Looking to make my truck look a bit better, I've collected quite a few rock dings and scratches over the years. Apparently though, my color code 179 - Dark Grey Metallic is hard to match. Tried off Amazon but it was too light and too bluish. Seems like this is a hard one to match. I found some threads on it but they are from 7-10 years ago!

Has anyone had success with this color? I'm not wanting to spend more than $25 on this one... but I will if I have to. I'm looking for near perfect color match, I don't care if it's a pen, bottle, two-layer paint, etc.

 

Automotivetouchuppaint.com

Most of them are 2 stage, so you'll need a bottle if clear cost to blend the base with the rest of the truck.

Worked decently on my replacement door.

 

Could that be: http://www.automotivetouchup.com/ ?

 

coming from a bodyshop back ground, a perfect match to a factory applied colour is virtually impossible. With a base coat/clear coat system, or 2 stage as your calling it. The humidity in the air will effect your colour, how heavy and how many coats you apply will effect your colour. You're also trying to match the fading that has occured to the factory colour over how many years.

To put it in perspective, some modern Toyotas have up to 15 different variants. So lets say the paint code is "123" That means there are 15 different formulas available to mix that "123" colour of paint. Each of those variants are either more blue, red, green, yellow, darker, lighter, more coarse metallics ect. If you had 2 painters, on the same day, with the same paint in the same gun, spray 2 panels side by side, they would end up slightly different colours due to how much the metallics sink and your orientation coat application.

Scuba has the right idea of having to blend it. On a side note, if theres too many chips and you touch them all up, it looks worse than if you just left them. It then looks like your vehicle has chicken pox.

 

Thanks for the input guys, will check that site out.

I do realize a "perfect" match is unrealistic, but I've seen it done pretty darn close, so much that you don't notice. My bro has a 95 red 4Runner and the previous owner touched it up, it's hardly noticeable at all. Granted a gloss red is easier to match than a two-tone metallic paint than mine, but I was sorely disappointed with the last one (tested inside the door jamb and wasn't even close).

Was looking at the clear coat and "buffing" coat from those guys, would probably do all 3 since it'd still be under $20. Will give them a try!