[alfa] Paint matching...again

[alfacybersite <acs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

While I'm not going to say this is the final answer on the subject but 
when I picked up the specially matched Straw (AR103) from the paint 
store the other day I asked again about the fact there were original 
formulas for these paints. This time the fellow who matches the paint 
said that they did have the original formulas and that is what he 
started with. Would I like to see it? You bet. Not even in the ballpark 
unless one is not very discriminating. I had decided to have him match 
the "chip" on the 1980 Du Pont Alfa Romeo sheet.

Jesse didn't say how much was done by eye and how much by spectrometer 
(believe that is the correct name for the paint matching tool). When I 
had called before picking up the paint he told me he was making final 
adjustments and it would be ready in an hour. When I got there (an hour 
later), he was just putting the final formula in the computer (hope they 
back up better than I do).

I'm quite sure if one went to a car show and there were three Straw 
painted Alfas sitting side by side - all with a similar degree of polish 
and all painted with high quality, but different brand paints - there 
would be a difference. But if the paints were all carefully matched (I 
will admit the question becomes "with what?") they would all be quite a 
lot closer than if they were all painted  using strictly the formulation 
supplied by the various paint manufacturers.

Biba
Irwindale, CA USA
--
to be removed from alfa, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided