I just purchased a used 2007 Honda Fit Sport. Two of the doors had received major scratches due to the fact that the previous owner had a dog. The Honda dealer agreed to paint those two doors as a part of the sale.

I arrived to receive the Fit today and found that the two doors were a much darker metallic blue (many shades darker) than the original factory paint job. The body shop told me to "wait 3 weeks, keep the car in the sun and it should dry a few shades lighter".

I don't know anything about auto paint. Is waiting 3 weeks for metallic auto paint to lighten up a standard practice? Or should I make this guy redo everything now? Before I left I had the dealer put in writing that they absolutely had to get the color matched properly, even if it requires repainting. They seemed like honest guys and told me if it didn't match up in 3 weeks, that they would fix everything.

 

I would be very suprised if the colour lightens,
It will need to be repainted. Good Luck.....

 

The reason why it looks darker is cause the sun eats away paint over time, so the rest of the car looked that dark metallic blue when it was brand new. If the paint where to get lighter in a few weeks, I'd be worried. They'll have to repaint the entire car in order to properly have the correct shade.

 

That is one risk to spot painting a 2007 car. Your new paint job is going to make the originial paint look dull and less colorful. I would have asked for a total repaint so the entire car would match. Let us know what happens but like above I doubt a few weeks in the sun is going to do much to lighten it up. I might try doing a wash, clay bar and wax on the old paint - do not touch the new and see if you can bring some life back to the duller looking paint. It may have been neglected especially if they allowed their dogs to scratch up the paint - they probably did not care and this might make it look a little better.

Cat :x

 

Hey robotfist I have done my share of body work and painting and NO it will not lighten in the sun what a TRUE UsEd CaR SaLEsMaN!! that's a line. I hope you told him you'll be back in a couple of weeks to see-lol if it lighten' up. And if it did then you'd sign on the dotted line. I bettcha he'd make sure the paint suppier got the right mix then.
Cat your on the right track yes the old paint (and @ 2 years old it ain't that old) can be buffed out B4 the paint is applied and this helps alot on old paint around the part being paint for a perfect match. Red is the worst for fading out But your blue should be an easy match. Bottom line ... the paint was mixxed with the wrong % of tints.
Good Luck

 

Ur paint won't lighten if it dose it's a mirical ( one constant note from the heavens) wait the three weeks and take it back and bit h them out

 

well any good paint shop would have matched the color to the car instead of the paint color code to account for fading and maybe even blend the adjacent panels= fade paint away on next panel but clearcoat the whole thing.. but knowing how a lot of dealers are with used cars, they do it the quickest and cheapest way for quick $$$

 

The color can be matched but it requires a degree of effort and skill. Waiting for the sun to fade the paint is a bunch of crap. Take it back and ask them to do it again. If they can't do it, perhaps they would be willing to pay a reputable shop to do it.