Chameleon paint is a type of paint that changes colors like a chameleon, hence the name. It is sometimes called flip flop paint, flip paint and color changing paint. This is a rather new product on the market, so many people haven’t heard of it while fewer have seen what it looks like. What is chameleon car paint? What are the pros and cons of using this type of product?
What Is Chameleon Car Paint?
Chameleon car paint is a paint that can create an unusual color effect when it is properly applied. You may find chameleon car paint on a new vehicle, such as when you can’t tell if it is tan, gold or a light green. That’s a minor version of the chameleon paint. More dramatic chameleon paint jobs will cause the car to change colors completely depending on the angle and light.
Chameleon paints are typically applied as a three stage paint job. First is a dark or black base paint. You don’t want a light undercoat since that lets light reflect off the underlying metal. The dark layer maximizes light absorption and helps preserve the color effects of the chameleon paint. The next layer is a semitransparent layer of chameleon paint. That’s the layer that changes color depending on your point of view. The third layer is a protective clear coat. This layer must be maintained if you want to avoid ugly smears in the chameleon paint job.
The Pros of Chameleon Car Paint
Forget having a neon pink or bright yellow car to stand out. A chameleon paint job creates an eye-catching and unique look for your car. However, you can’t predict what the outcome will be due to the one-of-a-kind outcome in every case.
This specialized pearl pigment has been coming down in cost, and that has made chameleon paints more readily available. However, the relatively high cost means that there are few others who have chameleon paint jobs on their cars.
The Cons of Chameleon Car Paint
You may have to repaint the car to sell it, since most people won’t be interested in that style. Or you’ll sell it as a trade-in to the dealer and get less for it, because they’ll need to repaint it to sell it to the general public. The only people who consider it a plus are those who like that type of paint job. In that case, they will only value it if it is done right and still looks good because you took care of it.
It is expensive, though the price tag depends on the brand and type of paint. The more visual color changes the paint has, the more expensive it is. Do it yourself to save money, and you’re at risk of ruining the look. Paying a professional to do it right dramatically increases the cost, because applying chameleon paint right is more challenging than painting a red car black.
Observations about Chameleon Paint
A chameleon paint job isn’t going to have a high level of shine or gloss. You’ll have to apply extra wax or gloss if you want the same glow as you’d see on a standard paint job straight out of the showroom.
Written by: tamarawilhite
