Inspecting a paint job

Discussion in '1998 - 2011 Ford Ranger' started by Eddie Money, Sep 25, 2017.

  1. Eddie Money

    Eddie Money Member

    Hello, its my first post. Sorry for the novel. I'm thorough. Lol.

    I have a 2007 ranger sport 4 door 4x4. This is my 3rd ranger but by far one of my nicest. I used it as a work truck for the company where I'm currently employed. I made an arrangement with my employer for a paint job in exchange for using my own truck until a company truck was available. I used my 99 for 3 of the years till the transmission started showing its age then my 07 for 4 years till recently. As of August I no longer use my truck for work and have sent it to be painted. I'm in construction and still live paycheck to paycheck so I couldnt afford a color change. The cost of painting it exceeded what my employer budgeted as well so there was no way to ask for more. My stock color is a nice blue anyway and i live in washington, because of the sucess of the seahawks blue is pretty well liked. Lol.

    I was able to find a very reputable paint shop that has been in business for a long time and is used by owners of very high end sports cars and classic muscle cars. I did a lot of research before I chose this paint shop. I washed the exterior and detailed the interior like new. I take very good care of my vehicles so it wasn't hard. I delivered my truck to the shop expecting to have it back in 2 weeks. I called during the second week to find out it had been overlooked. Sensing it would become a rushed mask job instead of a high quality paint job, I told them I wanted to be wowed and take the necessary time....

    I get to see it for the first time in 2 months this week!!! I've never had a whole car or truck painted before so I want to make sure my desire to drive it away and take it home or the excitement of seeing it, doesn't blind me from properly inspecting the finished work. I'm supposed to come view it on Wednesday evening.

    Are there any blaring things that I should look for before I drive away? I haven't seen my truck in so long im afraid ill over look something. I'd rather ask them to fix it before i pay them so I have some leverage rather than get excited and tell them I'm happy but have to ask them to fix something after. Any tips and suggestions will be appreciated.
     
    Last edited: Sep 25, 2017
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  3. OP
    Eddie Money

    Eddie Money Member

    Hey, its my second post in my own thread!!! YEAH!!! No one bothered to say hello, welcome, or go away even.

    Can anyone recommend an ACTIVE ford ranger forums for 2011 and older rangers
     
  4. OP
    Eddie Money

    Eddie Money Member

    On the chance that anyone besides me are following this thread I'll continue.

    Today I viewed my ranger at the paint shop. I wasn't sure what to expect, being my first complete paint job. All week ive been hoping it was final inspection, where i look for defects or approve the work and pick it up after they polish and wipe it down.

    I arrived and waited in the lobby, imagining the count from counts customs calling for rolly to bring out my beautiful ranger.....back to reality. I was instructed to head out to the shop. As I walked through my disappointment set in....instead of seeing my truck painted, I pass by a table with my truck parts primed and ready for paint.

    But there's hope!!! As I exit the first shop and emerge into the alley between, I am greeted with my ranger. It was stripped down to just the cab and fenders but it gleaned like a Colgate smile.

    My truck color is called Vista blue I believe. Since I've been the owner its been painted on few times and for the most part respectively matching the original color. Since i couldnt afford a color change or any other extras, (swoshes, scallops, or pinstriping). I asked if there was any room for variation in the color, that idlike it on the darker side.

    As I'm admiring the darker shade of blue and the sparkle of the metal flake, he shows me all the extra effort going into making this one hell of a nice looking truck. Untill I can post a photo i can only describe it as dark candy vista blue. The original vista blue was a kind of medium silvery blue with lots of small silver flake. The new paint is darker blue with a little small flake and a few big flakes. It sparkles like edward during the day if you get the silly reference.

    Although the shop has been toying with my emotions by stringing me along on the progress. I'm confident that they are giving my truck their full attention when they are working on it. Lol. I'm willing to trade a speedy paint job for a masterpiece. They have done a great job making sure there will be no visible paint lines where the painted meets the unpainted. I don't think I have any concerns about the quality of paint job I'll be getting. Since they are loving on my truck, I think I'll let them finish and see what the baby looks like.

    Thanks for all the tips and positive feed back from the community. I'll post pics soon hopefully.
     
  5. Dchad53

    Dchad53 Member

    Other than runs or fisheye there isn't much you can see right off. Just look closely around the trim
    to make sure the tape came off clean and didn't overlap the old paint. I know what you mean about
    not wanting to rush them but...Unless they are throwing in a bunch of freebies you have been more than
    patient. I'd love to the pics when you get it back
     
  6. OP
    Eddie Money

    Eddie Money Member


    When I went to view it last Thursday they showed me how far they painted down the back side of the cab and inside the cab around door areas. Because I asked for a darker tint than the original color without doing a color change they went a lot farther into the cab to insure there won't be any paint lines or old color visible except for one area behind the passenger side back door when it's all the way open and you look between the door and jump seat, you might see about 2-3 inches of the old color. Lol.

    I do feel like I'm getting extras and a better paint job than their average customers so far. My truck had some scratches and dings and previous repairs I was not aware before they stripped it down. They filled, primed, sanded, primed, and sanded to blend any fill farther. Usually only gets filled, primed, and sanded before paint.

    Thank you for your interest. I will post the results as soon as it's finished. Hopefully we still have some sunny days left so you can see it sparkle!!
     
  7. mhoward

    mhoward Member

    Welcome to the forum! I just read through your thread. I can't believe they have had your truck that long! Did they say they would just work on it between other jobs or something? I understand taking the necessary time, but for a paint shop, two weeks should have been plenty. Hope it turns out nice for you and you get it back soon. Post some pics when you get it back! :)
     
  8. OP
    Eddie Money

    Eddie Money Member

    I called today and the box is on and the new wishield installed. There are a few small parts left to paint.

    I know it's an awful long time to take to paint my truck, but I think the owner is doing my truck himself between small collision work. It is killing me being without my truck, but im not worried as much about how long its taking as i am making sure i get a great paint job. The shop i took it to is not a "whole in the wall" or a national chain. It's in an older building, the same one for 30-40 years and the owner works in and runs the shop.

    He had a huge surge in work right when I scheduled the paint job. A month before, when i scheduled, the shop was busy. But when I dropped the truck off you could barely walk through the shop and all the parking spots out front, across the street, behind the shop were full with collision work. He went from having a dozen cars to easily having 50 or more.

    I have very high expectations and expressed them when I dropped off the truck. I said no overspray, orange peel, runs or paint lines. I also said i dont want a rush job. Lol. I wanted to be wowed!! He offered to help with a rental and i thanked him for the offer but declined. I told him im not going to beat him up on the price i just want his best work. I made sure parts were being removed and painted instead of masking them off.

    Im very nearly getting a frame off restoration. Lol. Minus the frame and drive train. All but 3" of the very bottom of the back of the cab behind the bed was sanded, primed, sanded, primed, blocked and painted. All the dents, dings and scratches were filled, primed, sanded, primed, blocked and painted to feather out any blemishes. He did the same With the firewall as far as he could without pulling the cab off or yanking the engine. With the front and back doors removed, he painted a good 4-6" into the cab so no paint lines are visible because I darkened the original vista blue.

    Everything on my truck is painted, front and rear bumpers, mirror backs, door handles, grill, and fender flares so there is lots of little stuff on top of the body to disassemble, prep, paint and put back together.

    If it was the only thing he was painting 2 weeks is more than enough time. I feel good about it so far. To me, it feels like he just keeps adding more work to it each time we've talked. After seeng the lengths and effort he's going through, I really think itd be a cover shoot quality job if there were ranger resto mags. But we'll see. I only regret not taking a bunch of before pics so you can see how it used to look.

    I'm feeling lucky!! I think I'll have it next week. Lol. I'm kinda nervouse and concerned on how to care for and maintain it once it's back at home. Anxiety. Lol!!
     
  9. OP
    Eddie Money

    Eddie Money Member


    Thank you. Definitely will post pics. I'm dying to See it myself. Lol.
     
  10. OP
    Eddie Money

    Eddie Money Member

    Any concerns I had about inspecting my paint job have been put to rest!! I was invited to drop by the shop and view it one more time today. The shop owner grabbed me from the lobby and nearly drug me back to my truck. Now, its still has some of the smaller stuff that needs to get put back on like lights, mirrors, fender flares, running boards, and grill. But the doors, fenders, hood and bed were all on when i dropped by today.

    I just have to say, IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT!!! Oh my goodness, it is gorgeous!! I snapped photo of it so far and uploaded it for everyone. I will get some better pics when its all done. 20171009_162840_1507596299929.jpg
     
    Greg Richard likes this.
  11. OP
    Eddie Money

    Eddie Money Member

    Thursday, I do the final inspection. If everything looks great, ill pick it up and pay for it on Friday!!! Sunday, I drop it off at linex and get the bed and bedrails done. Im getting the linex renew with uv protection. Monday evening Itll be mine again. All mine!!!
     
    Last edited: Oct 10, 2017
  12. mhoward

    mhoward Member

    I know you said the original color was Vista Blue and you went with a darker shade. In the picture, it appears it is now Sonic Blue. Good choice. She's looking sharp, my friend! :)
     
  13. OP
    Eddie Money

    Eddie Money Member

    After I read this I looked at a few 2003 fx4s on the web that touted the sonic blue and it does look simmilar. I agree, sonic blue is a great shade of blue.

    So when i stopped by the paint shop I asked about how they came up with the darker shade, if it was indeed sonic blue or a darker vista blue in case it ever needs any touch ups.

    This is what I was told. When ford is finished painting one color there will be some residule from the previous color, not enough to notice unless you park 2 or more of the same colors together but still not enough to make a big difference.

    So there is room for variation on my paint code which was vista blue. Because those 2 colors are very close, there is a good chance it could match both colors. I think sonic is slightly darker.

    Because you'e put sonic blue in my head, ill always see my paint color a little darker now, even when my eyes dont. Lol. Im good with that. Thank you!!
     
  14. mhoward

    mhoward Member

    You're welcome! LOL My truck is Sonic Blue, but the fiberglass bed cover is actually Vista Blue. I didn't notice it until I had owned the truck for a week or two. Yes, they are VERY close! :)
     
  15. OP
    Eddie Money

    Eddie Money Member

    Ugh!!! The emergency brake cable is giving them trouble. It snakes through and takes a bunch of turns and ends under the dash. I guess its a pita. I will have it for sure saturday. I could have waited for it today but they want to detail it first. Its friday the 13th.

    Everything else is on and it looks awesome. I can' wait to see it all together and polished!!!
     
  16. mhoward

    mhoward Member

    Don't forget some pics for us! :)
     
  17. OP
    Eddie Money

    Eddie Money Member

    Well, I got my truck back. I'm pretty disappointed. It's not finished. Where do I start.....

    Sides and the bottom of the tailgait didn't get painted. They forgot to paint the backs of my mirrors. Paint looks like the skin of an orange. Small defects in the paint in a few places ( little hard spots that look like a grains of sand in a few spots). I didn' have the inside of the cab painted but was assured it would be rolled in so as to not be noticeable, but it appears that when the doors were off they just trashed the interior side. There are scratches on the inside of the door where the new paint is and at the bottom of the doors there is either old or new damage that if I'd have known about id have asked to have it addressed while the doors are off. I think its new damage though. A couple of mouldings are missing their fasteners. My inner fender rubber was missing on one side. The tailgate emblems were not installed yet. I have to look at some older pictures to see, but I think my little factory mud flap things are missing. And the interior is filthy. The wash job for delivery looks like they payed a kid $5 to wash. And the owner was not there to present or explain the condition or ask if I'm happy. Which I'm not, I'm pissed.

    It' been a long time since I've seen my truck so I walked around and checked the lights. In not sure but my turn indicators seem like they got wired backwards. My side makers don't blink at all. Instead the light in the corner closest to the grill blinks. My hazard light button is in the depressed position when off and up when on. This seems backwards to me but it's been a while. If you guys can set me straight on the turn indicator and the hazard button id appreciate it. I cant find any videos except for bulb replacements.

    I had my wheels and interior professional detailed before and washed the exterior and pressure washed the bed before I dropped it off to be painted, because that's how I wanted to receive it upon delivery. But instead a got it with dust in the vents, dust in the steering wheel. Hand prints on the rear glass a smuggy mirror and all the vinyl looks like they used a sponge and dirty water just like the exterior.

    I'm embarrassed and ashamed that I trusted that they were going to fulfill all their promises. So I'm hesitant to post photos but I will any way.

    You' think that if they had it 3 months it's be perfect, finished, and detailed. Right?
     
    Last edited: Oct 14, 2017
  18. OP
    Eddie Money

    Eddie Money Member

    So I drop it off for the linex bedliner and bedrails Sunday and if they do it in a timely manner like they said, ill have it back Monday evening so I can return it to the paint shop again...

    The only thing I'm happy with is the color. The light is not good right now. Hopefully I can take better pictures when they fix everything 20171014_173525_1508027820338.jpg 20171014_173559_1508027821571.jpg

    Nice wash job, right?
    20171014_164723_1508028622604.jpg

    I've been so excited, I've told friends, neighbors, and family about my truck getting painted and everyone has said it's taking too long. So I was excited to pick it up and show everyone.... until I picked it up.
     
    Last edited: Oct 14, 2017
  19. mhoward

    mhoward Member

    I'm sorry that you feel badly about the quality of the paint job, especially since it took so long. Other than the pic of the top where they apparently didn't wash or dry it, the truck looks really good. Of course, it may not stand up to closer inspection. The damage at the bottom of the doors you speak of may be due to them painting the doors, then placing them on the floor standing up, leaning against the wall. Fresh, soft paint won't hold up to that. I hope you get it reconciled with the owner... Good luck! :)
     
  20. OP
    Eddie Money

    Eddie Money Member

    I may have over reacted due to the fact that it wasn't finished when delivered and it wasn't washed and detailed properly but mostly because the owner wasn't there for the presentation to make sure I was pleased with the work.

    The unpainted places like the sides of the tailgate and the bottom of the doors could have been noticed on a preliminary inspection before delivery and I could have asked to have that included. The imperfections and defects in workmanship could have been addressed then as well.

    The condition of my interior and the crappy wash job are heartbreaking because i paid to have the interior perfect before I dropped it off so it was perfect when It was delivered. The exterior can be polished and washed again but after 3 months it should have been perfect as well. Missing emblems don't take long to put on if they are ordered. Why the filler neck was only held up by the gas cap im not sure but it made for a real pain getting gas.
     
  21. OP
    Eddie Money

    Eddie Money Member

    Most of my unhappiness is in the customer service department. I love the color. As far as the paint goes im not sure as to whether i like it. It reflects like a mirror and is hard to take images up close without it flecting back. When I step back and look at the whole truck it has a chunky look to it, like a texture. It's hard to describe. I'l take some more pics today after the dew dries but it may not be visible in pictures. It's smoothe to the touch but could feel smoother...
     

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