Why Doesn't My Bumper Match My Car

September 6, 2022

Bumper Color | Bumper Matching

White sports car, low angle. Front view showing headlight, wheel, and front spoiler.

Car parts go through several processes including bumper color matching at various locations only to come together right before the dealership floor.   When you’re looking at your car, and we mean really looking, you might find some inconsistencies. One of those variances has popped up in the media recently and that is the bumper.   Especially if you park your car under that fantastic Texas sun, you’ll probably begin to wonder “why doesn’t my bumper match my car?”. And, there are actually a few reasons behind this. But don’t listen to what they say on social media, someone hasn’t swapped your bumper out and there hasn’t been any undeclared bumper repair; it’s completely normal!  
  1. It’s the Contours of Your Bumper
  The first thing to consider is that the bumper of a car is designed to withstand collision forces and a bit of physics and math come into the mix. Because of this, bumpers will have a lot more contours which all reflect the light in their own special way. Then, you have a bumper that looks like it’s a different color to the other panels on your vehicle.   Notably, it can be more obvious on a car with bumper repair and repainting because of the processes auto body shops use to fix the damage!       
  1. It’s the Material of Your Bumper
  Bumper color matching isn’t as simple as using the same paint and the same process on the various panels that your car, van or truck has. The materials are completely different!   While the rest of your car’s body (or, most of it) is metal, your bumper is actually plastic. This is because it needs to be able to take impact and crumple so that you don’t.   Then, you have to think about how a paint coat applied to metal will look completely different when applied to plastic. And, while manufacturers and technicians are experts at making small changes to bring the finished piece closer together, it’ll never be truly perfect.  
  1. It’s the Coloring Process Used for Your Bumper
  Regardless of whether we’re talking about the initial build of your car or fixes in the bumper repair process, the bumper is painted differently. For this, we need to get our physics and chemistry caps on.   The composition of metal means it will have metal flakes that settle at different angles allowing paint more time to evaporate rather than cure. Plastic, on the other hand, has a static electricity charge that needs to be properly discharged before any coat of paint can be applied. So, electrostatic spray equipment is needed for metal while conventional painting methods are used for plastic!  
  1. It’s the Face and Flop of Your Panel Paint
  Every painted surface has what’s called a “face” and a “flop”. Essentially, the flakes of paint will all settle onto a metal or plastic surface in their own ways and directions. Because of this, the light will reflect in varying ways and bumper color matching is a nearly impossible task, no matter the process, material or contours.   On the “face” of your car’s bumper, it might have a slightly different sheen or hue than it will on the “flop” and that’s all down to this variance. And, because of the extra layers after bumper repair, the face and flop variance will be more obvious than it would off the factory floor.  
  1. It’s the Chemical Curing Process
  Back to the material thing, the chemical curing process is different between metals and plastics. Meaning there’s yet another way for your bumper’s paint color to change as it dries.   To “cure” the paint on your car, it needs to endure quite a heated process. For the metal parts, they can be cured at 300°F but plastic would melt and needs baking at a lower heat for a longer period. Because of this, the paint molecules have more time to “orientate”, causing a slightly different face and flop between metal and plastic parts in the bumper color matching process.  
  1. It Could Actually Be a Bad Computerized Paint Matching Job
  Unfortunately, sometimes, if you’ve had a collision and you need a bumper repair and repaint, you could have had a bad bumper color matching job done.   Technicians will be well-versed in computerized paint matching but can still make errors like any other human. That’s why it’s ever-more important for y’all to find a shop with ASE-certified technicians. That way, you know you’re getting the best chances of bumper color matching, at least to the extent that your neighbors won’t notice.   If you find yourself needing bumper repair and color matching, get in touch with our team at Dealership Autoplex Collision Center, today. Not only are we a crew of ASE-certified technicians, but our experience in the computerized color matching field is also a gear above the rest.   Reach out either through our website or by calling us on (972) 242-0092. Alternatively, we’ll always welcome a friendly face who drops by our shop to ask us some questions and get a bit of bodywork done. So, we’ll be right here in Carrollton, TX.   Link to:   “The 9 Steps of Computerized Paint Matching to Original Factory Specifications” Link to:   “Your State-of-The-Art Auto Body, Frame and Paint Facility” Link to:   “What To Do When Your Paint Starts Chipping”

Damaged black SUV in an auto repair shop with the front end crushed and hood bent up.

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