FYI: Custom Paint Mixing For Your Car, Truck, or Motorcycle
Just like a number of our stores resurface brake drums and rotors or make hydraulic hoses, select O’Reilly Auto Parts stores are equipped to custom-mix paint for your DIY paint repairs. You can give us a call, visit or use our store locator to find the paint mixing store that’s closest to you.
Supplies Needed for This Job:
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O’Reilly Auto Parts carries several popular paint brands, as well as our MasterPro Refinishing series of body fillers, primers, sandpaper, and paint & body repair tools. And then, when you’re ready to put the finishing touches on your repair, ask about our custom paint mixing. The brand of paint will vary depending on the store, but the process of getting it mixed and ready to spray is the same across all of our paint store locations.
To ensure you’re getting the perfect shade of custom paint, we’ll need the following information:
Your vehicle’s make, model, and year
And your vehicle’s paint code
The paint code on a vehicle can often be found on a tag inside the driver side door jamb… inside the glove box… in a wheel well… or under the hood near the radiator support. On many newer vehicles, you may see a bar code sticker, which usually includes information on the paint code, trim level, and other vehicle details. On older model vehicles, this may be located on a metal tag.
The next question you’ll be asked at the paint counter is what type of paint you intend to use. Paint is formulated in two ways: either as a single-stage, which would not require clear-coat; or as a basecoat, where the paint provides the color, but an additional clear-coat application would be needed to provide gloss and protection.
And the last decision you have to make is how much paint you actually need for your particular job. Custom mixed paint is available by the pint, quart, or gallon. The amount you’ll need can depend on the panel size, vehicle size, color coverage, primer color, and your ability as a painter. Ask the paint professional at your local store for a recommendation on the amount you’ll need to complete the job.
If you’re only refinishing a small panel or performing a spot repair or touchup on the vehicle, we can also mix custom paint in an aerosol can. Our Fill-One Master Blend aerosols are the same high-quality paint, but without the need of a spray gun. The aerosol fan nozzle helps apply an even coating, much like using a spray gun for your repair, but without all the messy clean up. Custom aerosol paint is available at most of our paint mixing stores, and can be mixed and packaged in a matter of minutes. It’s available in both single-stage or basecoat formulas, so make sure if you need clear-coat to pick it up while you’re there.
One last thing to keep in mind: the paint color of your car may fade over time, which makes a perfect match more difficult. Previous paint repairs may also differ from the original color of the vehicle. Our paint professionals can custom-mix the paint color based on the factory paint code, but we can’t necessarily account for fading or previous repairs. Spraying a test panel will help ensure that your paint will match perfectly before you apply it on a larger scale.