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.