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Yes, opal not Op-el. Perhaps the cognoscenti of these columns will deride my ignorance and tell me it's nothing new, but I have just seen a 95/96 Corolla with a fascinating paint job. From one angle it sort of glows a pale blue, then upon moving to another angle it is a metallic creamy white, with one color fading into the other. It reminds me exactly of how an opal looks when moved around under bright light. Whoever has done it is a real pro, the preparation and effect are immaculate, with an inctedibly deep shine. This is a new one on me and a nice change from the dreary silvers and blues floating around. Anyone throw any light (ouch) on this type of paint?
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Not sure if this is the same, but on the Alfa 156 you can order *PEARLESECENT paint as a £1000 extra.
Its pale blue and changes colour according to the light.
*excuse spelling
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Again, please excuse the spelling, but the Alfa 156 colour is called something like "Nuovalo" blue. It's impossible to match, so after the slightest ding the car looks like Joseph's Technicolour Dreamcoat. Nissan does a greeny-brown that has the same effect.
HJ
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Seems like a silly idea to me - and even sillier that people will pay extra for it!
I learnt my lesson on silver cars - they match lovely in the panelbeaters, but after a few months in the sun, they become remarkbaly two-tone!
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I suppose all the impracticalities are true, but I did like the look of the paint job I saw. Thanks for the input.
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The paint that you are on about is known as ChromaFlair in the trade. The main examples that you see in the UK is on some Nissan Primera GT's, some Nissan Micra's and some TVR's. One of the main reasons why you see very few examples of this paint apart from it being a fairly new style is the cost involved of having a car painted in it hence the extra £1000 on the price of a new car.
You may have noticed that some metallic paints are pearlescent in their nature which means that when the sunlight reflects on them at different angles the colour that it seen by the eye is of varying shades. The ChromaFlair paint is just a highly exagerated version of this. But because of the pigment that makes up this ChromaFlair paint is so special the cost of the paint (around 12 months ago) was about £600 for half of a litre of the stuff. Which when you consider that normal metallic/pearlescent paint is about £25 per half litre the difference in price can be seen. Don't forget that to paint just the outside of an average car you would require about 2 to 4 litres of the stuff!
As for the colour matching of this paint I cannot say that I have ever seen one after a repair has been carried out but I cannot actually envisage any problems as the colour flips so much as you look along the side of the car I'm sure any noticable difference would be minimal, but of course this depends on the skill of the person doing the paintwork.
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Round here there is a bog standard 15yr old Fiesta in that paint. Looks mainly a sort of metallic cream but changes through a purple and blue as it passes.
The question is why did they do a £75 car?
David
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Obviously it isn't new then. Car paint is a Filipino specialty and they do really good work, and I don't believe it would cost much, given the modest pay people get, and we don't havev Euro rip-off labor costs, it's all cash-in-hand no receipt stuff to avoid the VAT. All paints are made here anyway not imported. Usually done outside and let the sun bake it. Sounds awful but is frequently show quality. Had the family hack Mazda done all over the other week for twenty quid, wish I'd spec'd the fancy paint now.
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Definitely not new - the first time I saw it was on an Audi Quattro 20V at the 1990-ish Birmingham motor show
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This paint seems to be a dream for confusing the witnesses. Cant you just imagine a good cross examination..... It must rate along with painting each quarter of the car a different color.
Somebody suggested that they had seen an old Fiesta painted in something similar. Are they sure it wasnt just plain original Red. After 15 years no 2 panels are the same color!
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I'm thinking, a '69 Mustang Fastbank with fatties, headers, 4 on the floor and a bored and stroked 351 cu in Cleveland in opalescent...mmmmm...
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Growler,
now because i'm half the age of the car you mention, could you please explain what that lot means?
4 on the floor???
M.
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MM
If I can help,
fatties = wide tyres
4 on the floor = 4 speed manual gearbox (as opposed to gear change on the steering column, or 3 speed auto)
and a bored and stroked 351 cu in = engine with bigger pistons and longer stroke (different crank) to about 5.75 litres.
headers = no idea
Cleveland = help, Growler!
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header pipes, I think.
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Headers = manifolds, so I guess this means some visible form of these eg Lake pipes.
(Think Beach Boys - 'Little deuce coupe')
regards
John
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On The column was called "3 on the tree"
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