Discolored Cool Vanilla

[II kings 9:20]

NE1 notice the plastic parts are slightly off color next to the steel parts. The plastic horse collar surrounding the grille is slightly white/grey compared to the hood which is slightly white/yellow. I had noticed this months ago but ignored it until a really clueless friend pointed it out (I figured if he noticed this then it has to be real). What say you other CV owners.

[turbomangt]

Kings, I saw no one jumped in on this so I thought I would say something. first of all, I assume you had the car since new? if not, then that would explain perhaps a re paint caused this to occur. I you had it new, then if it bothers you take it back to the dealer. Paint discoloration should be covered. I have seen on occassion plastic take paint differently than other body parts in a paint shop, but from the factory this should not happend. it also could be the way the sun is reflectingon the car in certain light, look at it from differnent angles see what you find. some paint takes on many shades depending on light reflection. gary

[CJ7VFR]

It can also be that the plastic parts start out black, and then get painted,
and the metal parts start out silver (metal). The base color of parts does
indeed play a part in the final color of things when they are painted if the
paint is not done evenly, and in multiple coats.

If you look up underneath the blocked off vents by your fog lights, you can
see that this area has very little paint there. You can see that the plastic
underneath the paint it black.

On my Cool Vanilla 300C, you can even see this to a much lesser degree
on the top side of the vent area.

At first, I thought it might be dirty there, but after cleaning/waxing/claying/waxing again, I see that the paint is just very very
thin in these areas.

My Dealership would not cover this under warranty, as they said it was not
really "defective", but just the way the car comes from the factory.

Jim

[MYPTBUL]

Originally Posted by CJ7VFR

It can also be that the plastic parts start out black, and then get painted,
and the metal parts start out silver (metal). The base color of parts does
indeed play a part in the final color of things when they are painted if the
paint is not done evenly, and in multiple coats.

If you look up underneath the blocked off vents by your fog lights, you can
see that this area has very little paint there. You can see that the plastic
underneath the paint it black.

On my Cool Vanilla 300C, you can even see this to a much lesser degree
on the top side of the vent area.

At first, I thought it might be dirty there, but after cleaning/waxing/claying/waxing again, I see that the paint is just very very
thin in these areas.

My Dealership would not cover this under warranty, as they said it was not
really "defective", but just the way the car comes from the factory.

Jim

Funny thing but just yesterday a friend pointed the same thing out to me. I don't like it.

[charlie D]

Not any problems with mine at all.All add ons as well as OEM seem to be relatively perfect,and believe me I'm Veeeery fussy.

[II kings 9:20]

I am the only owner ordered by me 4/04 and delivered 6/26/04. I keep it in the garage, wash by hand, clay, polish etc. I do use the touchless washes in the winter. Funny you don't see this on the pearl/metallic white cars.

[Hemi57]

II kings, many years ago we had a Ford Escort RS2000, you might know the one with the wedge shaped nose cone over the square front of the 2nd (?) generation Escorts.

We needed to get the nose cone replaced under warranty as the unpainted black section started to turn white. Now this was about 1980 and then the paint technology dictated a different type of paint on steel panel as opposed to the plastic, due to the flexibility of the plastic.

It could be the same issue here and the paint on the plastic is a different composition to the steel and if aging differently

[II kings 9:20]

Yes H57, I know that Escort, you danged foreigners get all the good cars, Alfa, Citroen, Peugeot and all those Fords and Vauxhalls.

The color issue is minor but still sub optimal. I likely will do nothing, I don't trust the dealer, might well screw things up.

[E55 KEV]

I got the same on the 300C. Slighty more yellow looking on the plastic painted parts. I too detail my own cars.