So I just picked up a anthracite metallic TL last week with the A-Spec kit. It wasn't as noticeable at the dealer in the sunny weather but it's been cloudy the past day or two and I noticed the lip kit does not match the rest of the car very well. From my understanding, these lip kits come pre-painted from Acura to match the car but I'm guessing it was added to the car a few years after the owner first purchased it so the paint on the car has faded a bit?

Is there anything a body shop can do? I'm guessing not. I wonder if a good detail/polish job would maybe bring back the color a bit (darker).

 

hey congrats on the car!



How mismatched is the color? I plan on getting a aspec kit for my WDP..I hope its not that off

 

post pics;

i have AM and hardly have any color mismatch on my aspec

 

This is the only picture I really have. Hard to tell but it's very apparent in person especially on a cloudy day.

 

is your Aspec OEM bought? or ebay bought (either way AM is pretty hard to match, mostly because the lip is plastic and the body is metal so the paint reacts differently);

i blew up the picture; and i agree, there is some definite color mismatching.

the best thing you can do is see if some bodyshop will try to blend it better in those sections; you can try to do a full detail on the car and see if that helps too (but honestly i doubt it will).

and if it makes you feel better; only someone who really knows what to look for will see it; mainly being you. so it's not really that big of a deal

 

Well, I noticed it before but this morning my friend was like "why is your lip kit a different color?". lol

Yeah I might try a full detail first. About to order the UDM here soon so we'll see how that goes.

 

what's the UDM?

and your friend must have really good eyes; expose him to hours of senseless TV programs then take him for a ride in your car

 

Haha. It's pretty apparent in person. I honestly never noticed it looking in the pictures (before I bought the car).

UDM is the Ultimate Detailing Machine -- orbital polish/buffing thing. I'm gonna do the whole wash > clay > polish > finishing polish > synthetic sealant. Hopefully it will "restore" the paint and bring out the color some more.

 

theres the UDM 2 coming out soon

 

does this one roast brauts while polishing?

 

I hear it's just the PC rebadged with UDM 2... either way, I'm going to get one of those.

 

let us know if it does your taxes while polishing


hey post more pics; i'm not really seeing the color mismatch right now

 

I'm hoping it massages my back while polishing.

Ah damnit, I was going to take a picture today when it was cloudy. It was very apparent. I'll snap some pictures tomorrow if I can. It's pretty annoying. The lip kit is a lot darker than the rest of the car.

EDIT: Oh here's one I took a few days ago but it's not too apparent here.

 

Well I got in contact with the original owner. I guess the lip was purchased and installed at the dealer. Looking around at other AM TL's, I seem the same color mismatch as well. Anyway, here's some more pictures I took today. Looks really bad on cloudy days...

 

my colour was ok... =) if u realize... the kit is made in JAPAN

 

Anyone know how different the carbon gray pearl is compared to the anthracite metallic? Looking at pictures it seems like the CGP is darker.

I'm starting to wonder if maybe the dealer ordered the wrong color. lol

 

they are very different; however i dont think CGP is offered until 07? so that would be all the A-spec kits are made for the darth vader look and now the 04-06 look

 

I see... I don't know. The difference between the lip kit and the car is way too obvious in person. Makes the car look like crap. I'm debating if I should just order a new lip already painted and see how it matches or just having a body shop repaint it.

 

This in not so much a material/substrate problem it's a color mismatch problem. I use to paint at a shop that specialized in Honda/Acura. I've seen a ton of color mismatch problems, and other color defects. Your best bet is to have a high end, reputable shop color match the parts to your body. AM can be a tough color to match, so the end result might not be 100% perfect, but will be acceptable and will look better. Most people don't even have the eye to notice any slight color difference anyway.

 

Yeah, I can understand it isn't going to be 100% perfect unless you get the whole car painted but right now it looks like two completely different shades of gray. I've already had like 5-6 friends ask me about it so it's not just me being nit picky.

Maybe one of these days I'll get around to getting the front lip repainted first and see how that turns out.