and the Body-In-White is painted at the assembly plant, color matching harmony is the rule, not the exception. Most do match, and a good body shop can replicate that match. Photos will be very difficult for us to use to reach a conclusion. If in sunlight the fascia does not match the body, the body shop should repaint.
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 312
Likes: 2
C350 Elegance
Many good comments in this thread. But, keep in mind, even though fascias are originally painted by the supplier and shipped to the assembly plant, and the Body-In-White is painted at the assembly plant, color matching harmony is the rule, not the exception. Most do match, and a good body shop can replicate that match. Photos will be very difficult for us to use to reach a conclusion. If in sunlight the fascia does not match the body, the body shop should repaint.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,113
Likes: 57
From: Southwest USA
Another round of ICE
Everyone did not say that!! Some of us disagree and know matching is not only possible, but most common regardless of variation in the substrate. Fascia paint also is different than sheetmetal paint, due to the addition of materials to allow it to flex, so difference in material, whether substrate or coating, does not inherently mean mismatched color harmony.
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 446
Likes: 0
From: Las Vegas
2005 Crossfire SRT-6
The bumper to fender and bumper to 1/4 panel doesn't match from the factory. Go take a look at your rear bumper and you'll see it is off as well. I point it out to M-B(and almost every other high end car) owners all the time before I even start repairing their cars. If you want a true undetectable paint match on a light metallic colored car such as yours it is best to just blend into the fenders. Then you will have a matching front bumper and a off-colored rear bumper.
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
From: Johannesburg, South Africa
W202 C230 Kompressor, W204 C200 CGI
It will be very difficult to match to the originial colour of a dark colour paint.
That's the reason I will not buy a dark colour paint vechcle any more.
That's the reason I will not buy a dark colour paint vechcle any more.
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
c350
Thanks for everyone's replies.... Here are some photos in the sun. I've let the body shop know the color difference. I let them see it and they've acknowledged that at a certain angle there is a difference. I didn't ask them to repaint it but they said if I had a problem selling/trading it they would repaint it or w/e. I'm still tempted to ask them to repaint it now but I'm going to the a Benz dealership to look at some of the cars.
BTW, my back bumper is mismatched cause it's from a different accident where I was hit at a red light
BTW, my back bumper is mismatched cause it's from a different accident where I was hit at a red light
Last edited by boo123; Feb 7, 2011 at 03:30 PM.
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
c350
Sigh.... I think I might just live with it... I lived with the back bumper for a year already so what's another mismatched bumper :/.
All my cars from henceforth will be BLACK.
All my cars from henceforth will be BLACK.
Last edited by boo123; Feb 7, 2011 at 12:02 PM.
