Vauxhall Star Silver body paint problem

[Phil Morris]

Hi,

I am trying to repair a dent in the bonnet of my 2002 "52" Corsa which is Star Silver. I brought the spray paint and lacquer aerosol cans from the local Vauxhall dealer but I cannot get the paint to match.

The paint I have been given is Star Silver L157 but it is far darker than the paint on the car. The dealer says it is the right paint according to Vauxhall but it doesn't look the same. Is there something I'm not doing right or has any else had this problem.

Any help welcome!

 

[Brim]

Sadly it is almost impossible to match a solid colour from a spray can let alone a metallic with clear coat as the way the paint particles catch the light will be different from the original. A body shop who can mix paint using paint card swatches to achieve a much closer match would still spray the whole bonnet and possibly "feather" the new paint over the wings as a way of disguising the colour difference.

 

[adder1969]

Sadly it is almost impossible to match a solid colour from a spray can let alone a metallic with clear coat as the way the paint particles catch the light will be different from the original. A body shop who can mix paint using paint card swatches to achieve a much closer match would still spray the whole bonnet and possibly "feather" the new paint over the wings as a way of disguising the colour difference.

But it shouldn't be "far off" as the OP says. Usually the colour code is marked somewhere under the bonnet.

 

[Bob Smith]

Hi,

I am trying to repair a dent in the bonnet of my 2002 "52" Corsa which is Star Silver. I brought the spray paint and lacquer aerosol cans from the local Vauxhall dealer but I cannot get the paint to match.

The paint I have been given is Star Silver L157 but it is far darker than the paint on the car. The dealer says it is the right paint according to Vauxhall but it doesn't look the same. Is there something I'm not doing right or has any else had this problem.

Any help welcome!

If you put it on too thick you will get a different colour. This is most noticable using a touch up pen on a stone chip - the particles all sink to the bottom of the blob, giving a graduated 2 tone effect... A thin coat or two, followed by the laquer is best.

Bob

 

[Bob Smith]

But it shouldn't be "far off" as the OP says. Usually the colour code is marked somewhere under the bonnet.

I gave the number from under the bonnet, and the guy said "Eh?" - the colour code for mine was on a plate in the drivers side door pillar.

Bob

 

[Tariq]

I am trying to repair a dent in the bonnet of my 2002 "52" Corsa which is Star Silver. I brought the spray paint and lacquer aerosol cans from the local Vauxhall dealer but I cannot get the paint to match.

The paint I have been given is Star Silver L157 but it is far darker than the paint on the car. The dealer says it is the right paint according to Vauxhall but it doesn't look the same. Is there something I'm not doing right or has any else had this problem.

There are three slightly different shades of Star Silver. Check that the paint code for your car is actually 157 - the plate on the suspension strut under the bonnet will tell you (there are two three-character paint codes, a Vauxhall one and an Opel one plus a four character trim code littering the plate amongst other details).

Tariq

 

[Phil Morris]

If you put it on too thick you will get a different colour. This is most noticable using a touch up pen on a stone chip - the particles all sink to the bottom of the blob, giving a graduated 2 tone effect... A thin coat or two, followed by the laquer is best.

Bob

I did think of this after a couple of attempts but even the lightest of sprays dries darker. It's almost like I've used a light grey primer!

Could it still be that I am spraying too thick?

 

[Phil Morris]

There are three slightly different shades of Star Silver. Check that the paint code for your car is actually 157 - the plate on the suspension strut under the bonnet will tell you (there are two three-character paint codes, a Vauxhall one and an Opel one plus a four character trim code littering the plate amongst other details).

Tariq

Thanks for this. I had only taken the details of the plate above the front grill. I'll take a look when it stops raining and see if I do have the right colour.

 

[Bob Smith]

Thanks for this. I had only taken the details of the plate above the front grill. I'll take a look when it stops raining and see if I do have the right colour.

My paint codes on my R reg Vectra and my 53 reg Signum were on a plate on the drivers door pillar.

Bob

 

[Judas]

Bob Smith wrote:

My paint codes on my R reg Vectra and my 53 reg Signum were on a plate on the drivers door pillar.

Bob

Correct, the bottom left line of the chassis plate sticker on the drivers side 'B' Pillar gives a paint code which has to be cross referenced by your main dealer, sometimes you will have e.g 20Q or L579 these distinquish where the vehicle was built. 'Star Silver' + II III are available and there is a slight difference in shade, being an R reg counts star silver III out.

In other models e.g. Corsa 'C' the chassis plate has been put on the O/S/F strut mounting housing!

 

[Phil Morris]

Bob Smith wrote:

My paint codes on my R reg Vectra and my 53 reg Signum were on a plate on the drivers door pillar.

Bob

Correct, the bottom left line of the chassis plate sticker on the drivers side 'B' Pillar gives a paint code which has to be cross referenced by your main dealer, sometimes you will have e.g 20Q or L579 these distinquish where the vehicle was built. 'Star Silver' + II III are available and there is a slight difference in shade, being an R reg counts star silver III out.

In other models e.g. Corsa 'C' the chassis plate has been put on the O/S/F strut mounting housing!

I finally got the chance to look for the paint code and as Tariq suggested, the plate is on the O/S suspension strut. It says "157" which is the colour the dealer has give me. I have also bought a can of Duplicolor paint and this is the same as the Vauxhall colour.

No matter how I apply the paint, it is darker and by this I mean that it looks more grey than silver and it really is a big difference. What I think I need is a lighter shade but which one?