Paint question on my '05 vert.

[Bimmernut2]

Ok, when I open the hood or the trunk lids, I see 'black' paint/primer on the inside areas instead of the Mystic Blue that's on the outside. See pic below

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/picture.php?albumid=5100&pictureid=27289

All other E46's I see pictured has the same color on the inside areas, just not painted with the clear coat. Anyone know why? Is this what Mystic Blue looks like before clear coat?

[danewilson77]

That's wild. Does your vin pull up color code of the car?

Sent from Williamsburg, VA USA

[BCS_ZHP]

No, that's the bone stock OEM paint job. I've looked at 3 mystic blues in my area, 2 coupes & 1 vert, all were painted this same way. On one of the one's I looked at that part of the inner fender was painted mystic blue because a deer ran into the side of the car and they painted the replacement fender off of the car. Don't know if it was cost savings or what but they used black or gray primer under the hood on some e46s, not the same finish as the exterior of the car. Look in your trunk, you'll see the same thing there too.

[danewilson77]

All other E46's I see pictured has the same color on the inside areas, just not painted with the clear coat. Anyone know why? Is this what Mystic Blue looks like before clear coat?

So these are all repaints?

[wsmeyer]

My 06 vert is exactly the same. Not quite as noticeable as the exterior is Sapphire Black but it does indeed stop right where your Mystic Blue does.

William.

[Meric]

Mine is green without clear coat.. Thats it..

[BRGcoopahS]

I believe mine is simply the same color except with no shine. Sparkling graphite.

BCS: love the sig pic. The hint of purple in the color looks great.

[danewilson77]

Ok. So what we know from this thread.

1. All of our engine bays are the same color as our car, except no clearcoat.

2. Bimmernuts car is not defined by 1. Above.

Why is this?

Sent from Williamsburg, VA USA

[wsmeyer]

Ok. So what we know from this thread.

1. All of our engine bays are the same color as our car, except no clearcoat.

2. Bimmernuts car is not defined by 1. Above.

Why is this?

Sent from Williamsburg, VA USA

Not quite, mines not just missing clearcoat. Exterior is Sapphire Black (metallic) but engine bay looks exactly like Bimmernuts. I think we are the only convertibles in this thread so far though.

paging jrando...

William.

[M0nk3y]

There is no clear coat in the engine bay.

From what I know, the engine bay is simply a primer. So in most cases (like red) it is beneficial to use a red primer. Perhaps it is better to use a dark blue/black primer?

There is nothing abnormal I see about this

[09mageec]

Mine is the same way. Color of the car just without a clearcoat. Same thing that a 04 Silver Grey I went to check out had. Its like that in all of them as far as I was concerned. I asked my mechanic, who previously owned the car this same question. He himself has sold over 3 ZHPs(all different years) and he said all of his were that way as well.

[BCS_ZHP]

My wife's vert is imola under the hood.

[09mageec]

There is no clear coat in the engine bay.

From what I know, the engine bay is simply a primer. So in most cases (like red) it is beneficial to use a red primer. Perhaps it is better to use a dark blue/black primer?



There is nothing abnormal I see about this

Thats exactly what it is man. Im pretty sure at least..

[danewilson77]

Ok. Got it. So Mystic blue....the entire car, is primed with that dark color in op.

Sent from Williamsburg, VA USA

[terraphantm]

There is no clear coat in the engine bay.

From what I know, the engine bay is simply a primer. So in most cases (like red) it is beneficial to use a red primer. Perhaps it is better to use a dark blue/black primer?

There is nothing abnormal I see about this

Pretty much every e46 I've seen was painted everywhere - just not clearcoated in the engine bay etc... Maybe they changed this for 06?

Here's a mystic blue where the shock towers are the same color as the rest of the body https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/dstaffor/sales/m3/IMG_1117.jpg

[Hermes]

^ This date change idea makes sense to me, we need pics of E9x's or anything else later that was Mystic (or a similar blue) to see if that darker color was introduced at some point in time

Edit: just came up with an idea... OP, pull your ebrake boot and see what color the metal is painted under the carpet. Does it look like Mystic or that color in the engine bay?

[Bimmernut2]

^ This date change idea makes sense to me, we need pics of E9x's or anything else later that was Mystic (or a similar blue) to see if that darker color was introduced at some point in time

Edit: just came up with an idea... OP, pull your ebrake boot and see what color the metal is painted under the carpet. Does it look like Mystic or that color in the engine bay?

@Hermes...I did as you asked & it is Mystic Blue under the ebrake but not sure what that tells us. Might be better or easier to pull the back seat bottom & see what's there. Again, what does that tell us in either case?

[terraphantm]

^ OP what's the build date of your car? I found another one similar to yours: http://www.bmwtuningmag.com/wp-content/uploads/gpower-bmw-m3-e46-engine.jpg

I plugged the last 7 of the VIN into that Russian vin decode, and that was an 07/2005 build. I'm thinking maybe 03/2005 and newer E46s dont have panted engine bays for some reason

[jack.chris328]

^ OP what's the build date of your car? I found another one similar to yours: http://www.bmwtuningmag.com/wp-content/uploads/gpower-bmw-m3-e46-engine.jpg

I plugged the last 7 of the VIN into that Russian vin decode, and that was an 07/2005 build. I'm thinking maybe 03/2005 and newer E46s dont have panted engine bays for some reason

I think it went back farther than that. This car was a 1999 TiAg. But the engine bay was a white primer.

http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz237/JackChristian/1999%20328Ci%20Part%20Out/th_76f56791.jpg (http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz237/JackChristian/1999%20328Ci%20Part%20Out/76f56791.jpg)

[terraphantm]

I think it went back farther than that. This car was a 1999 TiAg. But the engine bay was a white primer.

http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz237/JackChristian/1999%20328Ci%20Part%20Out/th_76f56791.jpg (http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz237/JackChristian/1999%20328Ci%20Part%20Out/76f56791.jpg)

Then I'm at a loss as to why some cars seem to get primer only, and others get the paint without clear coat. I know my mom's 2004 TiAg E46 was definitely TiAg underneath the hood.