Repaint a New RAM?

[BowDown]

Black or “metallic black” would sway my decision. Black is easy to match. So far, I have not seen a perfect body/paint repair or paint on anything I have had fixed. There is always a blend issue, Paint texture issue or debris in the paint. I have even taken cars 2+ hours away for “the best” and never got myself satisfied. I am too picky.

I would insist in writing that anything less than premium OEM paint work , or any dust, debris, drips, incorrect orange peel, sand marks, Visible body work, Fish eyes, Splatter, visible blending, overspray, paint too thick, Overspray, too thin etc is grounds for a redo until perfect. Also remember, I have found that new paint shrinks a little over time. Items not visible when you pick up, seem to become visible after a few days to a week. Will they warranty the paint work for life (many shops do). Or just the Ram factory warranty.

Urethane paints are great products and can be applied with perfection. But no shop wants to put the time in for perfection,

Tough decision, black will show any defect more than any other paint.

I have an New Electric Hyundai that a Rock was thrown from my mower. Put a 1.5” dent right in the middle of the drivers door. I took it to the best shop 1 hour away. I told them I wanted perfection as noted above, I was very assertive on what quality I was demanding and why I picked there shop. I picked it up and although the paint blend is near perfect (blue metallic) And orange peel texture is perfect (Hyundai’s have horrid orange peel), the body work where the dent was is visible, especially at an angle, 3 fisheyes, many specs of dust in the door and one black debris spot or Booger right in the door 3” under the drivers mirror, about 1/8” diameter. I immediately pointed out the defects To the manager. They said they would redo it and contact me for an appointment. That was in June of 2020 and I am still awaiting my call.

I have an indian chieftain Gray metallic that the saddlebag lid got scratched. I bought $200 in indian OEM Imron paint and took it to a local shop. It was Almost perfect except for a visible drip off the edge of the lid from The clear coat.

I know I am venting. I hate to be a naysayer, I wish I could find perfection, but it does not exist, in my world.

At least ask to see 2-3 samples Vehicles of their work before they touch it. Especially black!

it does sound to me that since you noticed these defects, you have a keen eye, as I do. The post above mine really sums it up. You can look past a small spot or too but every time you look at your fender or hood after a repaint, while waxing, washing, drying, Admiring, you may regret this decision every time If not done right.

Lol no. Black is not easy to match, there are literally 1000's of shades of Black.
Black, white and red are some of the most difficult colors to match due to the number shades and the rate of pigment fade. Nobody uses urethanes anymore, illegal in the US; it no the type of paint requires anymore work for perfection than any other, its time in the prep and the knowledge and skill of the painter.

When i painted, orange peel was controlled by air pressure and reducer speed. A fast reducer (used in cooler environments) creates more orange peel as it flashes before the paint can lay down and flatten out, a slow reducer does the opposite but there's temp requirements to using both. Also the quality of the spraygun makes a huge difference, production shops, most collision repair places, aren't interested in doing a perfect job. Speciality shops, shops that deal with exotics, will. My wifes XF got hit by a drunk B on scooter, I took it to a shop that I know to do high quality work and they matched the paint perfectly as well as the orange peel

 

[HAL9001]

Had a fairly decent size run in the paint on my truck. Body shop sanded it down and polished the paint in that area. Based on what you are describing, I would think a wet sand and buff would do the job

It might, but the dealer's body shop insists on repainting the hood and fender. It may have to do more about making the most profit rather than what's the best method. This is one of the reasons why I'm concerned.

 

[nburd]

Lol no. Black is not easy to match, there are literally 1000's of shades of Black.
Black, white and red are some of the most difficult colors to match due to the number shades and the rate of pigment fade. Nobody uses urethanes anymore, illegal in the US; it no the type of paint requires anymore work for perfection than any other, its time in the prep and the knowledge and skill of the painter.

When i painted, orange peel was controlled by air pressure and reducer speed. A fast reducer (used in cooler environments) creates more orange peel as it flashes before the paint can lay down and flatten out, a slow reducer does the opposite but there's temp requirements to using both. Also the quality of the spraygun makes a huge difference, production shops, most collision repair places, aren't interested in doing a perfect job. Speciality shops, shops that deal with exotics, will. My wifes XF got hit by a drunk B on scooter, I took it to a shop that I know to do high quality work and they matched the paint perfectly as well as the orange peel

Sorry I mispoke above, true urethane base coats, are seldom used but urethane clears are still widely used for durability (especially iso reduced or free). Ram/FCA uses a powder coat primer, an acrylic base coat and a 2k clear coat. It may be an acrylic urethane or urethane but no information is available. I believe PPG is the manufacturer and it may be their NCT line. I believe most manufacturers use that type of 2k clear today.

It is Interesting that Ford applies 3 coats, water Based primer, water based Base coat and a solvent based clear coat and bakes, cures, it all at once.

From FCA
“The Topcoat System utilizes three recirculating spray booths to maximize energy conservation. The 68 wall-mounted robots spray waterborne basecoat and 2K clear coat. Like the Powder Primer System, the Topcoat System integrates a pressurized conveyor shroud to minimize paint overspray contamination.“

“In the Sterling Heights’ shop’s three spray booths, 68 robots hang from the top of a wall near the ceiling, spraying a waterborne basecoat and PPG’s 2K clearcoat.”

 

[Big White RAM]

OP; I would definately first try wet sanding / polish before anything else. Keep in mind that wet sanding can also "level" the paint quickly depending on the detailers process causing a difference in the surface finish (orange peel). When I correct paint blemishes, I use a semi soft block / pad under 4000 - 5000 grit paper, then cut & polish. Doing it this way takes a little longer time wise, but reduces the chance of surface differences greatly. I would highly suggest to live with the small defects as a "dealer" repaint will most likely be far worse than what your describing.

 

[RJS]

Personally, I'd take a rain check from the dealer and drive it awhile before I had it repainted. When I got my 19 Laramie I was impressed with the minor orange peel and lack of issues. It was much better than my previous three vehicles.

When I first waxed it I found two small bumps. One near the right front door mirror and one near the back of the drivers back door. I stewed on them for a while, considered trying to get them out but after a couple of days, I just forgot about them.

Bottom line, you have plenty of time to remedy the issue but if it's repainted and not perfect the areas will be larger and you'll see them more. What if you pick it up and the dealer says looks great but you look closely and say: Wait a minute Sparky, at this angle I can see a bit of difference and he says it's beautiful. Could be a long discussion with nothing good happening and a dealer that is currently most helpful just a bit miffed.

Let it go for a few weeks and see what you think then. I'm very happy with mine now. They only pop up when it's being waxed so a couple times a year and they are forgotten.

 

[iLikeTurtles]

It might, but the dealer's body shop insists on repainting the hood and fender. It may have to do more about making the most profit rather than what's the best method. This is one of the reasons why I'm concerned.

I believe service underwriters get penalized or singled out if they do too much warranty work. I would let them it. I believe @RamCares will back you if you are not satisfied

 

[snj1013]

Likely the dirt is not in the clear, but under the base coat, so likely wet sanding will knock down the "peak" of the defect, but there could be sand through the base coat, exposing the color of the dirt or the color of the primer. In a previous life, I worked in an automotive assembly plant and looked at 75 vehicles paint jobs an hour. Even with this experience it is tough to know what will happen when you wet sand a defect. I would recommend that you do not repaint you factory finish unless you absolutely have no choice. The durability of the factory finish is hard to duplicate in a repair facility.

 

[RamCares]

I just took delivery of a 2021 RAM 1500 Limited, Night Edition in black. I always do a detailed inspection before I accept the vehicle, but this time the salesman walked up to me and apologized for a paint defect the dealership found. There is a tiny area on the hood where the paint is slightly raised in a tiny round bump. It's visible but you have to look very closely, most people wouldn't even notice it in passing. It's not really that bad and I might have just let it go, but they insist on fixing it. I also found another slight defect on the right fender where the paint has an area with a very tiny bump like a tiny grain of sand was painted over. Again, it's hard to see even when you know it's there. The dealership wants to fix that too.

While I'm delighted that the dealership is so responsive to making this right, I'm concerned about having the entire hood and the right fender sanded down and then repainted for such minor defects. They have a professional body shop and I assume they do great work, but to have two major sections of a brand-new vehicle repainted is a tough decision. I don't know if the paint will be as good in the long term as the factory paint. I've had vehicles repainted in body shops before due to accidents, and except for one instance, it was fine. But to have a brand-new vehicle repainted for two small defects?

I can't make up my mind. I'm concerned that if I don't, I may regret not to have had it fixed for free when it could have, and if I do, I will regret it if the repaint proves to be not as good as the factory paint over the long term.

I would greatly appreciate any opinions on this either way especially from anyone who's been through this or is an expert on automotive painting.

Hi @HAL9001, congratulations on your new vehicle purchase! We are sorry to hear about these paint concerns. If you would like an additional layer of support while your dealer performs these repairs, please feel free to send us a private message. We would be happy to add an extra set of eyes on the process to ensure that you are satisfied with the completed service!

Kathryn
RamCares