Yesterday started with a quick run then back to work on Christine. The job today was the bracket holding the exhaust pipe up, or lack of, and try to find some touch up paint.

After a few hours under the car, fiddling about but not succeeding with the new bracket, I decided to have a break and go and look for paint. My first port of call was Pinturas Jerez, the largest paint shop in Jerez.

 

 

 “I am looking for paint for my Renault 4” I said

“Have you got the code?” he asked

 “I have a paint code” I said.

The code I gave them transpires wasn’t the original colour. So they said they could manufacture a pot of paint.

“Of course if you get the paint you are going to need a phase paint to make it all, even.” He said

“And before you put it on you are going to need a primer, and of course you are going to need a lacquer over the top” he continued.

Here we go I thought, this is going to cost more than the bloody car.

Needless to say I wasnt going for it and as he handed over the estimate as to how much it was going to cost, it went straight into my back pocket and has now been torn up into little squares and will be used tonight as confetti when Spain beat Ireland (ed…as long as Torres doesn’t play).

Dublin on news that Torres is playing

I decided to go to a motor outlet store Norauto. It’s a big chain and has all sorts of motoring stuff.

As I walked in I could see a large stand with rows of touch up paint. Not only in cans but also in little sticks. Perfect.

“I am looking for paint for my Renault 4” I said

“Have you got the code?” he asked

“No” I replied, it was simpler that way I thought

So he reached below the counter and pulled out the Mototip (paint brand) booklet with about 250 paint examples on little tabs.

“Go and match your colour with the colour examples” he said

“OK” So off I went.

It isn’t that easy and it took quite a while leaning over a red hot bonnet that’s reflecting the sun right into your eyes as you fiddle around trying to see which colours match. It’s a job you can’t really do in the shade as you won’t get the right result. By the time I had decided I was sweating like a pig but reasonably satisfied that I had got the right one.

“I have found it and the code is Mototip 964200” I said to the attendant

After a quick look at the stock he said “Oh we haven’t got that one”

Great I thought.

“You can try our other store”….he said.

“You have another store, excellent, where is it?” I asked

“It’s on the other side of town” he said

So I jump in Christine and off we go to the other store on the other side of town.

After a quick consultation and look through the stock list on his terminal.

”Computer says no” came the reply from the bloke behind the counter.

"Who's laughing now"

 I decided to check out another outlet called Feu Vert, another French chain of motor accessory stores.

“I am looking for paint for my Renault 4” I said

“Have you got the code?” he asked

“No” I replied.

He reached below the counter and pulled out the Dupli-Color (another paint brand) booklet with another 250 examples of paints similar to the previous booklet, but with their own codes.

“Go and match your colour with the colour examples” he said

Here we go again.

After 15 minutes my eyes were going funny and at one point I was sure that Daffodil Yellow actually matched the blue of my car. I had to take a breather and get out of the heat.  I finally found a perfect match.

I went back in and waited another 20 minutes for the bloke to finish his siesta.

“I have found a match, Dupli-Color 335872” I said

Tappety tap tap he went on his stock control keyboard.

“No we haven’t got that one” he said

Bloody hell.

“Can you order it in then please” I said

“No we can’t do that either” he said

“Why not?........” I realised the futility of my question as the words left my mouth..
” Oh…forget it” I said.

“Do you know anywhere else that sells this type of paint?” I asked.

“Yes..” came the unexpected answer.” The place is called Bricopinturas and is just over the road” he said

Fantastic things are looking up. I jumped in Christine and drove the short distance to Bricopinturas.

“Hello there, I was told you sell Dupli-Color paint for cars” I said

“No …not here we don’t” he said

“Eh?”

“No not here, our other shop deals with car paint”..he said

“Where is your other shop then” I asked

“Right over the other side of town”…

Doh! I had just come from there.

“Are you sure they do Dupli-Color with the code 335872?” I asked

“Yes they do all the Dupli-Color codes” 

"Yup..... thats a match"

Oh well back in Christine, whose middle name is, Oven, and off we went again. 20 minutes later we found the shop! Amazing in itself.

I went in and explained that I had been to his other shop and that they had sent me here because I had the Dupli-Color code, and I would not only like the spray-can, but also a touch up stick.

“We don’t do Dupli-Color here” he said

Arrrggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

And without further adieu, I left the shop and found the nearest bar and got stuck into a beer. 

Mototip 964200 and Dupli-Color 335872

Christine is just going to have to continue to look like she has just got out of bed and hasn’t had her first fag of the day.