thecajunboy

Ugggghhhhh. I'm so OCD about my wheels. Debated for at least 2 years to either buy a used set of Carrera S3s in OB5 platinum satin or have mine refinished in paint or powdercoat. Decided on a place that the local Porsche dealer uses for all their wheel repairs, even inspected some of those, and had 1 of my Cayman S wheels done by them. Great work. In discussions with them before bringing them in, they said they could match any Porsche color. So I had the tires removed, then I removed TPMS from each and did an iron removal, clay bar, solvent, and wax strip on all before bringing them in. Clean as a new set of wheels. I bought new Porsche OB5 center caps and brought one in so they could check the color mix. They called this morning to let me know they were finished so I hightailed down there to get them. That's where the fun started. Wheels are darker than the center caps and they are glossy. Easy enough for anybody to tell the difference at first glance.

So I ask "why are they glossy" and the answer is that it's because of the clearcoat. And I'm like, yeah, but the paint code is for a matte finish, and the shop manager (she's the owner's wife) is acting like I'm the one with a problem. Owner also happens to be my dad's sister's grandson (that's a 1st cousin once removed, I think). Now the wheels look really great, almost like OC6 Titan Dunkel metallic, which I also considered but opted for the OB5 to coordinate better with a future graphics treatment on the car. So I'm thinking I could accept if the center caps match and ask if they can paint the center caps. She tells me you can't paint them because they're plastic. So I ask how did Porsche get them that way. No answer of course. She also started yapping how center caps rarely match, and she walked off to her Macan and came back and said hers don't match. She wasn't too interested when I told her I have two sets that are the same color and all the caps match, even on the one they refinished for me recently. So she punted and called her husband/owner/cousin into the fray, but she bowed out when he took over.

At least our conversation was a bit more civil, but had he not been a relative I would definitely have been a bit less forgiving. He said they had called the paint rep to come in and assist with the color code to get the mix and would get him back in to take a look. I asked if it was possible they could hit it with the matte clear but the color has already gone too dark. Looks like two errors on their part. Tint is off, and clear is glossy. Oh, and a third error, calling me and expecting me to accept that kind of work. Now I'm worried about how it gets made right. It's a 3 step process (base, color, clear) which means that it probably needs the 3 new coats. I'm concerned about the prep to fix this and how many coats they may end up with when all is said and done.

Grrrrrrrrr

DriverDaily

The glossy result sounds like they sprayed it too thick.

I was just reading an article on repairing a Genesis G90s matte paint.

https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/2...nt-repair/amp/

okie981

I had a OEM wheel on my Boxster S damaged by a tire installer. I was good friends with him. He offered to have it refinished to match OEM. After taking it to two different wheel repair refinish shops, one of them doing the job twice, for a total of three refinish jobs, the paint didn't match. I gave up and took the wheel back. He gives me good prices on mount/balance and on tires, works out of a truck as a mobile tire shop. The wheel repair shops were in Dallas.

Sajan

I had my silver wheels painted OB5 a few months ago. I only gave the paint code and they matched it somehow. Initially they looked a little lighter to me so I bought a center cab in that color to compare and it was pretty damn close. The repainted wheels a tiny bit on the warmer side but honestly you can't tell.
They also painted the center caps. Both came out matte.

Honestly, they should just paint the center caps to whatever the wheels are and be done with it....unless of course you get the glossy look..in that case, start over.

thecajunboy

Yeah, but that wasn't the deal we made. Deal was to match the paint code, and that includes the texture of the clearcoat. They failed on both. Complicating it is that they keep claiming they can't paint center caps.

TMc993

Sounds like they're never going to get it right, or really even try. If it was me, I'd treat them just like any other shop I didn't want to deal with anymore...Tell them to give you an itemized invoice, pay them for their labor, let them eat the cost of materials, and then take/send your wheels somewhere that will strip them down and do them correctly. Losing the money and time sucks and they won't "like" you anymore; but honestly, what have you lost by not dealing with 'em anymore? There are too many really good wheel shops in the southeast for you to have to deal with second rate work.

strato58

They should want to make it right especially if they are so called family. I'd continue until you get what you want the right way. Why does the customer get screwed<