Why a Paint Code Is Only the Starting Point V
A door jamb label is the usual home of the factory paint code, and PPG's 2017 location guide lists the driver and passenger door jambs for Honda. Entering that code in the paint maker's software brings up a refinish formula number. Paint Refinishing appears on the Leesburg shop's collision services list, beside bumper and dent fixes.
That formula is a starting point. One automaker bulletin described trucks from one plant whose green paint could look noticeably lighter than others with the same code, and paint companies listed a lighter variant formula under it. For Honda colors with variants, PPG's search pairs the code with the VIN's 11th character, the assembly plant code.
- Honda codes: driver or passenger door jamb (PPG)
- PPG: software turns a code into a formula number
- A single code can have variant formulas
- VIN's 11th character marks the assembly plant
- Services list includes Paint Refinishing
Collision Services
Measuring and Tinting Toward a Blendable Match V
Judging color by eye is tricky even in the best conditions, and people perceive color differently, Axalta notes. The color-matching resources I-CAR lists include color chips, a spectrophotometer (a color camera), spray-out panels and paint maker technical reps. Placed next to the damage, the camera measures color and effect at multiple angles, according to Axalta.
Tinting takes over when those readings come up short: I-CAR defines it as adjusting a formula by adding toner in small increments, with a blendable match as the target. PPG prefers judging spray-out cards in natural sunlight between 10 AM and 2 PM, with checks in shade equally important. Among the Leesburg shop's credentials is an I-CAR Gold Class Certified Team.
- People see color differently, Axalta notes
- Axalta: color cameras read several angles
- Toner adjustments aim for a blendable match (I-CAR)
- PPG: test cards judged in midday sun and shade
- I-CAR Gold Class Certified Team at the Leesburg shop
Certified Repairs
Blending, Clear Coat and Pearl Colors V
Blending deceives the eye, in I-CAR's words: basecoat color reaches beyond the repair onto the area or panel beside it and lets part of the factory finish show through the new layer. Pearl tri-coats ask more: Axalta calls for extended blends into adjacent panels, and its repair system begins with a let-down panel showing how many mid-coats match the original finish.
Clear coat follows its own rule. Hyundai, for one, explains that today's clear coats are irreversibly cured, so the old clear around a spot repair cannot be melted into new clear, and a clear coat blend can later show hazing, fading or peeling after sun and weather exposure. Nissan likewise warns that thin partial clear can discolor or peel.
- I-CAR: blending deceives the eye
- Drop coats orient metallic and pearl flakes (I-CAR)
- Axalta: tri-coats need longer blends
- Hyundai: cured clear cannot be melted into new clear
- Nissan: thin partial clear can discolor or peel
Before & After Photos
Florida Sun and Weathered Paint V
PPG says a quality clear coat protects the color from fading while adding gloss and scratch resistance. In Florida, Q-Lab's black box exposures mimic conditions on a vehicle's horizontal surfaces, such as the hood, roof and trunk lid, where temperatures run higher and wet times last longer.
Sun-worn paint also shifts the target. According to I-CAR, a weathered finish can keep a car from matching its paint code's standard formula, and PPG's procedure calls for polishing the adjacent panel before the best blendable formula is chosen. Painters are part of the Leesburg team, and per the shop's homepage, its technicians and facilities can help return a vehicle to its pre-accident condition.
- PPG: quality clear helps stop fading
- Q-Lab: horizontal surfaces run hotter, stay wet longer
- I-CAR: warm air speeds flash and cure times
- PPG: polish the next panel before choosing
- Leesburg team includes painters
Why Choose Us
Getting Started With Paint Repairs in Leesburg V
Early in PPG's color procedure comes a check for earlier refinishing, so mention any past paint work when you visit. The Request an Estimate form lets you name a preferred appointment date and choose a part of the day, or Anytime. If insurance is involved, ask staff for assistance with the claim, and count on hearing how the repair is progressing from drop-off to pickup.
Questions before booking can go through the shop's Contact Us page. Behind the finished job is a lifetime warranty on all repairs performed at Jenkins Collision Centers. For everyday care, PPG suggests washing in the shade and drying the car completely, and UF/IFAS advises washing off lovebug remains as soon as possible.
- Mention any past paint work at your visit
- Preferred date and time of day on the form
- Team assists with insurance claims
- PPG: wash in the shade and dry completely
- UF/IFAS: wash lovebug remains off promptly
Contact Us