except for the fact that I used the wrong damn color thanks to the dupli-color reference guide

I went to Pep Boys to get the paint last week so I could handle the many rock chips on my hood. Looking in the book on the display, it said the white for a 2004 Monte Carlo is GM434, so I bought it. I first applied it to an inconspicuous spot and it looked fine so I went ahead and applied it to the rock chips. When it dried, it looked to be a slightly different shade but I attributed that to the uneven surface. My observation came true when I sanded down the blobs.

I went ahead and finished the project, wetsanding/leveling/polishing and waxing the hood and now you can't see any rock chips or blobs on the hood. The discoloration is only noticeable when you're within 2ft of the car, beyond that it looks cherry.

Just for the hell of it I decided to located and decipher my factory paint code and found that it's WA8554, which is equal to code: 40, which is GM338 in DupliColor touch up paint. I'm seriously thinking about getting a drill bit and drilling out the paint I just applied and redoing it. What a pain in the azz, and to think all of this could have been avoided had I done this research BEFORE buying the paint.

 

Isn't that how it always seems to be? I'm going to need to follow in your foot steps here soon. I have quite a few of those pocks myself. Only problem is.... some of them are on the orange. The orange is pearlescent airbrush and it's going to be SUCH a pain to find that paint again. Oh man... I'm not looking forward to it. Do they have places where they can like.... analyze my paint and then replicate it? I hope so.

 

Good luck with that, dude!!

 

lol im actually doing the same repair to my paint and let me tell you that 5 different stores didnt have my color code, they all had the duplicolor panel but for some reason nobody carries that color. so i had to order it online along with a duplicolor scratch repair kit. Good luck dude!