Paint quality between colors?

[Lionel_Hutz]

I'd been planning to get a 4Runner in Super White until I discovered today that it's a single-stage paint. That's a non-starter for me.

Now looking at either Mag Gray or Silver. Is there any insider information about problems with the quality of paint on either color that I should know before I buy?

 

[YelloLab]

From what I understand in 2015 Toyota switched to base coat clear coat in all paints due to oxidation complaints

 

[Louise]

Yeah, white is the only one that is single stage.

 

[Jetboy]

White is still the easiest to match. So I'd figure out what you're wanting to do with it. I'd much prefer a base/clear, but I still went with white because it's still the easiest to replace body panels. I'm already on my 2nd bumper and have #3 in the garage (new takeoff) ready to put on when #2 is done. I think it sucks that they use single stage. If I didn't buy white - I would have gone with red. But they're pretty much all the same other than white. Any of the metal flake colors are hard to match. It just never sprays out the same so you can always tell no matter how good the body shop is.

 

[philsey]

I'd been planning to get a 4Runner in Super White until I discovered today that it's a single-stage paint. That's a non-starter for me.

Since I don't know, what are the drawbacks that cause you such concern?

Are you that hard on your finish?

Googled: https://www.autogeekonline.net/foru...en-single-stage-paints-clear-coat-paints.html

 

[Lionel_Hutz]

Since I don't know, what are the drawbacks that cause you such concern?

Are you that hard on your finish?

Clearcoated is more durable, won't oxidize, will gloss better, and most modern detailing products are designed with clearcoated finishes in mind. There's nothing necessarily "wrong" with single stage paint, but there's a reason almost every manufacturer has moved on to clearcoats since the early 90s.

 

[Lionel_Hutz]

White is still the easiest to match. So I'd figure out what you're wanting to do with it. I'd much prefer a base/clear, but I still went with white because it's still the easiest to replace body panels. I'm already on my 2nd bumper and have #3 in the garage (new takeoff) ready to put on when #2 is done. I think it sucks that they use single stage. If I didn't buy white - I would have gone with red. But they're pretty much all the same other than white. Any of the metal flake colors are hard to match. It just never sprays out the same so you can always tell no matter how good the body shop is.

Lucky to have an excellent Toyota Collision and excellent private body shop nearby. They won't have problems matching even something tricky like a pearl coat.

 

[Sound_SS]

White is still the easiest to match. So I'd figure out what you're wanting to do with it. I'd much prefer a base/clear, but I still went with white because it's still the easiest to replace body panels. I'm already on my 2nd bumper and have #3 in the garage (new takeoff) ready to put on when #2 is done. I think it sucks that they use single stage. If I didn't buy white - I would have gone with red. But they're pretty much all the same other than white. Any of the metal flake colors are hard to match. It just never sprays out the same so you can always tell no matter how good the body shop is.

This is not true. A GOOD body shop can match metallic finishes and done right, neither you nor anyone on here would be able to tell. I will say finding a good body shop is not a painless process but they are out there.

 

[Kenstaroni]

I had a super white 2015, tried to buff a couple scratches on the front bumper once and it immediately started going through the paint, it was incredibly thin.

 

[aa.allen]

I have been painting cars or supplying auto paint half my life and I can promise you white it is NOT the easiest to match. It’s not the hardest but it is certainly not the easiest. Half a a gram or part of a blue or red toner that goes into a white mix and your starting over. Or not enough of something and it’s off usually a yellow that goes in a mix will cause this. GM 8624 is very easy to get too blue. I have seen it not get blue enough a handful of times.

I can also think of a white Buick that one of my customers had to park for 3 weeks this past summer because they couldn’t get it right. A part of the car had to go to the PPG lab in Ohio to get matched. Even the people in the lab at PPG struggled with the color match. This is a pretty good shop that shoots quality materials and has been in business for decades.

 

[MissouriBreaks]

I had a super white 2015, tried to buff a couple scratches on the front bumper once and it immediately started going through the paint, it was incredibly thin.

I had a similar issue with my white 2012 FJ Cruiser as after a paint-less dent repair, the shop buffed it due to whatever reasons and started to wear through the paint. You could not tell unless you knew where to look, but I knew where to look. Lucky for me, I traded it a week or two later on the TRD Pro.

 

[brianmfournier]

I've got nautical blue, this is my first Toyota and it's definitely not the best paint I've ever seen. My drivers side quarter panel came slightly hazed in some places, you probably wouldn't notice but I can see it. I didn't even see it on delivery but noticed a few weeks after I picked it up. Kind of a whatever as the function of the truck outweighs hazy clearcoat

 

[Vinz Clortho]

Not sure its an issue really. Toyota is notorious for clear coat failure. I saw a Camry the other day that couldn’t have been more than ten years old that had lost its clear coat already. The darker base coats seem to go the fastest. Google “Toyota clear coat failure” and take a gander at how this is still an issue.

The single stage Super Red on my 93 MR2 held up way longer than the clear coat on my brother’s dark silver 05 Corolla.

 

[83Mule]

I hate clearcoat......they all go away here in the Desert and it looks like shit. My 1st gen PU is 35 years old, has sat in the direct sun it's entire life and STILL buffs to a shine on the original Creme paint. Clear over a absurdly thin base is a rip-off......I like the good 'ol days.

 

[tacoyota]

I will take toyota paint over Honda any day! So many faded accords and civics on the road lol. And yea, I wonder why they chose single stage for super white....

 

[e60ral]

one benefit of mag gray is that it hides dirt and imperfections well, even light pinstriping gets lost in the flake a few feet away

it's all thin though, even the clear base colors

 

[delloro]

Not sure its an issue really. Toyota is notorious for clear coat failure. I saw a Camry the other day that couldn’t have been more than ten years old that had lost its clear coat already. The darker base coats seem to go the fastest. Google “Toyota clear coat failure” and take a gander at how this is still an issue.

The single stage Super Red on my 93 MR2 held up way longer than the clear coat on my brother’s dark silver 05 Corolla.

I don't have covered parking, so having no clear coat to fail is a plus for me.

 

[Jetboy]

This is not true. A GOOD body shop can match metallic finishes and done right, neither you nor anyone on here would be able to tell. I will say finding a good body shop is not a painless process but they are out there.

I would bet I could identify every blended panel on every repaint. Doesn't matter how good they are. Unless they send the entire body to a factory to re-prime and re-paint as a unit, you can always tell if you know what you're looking for and have good light. Is that the end of the world? no. These aren't show cars. Even Toyota can't match color using its own factory facility unless it paints cars together as a complete unit at the same time.

It's just a function of painting in a 100k spray booth by hand compared to a 100 million dollar paint facility with a spray robot costs more than the entire body shop of any local place. And you can't use the same products because the factory can bake the finish to temps that will melt your plastic parts since it's not assembled yet.

You can probably even get a better aftermarket paint quality. What you can't get is the same paint. And the result is that no matter how good it may look on day 1, it won't age the same. On day 3,000 - you'll see it more obviously.

 

[bane]

I would go with Classic Silver. It's clear coat so you avoid the issue with the single stage paint. It's a light color so it stays pretty clean looking and scratches won't jump out like they do on a dark color. Also, since it's a light color you're less likely to encounter the Toyota clear coat failure issue. I had a dark green Tacoma that bubbled the clear coat on the hood. I'm hoping my MGM doesn't do the same thing.