know if a car has original paint is not an exact science but with a few tips and tricks of the trade, you can come to a pretty firm conclusion either way. Boasting that the vehicle has its original coloring job not only raises the coolness factor of a classic but it can raise its value as well.
Instructions
1. Pop the hood and the trunk. These can be one of the most commonly replaced parts on a vehicle. Everything from hail damage and other forces of nature to fender benders can cause damage. If the color underneath doesn't match the color on top, the owner might have repainted the whole body to get a seamless match. However, it could mean that he just had them color matched or else re-painted the whole body with a matching color. A little further investigation is needed before deciding one way or the other.
2. Find the "cowl" tag. While you got the hood open, one trick on know a car has original paint is to find this tag. Many older models have it. It is usually located on the area between the hood and the windshield on the firewall on the driver's side right at the top. If it is on your vehicle, it should list the paint code. If your ride does not have it, there are other places you can look for the same information.
3. See if the driver's side door jamb has a tag as well. This should have the paint code too. However, this is also a part of a vehicle that is commonly replaced due to damage so it isn't a sure way of know if a car has original paint. So, even if your vehicle does have the tag, check the VIN number against the one on your dash to make sure that they match.
4. Call the dealership with the VIN number on the vehicle. Make note of the vehicle identification number off the dashboard tag and call a dealership. If you give them this information, they should be able to tell you the color code of what the vehicle was first painted off the line.
5. Look under the dash. Removing a small piece of the dash in a vehicle to see what's underneath can be a great way for know a car has original paint. Especially on older vehicles, the metal parts may be painted. If they are, they should match the body. If they don't, it's a good sign that the vehicle has been repainted at least once in its lifetime.
6. Look closely at the trimmings of the vehicle. Thoroughly examine the edges of any of the body trim and rubber around the doors and windows. Even the best body man may get slight bits of over-spray onto these areas when painting a vehicle. A vehicle is painted on the assembly line before any of these trimmings are added on, so if there's over-spray, you can bet that there was a coloring job done at some point after the vehicle was first painted. This trick is the best way to check if a car has original paint.
