Something fishy?

[jonzo]

I've recently bought a 2005 Yaris Colour Collection in Thunder Grey for the missus.

Wierdly, though, it's stated on the V5 as being blue and I guess it is a sort of bluey-grey depending on the light. I didn't think too much of that, but with the bonnet up today and the worklight out I noticed that the slam panel and firewall are a sort of dark blue.

Is the blue a base coat and are Toyota just a bit economical with the metallic paint? If the car has been resprayed it's a good job but I can't help being a little bit suspicious...

It comes with a decent amount of history from its early and recent life, but it just seems wierd to me.

[bathtub tom]

I had a Nissan with different colour under the bonnet. Turned out they only give the topcoat to surfaces that show outside, thus saving a fortune on paint on the hundreds of thousands of cars they produce.

I recall a worker at a car factory suggested they only fill the sump of new cars to just above minimum. Saved a litre or so of oil on every car they produced. Do the maths.

Why should Toyota be any different?

[jonzo]

Sounds normal then. My last two cars have been silver which I guess is such a cheap colour nowadays (and so easy to spot another colour) that they've been painted everywhere.