Metallic Paint, what are the benefits, please?

[Tolkny]

I have read elsewhere in this site that it costs no more to produce a car with metallic colouring than not.

However, apart from cosmetics, are there any advantages from having metallic from a safety or longevity or maintenance, or other point of view?

[steveo3002]

no just for looks

[Ebe Scrooge]

Agreed, it's purely cosmetic. There is a downside to metallic - it's a lot harder to repair any damage. With an ordinary paint, you can use t-cut to revitalise it when it's dulled after many years, and dealing with minor scratches is a simple DIY job. With metallics it's a lot harder to get a perfect finish.

[Tolkny]

Thanks very much that is just what I thought. The Vauxhall Dealer who is serving me quotes an extra £395 for an Agila and only two of the eight colours offered are non metallic.

I am happy with solid red, which is probably what I will end up with.

I recall also red is safer because it is more prominent, presumably apart from dayglo.

[Pew Pew Pew Lasers!]

Be careful around magnets. The metallic flakes can be attracted to them, and leave the paint looking very dull.

The extra weight of the flakes also increases mpg, and thieves have been known to strip the paintwork to get to the valuable metal flakes.

[AdrianHi]

Resale value may not be much different with a metallic colour though usually would sell on quicker if you sell the car privately in future.
Red does fade faster than any other colour over time and white is "fashionable" again right now, who knows by the time you come to sell on though.

I also found this advice elsewhere, I'm sure it must be true ;)
"Certain factory metallic colours are known to jam Police radar, due to the
angle of the 'flakes' and the refraction of light through the clear topcoat.
I forget just which manufacturers and which colours are best for this. "

[Hintza]

OP with your big writing and over use of colour in your post it looks as you really want it. :rotfl:

[Sirbendy]

solid red. Affectionately known as "Vauxhall Girly pink" in a few years..heh..

[DealDrivers company representative]

If it helps a decision, around 90% of drivers we arrange car orders for, with dealers, take metallic paint. We don't care if they do or don't ask for it as it makes no difference to us, but that's the split based on a very heavy order bank across most brands when the driver tells us what they want to the dealer to take their order on.

The paint is harder wearing, the car keeps its 'looks' better as it ages...an old car with flat paint never looks anything but terrible, has a tendency to fade over time,...and the larger the car and its body panels - the worse it looks.

Flat paint shows every dint and ding...metallic less so. Every manufacturer offers at least one flat colour for most cars...most have a max' of 3...usually red, white or blue as they suit commercial users who want panels signwritten.

If we try and offer solid paint cars where they are the only spare stock and a driver cannot wait for a factory-ordered car to arrive, they'll refuse it 99% of the time and just look for an alternative model or brand rather than take a solid paint car in the right model and engine.

Many contract hirers will want to quote with anything but metallic paint included as it helps the residual value...which is important to them in terms of their depreciation calculations.

We will actively reject a request for a quote where a heavily-spec'd car (i..e lots of factory extras), or a prestige car, is requested with a flat paint - as the dealers simply don't want to take the risk of that car being cancelled on them prior delivery unless the customer is willing to place a significant and non-refundable deposit. We did have an enquiry in the past 24 hrs which had over £9k of extras specified but with a solid paint, all of the dealers we use on that brand declined to take the enquiry as the customer was only willing to place a small deposit.

It is commonplace for dealers to request a higher deposit - not just on high value cars or those piled with extras - but on what whey'd call "under-spec'd" cars too....cars towards the top of a model range but being ordered in a flat paint...as their chances of reselling it easily, in the event of cancellation, are small...so a decent deposit witheld in such an event can be used to discount it enough to move it on if they have to.

VW & Seat have probably the best looking solid paints (and Audi if the car is smaller rather than A6/A8 and upwards.

Honda only make one solid colour for most of their range (red)..everything else is metallic.

[Sirbendy]

good point re: ding coverage.

I've been looking over my new vehicle, and found some dings and light dents that are all but invisible unless you look ALONG the panel instead of at the flat of it.

[DKLS]

My mate had a very "flip" paint job, that depending on the light levels, looked either Black, Purple or Green, it was great until he had a prang and the job cost 4 times as much to fix.

I am wanting a flat matt black for my next car.

[steveo3002]

the solid reds do tend to fade q fast unless you keep waxing and polishing often

might be worth getting another colour unless you are a cleaning buff

dont buy the paint protection package either. its a scam

[AdrianHi]

If it helps a decision, around 90% of drivers we arrange car orders for, with dealers, take metallic paint. [snip] etc...

Does this still hold true for cars at the small and cheap end of the model range such as the Vauzhall Agila the OP is considering buying where £395 is getting on for 5% or so of the total invoice value?
On larger more expensive cars I would not dream of suggesting anything other than metallic.

[DealDrivers company representative]

We do a lot of small cars like Fiesta, Clio etc and the split of solid paint orders to metallic is fairly steady with the vast majority simply preferring the better choice of colours in the metallic ranges...even if they don't "buy into" the looks/depreciation argument.

I'd say..on a personal level..that if you're not intending keeping it longer than 3-4 years then take a solid if you really don't want to pay for the metallic paint, but if you intend to keep it a long time then I'd be more concerned about how it looked in 6-7 years time...if looks are a concern (which I appreciate they aren't to some people).

If you do regular motorway or dual carriageway mileage then every stonechip will show up on a flat paint ... the amount you spend on touch- up paint might equate to the price of metallic over a few years!

[harveybobbles]

Chalkboard paint is nice on a car!

[jack spratt]

If it helps a decision, around 90% of drivers we arrange car orders for, with dealers, take metallic paint. We don't care if they do or don't ask for it as it makes no difference to us, but that's the split based on a very heavy order bank across most brands when the driver tells us what they want to the dealer to take their order on.

The paint is harder wearing, the car keeps its 'looks' better as it ages...an old car with flat paint never looks anything but terrible, has a tendency to fade over time,...and the larger the car and its body panels - the worse it looks.

Flat paint shows every dint and ding...metallic less so. Every manufacturer offers at least one flat colour for most cars...most have a max' of 3...usually red, white or blue as they suit commercial users who want panels signwritten.

If we try and offer solid paint cars where they are the only spare stock and a driver cannot wait for a factory-ordered car to arrive, they'll refuse it 99% of the time and just look for an alternative model or brand rather than take a solid paint car in the right model and engine.

Many contract hirers will want to quote with anything but metallic paint included as it helps the residual value...which is important to them in terms of their depreciation calculations.

We will actively reject a request for a quote where a heavily-spec'd car (i..e lots of factory extras), or a prestige car, is requested with a flat paint - as the dealers simply don't want to take the risk of that car being cancelled on them prior delivery unless the customer is willing to place a significant and non-refundable deposit. We did have an enquiry in the past 24 hrs which had over £9k of extras specified but with a solid paint, all of the dealers we use on that brand declined to take the enquiry as the customer was only willing to place a small deposit.

It is commonplace for dealers to request a higher deposit - not just on high value cars or those piled with extras - but on what whey'd call "under-spec'd" cars too....cars towards the top of a model range but being ordered in a flat paint...as their chances of reselling it easily, in the event of cancellation, are small...so a decent deposit witheld in such an event can be used to discount it enough to move it on if they have to.

VW & Seat have probably the best looking solid paints (and Audi if the car is smaller rather than A6/A8 and upwards.

Honda only make one solid colour for most of their range (red)..everything else is metallic.

At last a sensible answer

Dark colours will show stone chips a light one will not .
On a small car you can just about get away with a solid colour!! anything family size up go for a metallic paint !!its all about making it attractive to a dealer to sell on his forecourt

[Tolkny]

OP with your big writing and over use of colour in your post it looks as you really want it. :rotfl:

Oh Yes,it seems a chance too good to miss as my aged Espace will not get to town without overheating.

But Consider this.

Scrappage is already becoming a sellers market.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

On Sunday a Vauxhall dealer quoted £7071. cash sale on a Vauxhall 1 litre Agila Club with air conditioning with a delivery date around 19th May.

Yesterday, (Wednesday) same dealer quoted for same vehicle £7,9xx. with a firm delivery of 22nd June.

Another dealer has similar vehicle, said to be in stock on website, advertised for £7,095. I hope to get it today.

Be quick; shop around for vehicles "in stock"

It was ever thus. We all use "the market" as we attempt to buy low and sell high as Gordon failed to do with "our" gold, as BBC Radio Five Live reported just now when he bought very high having sold very low in 1999. Yet more UK debt for our children and grandchildren to pay for, probably before we get a fair deal for pensioners. It’s no wonder yesterday we are being told today’s workers may not get a pension till there 70.

[anewman]

Chalkboard paint is nice on a car!
Just like Mr Clarkson http://www.topgear.com/uk/videos/trucking-hell-1 :D but on a truck

[steveo3002]

get white if they do it, easy to touch up , doesnt highlight dings and dents and stays cooler in the summer

[dizziblonde]

Having had two red Vauxhalls in the past - I'd never choosingly (if that's a word - I've never bought a car yet - my family keep giving me hand-me-downs that they don't trust my lil brother to drive/get insurance on after his number of crashes) buy a solid red Vauxhall - I've never ever known a colour to fade like it, it just seems to give up the ghost and disappear off down the pub within a fortnight or so. Guy down the road has an identical car to me, same age and everything but in white - and his looks much newer than mine as the paint panels have faded on mine unevenly and it looks crud.