Body Side Molding

cerbomark · December 11, 2007

crew cab, white, Silverado/ Ok, thought I was going crazy but the right rear section of white body door molding is a different color white than the other three. Dealer said he would look at it but had no idea why. I don t know if they would replace as I would think I damaged it and had it re painted and now am trying to get the dealer to fix a bad job. Strange I never noticed it before. I am the only one who has access to the truck. Any ideas?? Any white crew cabs, could you check yours? I have no access to original dealer it came from.

WFO · December 11, 2007

My front bumper corners weer a different shade of gray stone from the factory. When my body shop guy painted my bumper, door handles, door molding, and mirror caps he resprayed them to match. Also when the dealer ordered me two body side door moldings in for the drivers side ext. cab because the were deformed. They had a slight belly on it the length of the molding. The third piece they ordered me was right.

Zembonez · December 11, 2007

crew cab, white, Silverado/ Ok, thought I was going crazy but the right rear section of white body door molding is a different color white than the other three. Dealer said he would look at it but had no idea why. I don t know if they would replace as I would think I damaged it and had it re painted and now am trying to get the dealer to fix a bad job. Strange I never noticed it before. I am the only one who has access to the truck. Any ideas?? Any white crew cabs, could you check yours? I have no access to original dealer it came from.

Depending on the batch it was from there may be a shade difference. (even from door to door) I have seen it on the lots. People think white is white but it is actually just as difficult to match as anything else. You might have them order a new one and install it to see if the match is closer.

Funny thing. Go to a dealership (any make) and look down the line at their cars on a sunny. EVERY bumper cover will be a different color than the rest of the car. It's crazy and obvious if you get to looking. I guess the plastic and metal items take paint differently.

MS3DALE · December 12, 2007

My front bumper corners weer a different shade of gray stone from the factory.

Thats very possible because the bumper end caps,or "corners",are painted off-site and shipped to the plant pre-painted for installation.

There not painted with,or at the same time,as the rest of the truck.

unit731 · December 12, 2007

Yes, and look closely at the passenger airbag. Slightly different shade. Manufactured by a different sub-contractor.

It's the same on my 1990 Chevrolet 1500. Different parts of the dash are slightly different shade of same color.

Sniper · December 12, 2007

Another white crew cab chiming in for you. I just went out and looked and they're the same from front to rear (minus a tiny driver's side door moulding ding that someone kindly gave to me). Do you think that maybe just that one section of moulding was refinished for some reason? If so, I would ask the dealer to check and see if that part number is available color-keyed from the factory. If so, see if he could order a factory-painted replacement, versus having their body shop try to refinish it and risk getting the color wrong again. I've been a coatings distributor all of my life and if it were my truck, I'd want to know that the OEM piece was there and not a repainted one. That's just my opinion, though.

Oh, and regarding the bumper covers and the difference in color, you're absolutely correct. Different substrates typically yield different topcoat shades, even when the topcoat is applied with the same mixed paint and same spray gun during the same time (i.e. no variables in pressure, humidity, temperature, technique, etc.). I've always gotten a kick out of the fact that most people don't notice this color difference during their initial purchase from a new car dealer's lot, but they WILL notice it when they go to pick up their vehicle at a body shop after an accident that may or may not involve the area in question.

WFO · December 12, 2007

Another white crew cab chiming in for you. I just went out and looked and they're the same from front to rear (minus a tiny driver's side door moulding ding that someone kindly gave to me). Do you think that maybe just that one section of moulding was refinished for some reason? If so, I would ask the dealer to check and see if that part number is available color-keyed from the factory. If so, see if he could order a factory-painted replacement, versus having their body shop try to refinish it and risk getting the color wrong again. I've been a coatings distributor all of my life and if it were my truck, I'd want to know that the OEM piece was there and not a repainted one. That's just my opinion, though.

Oh, and regarding the bumper covers and the difference in color, you're absolutely correct. Different substrates typically yield different topcoat shades, even when the topcoat is applied with the same mixed paint and same spray gun during the same time (i.e. no variables in pressure, humidity, temperature, technique, etc.). I've always gotten a kick out of the fact that most people don't notice this color difference during their initial purchase from a new car dealer's lot, but they WILL notice it when they go to pick up their vehicle at a body shop after an accident that may or may not involve the area in question.

The factory body side molding does not come pre painted. They come white and unprimed.

Sniper · December 12, 2007

The factory body side molding does not come pre painted. They come white and unprimed.

In that case, see if the dealer's body shop can have the color matched or the original color shot with a spectrophotometer. I hate it when colors don't match.

cerbomark · December 12, 2007

I wouldn t mind if all the molding was differeent from the truck but the moldings don t match each other. The dealer said he would look at it. I felt a little stupid telling him about this.

Sniper · December 13, 2007

I wouldn t mind if all the molding was differeent from the truck but the moldings don t match each other. The dealer said he would look at it. I felt a little stupid telling him about this.

Hey, it's your truck and if it bothers you, TELL THEM ABOUT IT! I wouldn't worry about what anyone thinks because at the end of the day, you're the one driving the truck home, right? Personally, I think it should have been done right the first time around and you shouldn't have to be bothered with it now. Just my $0.02...

WFO · December 13, 2007

I wouldn t mind if all the molding was differeent from the truck but the moldings don t match each other. The dealer said he would look at it. I felt a little stupid telling him about this.

Don't worry about it! The price that you paid for the truck, was the price you paid for matching body side molding.You just want what you paid for.

cerbomark · December 29, 2007

Man, I hate dealing with the stealerships. They looked at it and kinda thought I was crazy. Then they said I d have to leave the truck in about a month, cause they were so busy. They wouldn t order and paint a new modling either only a re paint. They could nt see the difference . So I went next door to the local body shop and he saw the difference from inside the garage through the window without even going outside. He said if they paint it without removing it that it would likly peel because you cant remove the paint from the edges good enough. I asked him for an estimate to repaint new modling and install. Part $60 labor $60= $120 plus he will order the part, paint it then call me and when I arrive and like the color match he can install right there while I wait. What would you do??? I know what I would do. I told him to go ahead and get the part painted and call me. Sorry for the ranting but alot of these service guys are horrible. (and colorblind)!

PS/ and yes, the one guy who looked at it was the service manager.

Sniper · December 29, 2007

Man, I hate dealing with the stealerships. They looked at it and kinda thought I was crazy. Then they said I d have to leave the truck in about a month, cause they were so busy. They wouldn t order and paint a new modling either only a re paint. They could nt see the difference . So I went next door to the local body shop and he saw the difference from inside the garage through the window without even going outside. He said if they paint it without removing it that it would likly peel because you cant remove the paint from the edges good enough. I asked him for an estimate to repaint new modling and install. Part $60 labor $60= $120 plus he will order the part, paint it then call me and when I arrive and like the color match he can install right there while I wait. What would you do??? I know what I would do. I told him to go ahead and get the part painted and call me. Sorry for the ranting but alot of these service guys are horrible. (and colorblind)!
PS/ and yes, the one guy who looked at it was the service manager.

Well, now that you've pulled the trigger at the bodyshop, it's a moot point to try to suggest taking it to another dealership. This kind of customer service really ticks me off!

On to the next possible problem: Please make sure that when the bodyshop paints your moulding, they use the proper plastic adhesion promoter and flexibility system for the brand of paint they're using. Raw and primed plastic substrates have their own procedures for adhesion and flexibility. If they're not followed, you'll end up with delamination and/or cracking. Since the moulding is rigid, the cracking part is less of an issue, unless you get a hard door ding or a direct hit from road debris. The delamination will initially occur on the hard edges (90-degree edges) if the proper adhesion process has not been followed. I hate to play devil's advocate, but when you're inspecting the moulding for color match (before they install it), bend the piece and check the edges for cracking/delamination. This will tell you right then and there what you're going to find out down the road. Also, find out what kind of warranty they have on the finish. Nowadays, most reputable paint companies give lifetime warranties to the original owner.

Again, I'm sorry to hear about the treatment you received at the dealership, but I wish you the best of luck this time around!

Bostonsfavson · December 29, 2007

You're a better man than I am Mark. I would have been extremely unhappy and let everyone know about it, including the general manager. It's surprising what kind of results you can get when you tell the person in charge that next time you buy a 35K dollar truck it will be from another dealership.