How to give a car a matte color, all the pros and cons
Content
The body of the car has always strived to make it glossy, choosing a paint with a mirror effect, application technology, polishing and varnishing. The only exception was military equipment, where camouflage is more important than glitter. But fashion is changing, more and more cars with a matte surface of body panels appear on the roads.
And this is clearly not done in order to save money, expensive sports cars are processed in this way, although some practicality is still present.
Pros and cons of matte finish
The main advantage of the lack of gloss is the ability to stand out from a rather dull stream of generally almost identical cars. But there are others:
- lack of gloss masks damage to the body and its coating, scratches, chips and dents are not so conspicuous;
- you can get such color effects that are unattainable in the presence of gloss;
- matte body less glare in the sun, does not irritate vision on long trips;
- some (not all) types of dirt are less noticeable on a rough surface;
- in winter, the car warms up better in sunny weather;
- certain types of matte coatings provide additional protection against minor damage.
It is difficult to say what is more - advantages or disadvantages:
- matte finish is difficult to clean;
- in summer, the car overheats, the climate system is overloaded;
- you have to pay a significant amount for the visual effect, the better the processing, the more noticeable it is;
- you have to say goodbye to the common way of refreshing the body by polishing;
- in bad weather, dirt on the body leaves a lot of hard-to-remove stains;
- repair tinting with a transition is excluded, even the selection of a coating when updating large panels is difficult.
But if the owner likes this type of bodywork, few people will pay attention to the minuses. At least the first time.
How to make a car matte
The basic principles for obtaining a matting effect are the creation of a surface structure in the form of a small relief that scatters light or giving the paint (varnish) the property of absorbing incident energy.
Visually, all this will be perceived as a rich-looking coating, and the specific choice of technology will be determined by the price or purpose of the car.
Factory matt finish
The greatest visual impression will be created by cars painted on the factory assembly line. Here you can be sure that the technology is thought out, tested and does not contain pitfalls in the form of impaired corrosion resistance.
On the contrary, manufacturers claim that this quality will be enhanced by a thicker layer of paintwork.
However, the cost of such a choice will be significant. This is explained by the small-scale production of a complex of materials, as well as small batches, if not a single production of such vehicles.
Not everyone is ready to put up with the peculiarities of operating a specific paint. It is not recommended to subject it to mechanical washing, and it is difficult to wash it manually.
Polishing is excluded, as is the application of preservative coatings. For the opportunity to stand out from the general mass of cars will have to pay a lot.
Matt lacquer
Any color can be turned into a matte finish by applying the appropriate clear coat to the car. It is commercially available, but the technology is rather complicated, since it involves the whole set of painting procedures well known to professionals, but inaccessible to ordinary car owners.
You will need high-quality equipment, a special camera and everything else that makes equipping a paint shop a costly undertaking.
And be sure to have experienced staff who know how to use it all. Otherwise, the applied varnish will either immediately look like an illiterately tinted body, or will peel off very quickly along with pieces of the original coating.
And you certainly cannot hope for an acceptable result using the simplest aerosol cans with varnish or paint.
Protective films
It looks tempting to change the color to pasting with a plastic film. Many do just that. Vinyl products are suitable for quick and inexpensive applications, while polyurethane products are suitable for long-term high-quality results. There are also intermediate hybrid technologies.
You can pick up any color, transparency, pattern or relief, but achieving quality will require a lot of money.
The best options for the price will cost as much as a complete repaint of the car, and the worst ones can irreparably ruin the factory paint after the owner gets tired of the new look of the car and wants to remove the film.
Liquid rubber
For quick application and additional effect in the form of resistance to small impacts, a variety of coatings such as "liquid rubber" are used.
There are compositions that are called that, but there are others. The general principle is “dousing” the body with polymeric or other materials, partially hardening in air, retaining a thick, embossed, elastic layer. A good option for SUVs or those who want to be like them.
Self-painting a car in a matte color
The best option, if there is an appropriate room, a good air preparation system, sprayers, dryers and other equipment, and most importantly - some experience in painting work, would be painting the car with a matte base and matte varnish.
Subject to the technology, this work will give the body not only a new decorative quality, but also increased durability. But you'll have to work hard.
- The whole complex of consumables is purchased, paint, varnish, solvents, primers, cleaning agents and putties, etc., it is very desirable from one manufacturer within the same technological line. This ensures the strength and compatibility of the coating.
- Body preparation is the most important thing. Painting directly takes no more than a few percent of the time of work on the finished surface. The car should be washed, partially disassembled and covered to protect areas that are not being painted. The body is processed by stripping from rust, peeling paint, leveled with putty, displayed on flat surfaces and primed with a filler. After finishing, a primer primer is used for paint.
- In accordance with the technology of this complex, layers of paint and varnish are applied. It is important to observe the conditions of intermediate drying and the number of layers. Adjustable pressure, spray pattern, nozzle size for each component, dilution consistency.
If everything is done without haste, with high quality, and if you do not spare money for equipment and consumables, then the result will surprise you. The visual effect is really unusual, and many coatings also give specific tactile sensations.
Price issue
It makes sense to paint the car yourself only if you already have all the necessary equipment and premises. Otherwise, unless of course the whole idea is planned as part of a hobby or learning a new profession, it is economically justified to turn to professionals.
All work at the minimum acceptable level of quality with materials will cost about 60-100 Thousand rubles.
The price can vary greatly by region, the standard of living is different everywhere, and someone is lucky, a garage amateur will be found nearby, working efficiently and inexpensively, or providing the entire set for rent, which happens even less often.
