Date:         Thu, 20 Sep 2007 18:33:57 -0400
Reply-To:     Doug Fitz-Randolph <fitzr@SUSCOM-MAINE.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Doug Fitz-Randolph <fitzr@SUSCOM-MAINE.NET>
Subject:      Paint code LH8B Assuan Brown @ NAPA
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Hi,

In the past, I've purchased custom-mixed acrylic enamel spray cans from
NAPA. I've given them the paint codes for Dove Blue and Pastel White, and
the colors were spot-on.

Not the case with LH8B / Assuan Brown. The color they mixed was way off - as
in not even close! They mixed it twice, two weeks apart, with the same
result. After failing with the code, I brought in the license plate door for
them to do a color match on, but they say they cannot match the color. I
think this is complete BS - their color match gun is coming up with the
exact same color code they get for LH8B, but they just won't admit the
formula in their computer is incorrect.

I called Martin Senour paints, which NAPA uses, and they are going to verify
the paint mix against the sample they have from VW... but if their sample is
incorrect and this is root cause, then they will, of course, not find a
problem. The MS rep said their formula for LH8B has been unchanged since
1981, so it's unlikely it is wrong. He said it is possible, but unlikely,
that NAPA loaded the pigments in their machine incorrectly.

In the interim, I had LH8B mixed at Crown Auto Body which uses
DuPont/Speis-Hecker - it matched 100% dead-on.

NAPA's little spray cans cost ~$25 - each - and not only do they not want to
give me a refund, they're not even being nice about it... telling me my
paint must have faded (yeah, faded to a darker color... behind the license
plate) or that my van was repainted and isn't really Assuan Brown (uhhh...
sorry, wrong again). Their attitude has pissed me off and is my motivation
for going through this somewhat pointless exercise. Honestly, I'm about
t-h-i-s close to spraying the guy behind the paint counter with the light
tan paint they sold me, so perhaps researching the problem is a better
outlet for my frustration.

OK... deep breath.

Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Doug Fitz-Randolph
Freeport, ME