What's the Difference Between Pearl and Metallic Paint?
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Three Wheelin'
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 1,266
Likes: 174
From: Redondo Beach, CA
What's the Difference Between Pearl and Metallic Paint?
My '98 is metallic, which I understand because there's little specks of sparkly stuff in there. I've got a TL brochure, and it looks to me like the "pearl" colors have the same thing (especially the white diamond and the firepepper red).
Do any of you who own the pearl-colored cars know for sure?
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'98 Primrose Mist Metallic Acura 3.0CL Premium
'00 Dakar Yellow BMW M Roadster
Do any of you who own the pearl-colored cars know for sure?
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'98 Primrose Mist Metallic Acura 3.0CL Premium
'00 Dakar Yellow BMW M Roadster
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 815
Likes: 0
I believe pearl has flaked mica in it while metallic has little bits of metal.
NE1 remember those old commercials for Pearl Cream makeup? "Hi, I'm Susie Wong. Have woo evah wondered why it is impossible to tell the age of an Owiental woman? That's because she uses pewal cweme, made with puhlvewized pewals. If your fwiends don't actually ackowze you of having had a face wift then Iwl weefund your money."
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'01 White Diamond Pearl 3.2TL
-Wing, tint, wood and Whistler
NE1 remember those old commercials for Pearl Cream makeup? "Hi, I'm Susie Wong. Have woo evah wondered why it is impossible to tell the age of an Owiental woman? That's because she uses pewal cweme, made with puhlvewized pewals. If your fwiends don't actually ackowze you of having had a face wift then Iwl weefund your money."
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'01 White Diamond Pearl 3.2TL
-Wing, tint, wood and Whistler
Not a Blowhole
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 3,045
Likes: 33
From: Virginia
I think Gomez is right - my 300ZX had pearl yellow, and it was mica - metallics use metal flakes.
My guess is that pearl could be any other reflective material than metal, such as polystyrene or even metal-plated plastic such as what most "chrome" is these days.
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Rage On!
2002 TL-S w. Comptech header/exhaust, springs, airfilter
SSR Integral A2's
17x7 45mm offset
Pirelli P7000 (Summer) 215-50/17
My guess is that pearl could be any other reflective material than metal, such as polystyrene or even metal-plated plastic such as what most "chrome" is these days.
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Rage On!
2002 TL-S w. Comptech header/exhaust, springs, airfilter
SSR Integral A2's
17x7 45mm offset
Pirelli P7000 (Summer) 215-50/17
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
From: Elk Grove Village, IL USA
Aside from the paint composition, one difference you may notice if you look very closely is that the White Pearl finish paint is a slightly different shade on the car bumper and side door trim strip than the car's metal body surfaces. It's more noticible with time, although I could already see the difference on a new 2001 White Pearl Acura TL in the dealers lot. I previously had a 99 Toyota Solara in Diamond White Pearl and that's when I first noticed this difference. It became more obvious after 12 months had passed. I also saw this difference on other makes of cars as well when I looked closely. Again, you have to look closely to see the difference. So I bought a Silver TL-S to avoid this issue. When I asked about it, the dealer said that the paint just shows up a little differently on plastic bumper surfaces. True? I don't know.
Racer
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 337
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles, CA
Originally posted by Biker:
Aside from the paint composition, one difference you may notice if you look very closely is that the White Pearl finish paint is a slightly different shade on the car bumper and side door trim strip than the car's metal body surfaces. It's more noticible with time, although I could already see the difference on a new 2001 White Pearl Acura TL in the dealers lot. I previously had a 99 Toyota Solara in Diamond White Pearl and that's when I first noticed this difference. It became more obvious after 12 months had passed. I also saw this difference on other makes of cars as well when I looked closely. Again, you have to look closely to see the difference. So I bought a Silver TL-S to avoid this issue. When I asked about it, the dealer said that the paint just shows up a little differently on plastic bumper surfaces. True? I don't know.
Aside from the paint composition, one difference you may notice if you look very closely is that the White Pearl finish paint is a slightly different shade on the car bumper and side door trim strip than the car's metal body surfaces. It's more noticible with time, although I could already see the difference on a new 2001 White Pearl Acura TL in the dealers lot. I previously had a 99 Toyota Solara in Diamond White Pearl and that's when I first noticed this difference. It became more obvious after 12 months had passed. I also saw this difference on other makes of cars as well when I looked closely. Again, you have to look closely to see the difference. So I bought a Silver TL-S to avoid this issue. When I asked about it, the dealer said that the paint just shows up a little differently on plastic bumper surfaces. True? I don't know.
it's the way different materials show with the same color... i had a similar problem when they repainted my old accord (a cashmere metallic one).. the side molding and the bumper looks just SLIGHTY different... and you have to pay really close attention to tell.. and the body shop guy tells me that metallic paint reflects differently on sheet metal than plastic...
i have a WDP TL-S... and noticing that the plastic are a little off than the metal kinda worries me.. but oh well... we'll ese what happens....
ps. it's more noticable in a covered area... if you're under the sun you can hardly tell
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