2017 Magnetic Gray

Hey guys I just got my new trd grill and bulge. The magnetic gray seems to be a little darker than the rest of my truck. Is the 2017 magnetic gray different than 2014-2016?

 

Not that I know of.

 

It's probably a defective grill. Just send it my way.

 

Good one....

 

That's what I was wondering but I've literally had my truck for 2 months. The new grill is substantially darker.

 

Where did you buy it from?

 

Roman, cool springs toyota.

 

Can you load a couple of pics?

 

Not sure if this picture really does it justice.

 

Wow. That grille almost looks black!

Sure it was MGM and not a different color code?

 

Mine is the same way. I just dealt with it. You will get over it eventually. Supposedly there is something like 5 different shades of the same color depending on where it comes from.

 

Definitely darker. Contact Roman.

 

Great. I bought Dupli color MGM to touch up my topper.Didn't match. My 07 is Slate Metallic. Slightly different from MGM.07 is 1F9. Sheesh...

 

Positive.

 

Where did you hear about the different shades?

 

Multi-stage paint (metallics and pearls) can incredibly difficult to match as color can vary batch to batch even within the same paint code. The different layers (base color, metallic or pearl, and clearcoat) each reflect and refract light in their own way, and even the density and direction of application of a metallic or pearl coat can affect the final look of the finish. Even with computerized paint matching systems that spec recipes for OEM paint codes, body shops will often only get "close."

Compounding the problem is the fact that plastic parts require a different mix than metal parts to account for the flexibility of plastic. While ideally the flex additives would to be colorless, that's almost never the case. If you look close, you'll see that even many new vehicles have plastic bumpers that are just a hair off from the rest of the vehicle.

When you're not painting a whole car, any paint mismatch is going to be most evident when new paint is placed next to old paint with a hard panel gap or line between them, such as the OP's case. Usually, to minimize the visual perception of this mismatch when making repairs on existing finishes, shops will "blend" in the new paint, spraying not only the newly finished panels but feathering onto adjoining panels as well.

If blending is not an option, the next best thing to do would be to spray a test chip after mixing the batch, comparing the chip to the original vehicle finish, and adjusting accordingly.

If neither case is an option (can't blend and can't compare paint chip to the vehicle being painted), getting a prefect match is like trying to hit a bullseye blindfolded. You may know where the target is, and you might even get lucky and get really close or actually hit it, but more often than not it's a crapshoot. That's why OEMs refuse to sell pre-painted repair parts such as fenders, bumpers, etc.

 

@hey_mikey , nicely written, good information and bad news for many.

 

Dang. I know how OCD we can all be with our trucks. Maybe contact Roman and see what can be done. If nothing, (as much as I hate to say it) just chalk it up to an oversight and move on

 

@cdmagor
"So why do the car manufacturers have so many variances? Most car manufacturers have three major paint suppliers. The manufacturer decides on a standard color for production and submits a painted sample to their suppliers. The paint manufacturer then produces a formula for the “standard sample” and is allowed a tolerance of plus or minus 5% when they deliver the paint.

This is the first problem because the plant in the east coast may be getting a 5% shade greener on a blue metallic standard and the plant in the west coast may be getting a 5% shade violet on the same blue metallic standard. When compared side by side, they look like a completely different color. This is the reason the paint manufacturers usually have the standard formula followed by two alternates. If the alternates are not available, the painter in the body shop usually mixes the standard formula and tints it accordingly."

 

Get a local shop to color match it while they have your vehicle. Maybe you can get a credit from original seller against the cost of the repaint towards your next upgrade.

 

I have ordered various color keyed trim pieces (grille, mirror, handles) all from different locations and they are all slightly different, but not THAT different. The metal/plastic variable I believe has the greatest influence on the equation... If you look carefully, there is a difference in the paint between the metal and plastic parts on every truck right from the factory.