“Caterham Orange” what colour is it really?!

[finmac]

My new car is orange and I suspect it’s either/or Aztec orange or “Paint 7” as listed on Caterham parts site. 

Need a touch up stick and the ones from Caterham are some sort of two pack that doesn’t seem to harden so would rather buy something elsewhere. Hence the question as to where the colour originates? 

(It’s a 2005 vintage  CSR) 

[Golf Juliet Tango]

Have you spoken to TSK?  From Scotland, you are unlikely to take the car all the way to Erith, so I don't think Tony would neccessarily see it as trade lost.

[tbird]

Fin has the original build sheet got anything more than Aztec orange  listed, don't know if they put the paint code on as well, i suspect  not,  Aztec orange code has been one of the Holy Grails for as long as I have been on BC , are there any proper paint shops left around you in Glasgow, a guy with a Spot photometer should be able to read the paint and provide an exact match

[finmac]

Thanks guys. Spoke to Tony at TSK it’s Mclaren Orange and there’s not a paint code for it apparently as McLaren are clearly guarding that themselves. Anyway ow sorted with a touch up and some hardener etc

[elie boone]

It takes more than 1 measurement with a spectrometer to have a good match. especially with a metallic even more on a 3 coat system.

[tbird]

indeed Ellie, and I ain't going to disagree with our resident paint expert,  but Aztec orange isn't metallic , and not sure what you mean by a 3 coat system, it looks like a simple colour base plus topcoat and would have thought a spot Photometer could have given a very close CMYK match which could be made up,  admittedly my experience is in inks and dry Toners, but I could usually match most colours, are Paints so different 

 

[elie boone]

3 coat system is when you have a metallic, a transparent layer with colour and pearl or pearls only and then a clearcoat. in 90% of the cases you have a "workable" colour after the first measurement for solid colours amnd slightly less for metallic's. depends on your definition of exact match Some OEM measurements for solid colours are so incredible tight that variations in layer thickness could mean that sometimes you are out of spec. inks are mostly Pantone ? basic's are the same and if you work with % for tinting you could easily do the same for carpaints or wallpaint for houses be it 1ltr or 1000ltr.

[Jim 123]

Finmac if you are going to mix a small amount for brush touch up, can I suggest the following to preserve your quantity of pre mixed colour and give you time for the paint to remain workable. Er significantly on the side of less hardener as you low volume of paint will cross link effectively.  Also add a slow thinner which will again give you better brush workability.  Without heat being applied, keeping the touch up areas protected overnight is also a good idea.

[tbird]

Cheers Elie 

[elie boone]

Beware, insufficient hardener or too much hardener will result in insufficient cured paint, just take some paint out of the tin in a little pot weigh it and put the correct amount of hardener to it, mix and use without thinner for small touch up like stone chips.

[Orange]

I was given a pot of orange paint when I bought my car recently. I assumed it could be used straight from the bottle as touch up paint. The bottle looks the same as those from Caterham and assume this is where it is from.

If I need to add hardener/ thinner. What type do I buy and where can I get it from?

Many thanks.

[Jim 123]

To be honest IMHO, the 2K hardened touch up is not a great solution for repairing stone chips especially with a brush and if you want to produce a close to invisible repair.  I've worked up a personal technique that works for me using a range of non-brush applicators and thinned paint applied in layers

I would suggest that anybody with a pot of Caterham touch up gives Chipex a call and arrange for them to colour match their stone chip repair system to your sample.  Club discount is available from memory.

Anyone with a CC supplied pot of touch up should be conscious that the paint systems used are different for metallic and solid colours.  The solid colours are not typical of today's car paint systems, but are still very fit for purpose.  Caterham solid colours do not have a clearcoat on top as the colour achieves it's own gloss which makes stone chip repair more straighforward..  With metallics, the system is a traditional clearcoat laquer on top of a basecoat.  The basecoat itself has a mat finish and needs the clear on top.

To answer Orange's point, Tony at TSK in Erith will sort you out with hardener to match your paint.

[finmac]

Thanks for all the help guys. On reflection it’s a bit Bizarre that something apparently so simple as having a a wee pot of touch up paint can become so complex! 

[elie boone]

The best system is Stickerfix, any Acoat Selected bodyshop can spray a A4 sheet but it's not exactly cheap, i believe it is around 50 GBp but it's a sort of vinyl sticker, that doesn't smell you don't need to mix anything or goes off after a couple of years.

[Jonathan Kay]

Club discount is available from memory.

It is: 10%.

Jonathan