69 Color Confirmation

[Brad H.]

I am approaching the time to paint my 69 so I have another dumb question. This car has been repainted previously and in fact has a very nice finish. The car came from the factory in LeMans Blue and that is what is on it now. I had the local DuPont shop mix up some Chroma Base for me in the color code on the data plate which came up 1969 LeMans Blue. The new color is a whole different shade of blue. This is not from oxidation or fading of the current paint job as it is fairly new.

Is there a way to make certain the color going on the car is correct. I realize it should be in Lacquer, but I prefer the newer paint. I do want to make sure the finish color shade is at least correct. Any recommendations for this? Are there accurate paint chips available somewhere for this purpose. I'm sure this has been asked before, so I apologize for the repetition.

Thanks for the help,
Brad Hood

[Dick W.]

Re: 69 Color Confirmation

Takes someone well experienced in paint tinting. It is good to have a panel with the original panel to compare to. The painter will have to shoot test panels and keep tinting until they match, somewhat, with the metalics in the colors today

[Mark D.]

Re: 69 Color Confirmation

Your car, based on metallic content, is going to be hard(er) to match, but, this is what I would suggest...contact John Ballard (well known and respected exterior judge). He will tell you to send him an example of the paint you are going to spray. He will, in turn, give you a recommendation on tinting which will go back and forth until the match occurs. At a point, he will tell you a close match has occurred and you can proceed in painting the car.

That is what I would suggest.

Regards,

Mark

[Brad H.]

Re: 69 Color Confirmation

Mark,
Thanks for that input. I can not assume that the color on the car now is accurate so I will have to find a correct paint chip, etc. I assume that John must have a chip or an original piece of some kind and that is how the suggestions are generated. How can I reach John?
Thanks Mark,
Brad Hood

[Brad H.]

Re: 69 Color Confirmation

Is there any place that specializes in corvette paint where you can buy paint that is correct in color? Some paint center certainly still has paint chips around. Certainly too simple but it seems possible...
I'm hoping,
Brad Hood

[Chuck G.]

Re: 69 Color Confirmation

Is there any place that specializes in corvette paint where you can buy paint that is correct in color? Some paint center certainly still has paint chips around. Certainly too simple but it seems possible...
I'm hoping,
Brad Hood

They all mix it by formula, Brad. I'm unaware of any special Corvette paint places.

Original lacquer formulas have been "translated" into the newer paint systems. As the years have gone on, the composition of tints used in the mixes have changed, etc. so there's no guarantee that anything you get mixed by formula will be 100% correct.

Case in point: About 4 years ago, I had my 63 painted. It still had the original shabby Riverside Red paint. I elected to use single stage urethane, not BC/CC. We used PPG brand paint.

The painter mixed a test batch of paint, and shot the valence panel. He called me. WAY too orange.

My 63 still had the original paint at the time. Long story short, he fooled with the mix till he got it to match the undersurface of the deck lid. Turned out PERFECTO.

I wouldn't completely trust old paint chips either, as they've probably faded/changed through the years. That being said, old chips are probably your best indicator.

Chuck

[Terry M.]

Re: 69 Color Confirmation

Almost all "paint chips" are printed ink on paper. If you think ink on paper will match paint on car, I have a car company I will sell you. Without an original paint (well protected over the years) panel to compare to, or the 5 x 7 paint standards used by the factory, you are swimming upstream trying to get the right color.
Then if your original paint is metallic, as Brad's is, you have to fight the fact that original (as in 1969) metallic is no longer available.

To match the new paint to the old paint begins to sound like that song from the "Man of LaManchia."

[Patrick H.]

Re: 69 Color Confirmation

An alternative is to find someone with a "paint standard" for the color you wish. They are 4x6 inch metal "cards" that have period original paint on them. You could then use this (as GM did) to make your new match. On occasion they show up on ebay.

Otherwise your best option is to find an original paint car and have its color "scanned." Your mixer and painter can then work from there to create a test panel to match the car.

Patrick

[Brad H.]

Re: 69 Color Confirmation

Thanks to everyone for the info. Sounds like I'm really swimming upstream with this paint situation. I know paint chips are ink on paper and that they will not necessarily match perfectly. If a chip of some kind is my only solution since I don't have a sample to go by on the car is there any place to locate one?
Brad

[Terry M.]

Re: 69 Color Confirmation

Start a new thread and ask if anyone has the larger standard Patrick and I referred to. That will be your best shot -- unless you cn find someone with and original paint car. The whole car would be better, but the logistics of arranging for the paint match might be easier with the "standard."

[Ridge K.]

Re: 69 Color Confirmation

They all mix it by formula, Brad. I'm unaware of any special Corvette paint places.

Original lacquer formulas have been "translated" into the newer paint systems. As the years have gone on, the composition of tints used in the mixes have changed, etc. so there's no guarantee that anything you get mixed by formula will be 100% correct.

Case in point: About 4 years ago, I had my 63 painted. It still had the original shabby Riverside Red paint. I elected to use single stage urethane, not BC/CC. We used PPG brand paint.

The painter mixed a test batch of paint, and shot the valence panel. He called me. WAY too orange.

My 63 still had the original paint at the time. Long story short, he fooled with the mix till he got it to match the undersurface of the deck lid. Turned out PERFECTO.

I wouldn't completely trust old paint chips either, as they've probably faded/changed through the years. That being said, old chips are probably your best indicator.

Chuck

I agree with how Chuck and his painter handled the match.
When my son had his fathom green '69 Z/28 painted a couple of years ago, the painted took samples of know original paint from under the hood, and inside the trunk (out of sunlight).
He was able to come up with what most Camaro experts viewing the car say is a near perfect match, after a lot of work with experimentation and test panels.
Personally, I think the only way to get a good match is to work off of an original paint sample, taken from a non-weathered area. These can usually be found on a C3.
Good luck. Ridge.